U.S. patent application number 14/607662 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-04 for risk unit based policies.
The applicant listed for this patent is Allstate Insurance Company. Invention is credited to Edward A. Biemer, Grady Irey, Caryl M. Styrsky.
Application Number | 20160225095 14/607662 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56321081 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160225095 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Biemer; Edward A. ; et
al. |
August 4, 2016 |
Risk Unit Based Policies
Abstract
Methods, computer-readable media, systems and apparatuses for
determining and implementing risk unit based insurance policies are
presented. A user may receive a plurality of risk units associated
with an insurance policy. The risk units may be stored in a risk
unit account associated with the user, the vehicle, etc. During
operation of the vehicle, sensor data may be received. The sensor
data may provide information associated with driving behaviors of
the user, environmental conditions in which the vehicle is being
operated, and the like. A consumption rate of the risk units may be
determined based, at least in part, on the received sensor data. If
a number of risk units in a risk unit account is below a
predetermined threshold, a notification may be transmitted to the
user and/or a predetermined number of risk units may be
automatically added to the risk unit account.
Inventors: |
Biemer; Edward A.; (Glencoe,
IL) ; Irey; Grady; (Des Plaines, IL) ;
Styrsky; Caryl M.; (Wheeling, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Allstate Insurance Company |
Northbrook |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56321081 |
Appl. No.: |
14/607662 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60W 10/30 20130101;
G01C 21/3469 20130101; B60W 10/04 20130101; G06Q 40/02 20130101;
H04W 68/00 20130101; G06Q 40/00 20130101; G06Q 40/08 20130101; G07C
5/08 20130101; G07C 5/008 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/08 20120101
G06Q040/08 |
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. A risk unit based insurance system, comprising: an on-board
vehicle computing device including at least one processor and at
least one memory storing computer readable instructions that, when
executed by the at least one processor, cause the on-board vehicle
computing device to: receive, from at least one sensor arranged on
a vehicle, driving data associated with at least one of: a user
operating a vehicle and an environment in which the vehicle is
being operated; analyze the received driving data to determine, in
real-time, a consumption rate of risk units associated with a risk
unit usage-based insurance policy associated with the vehicle, the
risk unit usage-based insurance policy including a plurality of
risk units forming a balance of risk units in a risk unit account,
the balance of risk units being configured to be reduced upon
operation of the vehicle, each risk unit representing a cost to
insure an average user for a predetermined period of time and
forming a portion of the risk unit usage-based insurance policy
associated with the vehicle; transmit, to an insurance system
server, the determined consumption rate of the risk units; an
insurance system server having at least one processor and at least
one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when
executed by the at least one processor, cause the insurance system
server to: receive, from the on-board vehicle computing device, the
determined consumption rate of the risk units; reduce the balance
of risk units in the risk unit account associated with the user
based on operation of the vehicle, wherein a rate at which the
balance of risk units is reduced is based on the determined
consumption rate; determine whether the balance of risk units in
the risk unit account is below a predetermined threshold;
responsive to determining that the balance of risk units is below
the predetermined threshold, provide a notification to the user
that the balance of risk units is below the predetermined
threshold; and modify operation of at least one system of the
vehicle including preventing the vehicle from starting.
17. The risk unit based insurance system of claim 16, wherein
modifying operation of the at least one system of the vehicle
further includes at least one of: causing headlights of the vehicle
to flash and causing a horn of the vehicle to blare.
18. The risk unit based insurance system of claim 16, wherein
modifying operation of at least one system of the vehicle further
includes: modifying operation of the at least one system of the
vehicle until it is determined that the balance of risk units in
the risk unit account is at or above the predetermined
threshold.
19. The risk unit based insurance system of claim 16, wherein the
notification is provided to the user via a mobile device of the
user.
20. The risk unit based insurance system of claim 16, wherein the
notification is provided to the user via a vehicle display
associated with the on-board vehicle computing device.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Various aspects of the disclosure relate to risk unit based
insurance systems for determining and implementing risk unit based
insurance policies. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure
relate to determining a risk unit, providing a plurality of risk
units to a user, receiving and analyzing various driver data,
vehicle data, and/or driving trip data, determining a consumption
rate of risk units (or other units within an account) and reducing
a balance in a risk unit account based on the consumption rate in
accordance with risk unit based insurance policies.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Vehicle insurance policies are generally purchased by
insurance customers from various insurance providers. Conventional
policies generally provide coverage to the user for a term of the
policy based on payment of a premium associated with the policy.
Such term based policies might not account for driving behaviors,
environmental conditions, or the like. Rather, coverage may be
provided for the term, regardless of how, where, when, etc. the
driver operates the vehicle.
[0003] Many vehicles include sensors and internal computer systems
designed to store and monitor driving data, vehicle operation data,
driving conditions, and driving functions. Many vehicles also
include one or more communication systems designed to send and
receive information from inside or outside the vehicle. Such
information can include, for example, vehicle operational data,
driving conditions, and communications from other vehicles or
systems.
SUMMARY
[0004] The following presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure.
The summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is
neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the
disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The
following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure
in a simplified form as a prelude to the description below.
[0005] Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods,
computer-readable media, and apparatuses for determining and
implementing risk unit based insurance policies. In some
arrangements, a user may receive a plurality of risk units
associated with an insurance policy, such as an auto insurance
policy. The risk units may be stored in a risk unit account
associated with the user, the vehicle, etc. During operation of the
vehicle, sensor data may be received. The sensor data may provide
information associated with driving behaviors of the user,
environmental conditions in which the vehicle is being operated,
and the like. A consumption rate of the risk units may be
determined based, at least in part, on the received sensor data.
Consumption rate may also be based on additional factors, such as
driving experience, policy coverage, vehicle features, and the
like. In some examples, the consumption rate may be based on a
combination of factors or on only sensor data factors or only other
factors not determined based on sensor data. Accordingly, as the
vehicle is operated, a number or balance of risk units in the risk
unit account may be reduced based on the determined consumption
rate.
[0006] In some examples, a determination may be made as to whether
a number or balance of risk units in the risk unit account is below
a predetermined threshold. If so, a notification may be transmitted
to the user. In some arrangements, the notification may include a
request for user input to purchase additional risk units (e.g., a
request for user input identifying a number of additional risk
units to purchase, payment information, etc.). In some examples,
upon determining that the balance of risk units in the risk unit
account is below the predetermined threshold, a predetermined
number of risk units may be added to the risk unit account and a
cost associated with purchase of the additional risk units may be
paid automatically using predetermined or prestored payment
information.
[0007] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be
apparent from the additional description provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] A more complete understanding of the present invention and
the advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the
following description in consideration of the accompanying
drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features,
and wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates computing systems and a network
environment that may be used to implement aspects of the
disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2 is an example risk unit based insurance system
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0011] FIG. 3 is an example risk unit based insurance system
environment illustrating various communications between
vehicles-based devices, a personal mobile device, and an insurance
system server, according to one or more aspects of the
disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of
generating a risk unit based insurance policy and implementing the
risk unit based insurance policy according to one or more aspects
described herein.
[0013] FIG. 5 is an example user interface providing information to
a user regarding a risk unit consumption rate according to one or
more aspects described herein.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of
providing one or more risk unit account refill options to a user,
according to one or more aspects described herein.
[0015] FIGS. 7A-7D are example user interfaces that may be provided
to a user to facilitate risk unit account replenishment according
to one or more aspects described herein.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of
generating suggested modifications to driving behaviors in order to
improve risk unit consumption rate, according to one or more
aspects described herein.
[0017] FIG. 9 is an example user interface providing one or more
recommended driving behavior modifications to a user, according to
one or more aspects described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] In the following description of the various embodiments,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part
hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, various
embodiments of the disclosure that may be practiced. It is to be
understood that other embodiments may be utilized.
[0019] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art upon
reading the following disclosure, various aspects described herein
may be embodied as a method, a computer system, or a computer
program product. Accordingly, those aspects may take the form of an
entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an
embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore,
such aspects may take the form of a computer program product stored
by one or more computer-readable storage media having
computer-readable program code, or instructions, embodied in or on
the storage media. Any suitable computer-readable storage media may
be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage
devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or any combination thereof.
In addition, various signals representing data or events as
described herein may be transferred between a source and a
destination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling through
signal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/or
wireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space).
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a computing device (or
system) 101 in a computer system 100 that may be used according to
one or more illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. The device
101 may have a processor 103 for controlling overall operation of
the device 101 and its associated components, including RAM 105,
ROM 107, input/output module 109, and memory 115. The computing
device 101, along with one or more additional devices (e.g.,
terminals 141 and 151, security and integration hardware 160) may
correspond to any of multiple systems or devices described herein,
such as personal mobile devices, vehicle-based computing devices,
insurance systems servers, external data sources and other various
devices in a risk unit based insurance system. These various
computing systems may be configured individually or in combination,
as described herein, for determining and/or providing one or more
risk units to a user, maintaining an account of risk units for a
user, determining a rate at which a balance in the account may be
reduced (e.g., based on various driving factor, external factors,
traditional insurance factors, or the like), automatically
refilling a risk unit account based on the balance reaching a
predetermined threshold, and the like, using the devices of the
risk unit based insurance systems described herein. In addition to
the features described above, the techniques described herein also
may be used for generating and presenting insurance recommendations
to customers, insurance underwriting, and other insurance-related
tasks.
[0021] Input/Output (I/O) 109 may include a microphone, keypad,
touch screen, and/or stylus through which a user of the computing
device 101 may provide input, and may also include one or more of a
speaker for providing audio output and a video display device for
providing textual, audiovisual and/or graphical output. Software
may be stored within memory 115 and/or storage to provide
instructions to processor 103 for enabling device 101 to perform
various actions. For example, memory 115 may store software used by
the device 101, such as an operating system 117, application
programs 119, and an associated internal database 121. The various
hardware memory units in memory 115 may include volatile and
nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any
method or technology for storage of information such as
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or
other data. Certain devices and systems within risk unit based
insurance systems may have minimum hardware requirements in order
to support sufficient storage capacity, processing capacity,
analysis capacity, network communication, etc. For instance, in
some embodiments, one or more nonvolatile hardware memory units
having a minimum size (e.g., at least 1 gigabyte (GB), 2 GB, 5 GB,
etc.), and/or one or more volatile hardware memory units having a
minimum size (e.g., 256 megabytes (MB), 512 MB, 1 GB, etc.) may be
used in a device 101 (e.g., a personal mobile device 101,
vehicle-based device 101, insurance system server 101, etc.), in
order to collect and analyze driver data, vehicle data, and/or
driving trip data, determine risk unit based insurance policy
parameters, determine rate at which risk units are consumed during
operation of a vehicle, etc., using the various devices of the risk
unit based insurance systems. Memory 115 also may include one or
more physical persistent memory devices and/or one or more
non-persistent memory devices. Memory 115 may include, but is not
limited to, random access memory (RAM) 105, read only memory (ROM)
107, electronically erasable programmable read only memory
(EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital
versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic
cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic
storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the
desired information and that can be accessed by processor 103.
[0022] Processor 103 may include a single central processing unit
(CPU), which may be a single-core or multi-core processor (e.g.,
dual-core, quad-core, etc.), or may include multiple CPUs.
Processor(s) 103 may have various bit sizes (e.g., 16-bit, 32-bit,
64-bit, 96-bit, 128-bit, etc.) and various processor speeds
(ranging from 100 MHz to 5 Ghz or faster). Processor(s) 103 and its
associated components may allow the system 101 to execute a series
of computer-readable instructions, for example, determine a risk
unit balance in a risk unit account, to receive and analyze driver
data, vehicle data, and/or driving trip data, determine a rate at
which risk units are consumed (e.g., based on analyzed driver data,
vehicle data, external data, or the like), and/or automatically
refill a risk unit account balance upon determining that the
balance has reached a predetermined threshold.
[0023] The computing device (e.g., a personal mobile device,
vehicle-based system, insurance system server, etc.) may operate in
a networked environment 100 supporting connections to one or more
remote computers, such as terminals 141, 151, and 161. Such
terminals may be personal computers or servers 141 (e.g., home
computers, laptops, web servers, database servers), mobile
communication devices 151 (e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers,
etc.), vehicle-based computing systems 161 (e.g., on-board vehicle
systems, telematics devices, mobile phones or other personal mobile
devices within vehicles), and the like, each of which may include
some or all of the elements described above with respect to the
computing device 101. The network connections depicted in FIG. 1
include a local area network (LAN) 125 and a wide area network
(WAN) 129, and a wireless telecommunications network 133, but may
also include other networks. When used in a LAN networking
environment, the computing device 101 may be connected to the LAN
125 through a network interface or adapter 123. When used in a WAN
networking environment, the device 101 may include a modem 127 or
other means for establishing communications over the WAN 129, such
as network 131 (e.g., the Internet). When used in a wireless
telecommunications network 133, the device 101 may include one or
more transceivers, digital signal processors, and additional
circuitry and software for communicating with wireless computing
devices 151 and 161 (e.g., mobile phones, portable customer
computing devices, vehicle-based computing devices and systems,
etc.) via one or more network devices 135 (e.g., base transceiver
stations) in the wireless network 133.
[0024] Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a security and integration
layer 160, through which communications are sent and managed
between the device 101 (e.g., a personal mobile device, a
vehicle-based computing device, an insurance server, an
intermediary server and/or external data source servers, etc.) and
the remote devices (141, 151, and 161) and remote networks (125,
129, and 133). The security and integration layer 160 may comprise
one or more separate computing devices, such as web servers,
authentication servers, and/or various networking components (e.g.,
firewalls, routers, gateways, load balancers, etc.), having some or
all of the elements described above with respect to the computing
device 101. As an example, a security and integration layer 160 of
a server 101 may comprise a set of web application servers
configured to use secure protocols and to insulate the device 101
from external devices 141, 151, and 161. In some cases, the
security and integration layer 160 may correspond to a set of
dedicated hardware and/or software operating at the same physical
location and under the control of same entities as device 101. For
example, layer 160 may correspond to one or more dedicated web
servers and network hardware in a vehicle and driver information
datacenter or in a cloud infrastructure supporting a cloud-based
vehicle identification and vehicle and driver data retrieval and
analysis. In other examples, the security and integration layer 160
may correspond to separate hardware and software components which
may be operated at a separate physical location and/or by a
separate entity.
[0025] As discussed below, the data transferred to and from various
devices in a risk unit based insurance system 100 may include
secure and sensitive data, such as confidential vehicle operation
data, insurance policy data, and confidential user data from
drivers and passengers in vehicles. Therefore, it may be desirable
to protect transmissions of such data by using secure network
protocols and encryption, and also to protect the integrity of the
data when stored on the various devices within a personalized
insurance system, such as personal mobile devices, vehicle-based
devices, insurance servers, external data source servers, or other
computing devices in the system 100, by using the security and
integration layer 160 to authenticate users and restrict access to
unknown or unauthorized users. In various implementations, security
and integration layer 160 may provide, for example, a file-based
integration scheme or a service-based integration scheme for
transmitting data between the various devices in an electronic
display system 100. Data may be transmitted through the security
and integration layer 160, using various network communication
protocols. Secure data transmission protocols and/or encryption may
be used in file transfers to protect to integrity of the data, for
example, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Secure File Transfer
Protocol (SFTP), and/or Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption. In
other examples, one or more web services may be implemented within
the various devices 101 in the system 100 and/or the security and
integration layer 160. The web services may be accessed by
authorized external devices and users to support input, extraction,
and manipulation of the data (e.g., vehicle data, driver data,
driving trip data, etc.) between the various devices 101 in the
system 100. Web services built to support a personalized display
system may be cross-domain and/or cross-platform, and may be built
for enterprise use. Such web services may be developed in
accordance with various web service standards, such as the Web
Service Interoperability (WS-I) guidelines. In some examples, a
driver data, vehicle data, and/or driving trip data analysis web
service, a risk unit based insurance policy determination or offer
web service, or the like, may be implemented in the security and
integration layer 160 using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or
Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol to provide secure
connections between servers 101 and various clients 141, 151, and
161. SSL or TLS may use HTTP or HTTPS to provide authentication and
confidentiality. In other examples, such web services may be
implemented using the WS-Security standard, which provides for
secure SOAP messages using XML encryption. In still other examples,
the security and integration layer 160 may include specialized
hardware for providing secure web services. For example, secure
network appliances in the security and integration layer 160 may
include built-in features such as hardware-accelerated SSL and
HTTPS, WS-Security, and firewalls. Such specialized hardware may be
installed and configured in the security and integration layer 160
in front of the web servers, so that any external devices may
communicate directly with the specialized hardware.
[0026] Although not shown in FIG. 1, various elements within memory
115 or other components in system 100, may include one or more
caches, for example, CPU caches used by the processing unit 103,
page caches used by the operating system 117, disk caches of a hard
drive, and/or database caches used to cache content from database
121. For embodiments including a CPU cache, the CPU cache may be
used by one or more processors in the processing unit 103 to reduce
memory latency and access time. In such examples, a processor 103
may retrieve data from or write data to the CPU cache rather than
reading/writing to memory 115, which may improve the speed of these
operations. In some examples, a database cache may be created in
which certain data from a database 121 (e.g., a database of driver
data, driving behaviors or characteristics, passenger-related data,
vehicle data, driving trip data, account balance data, etc.) is
cached in a separate smaller database on an application server
separate from the database server (e.g., at a personal mobile
device, vehicle-based data, or intermediary network device or cache
device, etc.). For instance, in a multi-tiered application, a
database cache on an application server can reduce data retrieval
and data manipulation time by not needing to communicate over a
network with a back-end database server. These types of caches and
others may be included in various embodiments, and may provide
potential advantages in certain implementations of risk unit based
insurance systems, such as faster response times and less
dependence on network conditions when transmitting and receiving
driver information, vehicle information, driving trip information,
insurance parameters, account balance information, and the
like.
[0027] It will be appreciated that the network connections shown
are illustrative and other means of establishing a communications
link between the computers may be used. The existence of any of
various network protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and
the like, and of various wireless communication technologies such
as GSM, CDMA, WiFi, and WiMAX, is presumed, and the various
computing devices in risk unit based insurance system components
described herein may be configured to communicate using any of
these network protocols or technologies.
[0028] Additionally, one or more application programs 119 may be
used by the various computing devices 101 within a risk unit based
insurance system 100 (e.g., vehicle data, driver data, and/or
driving trip data analysis software applications, insurance
parameter determination software applications, risk unit account
applications, etc.), including computer executable instructions for
receiving and analyzing various driver data, vehicle data, and/or
driving trip data, determining parameters for risk unit insurance
policies, presenting risk unit based insurance policies via the
devices in the risk unit based insurance system, determining a rate
at which risk units are consumed during operation of a vehicle, and
evaluating and/or automatically refilling a balance of a risk unit
account using the devices of the risk unit based insurance
systems.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative risk unit
based insurance system 200. The risk unit based insurance system
200 may be associated with, internal to, operated by, or the like,
an entity 201, such as an insurance provider. In some examples, the
entity may be one of various other types of entities, such as a
government entity, corporation or business, university, or the
like. Various examples described herein will be discussed in the
context of an insurance provider. However, nothing in the
specification should be viewed as limiting use of the systems,
methods, arrangements, etc. described herein to use only by an
insurance provider.
[0030] The risk unit based insurance system 200 may include one or
more modules that may include hardware and/or software configured
to perform various functions within the system 200. The one or more
modules may be separate, physical devices or, in other examples,
one or more modules may be part of the same physical device.
[0031] The risk unit based insurance system may include a risk unit
module 202. The risk unit module 202 may be configured to determine
a cost to insure an average user for a predetermined period of
time. For instance, the risk unit module 202 may receive data, such
as insurance data from insurance data store 204, locality data from
locality data store 206, as well as other data (from data stores
not shown that may be internal to the entity 201 or external to the
entity 201), and determine, based on the received data, the cost to
insure an average user over a predetermined period of time (e.g.,
one month, one week, one day, one year, or the like). This cost may
be considered equivalent to one risk unit. Further, a cost to the
user or insurance policy holder to purchase a risk unit may be
determined by the system. This cost may be different from the cost
forming the risk unit and may be determined on a fixed date. The
cost to the user may then be revised at a second date (e.g.,
monthly, annually, etc.). Accordingly, insurance may be provided to
one or more users based on risk units, as will be discussed more
fully herein.
[0032] The risk unit based insurance system 200 may further include
a policy module 208. The policy module 208 may generate and/or
store insurance policies using risk units, as well as insurance
policy information or factors, such as vehicle information, driving
record/experience, policy limits, deductibles, etc. That is, a user
may be insured through a policy that provides a number of risk
units for a particular cost (e.g., insurance premium). The risk
units may then be consumed by the user as, for example, the user
drives or operates his or her vehicle. The risk units may be
consumed based on sensor data-focused factors, such as time
elapsed, driving habits of the user, environmental conditions in
which the user operates the vehicle, vehicle parameters (such as
year, make, model, features, specifications, etc.), condition or
performance of the vehicle (e.g., based on sensor data), and the
like, as well as traditional policy factors, such as driving
experience, driving record, credit variables, policy coverage,
deductible, policy limits, familiarity of the driver with the
vehicle or surroundings, and the like. In some examples, one policy
parameter may include a level of coverage. For instance, risk units
may be purchased at various levels with each level providing a
different level of coverage, as will be discussed more fully
herein. Additionally or alternatively, the consumption rate may
reflect different levels of coverage.
[0033] The insurance policies based on risk units may further
include a risk unit account stored in risk unit account module 210.
The risk unit account module 210 may include one or more accounts
associated with one or more users (e.g., users having risk unit
based insurance policies), vehicles (e.g., vehicles associated with
a risk unit based insurance policy), or the like. The accounts may
include information associated with a user such as name, address,
contact information, and the like, as well as information
associated with the vehicle, such as vehicle identification number,
make, model, year, etc. Further, the accounts may include a number
of risk units associated with or available to the user or account
holder, associated with the vehicle, etc. Accordingly, if a user
has a risk unit based insurance policy that includes the purchase
of 100 risk units, the user account will show, at the purchase, 100
risk units. As the risk units are consumed (e.g., by the user
operating the vehicle, or the like) a balance of risk units in the
account may be reduced. In some examples, the balance of risk units
in an account may be displayed to the user via a computing device,
such as one or more of computing devices 212a-212f. For instance,
the risk unit account balance may be displayed via an application
(e.g., online or mobile application) on a smartphone 212a, personal
digital assistant (PDA) 212b, tablet 212c, cell phone 212d, or
other computing device 212e. In some examples, the risk unit
account balance may be displayed to a user on a vehicle display
212f. In addition to display of the account balance, various other
account details may be displayed as desired.
[0034] In some arrangements, the risk unit account may include
units of another type (e.g., other than risk units). For instance,
the risk unit account may include an amount or balance of funds or
money. The balance of funds may be reduced based on operation of
the vehicle, as discussed above. In some examples, the risk units
may be converted to funds in order to facilitate this reduction of
balance (e.g., the consumption rate of units based on operation of
the vehicle may be determined in risk units and then converted to
funds in order to reduce the balance in the account appropriately).
In other examples, the consumption rate may be determined in
monetary units and the balance reduced as appropriate. Although
various arrangements discussed herein will be described in terms of
consumption rate being determined in risk units and a balance of an
account including a number of risk units reduced accordingly,
various other units may be used (e.g., monetary units) without
departing from the invention.
[0035] The risk unit based insurance system 200 may further include
a risk unit consumption rate module 214. The risk unit consumption
rate module 214 may include hardware and/or software configured to
determine and/or implement a consumption rate of risk units due to
operation of the vehicle (e.g., as the user operates the vehicle,
the number or balance of risk units in the risk unit account is
reduced based on a determined consumption rate, thereby depleting
the balance associated with the policy. Once the balance of risk
units reaches a predetermined threshold, the number of risk units
may be replenished, akin to renewal of a conventional insurance
policy). As discussed above, the consumption rate may be determined
in risk units, monetary units or other units, as desired.
[0036] As discussed above, the rate at which risk units are
consumed by a user (e.g., by a user's operation of a vehicle) may
be based on a variety of factors, such as personal information of
the user, driving habits or behaviors of the user, environmental
conditions, locality or geographic conditions, types of road being
traveled, traditional policy factors, coverage, vehicle features or
operation, and the like. Various algorithms may be used to
determine the consumption rate. For example, Equation 1 is one
example that may be used to determine consumption rate based on
sensor data-focused factors may include:
RC.sub.1=L.sub.1.times.R.sub.1.times.T.sub.1.times.B.sub.1.times.E.sub.1-
, where Equation 1:
[0037] RC.sub.1 is the Rate of Consumption;
[0038] L.sub.1 is a location factor that may include population
density, traffic density, new route, commonly used route, and the
like;
[0039] R.sub.1 is a road condition factor that may include type of
road, road geometry, road hazards, and the like;
[0040] T.sub.1 is a time of day factor;
[0041] B.sub.1 is a driver behavior factor and may include braking
rate, acceleration rate, cornering, trip duration, swerving,
distracted driving, and the like; and
[0042] E.sub.1 is an environmental factor that may include weather
conditions, contextual speed, and the like.
[0043] Equation 2 is another example that may be used to determine
consumption rate based on sensor data-focused factors, as well as
traditional policy factors, may include:
RC.sub.2=O.sub.2.times.P.sub.2.times.V.sub.2.times.C.sub.2.times.L.sub.2-
.times.R.sub.2.times.T.sub.2.times.B.sub.2.times.E.sub.2, where
Equation 2:
[0044] RC.sub.2 is the Rate of Consumption;
[0045] O.sub.2 is an operator factor and may include driver age,
gender, marital status, driving experience, driving record, and the
like;
[0046] P.sub.2 is a policy factor and may include credit variables,
number of vehicles associated with a policy or driver, number of
operators or drivers associated with a policy, prior insurance,
multiple policies, and the like;
[0047] V.sub.2 is a vehicle factor and may include vehicle
identification number, aftermarket parts, vehicle features or
specifications, vehicle condition, maintenance history, and the
like;
[0048] C.sub.2 is a coverage factor and may include coverages
provided, policy or coverage limits, deductibles, and the like;
[0049] L.sub.2 is a location factor that may include population
density, traffic density, new route, commonly used route, and the
like;
[0050] R.sub.2 is a road condition factor that may include type of
road, road geometry, road hazards, and the like;
[0051] T.sub.2 is a time of day factor;
[0052] B.sub.2 is a driver behavior factor and may include braking
rate, acceleration rate, cornering, trip duration, swerving,
distracted driving, and the like; and
[0053] E.sub.2 is an environmental factor that may include weather
conditions, contextual speed, and the like.
[0054] In addition, either Equation 1 or Equation 2 may further
include an expenses factor. In some examples, an expenses value may
be added to the result of Equation 1 or Equation 2 in order to
determine the consumption rate.
[0055] Further, although Equation 1 and Equation 2 are provided as
examples for determining consumption rate, various other equations
and/or algorithms may be used without departing for the invention.
For instance, one or more factors may be removed from the equation
to determine consumption rate. Additionally or alternatively, other
factors may be included in the equations, without departing from
the invention.
[0056] Accordingly, one or more sensors 216 may be used to obtain
data that may be used to determine the consumption rate for the
user. For instance, the one or more sensors may include sensors to
detect driving behaviors of the user, such as hard braking,
speeding, and the like. In another example, one or more sensors may
be used to detect environmental conditions such as precipitation,
humidity, cloud cover, or the like. In still another example, one
or more sensors may be used to determine road conditions or to
obtain information from outside sources (e.g., external databases,
or the like) regarding traffic conditions, types of road (e.g.,
two-lane road, four-lane road), speed limit of the road, or the
like. The data from one or more sensors 216, which may include data
from combinations of different types of sensors, may be used by the
risk unit consumption rate module 214 to determine a risk unit
consumption rate for the user.
[0057] In examples in which the consumption rate is determined
based on traditional policy factors (either in combination with
sensor data-focused factors or alone) the traditional policy
factors, such as driving record, credit information, driving
experience, vehicle features and/or specifications, coverages,
deductibles, policy limits, etc. may be obtained from, for example,
policy module 208. In some examples, the risk unit consumption rate
may be determined or calculated for a particular trip. Additionally
or alternatively, the consumption rate may be calculated or
determined in real-time or near real-time, such that the rate may
change as the user's driving behavior changes, as the type of road
changes, as the environmental conditions change, or the like. Thus,
for example, if a user is driving at speed higher than the speed
limit and it is raining, the consumption rate may be higher than if
the user is driving at the speed limit and/or there is no
precipitation. This is merely one example of how consumption rate
may change based on received sensor data and should not be viewed
as limiting the disclosure to only this example. Rather, various
other changes in received sensor data may be used to modify or
alter the risk unit consumption rate for the user.
[0058] Similar to the risk unit account information, the risk unit
consumption rate may be displayed to a user, such as via one or
more computing devices 212a-212f. In some examples, the risk unit
consumption rate module 214 may generate and/or display to a user
suggestions for improving the consumption rate. For instance, the
system may generate an alternate route that has been determined to
be safer than the user's current route and, thus, by taking the
alternate route, the consumption rate may be reduced. In another
example, a user may be driving faster than a posted speed limit.
The system may generate a notice to display to the user (e.g., via
a computing device 212a-212f) indicating that, by slowing down, the
user's consumption rate may be reduced. These are merely some
examples of messages that may be displayed in order to aid the user
in reducing the consumption rate of the risk units. However,
various other suggestions or driving behavior modifications may be
generated and provided to the user without departing from the
invention.
[0059] The risk unit based insurance system 200 may further include
a risk unit marketplace 218. The risk unit marketplace 218 may be
connected to or in communication with various other modules within
the system 200. In some examples, the risk unit marketplace may be
used to refill a user's risk unit account. For instance, upon the
user reaching a predetermined threshold within the risk unit
account of the user (e.g., the balance of risk units within the
account reaches a certain threshold) the user may be notified that
the balance of risk units in the account is low and may offer one
or more options for purchasing additional risk units or otherwise
increasing the balance of risk units in the account.
[0060] For example, in some instances, upon reaching the threshold
number of risk units within the account, a notification may be
displayed to the user (e.g., via one or more of computing devices
212a-212f) indicating that the balance is low and offering
additional risk units for sale. In some examples, the user may
store credit card or other payment information (e.g., account
information, debit card information, electronic funds transfer
information, and the like) in the system (e.g., within the risk
unit marketplace 218) such that, upon receiving the notification,
the user may select a "purchase" option and a predetermined number
of risk units may be purchased by the user and charged to the
stored payment information. In another example, the user may select
an automatic refill option. In such arrangements, a user may input
payment information (e.g., credit card information, debit card
information, checking or other account information, electronic
funds transfer information, and the like) and may identify a
predetermined threshold below which the system may automatically
purchase additional risk units. These and various other
arrangements will be discussed more fully below.
[0061] The risk unit marketplace 218 may also provide risk units
for sale to other users or insurance providers. For instance, a
user may obtain insurance through a different insurance provider
but the risk units may be common units among a plurality of
insurance providers. Accordingly, users having insurance policies
with other providers may purchase risk units from the risk unit
marketplace 218 and may have the risk units placed in an account
associated with the policy provided by or associated with the other
insurance provider. In some examples, entity 201 may charge a
service fee or surcharge for purchase of risk units for use with a
policy provided by another insurance carrier.
[0062] FIG. 3 is a diagram of an illustrative system driving
analysis system 300 including additional aspects of the risk unit
based insurance system 200 shown in FIG. 2 and/or implementing the
risk unit based insurance system 200 of FIG. 2. The system includes
a vehicle 310, a personal mobile device 330, an insurance system
server 350, and additional related components. As discussed below,
the components of the system 300, individually or using
communication and collaborative interaction, may determine,
present, and implement various types of risk unit based insurance
to customers, including providing or facilitating purchase of a
risk unit based insurance policy and/or associated risk units,
determining a consumption rate of risk units, communicating a
consumption rate to a user, generating and providing suggestions to
a user for reducing consumption rate, etc. To perform such
features, the components shown in FIG. 3 each may be implemented in
hardware, software, or a combination of the two. Additionally, each
component of the system 300 may include a computing device (or
system) having some or all of the structural components described
above for computing device 101.
[0063] Vehicle 310 in the system 300 may be, for example, an
automobile, a motorcycle, a scooter, a bus, a recreational vehicle,
a boat, or other vehicle for which vehicle data, location data,
driver data (or operator data), operational data and/or other
driving data (e.g., location data, time data, weather data, etc.)
may be collected and analyzed. The vehicle 310 includes vehicle
operation sensor 311 (similar to one or more of sensors 216a-216c
of FIG. 2) capable of detecting and recording various conditions at
the vehicle and operational parameters of the vehicle. For example,
sensor 311 may detect and store data corresponding to the vehicle's
location (e.g., GPS coordinates), time, travel time, speed and
direction, rates of acceleration or braking, gas mileage, and
specific instances of sudden acceleration, braking, swerving, and
distance traveled. Sensor 311 also may detect and store data
received from the vehicle's 310 internal systems, such as impact to
the body of the vehicle, air bag deployment, headlights usage,
brake light operation, door opening and closing, door locking and
unlocking, cruise control usage, hazard lights usage, windshield
wiper usage, horn usage, turn signal usage, seat belt usage, phone
and radio usage within the vehicle, autonomous driving system
usage, maintenance performed on the vehicle, and other data
collected by the vehicle's computer systems, including the vehicle
on-board diagnostic systems (OBD).
[0064] Additional sensors 311 may detect and store the external
driving conditions, for example, external temperature, rain, snow,
light levels, and sun position for driver visibility. For example,
external cameras and proximity sensors 311 may detect other nearby
vehicles, vehicle spacing, traffic levels, road conditions, traffic
obstructions, animals, cyclists, pedestrians, and other conditions
that may factor into a driving data/behavior analysis. Sensor 311
also may detect and store data relating to moving violations and
the observance of traffic signals and signs by the vehicle 310.
Additional sensors 311 may detect and store data relating to the
maintenance of the vehicle 310, such as the engine status, oil
level, engine coolant temperature, odometer reading, the level of
fuel in the fuel tank, engine revolutions per minute (RPMs),
software upgrades, and/or tire pressure.
[0065] Vehicles sensor 311 also may include cameras and/or
proximity sensors capable of recording additional conditions inside
or outside of the vehicle 310. For example, internal cameras may
detect conditions such as the number of the passengers and the
types of passengers (e.g. adults, children, teenagers, pets, etc.)
in the vehicles, and potential sources of driver distraction within
the vehicle (e.g., pets, phone usage, and unsecured objects in the
vehicle). Sensor 311 also may be configured to collect data
identifying a current driver from among a number of different
possible drivers, for example, based on driver's seat and mirror
positioning, driving times and routes, radio usage, etc.
Voice/sound data along with directional data also may be used to
determine a seating position within a vehicle 310. Sensor 311 also
may be configured to collect data relating to a driver's movements
or the condition of a driver. For example, vehicle 310 may include
sensors that monitor a driver's movements, such as the driver's eye
position and/or head position, etc. Additional sensors 311 may
collect data regarding the physical or mental state of the driver,
such as fatigue or intoxication. The condition of the driver may be
determined through the movements of the driver or through other
sensors, for example, sensors that detect the content of alcohol in
the air or blood alcohol content of the driver, such as a
breathalyzer, along with other biometric sensors.
[0066] Certain vehicle sensors 311 also may collect information
regarding the driver's route choice, whether the driver follows a
given route, and to classify the type of trip (e.g. commute,
errand, new route, etc.) and type of driving (e.g., continuous
driving, parking, stop-and-go traffic, etc.). In certain
embodiments, sensors and/or cameras 311 may determine when and how
often the vehicle 310 stays in a single lane or strays into other
lane. A Global Positioning System (GPS), locational sensors
positioned inside the vehicle 310, and/or locational sensors or
devices external to the vehicle 310 may be used to determine the
route, speed, lane position, road-type (e.g. highway, entrance/exit
ramp, residential area, etc.) and other vehicle position/location
data.
[0067] The data collected by vehicle sensor 311 may be stored
and/or analyzed within the vehicle 310, such as for example a
driving analysis computer 314 integrated into the vehicle, and/or
may be transmitted to one or more external devices. For example, as
shown in FIG. 3, sensor data may be transmitted via a telematics
device 313 to one or more remote computing devices, such as
personal mobile device 330, insurance system server 350, and/or
other remote devices.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 3, the data collected by vehicle sensor 311
may be transmitted to an insurance system server 350, personal
mobile device 330, and/or additional external servers and devices
via telematics device 313. Telematics device 313 may be one or more
computing devices containing many or all of the hardware/software
components as the computing device 101 depicted in FIG. 1. As
discussed above, the telematics device 313 may receive vehicle
operation data and driving data from vehicle sensor 311, and may
transmit the data to one or more external computer systems (e.g.,
insurance system server 350 of an insurance company, financial
institution, or other entity) over a wireless transmission network.
Telematics device 313 also may be configured to detect or determine
additional types of data relating to real-time driving and the
condition of the vehicle 310. The telematics device 313 also may
store the type of vehicle 310, for example, the make, model, trim
(or sub-model), year, and/or engine specifications, as well as
other information such as vehicle owner or driver information,
insurance information, and financing information for the vehicle
310.
[0069] In the example shown in FIG. 3, telematics device 313 may
receive vehicle driving data from vehicle sensor 311, and may
transmit the data to an insurance system server 350. However, in
other examples, one or more of the vehicle sensors 311 or systems
may be configured to receive and transmit data directly from or to
an insurance system server 350 without using a telematics device.
For instance, telematics device 313 may be configured to receive
and transmit data from certain vehicle sensors 311 or systems,
while other sensors or systems may be configured to directly
receive and/or transmit data to an insurance system server 350
without using the telematics device 313. Thus, telematics device
313 may be optional in certain embodiments.
[0070] The system 300 in FIG. 3 also includes a mobile device 330.
Mobile devices 330 may be, for example, smartphones or other mobile
phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, and
the like, and may include some or all of the elements described
above with respect to the computing device 101. As shown in this
example, some mobile devices in systems 300 (e.g., mobile device
330) may be configured to establish communication sessions with
vehicle-based devices and various internal components of vehicle
310 via wireless networks or wired connections (e.g., for docked
devices), whereby such mobile devices 330 may have secure access to
internal vehicle sensors 311 and other vehicle-based systems.
However, in other examples, the mobile device 330 might not connect
to vehicle-based computing devices and internal components, but may
operate independently by communicating with vehicle 310 via their
standard communication interfaces (e.g., telematics device 313,
etc.), or might not connect at all to vehicle 310.
[0071] Mobile device 330 may include a network interface 321, which
may include various network interface hardware (e.g., adapters,
modems, wireless transceivers, etc.) and software components to
enable mobile device 330 to communicate with insurance system
server 350, vehicle 310, and various other external computing
devices. One or more specialized software applications, such as a
driving analysis application 334 and/or a risk unit based insurance
application 335 may be stored in the memory of the mobile device
330. The driving analysis application 334 and risk unit based
insurance application 335 may be received via network interface 321
from the insurance server 350, vehicle 310, or other application
providers (e.g., application stores). As discussed below, the
driving analysis application 334 and risk unit based insurance
application 335 may or may not include various user interface
screens, and may be configured to run as user-initiated
applications or as background applications. The memory of the
mobile device 330 also may include databases configured to receive
and store vehicle data, driving data, driving trip data, and the
like, associated with one or more drivers and/or vehicles.
[0072] Like the vehicle-based computing devices in vehicle 310,
mobile device 330 also may include various components configured to
generate and/or receive vehicle data, driver data, and driving data
or other operational data. For example, using data from the GPS
receiver 333, a driving analysis software application 334 may be
able to identify starting and stopping points of driving trips,
determine driving speeds, times, routes, and the like. Additional
components of mobile device 330 may be used to generate or receive
driving data for the driving data analysis application 334 and/or
risk unit based insurance application 335, such as an
accelerometer, compass, and various cameras and proximity sensors.
As discussed below, these and other mobile device components may be
used to receive, store, and output various user/driver data, to
identify starting and stopping points and other characteristics of
driving trips, to determine various driving data such as speeds,
driving routes and times, acceleration, braking, and turning data,
and other driving conditions and behaviors. In some
implementations, the driving analysis software application 334 may
store and analyze the data from various mobile device components,
and the risk unit based insurance application 335 may use this
data, alone or in any combination with other components or devices
(e.g., insurance server 350), to determine and present insurance
offers, insurance costs, and the like.
[0073] When mobile computing devices within vehicles are used to
detect vehicle driving data and/or to receive vehicle driving data
from vehicle sensors, such mobile computing devices 330 may store,
analyze, and/or transmit the vehicle driver data (e.g., data
identifying a current driver), driving data (e.g., speed data,
acceleration, braking, and turning data, and any other vehicle
sensor or operational data), and driving trip data (e.g., driving
route, driving times, driving destinations, etc.), to one or more
other devices. For example, mobile computing device 330 may
transmit driver data, driving data and driving behaviors, and
driving trip data directly to one or more insurance servers 350,
and thus may be used in conjunction with or instead of telematics
devices 313. Moreover, the processing components of the mobile
computing device 330 may be used to identify vehicle drivers and
passengers, analyze vehicle driving data, analyze driving trips,
determine parameters related to aspects of risk unit based
insurance policies, and perform other related functions. Therefore,
in certain embodiments, mobile computing device 330 may be used in
conjunction with, or in place of, the insurance system server
350.
[0074] Vehicle 310 may include driving analysis computer 314, which
may be separate computing devices or may be integrated into one or
more other components within the vehicle 310, such as the
telematics device 313, autonomous driving systems, or the internal
computing systems of vehicle 310. As discussed above, driving
analysis computers 314 also may be implemented by computing devices
independent from the vehicle 310, such as mobile computing device
330 of the drivers or passengers, or one or more separate computer
systems (e.g., a user's home or office computer). In any of these
examples, the driving analysis computer 314 may contain some or all
of the hardware/software components as the computing device 101
depicted in FIG. 1. Further, in certain implementations, the
functionality of the driving analysis computers, such as storing
and analyzing driver data, vehicle data, driving data and driving
behaviors, and determining, presenting, and implementing aspects of
risk unit based insurance policies, may be performed in a central
insurance system server 350 rather than by the individual vehicle
310 or personal mobile device 330. In such implementations, the
vehicle 310 and and/or mobile device 330, might only collect and
transmit driver data, vehicle data, driving data, and the like to
an insurance server 350, and thus the vehicle-based driving
analysis computer 314 may be optional.
[0075] The system 300 also may include one or more insurance system
servers 350, containing some or all of the hardware/software
components as the computing device 101 depicted in FIG. 1. The
insurance system server 350 may include hardware, software, and
network components to receive driver data, vehicle data, and
vehicle operational data/driving data from one or more vehicles
310, mobile devices 330, and other data sources. The insurance
system server 350 may include an insurance database 352 and risk
unit based insurance system 351 to respectively store and analyze
driver data, vehicle data, and driving data, etc., received from
vehicle 310, mobile device 330, and other data sources. In some
examples, the risk unit based insurance system 351 may include many
or all of the components of risk unit based insurance system 200
described with respect to FIG. 2.
[0076] The insurance system server 350 may initiate communication
with and/or retrieve driver data, vehicle data, and driving data
from vehicle 310 wirelessly via telematics device 313, mobile
device 330, or by way of separate computing systems over one or
more computer networks (e.g., the Internet). Additionally, the
insurance system server 350 may receive additional data from other
third-party data sources, such as external traffic databases
containing traffic data (e.g., amounts of traffic, average driving
speed, traffic speed distribution, and numbers and types of
accidents, etc.) at various times and locations, external weather
databases containing weather data (e.g., rain, snow, sleet, and
hail amounts, temperatures, wind, road conditions, visibility,
etc.) at various times and locations, and other external data
sources containing driving hazard data (e.g., road hazards, traffic
accidents, downed trees, power outages, road construction zones,
school zones, and natural disasters, etc.), route and navigation
information, and insurance company databases containing insurance
data (e.g., driver score, coverage amount, deductible amount,
premium amount, insured status) for the vehicle, driver, and/or
other nearby vehicles and drivers.
[0077] Data stored in the insurance database 352 may be organized
in any of several different manners. For example, a driver table in
database 352 may contain all of the driver data for drivers
associated with the insurance provider (e.g., driver personal
information, insurance account information, demographic
information, accident histories, risk factors, driving scores and
driving logs, etc.), a vehicle table may contain all of the vehicle
data for vehicles associated with the insurance provider (e.g.,
vehicle identifiers, makes, models, years, accident histories,
maintenance histories, travel logs, estimated repair costs and
overall values, etc.), and a driving trip table may store all of
the driving trip data for drivers and vehicles associated with the
insurance provider (e.g., driving trip driver, vehicle driven, trip
time, starting and ending points, route driven, etc.). Other tables
in the database 352 may store additional data, including data types
discussed above (e.g. traffic information, road-type and road
condition information, weather data, insurance policy data, etc.).
Additionally, one or more other databases of other insurance
providers containing additional driver data and vehicle data may be
accessed to retrieve such additional data.
[0078] The risk unit based insurance system 351 within the
insurance system server 350 may be configured to retrieve data from
the database 352, or may receive driver data, vehicle data, and
driving trip directly from vehicle 310, mobile device 330, or other
data sources, and may perform driving data analyses, determine
insurance parameters for risk unit based insurance policies, and
other related functions. The functions performed by the risk unit
based insurance analysis system 351 may be performed by specialized
hardware and/or software separate from the additional functionality
of the insurance system server 350. Such functions may be similar
to those of driving analysis module 314 of vehicle 310, and the
driving analysis and risk unit based insurance applications 334 and
335 of mobile device 330, and further descriptions and examples of
the algorithms, functions, and analyses that may be executed by the
risk unit based insurance system 351 are described below, including
in reference to FIGS. 4-9.
[0079] In various examples, the driving data and driving trip
analyses and/or risk unit based insurance determinations may be
performed entirely in the insurance system server 350, may be
performed entirely in the vehicle-based driving analysis computing
module 314, or may be performed entirely in the driving analysis
and risk unit based insurance applications 334 and 335 of mobile
device 330. In other examples, certain analyses of driver data,
vehicle data, and driving trip data, and certain risk unit based
insurance determinations may be performed by vehicle-based devices
(e.g., within driving analysis module 314) or mobile device 330
(e.g., within applications 334 and 335), while other data analyses
and risk unit based insurance determinations are performed by the
risk unit based insurance system 351 at the insurance system server
350. For example, a vehicle-based driving analysis computer 314, or
the hardware and software components of mobile device 330 may
continuously receive and analyze driver data, vehicle data, driving
trip data, and the like to determine certain events and
characteristics (e.g., commencement of a driving trip,
identification of a driver, determination of a driving route or
intended destination, driving data and behaviors during driving
trips, etc.), so that large amounts of data need not be transmitted
to the insurance system server 350. However, for example, after
driver, vehicle, and/or driving trip is determined by a
vehicle-based device and/or mobile device, corresponding
information may be transmitted to the insurance server 350 to
perform insurance offer and cost determinations, determine
consumption rate of risk units, generate one or more
recommendations for reducing consumption rate, etc. which may be
transmitted back to the vehicle-based device and/or personal mobile
devices.
[0080] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating one example method of
providing risk unit based insurance to a user, according to one or
more aspects described herein. In step 400, a risk unit is
determined. As discussed above, the risk unit may be a common
insurance unit that represents a cost to insure an average user for
a predetermined period of time. For instance, the risk unit may be
determined to be the cost to insure an average user for one week,
one month, one year, etc. The risk unit may be used to provide
insurance such that users may obtain risk unit based insurance
policies in which, as the user, for example, operates a vehicle,
the number of risk units in a risk unit account is reduced based on
a consumption rate determined for the user, trip, etc. These and
other aspects are discussed more fully herein.
[0081] In step 402, a request is received to obtain a risk unit
based insurance policy. The request may be received from a user and
may be received, in some examples, via a computing device (e.g.,
mobile device, or the like). The request may include information
associated with the user, such as name, contact information,
vehicle information including make, model, year, vehicle
identification number, and the like. In some examples, the request
to obtain the risk unit based insurance policy may include a level
of coverage. For instance, similar to conventional insurance
policies, a user may select from different levels of protection
(e.g., whether to include collision coverage, amount of coverage
for personal property, and the like). Similarly, a user may select
a level of risk unit on which the policy is based. In one example,
three levels may be used with the highest level of risk unit
providing the most coverage and, in some instances, having the
highest cost (e.g., cost per risk unit) to the user. A second level
would provide lower coverage at a lower cost and the third level
may provide a lowest level of coverage at a lowest cost. In another
example, different levels of coverage selected may be reflected in
the consumption rate of the units. For instance, the consumption
rate may vary based on a level of coverage selected. Although
different levels of coverage may be available to a user, the levels
offered may meet minimum standards for insurance coverage, such as
those required by the state in which the user lives, or the
like.
[0082] Further, although three levels of risk units are described
in the above example, more or fewer levels of risk unit, and,
accordingly, insurance coverage, may be provided without departing
from the invention.
[0083] In step 404, a risk unit based insurance policy is generated
for the user and a risk unit account is created for the user. The
risk unit account may be associated with the user or the vehicle.
That is, the risk unit based insurance policy may provide coverage
for the vehicle, regardless of which user is operating the vehicle,
or may provide coverage to any vehicle being operated by a
particular user. Thus, in some examples, the user or operator of a
vehicle may be identified (e.g., upon initiation of vehicle
operation) in order to determine whether or what type of coverage
to provide.
[0084] In step 406, a predetermined number of risk units is
deposited into the account created. The predetermined number or
risk units may be based on one or more policy parameters (e.g.,
term or length of policy), and/or one or more user preferences.
[0085] In step 408, data associated with the driving behaviors of
the user and/or environmental conditions in which the vehicle is
operating are received. As discussed above, the data may be
received from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, as
well as various other sources, such as traffic, weather, road
condition, etc. sources. As discussed herein, received data may
include speed, braking habits of the user or operator, type of
road(s) being traveled, time of day, level of traffic,
precipitation, and the like.
[0086] Based on the data received, a consumption rate of risk units
in the risk unit account may be determined in step 410. As
discussed herein, the consumption rate may be higher based on
various behaviors and/or conditions that are determined to include
more risk to the user, vehicle, etc. For instance, if a user is
driving at a rate of speed above the speed limit, the consumption
rate may be higher than if the user was operating at a speed closer
to the speed limit. In another example, the consumption rate may be
determined to be lower if the user travels outside of rush hour,
rather than during peak travel times. In still another example, the
consumption rate may increase if data is received that it is
raining or snowing on the route which the vehicle is travelling. As
discussed above, consumption rate may also be based, at least in
part, on traditional policy factors, such as driving experience,
driving record, credit factors, coverages, deductibles, and the
like. Data related to various behaviors and conditions and/or
traditional policy data, may be combined to determine the
consumption level in real-time or near real-time, as the user is
operating the vehicle. Accordingly, the system may provide
information associated with the consumption rate to the user. For
instance, the vehicle display or mobile device of the user may
display the current consumption rate. In another example, the
display may include historical information associated with
consumption rate for previous trips and/or a graphical display of
previous and/or current consumption rates.
[0087] FIG. 5 illustrates one example user interface 500 that may
be provide to a user (e.g., via a vehicle display, mobile device,
or other computing device) to provide information associated with
the consumption rate. The interface 500 includes fields 502 and 504
in which the vehicle and operator of the vehicle are identified,
respectively. Field 506 indicates a date and time of the current
trip. In some examples, an elapsed time of the current trip may
also be displayed.
[0088] Field 508 indicates that data is being received. As
discussed herein, data associated with one or more sensors
detecting driving behaviors of the user, environmental conditions,
and the like, may be received by the system and used to determine a
current consumption rate. Field 508 provides an indication that
data is currently being received. In the event of a communication
disruption, field 508 may indicate that data is not being received
or that an error has occurred. In some example situations of that
nature, the system may apply the most recently determined
consumption rate until data communication is restored and more
current data is received by the system.
[0089] Field 510 provides the current calculated or determined
consumption rate. As described herein, the consumption rate may be
based on a variety of factors that may include driving behaviors,
environmental conditions, and the like, as determined based on data
received by the system. Field 512 provides a listing of historical
consumption rate information that may be useful to the user in
tracking consumption rate.
[0090] With further reference to FIG. 4, in step 412, a balance of
risk units in the risk unit account is reduced based on the
consumption rate determined in step 410. As the balance in the risk
unit account is reduced, the account may include a predetermined
threshold below which the user may be notified that the balance of
risk units is low or in need of replenishment. For instance, in
step 414, a determination is made as to whether a balance of risk
units in the risk unit account is below a predetermined threshold.
The predetermined threshold may be based on one or more policy
parameters, may meet a government or other regulatory body
standards, or may be determined by the user or insurance provider.
In some examples, the threshold may be a percentage of a number of
risk units obtained with the policy (e.g., a percentage of the full
account balance). For instance, the threshold may be 10%, 15% or
any other percentage of the full number of risk units obtained with
the policy. In other examples, the threshold may be a number of
risk units. For instance, the threshold may be 50, 100, or any
other number of risk units.
[0091] If, in step 414, the balance in the risk unit account is at
or above the predetermined threshold, the process may return to
step 408 to continue receiving data and determining consumption
rate. If, in step 414, the balance is below the predetermined
threshold, one or more refill options may be provided to the user
in step 416. Refill options may include providing a notification to
the user of the current balance and/or providing options for
automatic refill, user requested refill, cancellation of policy,
purchase of a new policy and associated risk units, and the like.
Once the refill options are presented, the system may return to
step 408 to continue receiving data, etc.
[0092] FIG. 6 illustrates an example method of refilling risk units
according to one or more aspects described herein. In step 600,
similar to step 414 in FIG. 4, a determination is made as to
whether a balance of risk units in a risk unit account is below a
predetermined threshold. If not, the system may return to processes
in which data is received, consumption rate is determined, etc.,
such as step 408 in FIG. 4. If, in step 600, the balance is below
the threshold, a notification is transmitted to the user in step
602. The notification may include an indication that the risk unit
account is below the threshold and/or may provide instructions for
refill of the account.
[0093] In step 604, a determination is made as to whether the
account is set up for automatic refill. That is, the system may
determine whether the user has preselected an option to
automatically refill a balance in the account (e.g., by
automatically purchasing additional risk units using pre-stored
payment information). If so, the system may automatically purchase
the predetermined number of units, charge any cost to the
pre-stored payment information (e.g. credit card information,
account information, debit card information, etc.), and deposit the
risk units purchased in the account in step 606.
[0094] If, in step 604, it is determined that the account is not
set for automatic refill, in step 608, the user may respond to the
notification transmitted in step 602 with a request to refill the
account balance. The request may include a number of units to
purchase, payment information, risk unit account information,
policy information, and the like. In step 610, the designated
number of risk units may be purchased and deposited in the risk
unit account.
[0095] FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate example user interfaces 700a-700d
that may be used to carry out refill or replenishment of risk units
in a risk unit account. Although interfaces 700a-700d are shown in
FIGS. 7A-7D as being displayed on a mobile device, the interfaces
provided may be displayed on various different types of computing
devices, including, for instance, a vehicle display, laptop or
desktop computing device, tablet computing device, and the
like.
[0096] FIG. 7A illustrates interface 700a in which a notification
is provided to the user. The notification 700a indicates that the
risk unit account is below the minimum threshold and provides
options for the user to proceed with refilling the account balance
now or requesting that the system remind the user later. Selection
of the option to remind the user later may automatically prompt the
notification to be displayed again at a predetermined time (e.g.,
each day, each hour, 48 hours from selection of remind me later
option, etc.) or upon any continued consumption of the risk units.
Accordingly, as the balance in the risk unit account continues to
be reduced, additional notifications may be provided to the user.
In some examples, determination of the balance being below a
predetermined level (e.g., below the level for refill notification)
may result in various actions being taken with respect to the
vehicle. For instance, the system may cause the headlights to flash
or horn to blare while driving, may prevent the vehicle from
starting if there is an insufficient number of risk units in the
account, or the like.
[0097] Upon selection of yes option in 700a, interface 700b shown
in FIG. 7B, or similar interface, may be displayed in which the
user may input one or more risk unit account details, such as an
account number and/or name associated with the account. In some
examples, this information may automatically be prefilled based on
the mobile device being associated with the user, vehicle, and/or
account. The user may select continue option to prompt display of
interface 700c in FIG. 7C, or similar interface, which provides
fields in which the user may enter payment information. Information
such as a credit card number, expiration date, name on the card,
and the like, may be provided by the user. Although credit card
information is provided as example payment information in FIG. 7C,
various other payment types may be used, such as electronic funds
transfer, debit card, pre-paid debit or credit card, gift card, or
the like.
[0098] Upon selection of continue option, interface 700d in FIG.
7D, or similar interface, may be provided to the user. Interface
700d includes a field in which the user may indicate a number of
risk units to purchase. In some examples, the risk units may be a
predetermined number of units based on one or more policy
parameters. In other examples, the number of units available for
purchase may be determined by the user and input into interface
700d.
[0099] User interface 700d further includes an option to select
automatic refill. Indication of "yes" to automatic refill prompts
the system to store the payment information provided in interface
700c and, upon the system determining that the balance of risk
units is below the predetermined threshold (e.g., step 414 in FIG.
4, step 600 in FIG. 6) the system may automatically purchase the
predetermined number of risk units, charge the associated cost to
the pre-stored payment information, and deposit the purchased risk
units in the risk unit account, thereby effectively automatically
renewing insurance for the user.
[0100] FIG. 8 illustrates one example method of determining
proposed recommendations for reducing risk unit consumption rate
according to one or more aspects described herein. In step 800,
data associated with driving behaviors of the user and/or
environmental conditions may be received. As discussed above, data
may include speed, braking habits, level of precipitation, road
conditions, time of day, traffic level, and the like. Based on the
received data, a risk unit consumption rate may be determined in
step 802. In some examples, the risk unit consumption rate may also
be based on one or more factors associated with the user. For
instance, accident history, length of time as licensed driver,
credit rating, policy limits, policy deductibles, vehicle features,
and the like, may, in some examples, be used in determining a risk
unit consumption rate.
[0101] In step 804, one or more driving behavior or environmental
condition modifications may be identified that may aid in reducing
the risk unit consumption rate. For instance, if a user is driving
on a road that is known as being in poor condition (e.g., potholes,
poor lane markings, etc.), the system may indicate that, by
changing the route to the destination, the user may reduce his or
her consumption rate. In some examples, a recommended modification
identified to aid in reducing risk unit consumption rate may
include modifications to more traditional policy factors, such as
policy coverage, deductibles and/or limits, vehicle operation
and/or maintenance, vehicle features, and the like.
[0102] In some examples, the modifications to reduce consumption
rate may be identified by comparing received data with a database
storing known conditions, behaviors, roads, environmental factors,
and the like, that are associated with a reduced consumption rate.
The database may store information such as historical travel
information, accident history information, accident probability
information, etc. that may be collected based on insurance data
received by the insurance provider. For instance, the data
associated with current speed may be compared to a posted speed
limit for the current road (as stored in the database or received
from an outside source) and, if the current speed is higher than
the posted speed limit, a modification to slow the speed of the
vehicle in order to reduce consumption rate may be identified.
[0103] In another example, the received data may indicate that the
current road is congested or is experiencing heavy traffic. The
system may compare the current traffic information to levels of
traffic that would result in a reduced consumption rate and may
recommend modifying the route being traveled. In some examples, the
suggested modification may include a suggested alternate route.
[0104] Various other driving behavior and/or environmental
condition modifications may be identified based on the received
data and/or historical data, stored data, and the like. The
examples described herein are merely some examples and are not
intended to limit the modifications or types of modifications
identified by the system. Rather, various other modifications may
be identified without departing from the invention.
[0105] In step 806, the identified modifications may be display to
the user. For instance, one or more of the recommended
modifications to reduce consumption rate may be displayed to the
user via a computing device, such as a mobile device, vehicle
display, or the like.
[0106] FIG. 9 illustrates one example user interface 900 displaying
recommended modifications for reducing consumption rate according
to one or more aspects described herein. The interface includes
region 902 in which the current risk unit consumption is provided
to the user. The interface 900 further includes region 904 in which
one or more suggested driving modifications are provided to the
user. As data is received by the system from one or more vehicle
sensors, the risk unit consumption rate may change and the revised
consumption rate may then be displayed. In some examples, audio may
accompany the notification. For instance, the notification may
include an audio portion in which the text of the notification is
stated to the user, thereby reducing the user's need to read the
notification.
[0107] While the aspects described herein have been discussed with
respect to specific examples including various modes of carrying
out aspects of the disclosure, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of
the above described systems and techniques that fall within the
spirit and scope of the invention.
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