Roadside reporter system

• US 9,704,396 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Owens, Theresa A., Ismaili, Alinawaz, Gee, Brennan, Lowry, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura
• Application Number:
  US14/523,429
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for processing notifications regarding issues with nearby vehicles. A roadside reporter receives notifications from individuals or computing devices reporting problems or violations associated with nearby vehicles, and the notification for uniqueness and authenticity. Upon determining that the notification is unique and authentic, the roadside reporter system notifies the driver of the nearby vehicle and other relevant parties about the problem or violation. The roadside reporter may issue rewards to the reporting user. The roadside reporter system further allows the driver of the nearby vehicle to respond to the notification, and subsequently provides the driver with incentives to address the problem or violation.

Claims

1. A mobile phone at a first vehicle, the mobile phone comprising:

a location positioning component capable of determining a first location of the first vehicle;

an antenna configured to communicate via wireless communication;

a display monitor;

at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile phone to;

receive, at the first vehicle via the antenna, a notification associated with an issue of the first vehicle, wherein the notification comprises a level of severity, wherein the notification originated from a device in a second vehicle at a second location within a predetermined radius of the first location, and wherein the notification, when at the second vehicle, maintains anonymity of a driver of the first vehicle and includes descriptive vehicle information identifying the first vehicle, wherein the descriptive vehicle information comprises a location of the second vehicle, a vehicle make of the first vehicle, a vehicle model of the first vehicle, a vehicle color of the first vehicle, a vehicle style of the first vehicle, and a vehicle condition of the first vehicle,

display, on the display monitor in the first vehicle, the issue of the first vehicle provided in the received notification, a number of rewards for acknowledging the notification based on the level of severity, and a predetermined time period within which to acknowledge the notification based on the level of severity;

receive, via an interface of the display monitor in the first vehicle, an acknowledgment of the notification within the predetermined time from the driver of the first vehicle;

transmit, via the antenna, to a server independent from the device in the second vehicle, the acknowledgement of the notification; and

receive, via the antenna, at least one reward for acknowledging the notification based on the level of severity.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein:

the issue is a problem associated with the first vehicle; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to;

transmit, via the antenna, a request to address the problem independently; and

responsive to the request, receive, via the antenna, at least one tutorial to assist in addressing the problem independently.

3. The mobile phone of claim 2 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile phone to:

transmit, via the antenna, a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, receive, via the antenna, at least one reward for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.

4. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein:

the issue is a problem associated with the first vehicle; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile phone to;

transmit, via the antenna, a request to address the problem at an automobile repair shop; and

responsive to the request, receive, via the antenna, a list including at least one automobile repair shop.

5. The mobile phone of claim 4 wherein:

the request includes a current location of the first vehicle; and

the list includes at least one automobile repair shop within a predetermined radius of the current location of the first vehicle.

6. The mobile phone of claim 4 wherein the list further includes an estimated cost of addressing the problem at the at least one automobile repair shop.

7. The mobile phone of claim 4 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile phone to:

transmit, via the antenna, a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, receive, via the antenna, at least one reward for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive, at a first time, a notification of an issue associated with a first vehicle, wherein the notification originates from a second vehicle within an observable distance of the first vehicle, wherein the notification maintains anonymity of a driver of the first vehicle, and includes descriptive vehicle information identifying the first vehicle, and wherein the descriptive information comprises a location of the second vehicle, a vehicle make of the first vehicle, a vehicle model of the first vehicle, a vehicle color of the first vehicle, a vehicle style of the first vehicle, and a vehicle condition of the first vehicle;

determine uniqueness of the notification;

responsive to determining that the notification is unique, output, at a second time, the notification to the first vehicle, wherein the second time is no more than thirty seconds after the first time, wherein the notification comprises a level of severity, a number of rewards for acknowledging the notification based the level of severity, and a predetermined time period within which to acknowledge the notification based on the level of severity;

receive an acknowledgment of the issue within the predetermined time period to receive the number of rewards for acknowledging the notification, wherein the acknowledgement originates from the first vehicle; and

transmit at least one reward for acknowledging the notification based on the level of severity to the first vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

determine reliability of the notification; and

provide a reward to the second vehicle for providing the notification, based, at least in part, on the uniqueness and the reliability of the notification and the level of severity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the issue is a mechanical problem associated with the first vehicle; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to;

receive a request, originating from the first vehicle, to address the mechanical problem independently; and

responsive to the request, provide the first vehicle with at least one tutorial to assist in addressing the mechanical problem independently.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive and verify a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, provide at least one reward to the first vehicle for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the issue is a problem associated with the first vehicle; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to;

receive a request, originating from the first vehicle, to address the problem at an automobile repair shop; and

responsive to the request to address the problem at an automobile repair shop, provide the first vehicle with a list including at least one automobile repair shop.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the request to address the problem at an automobile shop includes a current location of the first vehicle; and

the list includes at least one automobile repair shop within a predetermined radius of the current location of the first vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the list further includes an estimated cost of addressing the problem at the at least one automobile repair shop.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive and verify a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, provide at least one reward to the first vehicle for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the issue is a violation associated with the first vehicle; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to;

provide the first vehicle with at least one tutorial to educate the first vehicle about the violation and public safety;

receive and verify a confirmation that the at least one tutorial has been completed; and

responsive to the confirmation, provide at least one reward to the first vehicle for addressing the violation based on the level of severity.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 where the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a contestation of the notification, wherein the contestation includes a confirmation that the notification is invalid; and

responsive to the confirmation, provide at least one reward to the first vehicle for contesting the notification based on the level of severity.

18. A computer-assisted method of processing a roadside notification comprising:

receiving a notification of an issue associated with a first vehicle, wherein the notification originated from a second vehicle within an observable distance of the first vehicle;

determining uniqueness of the notification;

determining reliability of the notification;

responsive to determining that the notification is unique and reliable, outputting the notification to the first vehicle, wherein the notification comprises a level of severity, a number of rewards for acknowledging the notification based on the level of severity, and a predetermined time period within which to acknowledge the notification based on the level of severity;

receiving an acknowledgement of the issue within the predetermined time period to receive the number of rewards for acknowledging the notification, wherein the acknowledgement originated from the first vehicle; and

transmitting at least one reward for acknowledging the notification based on the level of severity to the first vehicle.

19. The computer-assisted method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a request, originating from the first vehicle, to address the issue independently, wherein the issue is a problem associated with the first vehicle;

responsive to the request,

providing the first vehicle with at least one tutorial to assist in addressing the problem independently;

receiving and verifying a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, providing at least one reward to the first vehicle for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.

20. The computer-assisted method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a request, originating from the first vehicle, to address the issue at an automobile repair shop, wherein the issue is a problem associated with the first vehicle;

responsive to the request, providing the first vehicle with a list including at least one automobile repair shop;

receiving and verifying a confirmation that the problem has been addressed; and

responsive to the confirmation, providing at least one reward to the first vehicle for addressing the problem based on the level of severity.