Vehicle turn detection

• US 9,905,127 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagpal, Varun, Mukhtar, Yasir, Snyder, Jared S., Walsh, Connor
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US15/496,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20180061228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 340935
• 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 1/0112 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 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

An turn detection system is configured to determine headings or a course of a vehicle over a period of time and evaluate whether the vehicle has registered a turn based on these headings/course. In some arrangements, upon detecting a turn, sensor data may be collected to determine one or more characteristics or attributes of the turn. Such data may indicate a loss event associated with the turn and be used to calculate a probability or risk of loss given the various characteristics of the turn. These probabilities may further be applied to determine various costs and premiums.

Claims

1. A turn detection apparatus comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the turn detection apparatus to;

determine a plurality of headings of a vehicle, each of the headings corresponding to a different point in time, wherein each of the headings includes a corresponding angle measured relative to one of;

a reference line and a heading of the vehicle determined immediately prior;

determine a total turn angle by summing the plurality of angles; and

determine a turn direction of the vehicle based on whether a signed sum of the plurality of angles is positive or negative.

2. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a mobile communication device.

3. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to be physically connected to the vehicle.

4. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of headings of the vehicle is performed using signal triangulation.

5. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the turn detection apparatus is further caused to determine whether the vehicle has turned based on whether the total turn angle is above a specified threshold angle.

6. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the turn detection apparatus is further caused to:

determine at least one characteristic of a turn of the vehicle; and

determine a risk of loss associated with at least one of the vehicle and a driver of the vehicle based on the determined at least one characteristic of the turn.

7. The turn detection apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one sensor, and

wherein determining the at least one characteristic of the turn includes receiving data from the at least one sensor.

8. The turn detection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor includes a camera.

9. The turn detection apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining the risk of loss includes calculating a probability of loss based on historical loss data associated with turns having the at least one characteristic.

10. The turn detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the turn detection apparatus is further caused to:

detect a loss event within a predefined amount of time of a turn of the vehicle; and

assigning a value of the loss event to at least one characteristic of the turn.

11. The turn detection apparatus of claim 10, wherein detecting the loss event includes determining whether the loss event is within a predefined proximity of a location of the turn.

12. The turn detection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the loss event corresponds to another vehicle different from the vehicle registering the turn.

13. A turn detection apparatus comprising:

a first position detection device;

a second position detection device;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the turn detection apparatus to;

receiving, at a data collection rate, first heading information for a vehicle from at least one of the first position detection device and the second position detection device when the first position detection device has a first detection strength and the second position detection device has a second detection strength;

determining a first heading based on the received first heading information;

determining that a detection strength of the at least one of the first position detection device and the second position detection device has changed;

in response to the change in the detection strength, modifying the data collection rate from the at least one of the first position detection device and the second position detection device;

receiving second heading information for the vehicle based on the modified data collection rate;

determine a second heading of the vehicle based on the second heading information; and

determining whether the vehicle has registered a turn based on at least the first heading and the second heading.

14. The turn detection apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first position detection device is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

15. The turn detection apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second position detection device is a cellular communication device.

16. The turn detection apparatus of claim 13, wherein modifying the data collection rate includes:

increasing a data collection rate of the first position detection device; and

decreasing a data collection rate of the second position detection device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a turn detection apparatus to:

determine a plurality of headings of a vehicle, each of the headings corresponding to a different point in time, wherein each of the headings includes a corresponding angle measured relative to one of;

a reference line and a heading of the vehicle determined immediately prior;

determine a total turn angle by summing the plurality of angles; and

determine a direction of a turn of the vehicle based on whether a signed sum of the plurality of angles is positive or negative.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the turn detection apparatus is further caused to determine whether the vehicle has turned based on whether the total turn angle is above a specified threshold angle.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the turn detection apparatus is further caused to:

determine at least one characteristic of a turn of the vehicle; and

determine a risk of loss associated with at least one of the vehicle and a driver of the vehicle based on the determined at least one characteristic of the turn.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining the at least one characteristic of the turn includes receiving data from at least one sensor of the turn detection apparatus.