Reward system related to a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system

• US 9,355,423 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Slusar, Mark V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US14/163,741
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 705 3- 44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0021 Access to services on a time-basis
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

System and methods are disclosed for determining, through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, whether vehicles are involved in autonomous droning. Vehicle driving data and other information may be used to calculate a autonomous droning reward amount. In addition, vehicle involved in a drafting relationship in addition to, or apart from, an autonomous droning relationship may be financially rewarded. Moreover, aspects of the disclosure related to determining ruminative rewards and/or aspects of vehicle insurance procurement/underwriting.

Claims

1. An autonomous droning reward system comprising:

a vehicle operational data collector, wherein the vehicle operational data collector is configured to collect driving data from at least one of vehicle sensors, vehicle OBD systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems; and

an autonomous droning reward device, comprising

a processing unit comprising at least one computer processor;

a memory unit; and

a wireless receiver;

wherein an autonomous droning reward device is configured to receive, via the wireless receiver, the driving data;

determine, from the driving data, whether a lead vehicle is in an autonomous droning relationship with at least one following vehicle, wherein the driving data indicates that lead vehicle is in the autonomous droning relationship so long as the lead vehicle transmits commands to the at least one following vehicle on at least a regular interval and the at least one following vehicle uses the commands to follow the lead vehicle and automate driving based on the driving of the lead vehicle;

calculate a reward amount based on at least that the lead vehicle is in the autonomous droning relationship;

determine an account associated with the lead vehicle; and

credit the account associated with the lead vehicle by the reward amount.

2. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one following vehicle is a drone vehicle comprising:

a short-range wireless communications circuitry configured to receive commands generated by the lead vehicle; and

an interface to a vehicle control computer of the drone vehicle, wherein the commands are sent to the vehicle control computer through the interface to cause the drone vehicle to alter its driving characteristics.

3. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the lead vehicle is operated on a roadway, and wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to:

adjust the reward amount based on at least one of congestion level on the roadway, weather conditions on the roadway, and historical occurrence of incidents on the roadway.

4. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to:

adjust the reward amount based on at least one of time of day when the lead vehicle is operated, vehicle characteristics of the lead vehicle, and driving risk characteristics of the lead vehicle.

5. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the driving data comprises at least one of:

speed of the lead vehicle, location of the lead vehicle, amount of time spent in the autonomous droning relationship, and amount of distance traveled in the autonomous droning relationship, wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to;

increase the reward amount as the amount of time spent in the autonomous droning relationship increases;

increase the reward amount as the amount of distance traveled in the autonomous droning relationship increases;

increase the reward amount if the speed of the lead vehicle stays within a threshold speed range while in the autonomous droning relationship; and

increase the reward amount if the location of the lead vehicle stays within a geographic region while in the autonomous droning relationship.

6. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, further comprising:

a short-range wireless communications circuitry configured to communicate commands between the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle;

a long-range wireless communications circuitry configured to communicate the driving data; and

an interface to an on-board diagnostic port of the lead vehicle configured to receive driving data.

7. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the account is an auto insurance policy account, and wherein the reward amount is a dollar amount at least partially credited against a premium due on the auto insurance policy account.

8. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to:

determine an account associated with one of the at least one following vehicle; and

debit the account associated with the one of the at least one following vehicle by the reward amount.

9. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to:

determine an account associated with one of the at least one following vehicle; and

credit the account associated with the one of the at least one following vehicle by no more than the reward amount.

10. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous droning reward device is further configured to:

apply a percentage discount to an insurance policy account of the at least one following vehicle a vehicle insurance policy.

11. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display screen configured to display at least the reward amount in the lead vehicle.

12. The autonomous droning reward system of claim 1, further comprising a driving analysis computing device configured to:

determine a drafting property associated with the at least one following vehicle; and

calculate a drafting reward based on the drafting property associated with the at least one following vehicle.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless receiver of an autonomous droning reward device, driving data collected by a vehicle operational data collector, wherein the vehicle operational data collector is configured to collect driving data from at least one of vehicle sensors, vehicle OBD systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems;

determining, by a processing unit of the autonomous droning reward device, from the driving data whether a lead vehicle is in an autonomous droning relationship with at least one drone vehicle, wherein the driving data indicates that lead vehicle is in the autonomous droning relationship so long as the lead vehicle transmits commands to the at least one following vehicle on at least a regular interval and the at least one following vehicle uses the commands to follow the lead vehicle and automate driving based on the driving of the lead vehicle;

calculating, by a processing unit of the autonomous droning reward device, a reward amount based on at least that the lead vehicle is in the autonomous droning relationship; and

crediting by the reward amount one or more accounts associated with at least one of the lead vehicle and one of the at least one following vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the crediting is performed by an account processor.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adjusting, by the autonomous droning reward device, the reward amount based on at least one of congestion level on a roadway traveled by the lead vehicle, weather conditions on the roadway, historical occurrence of incidents on the roadway, time of day when the lead vehicle is operated, vehicle characteristics of the lead vehicle, and driving risk characteristics of the lead vehicle.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more accounts includes an auto insurance policy account, and wherein the reward amount is a dollar amount at least partially credited against a premium due on the auto insurance policy account.