U.S. patent application number 15/122973 was filed with the patent office on 2017-03-16 for user-managed evidentiary record of driving behavior and risk rating.
The applicant listed for this patent is INRIX INC.. Invention is credited to Scott Sedlik.
Application Number | 20170076395 15/122973 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54055737 |
Filed Date | 2017-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170076395 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sedlik; Scott |
March 16, 2017 |
USER-MANAGED EVIDENTIARY RECORD OF DRIVING BEHAVIOR AND RISK
RATING
Abstract
A user driving a vehicle may be monitored by a device on behalf
of a third party, such as employers and insurers. The device may
generate an objective evidentiary record of the user's driving
safety and/or proficiency for use by the third party. The user may
wish to share the evidentiary record with other parties, but the
third party that controls the record may not agree and/or release
the record. A user-generated record of the user's driving behavior
may be untrustworthy and/or unverifiable. Instead, a device of the
user monitors the operation of the vehicle by the user, generates a
driving profile of the user's driving behavior and risk rating, and
cryptographically signs the driving profile. The cryptographically
signed driving profile is transmitted to the user for sharing with
third parties, e.g., potential employers and insurers, and the
authenticity of the driving profile is verifiable using the
cryptographic signature.
Inventors: |
Sedlik; Scott; (Mercer
Island, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INRIX INC. |
KIRKLAND |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54055737 |
Appl. No.: |
15/122973 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
March 3, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US15/18394 |
371 Date: |
September 1, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61946962 |
Mar 3, 2014 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/306 20130101;
B60W 2552/00 20200201; G06Q 20/102 20130101; G06Q 2240/00 20130101;
G01C 21/3415 20130101; G07B 15/00 20130101; G08G 1/0129 20130101;
G08G 1/096741 20130101; B60W 2540/22 20130101; G08G 1/0962
20130101; A61B 5/0531 20130101; G06Q 50/30 20130101; B60W 2720/10
20130101; B64C 39/024 20130101; G07B 15/063 20130101; G08G 1/065
20130101; A61B 5/0476 20130101; B60W 40/04 20130101; H04L 9/3247
20130101; H04W 12/08 20130101; A61B 5/02055 20130101; G08G 1/0112
20130101; G08G 1/0141 20130101; A61B 5/024 20130101; B60W 40/09
20130101; H04W 4/029 20180201; G01C 21/3655 20130101; G05D 1/021
20130101; B60W 2040/0872 20130101; G01C 21/3469 20130101; H04L
67/02 20130101; B60W 2710/1044 20130101; G01C 21/3617 20130101;
G05D 1/0011 20130101; H04B 1/3822 20130101; B64C 2201/123 20130101;
G05D 1/0088 20130101; H04W 4/024 20180201; B60R 16/0236 20130101;
G06F 16/29 20190101; A61B 5/4845 20130101; B60W 40/08 20130101;
G08G 1/07 20130101; G08G 1/0967 20130101; G08G 1/096822 20130101;
G08G 1/096838 20130101; G06Q 30/0283 20130101; G08G 1/0965
20130101; G07C 5/008 20130101; B60W 2710/18 20130101; G01C 21/3667
20130101; B60W 2050/0089 20130101; B60W 30/143 20130101; B60W
2554/00 20200201; H04W 4/40 20180201; H04W 4/50 20180201; B60W
2040/0809 20130101; G01C 21/3608 20130101; G08G 1/093 20130101;
G08G 1/096775 20130101; G08G 1/0145 20130101; G01C 21/3682
20130101; G06N 20/00 20190101; G08G 1/012 20130101; H04M 15/60
20130101; G08G 1/096725 20130101; G08G 1/096811 20130101; H04W 4/42
20180201; G06Q 40/08 20130101; G08G 1/097 20130101; H04B 7/18504
20130101; G08G 1/096791 20130101; B60W 2555/20 20200201; H04W 4/48
20180201 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/08 20060101
G06Q040/08; H04L 9/32 20060101 H04L009/32 |
Claims
1. A method of providing an evidentiary record of a driving
behavior of a user of a vehicle, the method involving a device
having a processor and a cryptographic key and comprising:
executing, by the processor, instructions that cause the device to:
while the user operates the vehicle, detect at least one driving
factor; evaluate the at least one driving factor to identify: a
driving behavior of the user, and a risk rating of the driving
behavior; generate a driving profile providing evidence of the risk
rating and the driving behavior of the user; using the
cryptographic key, sign the driving profile of the user; and
transmit the driving profile signed with the cryptographic key to
the user.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the at least one
driving factor further comprises: receiving, from the vehicle, at
least one telemetric measurement of the vehicle during operation by
the user.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the vehicle comprise a proximity
sensor; and detecting the at least one driving factor further
comprises: receiving, from the vehicle, a proximity measurement of
a proximity of the vehicle to a second vehicle during operation by
the user.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the at least one
driving factor further comprises: identifying, for an area of the
vehicle, a weather factor that affects operation of the vehicle by
the user.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the instructions
further causes the device to present to the user at least one
suggestion for an adjustment of the driving behavior that improves
the risk rating of the driving behavior of the user.
6. A server that provides an evidentiary record of a driving
behavior of a user, the server comprising: a processor; a
cryptographic key; and a memory storing instructions that, when
executed by the processor, provide a system comprising: a driving
behavior evaluator that: receives at least one driving factor
detected while the user operates the vehicle; and evaluates the at
least one driving factor to identify: a driving behavior of the
user, and a risk rating of the driving behavior; and a driving
profile generator that: generates a driving profile providing
evidence of the risk rating and the driving behavior of the user;
using the cryptographic key, signs the driving profile of the user;
and transmits the driving profile signed with the cryptographic key
to the user.
7. The server of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises: an
insurer connector that connects the user with an insurer providing
vehicle insurance that is compatible with the risk rating of the
user.
8. The server of claim 7, wherein the insurer connector connects
the user with the insurer by: among at least two candidate
insurers, comparing an insurance rate of the at least two candidate
insurers; and connecting the user with a selected insurer offering
an insurance rate that is lower than the insurance rate of at least
one other candidate insurer.
9. The server of claim 7, wherein the insurer connector connects
the user with the insurer by: among at least two candidate
insurers, comparing user ratings of the at least two candidate
insurers; and connecting the user with a selected insurer that is
associated with a user rating that is higher than the user rating
of at least one other candidate insurer.
10. The server of claim 7, wherein the insurer connector connects
the user with the insurer by: among at least two candidate
insurers, comparing an insurance coverage of the at least two
candidate insurers; and connecting the user with a selected insurer
offering insurance coverage that is broader than the insurance
coverage of at least one other candidate insurer.
11. The server of claim 7, wherein: the insurer offers at least two
insurance plans; and wherein the insurer connector connects the
user with the insurer by: comparing the at least two insurance
plans offered by the insurer to identify a selected insurance plan
that is suitable for the risk rating of the user; and recommending
the selected insurance plan to the user.
12. The server of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises: a
driving behavior suggester that presents to the user: a suggested
adjustment of the driving behavior that reduces the risk rating of
the user; and a projected insurance rate savings through the
insurer arising from the suggested adjustment of the driving
behavior.
13. The server of claim 7, wherein the insurer connector, upon
detecting an adoption of the suggested adjustment of the driving
behavior by the user, notifies the insurer of the adoption of the
suggested adjustment.
14. The server of claim 15, wherein the insurer connector further
comprises: a user profile transmitter that, upon receiving consent
from the user to transmit the driving profile to the insurer,
transmits the driving profile to the insurer.
15. The server of claim 14, wherein the user profile transmitter
further comprises: an anonymizer that, before delivering the
driving profile to an insurer, removes personal identifying
information from the driving profile.
16. The server of claim 15, wherein the anonymizer further
discloses the personal identifying information to the insurer only
upon receiving a notification that the user has contracted with the
insurer.
17. A vehicle device of a vehicle that provides an evidentiary
record of a driving behavior of a user, the device comprising: a
processor; a cryptographic key; a telemetric interface that, while
the user operates the vehicle, receivers at least one driving
factor from the vehicle; and a memory storing instructions that,
when executed by the processor, provide a system comprising: a
driving behavior evaluator that evaluates the at least one driving
factor to identify: a driving behavior of the user, and a risk
rating of the driving behavior; and a driving profile generator
that: generates a driving profile providing evidence of the risk
rating and the driving behavior of the user; using the
cryptographic key, signs the driving profile of the user; and
transmits the driving profile signed with the cryptographic key to
the user.
18. The vehicle device of claim 17, wherein the driving behavior
evaluator identifies the driving behavior and the risk rating by:
evaluating a driving context in which the user operates the vehicle
that relates to the driving behavior and the risk rating of the
user.
19. The vehicle device of claim 17, wherein the driving behavior
evaluator identifies the driving behavior and the risk rating by:
comparing the driving behavior of the user with a second driving
behavior of at least one other user; and identifying the driving
behavior of the user relative to the second driving behavior of the
at least one other user.
20. The vehicle device of claim 17, wherein the driving behavior
evaluator identifies the driving behavior and the risk rating by:
comparing the driving behavior of the user with an earlier driving
behavior of the user; and identifying an improvement of the driving
behavior of the user as compared with the earlier driving behavior
of the user.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Patent Application No. 61/946,962, filed on
Mar. 3, 2014, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference as
if fully rewritten herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Within the field of computing, many scenarios involve an
evaluation of a driving behavior of user operating a vehicle. For
example, a driver of an automobile may manipulate the gas, brake,
gearshift, and steering wheel, and a device on board the automobile
may monitor various driving factors of the vehicle. As a first such
example, the device may evaluate the driving factors as a safety
precaution; e.g., upon detecting a firm application of the brakes
resulting in a lockup condition, the vehicle may instead activate
an antilock braking system that modifies the user's vehicle control
input to provide a less firm braking pattern with greater stopping
power. As a second such example, the device may warn the user if a
dangerous condition arises (e.g., a proximity detector of the
vehicle may warn the user if sudden braking is detected ahead, or
if the user allows the vehicle to enter the proximity of another
vehicle on the road). These monitoring and user feedback techniques
may assist the user in the moment-to-moment control of the
vehicle.
[0003] In many such scenarios, the monitoring of the vehicle may be
performed at the request of a third party, and may report to the
third party the driving behavior of the user. As a first such
example, a driver training service may install a device in the
user's vehicle to evaluate the driving behavior of an inexperienced
driver, and may award or withhold a driver's license to the user
based on the driving behavior reported by the device. As a second
such example, an employer of the user, such as an owner of a
vehicle that the user operates in an employment context, may
utilize a device in the vehicle to monitor compliance of driving
safety policies by the user. As a third such example, an insurer
may install a monitoring device in the vehicle of the user to
assess the user's driving proficiency, and may choose to offer the
user a lower insurance rate if the monitoring of the device
indicates a safe driving behavior. In this manner, third parties
may utilize devices to detect, evaluate, and report on the user's
driving behavior and proficiency.
SUMMARY
[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key factors or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0005] Although third parties may request, apply, and utilize
automated monitoring of a driving behavior of a user, the user may
also wish to compile a record of his or her own driving behavior.
For example, the user may wish to demonstrate evidence of driving
safety, proficiency, and/or experience, such as a professional
asset or as character evidence. The user may compile such a record
utilizing a variety of devices, such as a vehicle-mounted camera,
but the trustworthiness of such evidence may be diminished by the
user's ability to edit and alter the contents of the record; i.e.,
the dependability of the evidence compiled by the user about his or
her own driving record may be only as reliable as the user's own
trustworthiness, as well as the user's objectivity in
self-assessment of his or her own driving behavior. Accordingly, a
third party who does not have a trust relationship with the user
may be unable to trust the evidentiary record of the user.
Conversely, a driving behavior evidentiary record that is compiled
by an objective third party, such as an insurer, may be reliable,
but the insurer may be unwilling to share the evidentiary record
with others. For example, the user may seek to compare the rates
and/or coverage of the user's current insurer with that of another
insurer, but the current insurer may be unwilling to release such
an evidentiary record. The user may therefore find that the
evidentiary record about the user's driving behavior is not
portable or applicable to the user's other interests that are not
consistent with those of the holder of the record.
[0006] Presented herein are techniques that enable a user to
generate a verifiable, objective evidentiary record of the user's
driving behavior. As a first example, a device having a
cryptographic key may detect at least one driving factor while the
user operates the vehicle, and evaluate the at least one driving
factor to identify a driving behavior of the user, and a risk
rating of the driving behavior. The device may then generate a
driving profile providing evidence of the risk rating and the
driving behavior of the user, and, using the cryptographic key,
sign the driving profile of the user, and transmit the driving
profile signed with the cryptographic key to the user. The driving
profile signed by the cryptographic key of the device may attest to
the authenticity of the evidentiary record of the device, and the
user may provide the signed driving profile to third parties as an
objective evidentiary record of the user's driving behavior.
[0007] As a second example, a server comprising a cryptographic key
may feature a system that provides an evidentiary record of a
driving behavior of a user. The system comprises a driving behavior
evaluator, which receives at least one driving factor detected
while the user operates the vehicle, and evaluates the at least one
driving factor to identify a driving behavior of the user, and a
risk rating of the driving behavior. The system further comprises a
driving profile generator, which generates a driving profile
providing evidence of the risk rating and the driving behavior of
the user; using the cryptographic key, signs the driving profile of
the user; and transmits the driving profile signed with the
cryptographic key to the user.
[0008] As a third example, a vehicle device of a vehicle may
feature a driving factor detector that, while the user operates the
vehicle, detects at least one driving factor, and a system that
provides an evidentiary record of a driving behavior of a user. The
system comprises a driving behavior evaluator, which evaluates the
at least one driving factor to identify a driving behavior of the
user, and a risk rating of the driving behavior. The system further
comprises a driving profile generator, which generates a driving
profile providing evidence of the risk rating and the driving
behavior of the user; using a cryptographic key, signs the driving
profile of the user; and transmits the driving profile signed with
the cryptographic key to the user. In this manner, devices and
services may provide to the user an objective, verifiably authentic
evidentiary record of the driving behavior of the user in
accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0009] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the
following description and annexed drawings set forth certain
illustrative aspects and implementations. These are indicative of
but a few of the various ways in which one or more aspects may be
employed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the
disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed
description when considered in conjunction with the annexed
drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring
an evaluation of a driving behavior of a user operating a vehicle
by a travel device.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring
an evaluation of a driving behavior of a user operating a vehicle
by a travel device and a generation of a driving profile of the
user, in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0012] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example method of generating
a driving profile of a user in accordance with the techniques
presented herein.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a component block diagram of an example profile
service featuring an example system for generating a driving
profile of a user in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a component block diagram of an example vehicle
device featuring an example system for generating a driving profile
of a user in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0015] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an example computer-readable
medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to
embody one or more of the provisions set forth herein.
[0016] FIG. 7 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring a
second example method of collecting driving factors of a user
operating a vehicle in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0017] FIG. 8 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring a
statistical classification technique that may be utilized to
identify a risk rating for a user in accordance with the techniques
presented herein.
[0018] FIG. 9 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring
techniques for connecting a user with an insurer using a driving
profile in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0019] FIG. 10 illustrates an example computing environment wherein
one or more of the provisions set forth herein may be
implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The claimed subject matter is now described with reference
to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer
to like elements throughout. In the following description, for
purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject
matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter
may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form
in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter.
[0021] A. Introduction
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates an illustration of example scenarios in
which a device monitors a driving behavior of a user 110 operating
a vehicle 108 in a variety of circumstances. In a first example
scenario 100 of FIG. 1, at a first time point 106 and in a
particular driving context 104 (e.g., sunny daytime weather), a
user 110 of a second vehicle 108 may operate the vehicle 108 at a
particular driving factor 114, such as a selected driving speed
(e.g., 45 kilometers per hour) while maintaining a particular
braking distance with respect to a first, leading vehicle 108. At a
second time point 106, the user 110 of the first vehicle 108 may
activate brakes 116, resulting in a hard stop and skidding, and the
user 110 of the second vehicle 108 may also activate the brakes 116
to avoid a collision. The degree of braking 116 may ordinarily
result in a lockup condition that extends the braking distance and
results in a collision. Instead, the vehicle 108 may activate
antilock brakes in order to shorten the achieved braking distance
and to stop the second vehicle 108 with a braking margin 118 from
the first vehicle 108 and to avoid a collision. The vehicle 108 may
also present an antilock braking warning 120 to the user 110 to
indicate the use of this braking system. Accordingly, the user 110
may correctly perceive that the braking distance from the first
vehicle 108 was adequate for the driving context 104. However, in a
similar second scenario 102, the user 110 may also operate the
vehicle 108 with a braking distance from a first vehicle 108.
However, a different driving context 104 of rainy weather may alter
the road surface, and when the first vehicle 108 activates brakes
116, the same amount of braking, and even the activation of the
antilock braking system, may be unable to mitigate the extended
braking distance 116 and may result in a collision 122.
[0023] As further illustrate dint he example scenarios of FIG. 1,
the driving behavior of the user 110 in various driving contexts
106 may be evaluated by a vehicle device 112 installed in the
vehicle 108 on behalf of a third party. As a first such example, if
the user 110 is an inexperienced driver, a driving training service
may install such a vehicle device 112 to evaluate the user's
driving behavior, and may award or withhold a driver's license
based on the evaluation of the user's driving behavior by the
vehicle device 112. As a second such example, an employer of the
user 110, such as an owner of the vehicle 108, may install and
monitor a vehicle device 112 to ensure compliance of the user 110
with the employer's safety policies, such as compliance with speed
limits. As a third such example, an insurer may offer an
opportunity to reduce a user's insurance rates if the user 110
agrees to be monitored by a vehicle device 112, and if the vehicle
device 112 indicates that the user's driving behavior is typically
safe, the insurer may lower the user's vehicle insurance rates as a
reflection of the reduced risk entailed by the user's safe driving
record. These and other scenarios may arise in which a third party
utilizes a vehicle device 112 on board the vehicle 108 to assess
the driving behavior of the user 110.
[0024] However, in some circumstances, the user 110 may wish to use
the driving record generated by such a vehicle device 112 for his
or her own interests. As a first such example, the user 110 may
wish to provide the driving record of the vehicle device 112 as
evidence of driving capability, e.g., as a professional asset for
potential employers. As a second such example, the user 110 may
wish to provide the driving record of the vehicle device 112 as
evidence of safe driving while shopping for vehicle insurance, and
may wish to provide the driving record to a range of candidate
insurers. As a third such example, the user 110 may wish to provide
the driving record as evidence of the driver's safe driving
behavior, e.g., in a legal proceeding involving a dispute over
fault in a vehicle accident. In such circumstances, the user 110
may seek permission from a third party that controls the vehicle
device 112 to share the driving record of the user 110 with others.
However, the third party may not be agreeable to sharing the
driving record, and may only wish to utilize the driving record for
the interests of the third party; e.g., the user 110 may wish to
have the driving record shared with competing insurers to which the
user 110 is considering transitioning. Alternatively or
additionally, the third party may be concerned that sharing the
driving record may be construed as an assertion by the third party
of the user's safe driving behavior, which may incur liability to
the third party if the user 110 is later deemed to be an unsafe
driver. Accordingly, the third party may refuse to share the
driving record generated by the vehicle device 112 with others on
behalf of the user 110.
[0025] Alternatively, the user 110 may seek to generate
self-controlled evidence of his or her driving behavior, such as by
installing cameras and monitoring equipment in the vehicle 108 to
generate a driving record. However, the dependability of such
information may be questionable, due to an inability to
authenticate such evidence. For example, the user 110 may be able
to alter the contents of the record to improve the appearance of
safe driving, e.g., altering vehicle telemetry recordings to
reflect a lower recorded driving speed than the user's actual
driving speed. As a second such example, the user 110 may
selectively include and/or exclude monitored periods, and may edit
together a record that inaccurately portrays the user's driving
record. The dependability of such evidence may therefore be limited
to the dependability of the user 110, and a third party that has no
evidence of the user's trustworthiness may not be able to attribute
significant value to a self-compiled record of the user's driving
behavior. The user 110 may therefore have no option for generating
an objective, verifiable evidentiary record of the user's driving
behavior that may be shared with third parties at the discretion
and according to the interests of the user 110.
[0026] B. Presented Techniques
[0027] FIG. 2 presents an illustration of an example scenario 200
whereby a user 110 utilizes a vehicle device 202 to generate a
driving profile 204 of the user's driving behavior 204 in
accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0028] In this example scenario 200, the while the user 110
operates the vehicle 108, a vehicle device 202 may monitor one or
more driving factors 114, such as the speed, acceleration, braking,
turning, gear shifting, and proximity with respect to other
vehicles 108. The vehicle device 202 may store a cryptographic key
204, such as a public/private key pair generated and used according
to an asymmetric encryption model. The vehicle device 202 may
monitor driving factors 114 detected during operation of the
vehicle 108 by the user 110, and may evaluate the driving factors
114 to identify a driving behavior 210 of the user 110, such as the
user's tendency to drive a to particular speed, accelerate at a
particular rate, and/or maintain a braking distance with respect to
another vehicle 108, in general and/or in particular driving
contexts 104. The vehicle device 202 may also generate a risk
rating 212 of the driving behavior 210 of the user 110, such as a
comparative rating of the user's safety and/or proficiency as
compared with other users 110. The device 202 may also generate 208
a driving profile 208 providing evidence of the risk rating 212 and
the driving behavior 210 (e.g., recordings of driving factors 114
that demonstrate the user's safe and/or unsafe driving behavior
210). Moreover, the device 202 may sign 214 the driving profile 208
with the cryptographic key 204 (e.g., generating a hashcode of the
contents of the driving profile 208; signing the hashcode with the
cryptographic private key; and sharing the cryptographic public key
in a publicly accessible location). The vehicle device 202 may then
attach to the driving profile 208 a cryptographic signature 216
that may be used to verify the authenticity of the driving profile
208 (e.g., that the user 110 has not altered the driving profile
208 originally generated by the vehicle device 202).
[0029] The cryptographically signed driving profile 208 may be
transmitted by the vehicle device 202 to the user 110, who may
share it with third parties. The third parties may evaluate the
contents of the driving profile 208, and may confirm the
authenticity of the driving profile 208 by verifying that the
hashcode signed with the cryptographic signature 216 matches the
hashcode of the contents of the driving profile 208. In this
manner, the user 110 is provided with an objective, evidentiary
record of his or her driving profile 208, in a manner that is
verifiable as authentic and unaltered from the original driving
profile 208 generated by the vehicle device 202, and may share the
driving profile 208 with third parties at the discretion of the
user 110 in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0030] C. Technical Effects
[0031] The techniques presented herein may provide a variety of
technical effects.
[0032] As a first such example, the generation of a
cryptographically signed driving profile 208 to the user 110 may
enable the user 110 to share the driving profile 208 with third
parties, who may verify the authenticity of the contents of the
driving profile 208 by comparing the contents with the
cryptographic signature 216. A verified driving profile 208 may
indicate that the evidence provided therein was recorded by the
vehicle device 202, and has not been altered by the user 110 or
another party. The user 110 is also provided control over the
driving profile 208, and may share or not share it according to the
user's discretion and interests.
[0033] As a second such example, the generation of a verifiable
evidentiary record of the user's driving behavior 210 may be used
to provide a variety of services to the user 110 that may not be
feasible in the absence of such a record. For example, the user 110
may be a candidate for an opportunity to control a vehicle 108 in a
sensitive context, such as transporting an easily damaged piece of
equipment on a long-distance trip in a vehicle 108, and the
selection of the user 110 for the opportunity may depend on a
verifiable record of the user's driving safety and/or proficiency.
The generation of the driving profile 208 in accordance with the
techniques presented herein may provide evidence of such skills,
and may expedite the selection of the user 110 for the opportunity
as compared with ad-hoc evaluation of the user's driving behavior
210. Moreover, a record of the user's driving behavior 210 while
operating the vehicle 108 under ordinary circumstances may be more
accurate than an evaluation of the user's driving behavior 210 in
simulated conditions or an ad-hoc testing environment, in which the
user 110 may exhibit a different driving behavior 210.
[0034] As a third such example, the preparation of a driving
profile 208 based on evaluation by an independently managed vehicle
device 202 may provide more accurate data about the user's driving
behavior 210 and risk rating 212 than either the user's
self-assessment or an evaluation performed by a self-interested
third party. For example, a third party may be reluctant to release
a driving profile 208 to the user 110 due to its perception that
the third party is vouching for the safety of the user 110, because
a vehicle accident involving the user 110 may cause the third party
to incur liability. However, an evaluation performed only in an
automated manner by a vehicle device 202 may assert a risk rating
212 in a disinterested manner and/or according to established
criteria, such as compliance with speed limits and traffic
restrictions. These and other technical advantages may be achieved
by the development of a cryptographically signed driving profile
208 of the driving behavior 210 of the user 110 in accordance with
the techniques presented herein.
[0035] D. Example Embodiments
[0036] FIG. 3 presents a first example embodiment of the techniques
presented herein, illustrated as an example method 300 of providing
an evidentiary record of a driving behavior 210 of a user 110 of a
vehicle 108. The example method 300 involves a vehicle device 202
having a processor and a cryptographic key 204, such as a
public/private cryptographic key pair generated according to an
asymmetric encryption model. The example method 300 may be
implemented, e.g., as a set of instructions stored in a memory
component of the vehicle device 202 (e.g., a memory circuit, a
platter of a hard disk drive, a solid-state memory component, or a
magnetic or optical disc) that, when executed by the processor of
the vehicle device 202, cause the vehicle device 202 to operate
according to the techniques presented herein.
[0037] The example method 300 begins at 302 and involves executing
304 the instructions on the processor. Specifically, the
instructions cause the vehicle device 202 to, while the user 110
operates the vehicle 108, detect 306 at least one driving factor
114. The instructions also cause the vehicle device 202 to evaluate
308 the at least one driving factor 114 to identify a driving
behavior 210 of the user 110, and a risk rating 212 of the driving
behavior 210. The instructions also cause the vehicle device 202 to
generate 310 a driving profile 208 providing evidence of the risk
rating 212 and the driving behavior 210 of the user 110. The
instructions also cause the vehicle device 202 to, using the
cryptographic key 204, sign 312 the driving profile 208 of the user
110. The instructions also cause the vehicle device 202 to transmit
314 the driving profile 208 signed with the cryptographic key 204
to the user 110. In this manner, the example method 300 causes the
vehicle device 202 to generate a verifiable, evidentiary record of
the driving behavior 210 of the user 110 in accordance with the
techniques presented herein, and so ends at 316.
[0038] FIG. 4 presents an illustration of an example scenario 400
featuring a second example embodiment of the techniques presented
herein, illustrated as an example server 402 featuring an example
system 410 that provides an evidentiary record of a driving
behavior 412 of a user 110. The example system 408 may be
implemented, e.g., on a server 402 having a processor 404, a
vehicle communicator 406 that communicates with a vehicle device
202 of the vehicle 108 during operation by the user 110, and a
cryptographic key 204, such as a public/private key pair generated
according to an asymmetric encryption model. Respective components
of the example system 410 may be implemented, e.g., as a set of
instructions stored in a memory 408 of the server 402 and
executable on the processor 404 of the server 402, such that the
interoperation of the components causes the server 402 to operate
according to the techniques presented herein.
[0039] The example system 408 comprises a driving behavior
evaluator 412, which receives, through the vehicle communicator
406, at least one driving factor 114 detected by the vehicle device
202 while the user 110 operates the vehicle 108. The driving
factors 114 may include, e.g., a speed of the vehicle 108; an
acceleration and/or braking pattern of the vehicle 108; a proximity
that the user 110 maintains with respect to other vehicles 108;
and/or a driving context 104 in which the user 110 chooses to
operate the vehicle 108 and exhibits the driving factors 114, such
as the weather, the locations through which the user 110 navigates
the vehicle 108, and the time of day. The driving behavior
evaluator 412 further evaluates the at least one driving factor 114
(optionally in the context of a driving context 104) to identify a
driving behavior 210 of the user 110, and a risk rating 212 of the
driving behavior 210. The example system 408 also comprises a
driving profile generator 414, which generates a driving profile
208 providing evidence of the risk rating 212 and the driving
behavior 210 of the user 110 (e.g., a record of the driving factors
114 supporting the determination of the driving behavior 210 and
the risk rating 212), and, using the cryptographic key 204, signs
the driving profile 208 of the user 110. The driving profile
generator 414 then transmits the driving profile 208 signed with
the cryptographic key 204 to the user 110. The interoperation of
the components of the example system 410 in the example scenario
500 of FIG. 5 thereby delivers to the user 110 a driving profile
208 that evidences the driving behavior 210 and the risk rating 212
of the user in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0040] FIG. 5 presents an illustration of an example scenario 400
featuring a third example embodiment of the techniques presented
herein, illustrated as an example vehicle device 502 featuring an
example system 510 that provides an evidentiary record of a driving
behavior 412 of a user 110. The example system 508 may be
implemented, e.g., on a vehicle device 502 having a processor 504,
a telemetric interface 506 through which the vehicle device 502
receives driving factors 14 about the operation of the vehicle 108
by the user 112, and a cryptographic key 204, such as a
public/private key pair generated according to an asymmetric
encryption model. Respective components of the example system 510
may be implemented, e.g., as a set of instructions stored in a
memory 508 of the vehicle device 502 and executable on the
processor 504 of the vehicle device 502, such that the
interoperation of the components causes the vehicle device 502 to
operate according to the techniques presented herein.
[0041] The example system 508 comprises a driving behavior
evaluator 512, which receives from the vehicle 108, through the
telemetric interface 508, at least one driving factor 114 while the
user 110 operates the vehicle 108. The driving factors 114 may
include, e.g., a speed of the vehicle 108; an acceleration and/or
braking pattern of the vehicle 108; a proximity that the user 110
maintains with respect to other vehicles 108; and/or a driving
context 104 in which the user 110 chooses to operate the vehicle
108 and exhibits the driving factors 114, such as the weather, the
locations through which the user 110 navigates the vehicle 108, and
the time of day. The driving behavior evaluator 512 further
evaluates the at least one driving factor 114 (optionally in the
context of a driving context 104) to identify a driving behavior
210 of the user 110, and a risk rating 212 of the driving behavior
210. The example system 508 also comprises a driving profile
generator 514, which generates a driving profile 208 providing
evidence of the risk rating 212 and the driving behavior 210 of the
user 110 (e.g., a record of the driving factors 114 supporting the
determination of the driving behavior 210 and the risk rating 212),
and, using the cryptographic key 204, signs the driving profile 208
of the user 110. The driving profile generator 514 then transmits
the driving profile 208 signed with the cryptographic key 204 to
the user 110. The interoperation of the components of the example
system 510 in the example scenario 500 of FIG. 5 thereby delivers
to the user 110 a driving profile 208 that evidences the driving
behavior 210 and the risk rating 212 of the user in accordance with
the techniques presented herein.
[0042] Still another embodiment involves a computer-readable medium
comprising processor-executable instructions configured to apply
the techniques presented herein. Such computer-readable media may
include, e.g., computer-readable storage media involving a tangible
device, such as a memory semiconductor (e.g., a semiconductor
utilizing static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access
memory (DRAM), and/or synchronous dynamic random access memory
(SDRAM) technologies), a platter of a hard disk drive, a flash
memory device, or a magnetic or optical disc (such as a CD-R,
DVD-R, or floppy disc), encoding a set of computer-readable
instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause
the device to implement the techniques presented herein. Such
computer-readable media may also include (as a class of
technologies that are distinct from computer-readable storage
media) various types of communications media, such as a signal that
may be propagated through various physical phenomena (e.g., an
electromagnetic signal, a sound wave signal, or an optical signal)
and in various wired scenarios (e.g., via an Ethernet or fiber
optic cable) and/or wireless scenarios (e.g., a wireless local area
network (WLAN) such as WiFi, a personal area network (PAN) such as
Bluetooth, or a cellular or radio network), and which encodes a set
of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a
processor of a device, cause the device to implement the techniques
presented herein.
[0043] An example computer-readable medium that may be devised in
these ways is illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein the implementation 500
comprises a computer-readable medium 602 (e.g., a CD-R, DVD-R, or a
platter of a hard disk drive), on which is encoded
computer-readable data 604. This computer-readable data 604 in turn
comprises a set of computer instructions 606 configured to operate
according to the principles set forth herein. In a first such
embodiment, the processor-executable instructions 606 may be
configured to, when executed by a processor 612 of a device 610,
cause the device 610 to generate an evidentiary record of a driving
behavior of the user 110, such as the example method 300 of FIG. 3.
In a second such embodiment, the processor-executable instructions
606 may be configured to implement a server comprising a system for
generate an evidentiary record of a driving behavior of the user
110, such as the example server 402 of FIG. 4. In a second such
embodiment, the processor-executable instructions 606 may be
configured to implement a vehicle device comprising a system for
generate an evidentiary record of a driving behavior of the user
110, such as the example vehicle device 502 of FIG. 5. Some
embodiments of this computer-readable medium may comprise a
nontransitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a hard disk
drive, an optical disc, or a flash memory device) that is
configured to store processor-executable instructions configured in
this manner. Many such computer-readable media may be devised by
those of ordinary skill in the art that are configured to operate
in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0044] E. Variable Aspects
[0045] The techniques discussed herein may be devised with
variations in many aspects, and some variations may present
additional advantages and/or reduce disadvantages with respect to
other variations of these and other techniques. Moreover, some
variations may be implemented in combination, and some combinations
may feature additional advantages and/or reduced disadvantages
through synergistic cooperation. The variations may be incorporated
in various embodiments (e.g., the example method 300 of FIG. 3; the
example system 408 of FIG. 4; the example computer-readable storage
device 502 of FIG. 5; and the example method 608 of FIG. 6) to
confer individual and/or synergistic advantages upon such
embodiments.
[0046] E1. Scenarios
[0047] A first aspect that may vary among embodiments of these
techniques relates to the scenarios wherein such techniques may be
utilized.
[0048] As a first example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may be used with many types of vehicles 108,
including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, watercraft,
aircraft, and spacecraft.
[0049] As a second example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may be used to evaluate the driving behavior of
the user 110 according to telemetry of a variety of controls
utilized by the user 110 to operate the vehicle 108, such as an
accelerator, or throttle, brake, gear selector, steering wheel,
tiller, or yolk. The driving factors 114 provided as telemetry for
an evaluation of the driving behavior of the user 110 may also
include vehicle accessories, including interior and exterior
lighting; windshield wipers; cleaning, anti-fogging, and/or
de-icing controls; climate controls; sound systems; and
communication with other vehicles 108 and individuals.
Additionally, the driving factors 114 may include indicators of the
of user driving behavior 208 of the user 110, such as vehicle speed
or vehicle acceleration; lane selection among at least two lanes of
a causeway; vehicle turning rate (e.g., the effects of turning too
sharply or gradually at different speeds); vehicle gear selection;
vehicle signaling input (e.g., the use of turn signals); and
vehicle climate control (e.g., the use of a defogger or windshield
wipers to clear weather-related obstructions).
[0050] As a third example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may be used to evaluate the driving behaviors 210
of the user 110 while operating the vehicle 108 in a variety of
driving contexts 106, including the time of day; sunny, overcast,
foggy, rainy, snowing, and/or freezing weather conditions; a
vehicle causeway type context (e.g., an unpaved local road, a
residential side street, a main roadway, or a highway); a traffic
congestion context (e.g., the volume of traffic in the vicinity of
the vehicle 108); a vehicle speed of at least one other vehicle 108
operating near the vehicle 108 (e.g., if the vehicle 108 is
passing, being passed by, or keeping pace with other vehicles 108);
the route of the vehicle 108 (e.g., a short local route, a longer
cross-city route, or a long-distance route between cities); and a
vehicle condition context (e.g., the maintenance condition and/or
cargo contents of the vehicle 108); and a vehicle passenger context
(e.g., the number and identities of other passengers aboard the
vehicle 108). These and other variations may be included in various
embodiments of the techniques presented herein.
[0051] E2. Receiving Driving Factors
[0052] A second aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the driving factors 114 that
may be received and utilized to determine the driving behavior 210
and/or risk rating 212 of the user 110. Such driving factors 114
may be utilized directly by the vehicle device 202, and/or may be
transmitted to a server, such as a driving behavior evaluation and
profiling service, to achieve an evaluation of the driving behavior
210 and risk rating 212 of the user 110 and the generation of a
driving profile 208 of the user 110.
[0053] As a first variation of this second aspect, a vehicle device
202 may include, in the driving factors 114, at least one
telemetric measurement received from the vehicle 108 during
operation by the user 110. For example, the vehicle device 202 may
communicate with the vehicle 108 through an On-Board Diagnostics
(OBD-II) interface to receive information about the operation of
the vehicle 202 by the user 110 and the performance of the vehicle
202 during such operation.
[0054] As a second variation of this second aspect, the vehicle
device 202 may detect and utilize various sources of information
about the driving context 104 in which the user 110 operates the
vehicle. As a first such example, the vehicle device 202 may
communicate with a weather service to detect a current weather
condition in the area of the vehicle 202 that may represent a
weather factor affecting the driving behavior 210 and/or risk
rating of the user 110. The vehicle device 202 may also utilize
sensors on board the vehicle 202, such as an ambient temperature
sensor. As a second such example, the vehicle device 202 may
evaluate the time of day, the day of the week, an instance of an
event or holiday. As a third such example, the vehicle device 202
may monitor an interior condition of the vehicle 202, e.g., to
detect the interior temperature, occupancy, the use of seatbelts,
the use of a radio or a communication device such as a mobile
phone, and/or presence or absence of distractions, such as
conversation among the occupants of the vehicle 108.
[0055] FIG. 7 presents an illustration of an example scenario 700
featuring a third variation of this second aspect, wherein the
driving factors 114 include information provided by a proximity
sensor 702 of the vehicle 108 about the proximity of the vehicle
108 to other objects, such as other vehicles 108 traveling near the
user 110. The proximity sensor 702 may detect proximity information
using a variety of techniques, such as visual evaluation of camera
data; ranging data gathered by sonar, radar, and/or lidar
detection; and/or electronic communication with other vehicles 108
on the road. In this example scenario 700, the vehicle 108 is
equipped with a proximity sensor 702 that detects a proximity of
the vehicle 108 with respect to other vehicles 108 operating on the
road, such as a distance 704 between the vehicle 108 and another
vehicle 108 that is ahead of and/or behind the vehicle 108 of the
user 110; the relative speeds of the vehicles 108 ahead of and/or
behind the user 110; and/or the rates of acceleration, braking,
turning, and/or swerving by the user 110 and the drivers of the
other vehicles 108. The proximity sensor 702 may also detect
information about vehicles 108 in other lanes of the road, such as
the relative or absolute speeds of vehicles 108 in adjacent lanes,
and/or whether or not such vehicles 108 are passing 706 and/or are
being passed by the vehicle 108 of the user 110. The vehicle device
202 may utilize such proximity measurements to determine the
driving behavior 210 and/or risk rating 212 of the user 110, and/or
may transmit 708 the information detected by the proximity sensor
702 to a driving behavior evaluation service as a further driving
factor 114. Many such sources of information may be received and
utilized by a vehicle device 202 in order to provide a driving
profile 208 of the user 110 in accordance with the techniques
presented herein.
[0056] E3. Evaluating Risk Ratings
[0057] A third aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the manner of evaluating the
risk rating 212 of an user 110 according to the driving behaviors
210 and driving factors 114.
[0058] As a first variation of this third aspect, the risk rating
212 of the user 110 may be determined by comparing the driving
factors 114 with standardized driving factors, such as comparing an
average driving speed of the user 110 with posted speed limits, or
comparing an average braking rate of the user 110 with an
established safe braking rate. Such comparisons may also be
considered in general, e.g., an average across all driving contexts
104 or in driving contexts 104 that are deemed to be ordinary,
and/or in view of a specific driving context 104, e.g., the average
braking rate of the user 110 in rainy weather.
[0059] As a second variation of this third aspect, the risk rating
212 of the user 110 may be identified by comparing the driving
behavior 210 of the user 110 with a second driving behavior of at
least one other user 110, such as an average user who is a similar
age and/or has a similar amount of driving experience as the user
110. For example, for a user 110 who is comparatively
inexperienced, a comparison of the driving behavior 210 of the user
110 in comparison with drivers who have many years of experience
may unfairly penalize the user 110, and may even prevent the user
110 from securing driving insurance in order to acquire more
experience and to become a safer driver. Instead, the driving
behavior 210 of the user 110 may be compared with other
comparatively inexperienced drivers, and may therefore assign to
the user 110 a risk rating 212 that is relative to other drivers of
approximately the same level of experience.
[0060] As a third variation of this third aspect, the risk rating
212 of the user 110 may be identified by comparing the driving
behavior with an earlier driving behavior 210 of the same user 110.
Such comparison may indicate, e.g., an improvement of the driving
behavior 210 of the user 110 as compared with the earlier driving
behavior 210 of the user 110, evidencing a commitment to improved
driving capabilities. Conversely, if the user 110 exhibits worse
driving behavior 210 as compared with an earlier driving behavior
210 of the user 110, a significant penalty in the risk rating 212
of the user 110 maybe applied, e.g., in order to prompt an
investigation of the reason for the reduction in driving skill. For
example, the eyesight, reaction time, and/or cognitive capabilities
of the user 110 may be deteriorating, and such changes may indicate
a significantly greater risk not only from the physical changes,
but from the need for the user 110 to adapt to such changes; e.g.,
the user 110 may refuse to acknowledge or accept a loss of driving
proficiency and may overestimate his or her driving skill.
[0061] As a fourth variation of this third aspect, the selection of
a risk rating 212 for a user 110 may also be based upon a user
driving history of the user 110. As a first such example, even if
the user driving behavior 210 indicates that the user 110 is
typically a cautious driver, a user driving history indicating a
significant number of accidents or speeding tickets may entail the
assignment of a higher-risk rating 212. Conversely, even if the
user driving behavior 210 indicates that the user 110 is typically
an aggressive driver, a user driving history indicating an absence
of accidents or speeding tickets over an extended duration may
indicate that the user 110 may also be a focused driver, and
therefore suggest the selection of a lower-risk rating 212. Other
sources of information that may inform the selection of a risk
rating 212 include, e.g., actuarial tables indicating various risk
factors that may or may not describe the user 110 and the risks of
driving.
[0062] As a fifth variation of this third aspect, in addition to
assigning a risk rating 212 to the user 110, a vehicle device 202
may reveal the risk rating 212 to the user 110. The vehicle device
202 may also explain to the use the basis for the risk rating 212,
e.g., the driving factors 114 that resulted in a conclusion of a
particular driving behavior 210 for the user 110 (e.g., an
assessment that the user 110 is a safe driver, an aggressive
driver, or an overcautious driver). Moreover, the vehicle device
202 may present to the user 110 at least one suggestion for an
adjustment of the driving behavior 210 that is likely to improve
the risk rating 212 of the driving behavior 210 of the user 110.
For example, the vehicle device 202 may indicate to the user 110
that a 5% reduction in average speed, particularly in some driving
contexts 104 such as rainy weather, may significantly reduce the
risk rating 212 of the user 110.
[0063] FIG. 8 is an illustration of an example scenario 800
featuring a sixth variation of this third aspect, wherein the risk
rating 212 of the user 110 is assigned using an artificial neural
network 806 that has been trained to identify a risk rating 212
based upon a number of sources of information. In this example
scenario 800, the artificial neural network 806 may have been
trained, e.g., by providing to the artificial neural network 806 an
extensive list of information about a prototypical set of
individuals and an appropriate risk rating 212 to be assigned to
each such individual. Once trained to assign such risk ratings 212
within an acceptable margin of error, the artificial neural network
806 may then be applied to assign a risk rating 212 to the user 110
based on a set of varied information, such as the driving behaviors
210 of the user 110; the driving contexts 104 in which the user 110
chooses to operate the vehicle; a user driving history 802 of the
user 110; and actuarial tables 804 that indicate the significance
of various individual personality traits, such as health history,
to the risk rating 212 of the user 110. The artificial neural
network 806 may accurately assign a risk rating 212 to the user 110
that reflects the significance of each source of information about
the user 110 and the relative significance of such traits. Other
classification techniques that may be suitable for such assignment
include, e.g., genetic algorithms and statistical classifiers, such
as Bayesian classification systems. Many ways may be devised to
select a risk rating 212 for the user 110 based on the driving
behavior 210 and other sources of information in accordance with
the techniques presented herein.
[0064] E4. Uses of Driving Profile
[0065] A fourth aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the uses of the driving
profile 208 of the user 110.
[0066] As a first variation of this fourth aspect, the driving
profile 208 may be presented to the user 110 as a reflection or
independent assessment of the driving behavior 210 and risk rating
212 of the user 110. For example, the user 110 may not be aware of
a perception of the user's driving behavior 210 as compared with
other drivers or a driving standard (e.g., the user 110 may not be
aware that others may perceive the user 110 as an aggressive or
overcautious driver), and may appreciate an objective assessment of
the driving behavior 210. Moreover the user 110 may appreciate an
identification of driving behaviors 210 that may be particularly
risky or unusual, such as a tendency to brake unnecessarily hard,
and may wish to learn about such driving behaviors 210 in order to
ameliorate them and reduce the risk rating 212 of the user 110.
[0067] As a second variation of this fourth aspect, the driving
profile 208 may be used to adapt the operating properties of a
vehicle 108 of the user 110. As a first such example, the user 110
may exhibit a slow response time to braking of vehicles ahead of
the user 110, and the braking systems and alert mechanisms of the
vehicle 108 may be adjusted to provide greater sensitivity to
detecting and warning the user 110 of such circumstances and/or
automatically engaging the brakes when such circumstances arise. As
a second such example, the user 110 may utilize a driving feature
of the vehicle 108, such as cruise control, that may be
personalized to reflect the driving behavior 210 of the user 110
(e.g., setting the cruise control to a faster or slower speed based
upon whether the user 110 exhibits a preference for fast or slow
driving).
[0068] FIG. 9 presents a set of examples of a third variation of
this fourth aspect, wherein the driving profile 208 may be utilized
to connect the user 110 with an insurer 904 who may provide vehicle
insurance for the user 110 and the vehicle 108. In this example
scenario 900, the user 110 may utilize a profile service 902 to
generate the driving profile 208, such as a cloud-based service
that remotely monitors the driving factors 114 and identifies
driving behaviors 210 of the user 110 and a risk rating 212 based
thereupon. In addition, the profile service 902 may interact with a
variety of insurers 904 to select an insurance plan that is
compatible with the driving behavior 210 and risk rating 212 of the
user 110.
[0069] As a first such example 922, the user 110 may request a
recommendation of an insurer 904, and may provide a driving profile
208 for the user 110 and/or utilize the profile service 902 to
generate a driving profile 208 for the user 110. The profile
service 902 may compare at least two insurance plans 906
respectively offered by a candidate insurer 904, e.g., by comparing
the contents of the driving profile 208 of the user 110 with the
candidate insurers 904 to identify a cost-effective and appropriate
vehicle insurance plan 906. Such comparison may involve, e.g., a
comparison of the insurance rates of the respective insurance plans
906 to identify a selected insurer 904 that is offering an
insurance rate that is lower than the insurance rate of at least
one other candidate insurer 904. Such comparison may also involve,
e.g., a comparison of user ratings of the at least two candidate
insurers 904 (e.g., information such as user satisfaction rates,
customer service surveys, customer retention rates, and/or a volume
of customer complaints) to identify a selected insurer 904 that
achieves a higher user rating than at least one other candidate
insurer 904. Such comparison may also involve, e.g., a comparison
of insurance coverage of the at least two candidate insurers 904 to
identify a selected insurer 904 that is offering broader insurance
coverage than at least one other candidate insurer 904. Upon
evaluating such candidate insurers 904, the profile service 902 may
identify a selected insurer 904 and present a recommendation 908 of
the selected insurer 904 to the user 110. A similar process may be
utilized to compare multiple insurance plans 906 offered by the
same insurer 904 (e.g., comparing the cost-effectiveness of a
maximum coverage insurance plan, a typical coverage insurance plan,
and a minimum coverage insurance plan offered by the same insurer
904), optionally in view of preferences of the user 110 such as
cost sensitivity and/or risk aversion, to identify and recommend to
the user 110 a selected insurance plan that is suitable for the
risk rating 212 of the user 110.
[0070] As a second such example 924, the profile service 902 may
share portions of the driving profile 208 of the user 110 with one
or more insurers 904, under circumstances for which the user 110 is
fully informed, consents to such sharing while declining an option
to refuse such sharing, and derives an advantage from such sharing.
For example, the profile service 902 may initiate a bidding process
on behalf of the user 110 among a set of candidate insurers 904,
based on a desirably low risk rating 212 and/or clean driving
history of the user 110. In doing so, the profile service 902 may
first inform the user 110 of this process, and await consent 914
from the user 110 before transmitting a portion of the driving
profile 208 to the candidate insurers 904. In this context, the
profile service 902 may first anonymize the driving profile 208,
e.g., by invoking an anonymizer that, before delivering the driving
profile to an insurer, removes any and all personal identifying
information from the driving profile 208. An anonymized driving
profile 910 may then be shared with the candidate insurers 904 to
solicit bids for insurance plans 906 to be compared and presented
to the user 110. The anonymized driving profile 910 may attest to
the user's risk rating 212 and driving history, in a manner that
allows candidate insurers 904 to evaluate their interest in
providing a competitive insurance plan 906 to the user 110, without
revealing personal identifying information. Additionally, upon
receiving from an insurer 904 a notification that the user 110 has
contracted with the insurer 904 (e.g., an acceptance by the user
110 of an offer for an insurance plan 906), the profile service 902
may again contact the user 110 to request the release of the full
driving profile 918 of the user 110 to the insurer 904, and, upon
receiving such consent 914 from the user 110, may transmit the full
driving profile 918 to the insurer 904 with whom the user 110 has
formulated a contract for insurance coverage.
[0071] As a third such example 926, the profile service 902 may
enable an interaction between the user 110 and the insurer 904 to
improve the user's risk rating 212. For example, the profile
service 902 may determine that a particular driving behavior 210 of
the user 110 is significantly reducing the risk rating 212 of the
user 110 and prompting higher insurance rates. The profile service
902 may secure from the insurer 904 an offer to reduce the user's
insurance rates if the user 110 ameliorates the risk-inducing
driving behavior 210, e.g., an agreement to reduce the user's
insurance rates by a specified amount if the user 110 demonstrates
a marginal reduction in average driving speed. The profile service
902 may invoke a driving behavior suggester that presents to the
user 110 a suggested adjustment of the driving behavior 210 that
reduces the risk rating 212 of the user 110, and a projected
insurance rate savings through the insurer 904 that arises from
user adoption of the suggested adjustment of the driving behavior
210. Moreover, the profile service 902 may communicate with the
vehicle device 202 of the vehicle 108, and upon detecting an
adoption of the suggested adjustment by the user 110, may transmit
a notification 920 to the insurer 904 of the adoption of the
suggested adjustment, thereby prompting the insurer 904 to fulfill
the offer for an insurance rate reduction for the user 110. In this
manner, the profile service 902 may facilitate a positive
engagement between the insurer 904 and the user 110. Many such uses
of the driving profile 208 may be devised in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0072] F. Computing Environment
[0073] FIG. 10 and the following discussion provide a brief,
general description of a suitable computing environment to
implement embodiments of one or more of the provisions set forth
herein. The operating environment of FIG. 10 is only one example of
a suitable operating environment and is not intended to suggest any
limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the operating
environment. Example computing devices include, but are not limited
to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop
devices, mobile devices (such as mobile phones, Personal Digital
Assistants (PDAs), media players, and the like), multiprocessor
systems, consumer electronics, mini computers, mainframe computers,
distributed computing environments that include any of the above
systems or devices, and the like.
[0074] Although not required, embodiments are described in the
general context of "computer readable instructions" being executed
by one or more computing devices. Computer readable instructions
may be distributed via computer readable media (discussed below).
Computer readable instructions may be implemented as program
modules, such as functions, objects, Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs), data structures, and the like, that perform
particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Typically, the functionality of the computer readable instructions
may be combined or distributed as desired in various
environments.
[0075] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a system 1000 comprising a
computing device 1002 configured to implement one or more
embodiments provided herein. In one configuration, computing device
1002 includes at least one processing unit 1006 and memory 1008.
Depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device,
memory 1008 may be volatile (such as RAM, for example),
non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc., for example) or some
combination of the two. This configuration is illustrated in FIG.
10 by dashed line 1004.
[0076] In other embodiments, device 1002 may include additional
features and/or functionality. For example, device 1002 may also
include additional storage (e.g., removable and/or non-removable)
including, but not limited to, magnetic storage, optical storage,
and the like. Such additional storage is illustrated in FIG. 10 by
storage 1010. In one embodiment, computer readable instructions to
implement one or more embodiments provided herein may be in storage
1010. Storage 1010 may also store other computer readable
instructions to implement an operating system, an application
program, and the like. Computer readable instructions may be loaded
in memory 1008 for execution by processing unit 1006, for
example.
[0077] The term "computer readable media" as used herein includes
computer storage media. Computer storage media includes volatile
and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in
any method or technology for storage of information such as
computer readable instructions or other data. Memory 1008 and
storage 1010 are examples of computer storage media. Computer
storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM,
flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile
Disks (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or
any other medium which can be used to store the desired information
and which can be accessed by device 1002. Any such computer storage
media may be part of device 1002.
[0078] Device 1002 may also include communication connection(s)
1016 that allows device 1002 to communicate with other devices.
Communication connection(s) 1016 may include, but is not limited
to, a modem, a Network Interface Card (NIC), an integrated network
interface, a radio frequency transmitter/receiver, an infrared
port, a USB connection, or other interfaces for connecting
computing device 1002 to other computing devices. Communication
connection(s) 1016 may include a wired connection or a wireless
connection. Communication connection(s) 1016 may transmit and/or
receive communication media.
[0079] The term "computer readable media" may include communication
media. Communication media typically embodies computer readable
instructions or other data in a "modulated data signal" such as a
carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any
information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" may
include a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or
changed in such a manner as to encode information in the
signal.
[0080] Device 1002 may include input device(s) 1014 such as
keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device,
infrared cameras, video input devices, and/or any other input
device. Output device(s) 1012 such as one or more displays,
speakers, printers, and/or any other output device may also be
included in device 1002. Input device(s) 1014 and output device(s)
1012 may be connected to device 1002 via a wired connection,
wireless connection, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment,
an input device or an output device from another computing device
may be used as input device(s) 1014 or output device(s) 1012 for
computing device 1002.
[0081] Components of computing device 1002 may be connected by
various interconnects, such as a bus. Such interconnects may
include a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), such as PCI
Express, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), firewire (IEEE 1394), an
optical bus structure, and the like. In another embodiment,
components of computing device 1002 may be interconnected by a
network. For example, memory 1008 may be comprised of multiple
physical memory units located in different physical locations
interconnected by a network.
[0082] Those skilled in the art will realize that storage devices
utilized to store computer readable instructions may be distributed
across a network. For example, a computing device 1020 accessible
via network 1018 may store computer readable instructions to
implement one or more embodiments provided herein. Computing device
1002 may access computing device 1020 and download a part or all of
the computer readable instructions for execution. Alternatively,
computing device 1002 may download pieces of the computer readable
instructions, as needed, or some instructions may be executed at
computing device 1002 and some at computing device 1020.
[0083] G. Usage of Terms
[0084] Although the subject matter has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described
above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
[0085] As used in this application, the terms "component,"
"module," "system", "interface", and the like are generally
intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a
combination of hardware and software, software, or software in
execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to
being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an
executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By
way of illustration, both an application running on a controller
and the controller can be a component. One or more components may
reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component
may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or
more computers.
[0086] Furthermore, the claimed subject matter may be implemented
as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard
programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software,
firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a
computer to implement the disclosed subject matter. The term
"article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a
computer program accessible from any computer-readable device,
carrier, or media. Of course, those skilled in the art will
recognize many modifications may be made to this configuration
without departing from the scope or spirit of the claimed subject
matter.
[0087] Various operations of embodiments are provided herein. In
one embodiment, one or more of the operations described may
constitute computer readable instructions stored on one or more
computer readable media, which if executed by a computing device,
will cause the computing device to perform the operations
described. The order in which some or all of the operations are
described should not be construed as to imply that these operations
are necessarily order dependent. Alternative ordering will be
appreciated by one skilled in the art having the benefit of this
description. Further, it will be understood that not all operations
are necessarily present in each embodiment provided herein.
[0088] Moreover, the word "example" is used herein to mean serving
as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design
described herein as "example" is not necessarily to be construed as
advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word
example is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As
used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an
inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless
specified otherwise, or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is
intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That
is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X
employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances.
In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application
and the appended claims may generally be construed to mean "one or
more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be
directed to a singular form.
[0089] Also, although the disclosure has been shown and described
with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations
and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art based
upon a reading and understanding of this specification and the
annexed drawings. The disclosure includes all such modifications
and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following
claims. In particular regard to the various functions performed by
the above described components (e.g., elements, resources, etc.),
the terms used to describe such components are intended to
correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which
performs the specified function of the described component (e.g.,
that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally
equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function
in the herein illustrated example implementations of the
disclosure. In addition, while a particular feature of the
disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of
several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or
more other features of the other implementations as may be desired
and advantageous for any given or particular application.
[0090] Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes",
"having", "has", "with", or variants thereof are used in either the
detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be
inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising."
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