U.S. patent application number 16/365619 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-19 for insurence tracking.
The applicant listed for this patent is AutoConnect Holdings LLC. Invention is credited to Christopher Ricci.
Application Number | 20190288917 16/365619 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48430173 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190288917 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ricci; Christopher |
September 19, 2019 |
Insurence Tracking
Abstract
A system/method adapted to aggregate vehicle or operator data
for reconstructing a road event for authority purposes, said system
comprising: a storage device with stored data (information)
collected from an aggregating device (controller) in communication
with at least one of various sensors, data capturing means, image
capturing means, or metrics; a reporting module that evaluates
collected information stored in the storage device to determine a
driving behavior of a driver associated with the vehicle, and
determine whether the driving behavior includes one or more
triggering events that are one or more of operator-defined or
authority-defined for communication to at least one of an authority
source; a communication module enabling querying for at least one
of said information by at least one of an authority source for
reconstructing the road event of interest upon a threshold-grade
road event triggered and relaying the reconstructed road event to
at least one of an authority source for at least one of the
authority purpose; wherein the authorized source is at least one of
a Department of Motor Vehicle, insurance company, vehicle
manufacturer, or law enforcement; and wherein the authority purpose
is at least one of a revocation of license, filing of accident
report, increasing or lowering insurance premiums, issuing a
violation, or issuing a warning in real-time or postponed.
Inventors: |
Ricci; Christopher;
(Saratoga, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AutoConnect Holdings LLC |
Newbury |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48430173 |
Appl. No.: |
16/365619 |
Filed: |
March 26, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15138642 |
Apr 26, 2016 |
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16365619 |
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13678673 |
Nov 16, 2012 |
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15138642 |
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61560509 |
Nov 16, 2011 |
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61637164 |
Apr 23, 2012 |
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61646747 |
May 14, 2012 |
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61653275 |
May 30, 2012 |
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61653264 |
May 30, 2012 |
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61653563 |
May 31, 2012 |
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61663335 |
Jun 22, 2012 |
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61672483 |
Jul 17, 2012 |
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61714016 |
Oct 15, 2012 |
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61715699 |
Oct 18, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06N 5/02 20130101; B60K
35/00 20130101; B60K 2370/691 20190501; B60W 2040/0881 20130101;
G06F 3/0486 20130101; G07C 5/085 20130101; B60W 50/08 20130101;
G06Q 30/0265 20130101; G06F 11/328 20130101; G08G 1/012 20130101;
G08G 1/16 20130101; H04L 67/125 20130101; H04N 21/41422 20130101;
B60K 2370/21 20190501; G06F 9/54 20130101; G06F 21/335 20130101;
G06K 2009/00939 20130101; G08C 19/00 20130101; H04N 21/4331
20130101; H04W 8/22 20130101; G06F 3/0481 20130101; G06F 3/04817
20130101; H04L 41/14 20130101; G06F 3/0488 20130101; G06F 8/61
20130101; G06F 16/29 20190101; G06Q 40/08 20130101; G08G 1/0133
20130101; B60K 2370/146 20190501; B60R 7/04 20130101; G06K 9/00355
20130101; G06T 19/006 20130101; G08G 1/096775 20130101; B60K
2370/81 20190501; G06F 9/44505 20130101; G08G 1/0137 20130101; B60K
2370/1438 20190501; G06F 13/14 20130101; G07C 5/006 20130101; B60K
2370/1472 20190501; B60K 2370/164 20190501; G06F 11/2023 20130101;
G06F 17/00 20130101; H04L 51/36 20130101; G06F 3/017 20130101; G06F
3/04847 20130101; G06F 2221/0724 20130101; G08G 1/096725 20130101;
H04W 4/48 20180201; G06Q 50/26 20130101; G07C 5/0833 20130101; G06F
3/04842 20130101; G06F 11/3013 20130101; G07C 5/08 20130101; G06F
3/0484 20130101; H04W 84/005 20130101; B60W 40/09 20130101; G08G
1/143 20130101; H04L 63/10 20130101; B60R 16/037 20130101; G01C
21/20 20130101; G06N 5/048 20130101; G08G 1/0112 20130101; B60W
40/04 20130101; G02B 27/0101 20130101; G08G 1/096716 20130101; G08G
1/096827 20130101; B60K 37/00 20130101; B60K 2370/5899 20190501;
B60R 21/01512 20141001; B60W 2540/26 20130101; B60W 2555/60
20200201; G06F 3/0482 20130101; G08G 1/0116 20130101; B60K
2370/1464 20190501; B60W 2050/0095 20130101; G06F 21/10 20130101;
G06F 21/121 20130101; G06K 9/00362 20130101; G07C 5/008 20130101;
G08G 1/096783 20130101; H04N 21/482 20130101; H04W 4/90 20180201;
B60W 30/182 20130101; G08G 1/09 20130101; H04W 4/40 20180201; B60W
50/0098 20130101; G06F 2203/04808 20130101; G06K 9/00832 20130101;
G07C 5/0825 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; H04W 84/12 20130101;
B60W 40/08 20130101; G01S 19/13 20130101; G08G 1/0129 20130101;
B60W 2040/0872 20130101; B60W 2540/22 20130101; G08G 1/096844
20130101; H04L 67/12 20130101; B60K 2370/1476 20190501; B60K
2370/566 20190501; G06F 3/04883 20130101; H04W 4/80 20180201; B60K
37/02 20130101; B60W 2540/221 20200201; G06F 13/364 20130101; G07C
5/02 20130101; B60K 37/06 20130101; B60K 2370/11 20190501; B60K
2370/5894 20190501; G06F 11/3065 20130101; G06F 16/24 20190101;
G08G 1/0141 20130101; B60K 2370/166 20190501; G08G 1/017 20130101;
B60W 2540/043 20200201; G06F 21/629 20130101; G08G 1/096791
20130101; H04W 4/50 20180201 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/24 20060101
H04L012/24; G06F 16/29 20060101 G06F016/29; G06F 16/24 20060101
G06F016/24; H04W 4/48 20060101 H04W004/48; G06K 9/00 20060101
G06K009/00; H04W 4/50 20060101 H04W004/50; H04W 4/80 20060101
H04W004/80; H04W 4/90 20060101 H04W004/90; G06F 9/54 20060101
G06F009/54; G06F 3/0488 20060101 G06F003/0488; G08G 1/01 20060101
G08G001/01; G06Q 50/26 20060101 G06Q050/26; G01S 19/13 20060101
G01S019/13; G06F 11/20 20060101 G06F011/20; H04W 4/40 20060101
H04W004/40; B60R 21/015 20060101 B60R021/015; B60W 40/08 20060101
B60W040/08; H04N 21/433 20060101 H04N021/433; H04N 21/414 20060101
H04N021/414; G06F 3/0486 20060101 G06F003/0486; G06F 3/0484
20060101 G06F003/0484; H04W 8/22 20060101 H04W008/22; H04L 29/08
20060101 H04L029/08; H04L 12/58 20060101 H04L012/58; G06F 21/33
20060101 G06F021/33; G06F 11/30 20060101 G06F011/30; G06F 11/32
20060101 G06F011/32; G06F 21/12 20060101 G06F021/12; B60K 37/00
20060101 B60K037/00; B60K 37/06 20060101 B60K037/06; G06F 9/445
20060101 G06F009/445; G06F 8/61 20060101 G06F008/61; B60W 50/00
20060101 B60W050/00; B60W 50/08 20060101 B60W050/08; G06F 3/0481
20060101 G06F003/0481; G07C 5/08 20060101 G07C005/08; G07C 5/00
20060101 G07C005/00; G06T 19/00 20060101 G06T019/00; G02B 27/01
20060101 G02B027/01; G08G 1/09 20060101 G08G001/09; B60W 40/09
20060101 B60W040/09; B60W 40/04 20060101 B60W040/04; G06F 3/0482
20060101 G06F003/0482; H04L 29/06 20060101 H04L029/06; G06F 21/62
20060101 G06F021/62; B60K 37/02 20060101 B60K037/02; B60K 35/00
20060101 B60K035/00; G01C 21/20 20060101 G01C021/20; G08G 1/017
20060101 G08G001/017; G06F 3/01 20060101 G06F003/01; B60R 16/037
20060101 B60R016/037; B60W 30/182 20060101 B60W030/182; G06Q 30/02
20060101 G06Q030/02; G06F 13/14 20060101 G06F013/14; H04N 21/482
20060101 H04N021/482; G06F 13/364 20060101 G06F013/364; G06F 17/00
20060101 G06F017/00; G06Q 40/08 20060101 G06Q040/08; H04W 84/00
20060101 H04W084/00; G06N 5/02 20060101 G06N005/02; G08C 19/00
20060101 G08C019/00; G08G 1/0967 20060101 G08G001/0967; G06F 21/10
20060101 G06F021/10; G08G 1/16 20060101 G08G001/16; G08G 1/14
20060101 G08G001/14; B60R 7/04 20060101 B60R007/04 |
Claims
1-26. (canceled)
27. A method for reconstructing a road event for authority
purposes, said method comprising the steps of: aggregating at least
one of the following information: driver biometrics, driver
behavior, driver reputation, driving regulations, vehicle
information, driver location, or location history; querying for at
least one of said information by at least one of an authority
source for reconstructing the road event of interest upon a
threshold-grade road event triggered; relaying the reconstructed
road event to at least one of an authority source for at least one
of the authority purpose; wherein the authority source is at least
one of a Department of Motor Vehicle, insurance company, or law
enforcement; and wherein the authority purpose is at least one of a
revocation of license, filing of accident report, increasing or
lowering insurance premiums, issuing a violation, or issuing a
warning in real-time or postponed.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of
forwarding one or more of the said information or reconstructed
road event to at least one non-authority source for non-authority
purposes.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein the non-authority source is at
least one of a parent, sibling, spouse, relative, or friend, with
consent from the vehicle operator to receive and query
information.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein the information comprises
determining that the vehicle has been stolen; capturing image
information from an on-board camera of the vehicle; and sending the
captured image information to law enforcement.
31. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether the driving
behavior includes one or more triggering events further comprises:
analyzing the collected data to determine whether any one or more
of an operator-defined or authority-defined threshold has been
met.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein the information includes
proximity sensor data, further comprising: alerting, in response to
determining that the threshold has been met, the driver of the
vehicle of the proximity of the vehicle in relation to another
object.
33. The method of claim 27, further comprising one or more of a
display device, speaker, or tactile feedback device to convey the
real-time or postponed warning.
34. The method of claim 27, further comprising one or more of a
braking sensor, an acceleration sensor, a turn signal sensor, a
light sensor, a radio sensor, a Bluetooth sensor, a passenger
sensor and a camera.
35. The method of claim 27, wherein the real-time or postponed
warnings from the authority sources are delivered to both the
driver and at least one of non-authority source, wherein the
non-authority source is one or more of a parent, sibling, spouse,
relative, or friend, with consent from the vehicle operator.
36. The method of claim 27, wherein the reconstructed road event is
at least one of a timeline, schematic, annotated map, written
description, or audio description.
37. A system adapted to aggregate vehicle or operator data for
reconstructing a road event for authority purposes, said system
comprising: a controller that collects data from one or more
sensors on a vehicle, the sensors including a perimeter sensor, a
proximity sensor, a gravitational-force (G-force) sensor, and a
global positioning service module, a mileage monitor and at least
one of a biometric sensor and a law module; a storage device that
stores the collected data, the stored data capable of being
forwarded in real-time to an authority source; an
incentive/disincentive (reporting) module that evaluates the
collected data to determine a driving behavior of a driver
associated with the vehicle, and determine whether the driving
behavior includes one or more triggering events that are one or
more of operator-defined or authority-defined for communication to
at least one of the authority source; a query/relay (communication)
module enabling querying for at least one of said information by at
least one of an authority source for reconstructing the road event
of interest upon a threshold-grade road event triggered and
relaying the reconstructed road event to at least one of an
authority source for at least one of the authority purpose; and
wherein the authority source is at least one of a Department of
Motor Vehicle, insurance company, vehicle manufacturer, or law
enforcement and wherein the authority purpose is at least one of a
revocation of license, filing of accident report, increasing or
lowering insurance premiums, issuing a violation, or issuing a
warning in real-time or postponed.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the communications module is
further adapted to forward the stored data to one or more
additional destinations at a later time.
39. The system of claim 37, further comprising recording
information including global positioning service information from
the global positioning service module with a date and time and one
or more of: whether vehicle doors are locked, whether vehicle
windows are up, whether a vehicle top is up, whether the vehicle is
carrying cargo and whether a vehicle sunroof is closed.
40. The system of claim 37, wherein a determination is made that
the vehicle has been stolen, and in response to determining that
the vehicle has been stolen, capturing image information from an
on-board camera of the vehicle, and sending the captured image
information to a law enforcement agency.
41. The system of claim 37, wherein determining whether the driving
behavior includes one or more triggering events further comprises
analyzing the collected data to determine whether a threshold has
been met.
42. The system of claim 41, wherein the threshold is one or more of
operator-defined or authority-defined.
43. The system of claim 37, wherein the real-time or postponed
warning is conveyed by one or more of a display device, speaker, or
tactile feedback device convey the feedback to the driver.
44. The system of claim 37, further comprising one or more of a
braking sensor, an acceleration sensor, a turn signal sensor, a
light sensor, a radio sensor, a Bluetooth sensor, a passenger
sensor and a camera.
45. The system of claim 37, further comprising a feedback module,
that based on one or more rules and the evaluation, determines
whether feedback should be provided to the driver in real-time or
at a later date (postponed).
46. The system of claim 37, further comprising: monitoring, via the
biometric sensor, a heart rate of the driver; determining whether
the monitored heart rate of the driver requires a stimulus; and
adjusting a temperature inside the vehicle when the monitored heart
rate of the driver requires the stimulus.
47. The system of claim 37, wherein the information includes
proximity sensor data further comprising: alerting, in response to
determining that the threshold has been met, the driver of the
vehicle of the proximity of the vehicle in relation to another
object.
48. The system of claim 37, further comprising one or more of a
display device, speaker, or tactile feedback device to convey the
real-time or postponed warning.
49. The system of claim 37, further comprising one or more of a
braking sensor, an acceleration sensor, a turn signal sensor, a
light sensor, a radio sensor, a Bluetooth sensor, a passenger
sensor and a camera.
50. The system of claim 37, wherein the real-time or postponed
warnings from the authority sources are delivered to both the
driver and at least one of non-authority source, wherein the
non-authority source is one or more of a parent, sibling, spouse,
relative, or friend, with consent from the vehicle operator.
51. The system of claim 37, wherein the reconstructed road event is
at least one of a timeline, schematic, annotated map, written
description, or audio description.
52. A system adapted to aggregate vehicle or operator data for
reconstructing a road event for authority purposes, said system
comprising: a storage device with stored data (information)
collected from an aggregating device (controller) in communication
with at least one of various sensors, data capturing means, image
capturing means, or metrics; a reporting module that evaluates
collected information stored in the storage device to determine a
driving behavior of a driver associated with the vehicle, and
determine whether the driving behavior includes one or more
triggering events that are one or more of operator-defined or
authority-defined for communication to at least one of an authority
source; a communication module enabling querying for at least one
of said information by at least one of an authority source for
reconstructing the road event of interest upon a threshold-grade
road event triggered and relaying the reconstructed road event to
at least one of an authority source for at least one of the
authority purpose; wherein the authorized source is at least one of
a Department of Motor Vehicle, insurance company, vehicle
manufacturer, or law enforcement; and wherein the authority purpose
is at least one of a revocation of license, filing of accident
report, increasing or lowering of insurance premiums, issuing a
violation, or issuing a warning in real-time or postponed.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of and claims
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/678,673, filed on
Nov. 16, 2012, of the same title, which claims the benefits of and
priority, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e), to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. Nos. 61/560,509, filed on Nov. 16, 2011, entitled
"Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/637,164, filed on Apr. 23, 2012,
entitled "Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/646,747, filed on May 14,
2012, entitled "Branding of Electrically Propelled Vehicles Via the
Generation of Specific Operating Sounds"; 61/653,275, filed on May
30, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Application Store for Console";
61/653,264, filed on May 30, 2012, entitled "Control of Device
Features Based on Vehicle State"; 61/653,563, filed on May 31,
2012, entitled "Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/663,335, filed on
Jun. 22, 2012, entitled "Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/672,483,
filed on Jul. 17, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Climate Control"; and
61/714,016, filed on Oct. 15, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Middleware";
and 61/715,699, filed Oct. 18, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Middleware."
The entire disclosures of the applications listed above are hereby
incorporated by reference, in their entirety, for all that they
teach and for all purposes.
[0002] This application is also related to U.S. patent application
Ser. Nos. 13/420,236, filed on Mar. 14, 2012, entitled,
"Configurable Vehicle Console"; 13/420,240, filed on Mar. 14, 2012,
entitled "Removable, Configurable Vehicle Console"; 13/462,593,
filed on May 2, 2012, entitled "Configurable Dash Display";
13/462,596, filed on May 2, 2012, entitled "Configurable Heads-Up
Dash Display"; 13/679,459, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Vehicle Comprising Multi-Operating System" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-228); 13/679,234, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Gesture
Recognition for On-Board Display" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-229);
13/679,412, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Application
Store for Console" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-230); 13/679,857,
filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Sharing Applications/Media
Between Car and Phone (Hydroid)" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-231);
13/679,878, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "In-Cloud Connection
for Car Multimedia" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-232); 13/679,875,
filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Music Streaming" (Attorney Docket
No. 6583-233); 13/679,676, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Control of Device Features Based on Vehicle State" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-234); 13/678,691, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Law Breaking/Behavior Sensor" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-236);
13/678,699, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Etiquette Suggestion"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-237); 13/678,710, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Parking Space Finder Based on Parking Meter Data"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-238); 13/678,722, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Parking Meter Expired Alert" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-239); 13/678,726, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Object
Sensing (Pedestrian Avoidance/Accident Avoidance)" (Attorney Docket
No. 6583-240); 13/678,735, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Proximity Warning Relative to Other Cars" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-241); 13/678,745, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Street
Side Sensors" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-242); 13/678,753, filed on
Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Car Location" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-243); 13/679,441, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Universal
Bus in the Car" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-244); 13/679,864, filed
on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Mobile Hot Spot/Router/Application
Share Site or Network" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-245); 13/679,815,
filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Universal Console Chassis for the
Car" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-246); 13/679,476, filed on Nov. 16,
2012, entitled "Vehicle Middleware" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-247);
13/679,306, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Method and System for
Vehicle Data Collection Regarding Traffic" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-248); 13/679,369, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Method and
System for Vehicle Data Collection" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-249);
13/679,680, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Communications Based
on Vehicle Diagnostics and Indications" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-250); 13/679,443, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Method and
System for Maintaining and Reporting Vehicle Occupant Information"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-251); 13/678,762, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Behavioral Tracking and Vehicle Applications" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-252); __/___,___ filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Improvements to Controller Area Network Bus" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-314); 13/678,773, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Location
Information Exchange Between Vehicle and Device" (Attorney Docket
No. 6583-315); 13/679,887, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "In Car
Communication Between Devices" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-316);
13/679,842, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Configurable Hardware
Unit for Car Systems" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-317); 13/679,204,
filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Feature Recognition for
Configuring a Vehicle Console and Associated Devices" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-318); 13/679,350, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Configurable Vehicle Console" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-412);
13/679,358, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Configurable Dash
Display" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-413); 13/679,363, filed on Nov.
16, 2012, entitled "Configurable Heads-Up Dash Display" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-414); and 13/679,368, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Removable, Configurable Vehicle Console" (Attorney Docket
No. 6583-415). The entire disclosures of the applications listed
above are hereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety, for
all that they teach and for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Whether using private, commercial, or public transport, the
movement of people and/or cargo has become a major industry. In
today's interconnected world daily travel is essential to engaging
in commerce. Commuting to and from work can account for a large
portion of a traveler's day. As a result, vehicle manufacturers
have begun to focus on making this commute, and other journeys,
more enjoyable, safer, more fair and in a more informed manner.
SUMMARY
[0004] Currently, responsible drivers pay inflated insurance
premiums because the insurance industry cannot guarantee a
particular driver's adherence to law or general driving behavior.
It is an unfair responsibility for responsible drivers to pay for
others poor behavior, poor driving habits and/or lack of
experience.
[0005] An exemplary embodiment is directed towards using various
data compiled, detected, or received by a system to analyze factors
contributing to an individual's driving behavior and/or habits. In
the event that an individual wishes to receive better insurance
rates for responsible driving, a lower quantity of driving, or
other good driving indicators, the driver may agree to provide
insurance tracking information. The insurance tracking system may
consider one or more of GPS/location based information (to compare
actual speed with speed limit data), G-force sensors (to detect
rapid acceleration, hard turns, etc.), perimeter sensors (to detect
close-calls with other vehicles and/or stationary objects,
inattention while changing lanes) etc., in order to determine
conformance with the good-driving terms established by the
insurance company.
[0006] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, in addition to
the system being able to allow better drivers to receive better
insurance rates, the system can also be used to dynamically provide
feedback to a driver about the quality of their driving, which can
be based on an analysis of information from one or more sensors,
comparing of a driver's habits to applicable laws and/or
regulations, and/or any good-driving terms established by an
entity, such as an insurance company. This feedback can be given in
real-time, such as via a display installed in or associated with
the vehicle (or even a multi-screen device), through the speakers,
tactile feedback, such as through the seat, steering wheel, the
driver's phone (such as a vibration), or the like, or at a later
time, such as from an insurance company representative via a
communication such as a call.
[0007] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, some of the
information and/or data that can be monitored are perimeter
information, G-force information, proximity information, GPS
location information, time and date information, biometric
information, law and/or regulation information, behavior
information from one or more of the driver and passenger(s),
mileage information, as well as vehicle information, such as any
information acquirable from, for example, on-board diagnostics
(such as OBD-II) as well as lighting information, such as turn
signals, headlights, radio information, Bluetooth.RTM. information,
braking information, turning information, acceleration information,
and in general any information related to a vehicle's
operation.
[0008] In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, a
feedback device provides in, for example, real-time, information to
the driver indicating whether or not they are performing within the
good-driving terms established by the insurance company, or whether
they are not complying with the good-driving terms. This can allow,
for example, drivers to be much more in tune with how they are
driving as well as receive instant feedback as to which actions
cause them to run afoul of the good-driving terms.
[0009] Another exemplary aspect of this invention could be utilized
to assist with accident deconstruction to, for example, assist with
determining fault if vehicle is involved in an accident.
[0010] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, a vehicle is
equipped with a sensor, such as a camera. The camera helps to
detect whether a driver is dozing off or falling asleep, watching
the road, texting or talking on the phone, or in general performing
any activity that is a distraction while driving. The camera could
also work in conjunction with, for example, a seat sensor to assist
with detecting whether or not an occupant and/or pet is present in
one of the vehicle seats. As with the other information that is
being monitored, this information can also be monitored and used
for subsequent analysis to determine whether a driver is driving
properly and/or whether a driver should be provided feedback
regarding their driving habits.
[0011] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a feedback
module can be located in one or more of the vehicle and remotely,
such as at an insurance company premise, the feedback module,
cooperating with a communication module, is able to not only
transfer data collected from the various sensors, and/or a simple
analysis decision from the vehicle to the insurance company, but
also allows feedback, such as instructions, incentive, or
disincentive information, to be relayed to the driver of the
vehicle with the cooperation of a communication module and, as
discussed, one or more of a display, speakers and tactile feedback
device(s).
[0012] Another exemplary aspect is directed towards utilizing one
or more portions of the information collected for assistance when a
vehicle is stolen. Here, if the available data can be forwarded to
one or more of an insurance company and/or the police to assist
with one or more of vehicle recovery, vehicle location,
circumstances and data about when and where the vehicle was stolen,
whether or not the doors were locked, and in general any
information relating to the status of the vehicle upon being stolen
or after being stolen.
[0013] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, location
information, such as that collected from a GPS module, is
reconciled with local law and regulation information that can also
be used as a basis for providing feedback to a driver regarding
compliance with laws/regulations at their current position.
[0014] Another exemplary aspect, as briefly mentioned above, is
directed toward monitoring the behavior of one or more passengers
and/or pets in a vehicle, that can be used as a further
consideration as to whether the driver is ensuring the safe
transportation of passenger(s)/cargo in their vehicle. For example,
seatbelt detectors can be used with a seat detection system, such
that if a passenger is present, a determination can be made whether
or not that passenger is wearing their seatbelt, as well as other
information such as information from a camera or biometric
sensor(s) used to determine whether, for example, children are
playing all over in the vehicle without being appropriately buckled
into a child safety seat or seatbelt.
[0015] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, those who
currently break traffic laws are caught by combinations of video
surveillance, radar/laser detection, and/or police officers who are
actively monitoring traffic offenses. Accordingly, an exemplary
aspect is directed toward a system where a police officer and/or
rule trap sensor can ping or otherwise query an automobile for
information relating to its speed, driving conditions, and in
general any information stored on the vehicle. By comparing this
received data from the vehicle to known data relating to stop
signs, speed limits, local laws and regulations, and the like, a
decision can be made as to whether a law has been broken. For
example, a rule trap sensor located along a roadside, need not
necessarily determine the speed of a vehicle with a laser, but
rather the rule trap sensor can query the vehicle to respond to the
rule trap sensor with the vehicle's speed. Therefore, the speed
detection is achieved through the vehicle responding to the
sensor's question and the vehicle's answer. It should be
appreciated that items other than speed could also be requested by
the rule trap sensor from the vehicle--in general, the rule trap
sensor could query the vehicle and determine whether any infraction
had occurred, such as lack of appropriate seat belt usage, expired
registration, etc, or simply collect data therefrom usable for any
purpose.
[0016] This can similarly be used by police officers either
independently or in conjunction with existing technologies, such as
radar guns, LIDAR, photo red light detectors, and the like. The
roadside sensors/rule traps could then be used in a similar manner
to photo red light detectors, with the ability to communicate with
one or more appropriate entities to issue a warning or a ticket in
the instance of a law or a regulation violation.
[0017] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, the queryable
information can be used to assist with accident reconstruction as
any of the stored information discussed herein can be queryable and
provided to an entity, such as a police officer investigating an
accident. This could be especially helpful where there is
conflicting information regarding what actually happened at the
scene of an accident.
[0018] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, a driving
reputation system is provided. As the vehicle collects information
from associated sensors and devices as discussed, the data may be
stored and related to a specific driver. This related data may be
used to develop a corresponding driving reputation. For instance, a
vehicle operator may obtain a lower reputation if that vehicle
operator is known to drive erratically, make sudden stops, avoid
using signals, and/or constantly speeding through school zones, and
the like.
[0019] It is anticipated that reputation data may be compiled by
the vehicle and/or associated systems. Alternatively, or in
addition, vehicle operators may report on at least one other
driver's behavior by sending a signal to a central repository. This
central repository may analyze the reported data and cause the at
least one driver's behavior to be reflected in a reputation
(grade). In some exemplary embodiments, vehicle operators may
report good, bad, and/or other types of behavior. For example, if a
driver yields to another driver, wave's thank you, and/or provides
another driver space to enter a lane, the other driver may report
good behavior about that kind driver.
[0020] In accordance with one exemplary aspect, this reputation
information can be shared amongst one or more vehicles and
optionally displayed, for example, on an on-board display. Thus,
as, for example a driver commutes to work, reputation information
about those drivers around the driver could be provided one or more
of audibly and/or graphically to the driver on their daily commute.
This information could then be utilized, for example, by the
driver, to help them avoid drivers with bad reputations and/or
change their style of driving based on the reputation of one or
more drivers around them.
[0021] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, a driver could
"tag" or otherwise identify another driver that is performing well,
or badly. This information could be accumulated and optionally
assimilated with other reputation information to generate a total
combined score for reputation based not only on an individual
driver's performance, but also based on what other drivers think of
that particular driver.
[0022] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, the system is
capable of analyzing all available information related to driving
and vehicle operation etiquette and is capable of making
suggestions to the driver and/or passengers based on the outcome of
the data analysis. For example, if the vehicle is blocking faster
traffic in the fast lane, the system may suggest moving over to a
slower lane. Similarly, if the user is known to not use turn
signals on a regular basis, the system may remind the user during,
after, or anticipating a turn, to use the signal. For example, to
assist with anticipation of a turn, the system can cooperate with,
for example, a GPS navigation tool, and know when a vehicle is
about to make a turn in a particular direction based on a mapped
destination.
[0023] Additionally, the system may also be used to detect a fast
approaching vehicle and suggest changing lanes, increasing speed,
or the like, to avoid a collision or otherwise impeding another
driver(s).
[0024] Another exemplary aspect is the capability of being able to
send etiquette suggestions to other drivers. This cannot only be
limited to etiquette, but could also be information such as you
have a tire going flat, your brake light is out, or the like. As
will be appreciated, and for privacy reasons, certain filters may
be implemented that limit or otherwise restrict the amount of
information that is communicatible to one or other drivers with the
understanding that other drivers may turn off this feature so they
are not able to receive suggestions from their fellow road mates.
For example, a vehicle can be provided with an on-dash display that
shows the other vehicles around them. These other vehicles can be
detected in accordance with one or more of the perimeter or
proximity sensors as discussed herein, and a representation of that
vehicle placed on the display. Upon the user selecting that
vehicle, a communication link could be established with that
vehicle thereby allowing the exchange of etiquette or safety type
information as discussed. Moreover, other types of information
could similarly be shared, such as a driver looking for a
recommendation on where to find cheap gasoline or a bagel, and
other drivers being able to respond to that query using the same
communication link.
[0025] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, monitored
information can be utilized by, for example a parent or guardian,
to assist with determining driving habits of a child. This
information could be used to, for example, provide constructive
feedback to improve driving habits and/or monitor a new driver to
determine if they are driving in an inappropriate manner.
[0026] In accordance with another exemplary aspect, this data can
be monitored remotely, via an app or on a PC, or the like, in
real-time or near real-time, by a parent or other entity to keep
track of a new driver's behavior. As with the other embodiments
discussed herein, any of the information that is monitored by the
vehicle can be forwarded to this remote location for monitoring
with this remote location optionally being able to provide feedback
to the vehicle and the driver.
[0027] For example, the remote monitor can be provided with
information relating to a current vehicle's speed, GPS information,
and local law/regulation information such that the remote monitor
can determine whether or not the vehicle is compliant with all
applicable laws and regulations. The remote monitor could also be
populated with various notifications indicating if and when the
vehicle has broken a particular law or regulation, the time and
date of that infraction, as well as an ability to provide feedback
to the driver about their driving behavior. It should be
appreciated, however, that this concept need not be limited to new
drivers, but could be extended to any driver, such as commercial
drivers, elderly drivers, and, in general, any driver.
[0028] For example, an app can be stored on a parent's
communication device, and this app used to monitor the behavior of
a teen driver. This app could optionally run in the background,
until a law or regulation is broken, and then a notification could
be provided to the parent, optionally, along with supplemental
information, regarding the nature of the infraction. One or more of
the monitored pieces of data could also be provided in conjunction
with the notification regarding the infraction to allow the parent
to determine the full scope of the infraction and the severity
thereof. Similarly, plots or other summary-type information could
be provided to the parent that shows average driving speed, maximum
driving speed, whether or not turn signals were used, whether or
not there was erratic driving behavior, or in general any
information related to one or more of the vehicle, driver, and
occupants' behavior. As will be appreciated, this information could
be stored and logged and used at a later date. These notifications
could also be sent via one or more of an e-mail, text message, SMS
message, or the like, such that a parent could, for example,
immediately call a driver when there has been a gross infraction or
poor driving behaviors exhibited.
[0029] The phrases "at least one", "one or more", and "and/or" are
open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in
operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A,
B and C", "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, and
C", "one or more of A, B, or C" and "A, B, and/or C" means A alone,
B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C
together, or A, B and C together.
[0030] The term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that
entity. As such, the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more" and "at
least one" can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be
noted that the terms "comprising", "including", and "having" can be
used interchangeably.
[0031] The term "automatic" and variations thereof, as used herein,
refers to any process or operation done without material human
input when the process or operation is performed. However, a
process or operation can be automatic, even though performance of
the process or operation uses material or immaterial human input,
if the input is received before performance of the process or
operation. Human input is deemed to be material if such input
influences how the process or operation will be performed. Human
input that consents to the performance of the process or operation
is not deemed to be "material".
[0032] The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to
any tangible storage and/or transmission medium that participate in
providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium
may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile
media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media
includes, for example, NVRAM, or magnetic or optical disks.
Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common
forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy
disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other
magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, any other
optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium
with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a
solid state medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or
cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other
medium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment to
e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of
archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a
tangible storage medium. When the computer-readable media is
configured as a database, it is to be understood that the database
may be any type of database, such as relational, hierarchical,
object-oriented, and/or the like. Accordingly, the disclosure is
considered to include a tangible storage medium or distribution
medium and prior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in
which the software implementations of the present disclosure are
stored.
[0033] The term "display" refers to a portion of a screen used to
display the output of a computer or computing device to a user.
[0034] The term "displayed image" refers to an image produced on
the display. A typical displayed image is a window or desktop. The
displayed image may occupy all or a portion of the display.
[0035] The term "gesture" refers to a user action that expresses an
intended idea, action, meaning, result, and/or outcome. The user
action can include manipulating a device (e.g., opening or closing
a device, changing a device orientation, moving a trackball or
wheel, etc.), movement of a body part in relation to the device,
movement of an implement or tool in relation to the device, audio
inputs, etc. A gesture may be made on a device (such as on the
screen) or with the device to interact with the device.
[0036] The term "module" as used herein refers to any known or
later developed hardware, software, firmware, artificial
intelligence, fuzzy logic, or combination of hardware and software
that is capable of performing the functionality associated with
that element.
[0037] The term "screen," "touch screen," or "touchscreen" refers
to a physical structure that enables the user to interact with the
computer by touching areas on the screen and provides information
to a user through a display. The touch screen may sense user
contact in a number of different ways, such as by a change in an
electrical parameter (e.g., resistance or capacitance), acoustic
wave variations, infrared radiation proximity detection, light
variation detection, and the like. In a resistive touch screen, for
example, normally separated conductive and resistive metallic
layers in the screen pass an electrical current. When a user
touches the screen, the two layers make contact in the contacted
location, whereby a change in electrical field is noted and the
coordinates of the contacted location calculated. In a capacitive
touch screen, a capacitive layer stores electrical charge, which is
discharged to the user upon contact with the touch screen, causing
a decrease in the charge of the capacitive layer. The decrease is
measured, and the contacted location coordinates determined. In a
surface acoustic wave touch screen, an acoustic wave is transmitted
through the screen, and the acoustic wave is disturbed by user
contact. A receiving transducer detects the user contact instance
and determines the contacted location coordinates.
[0038] The terms "determine", "calculate" and "compute," and
variations thereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and
include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation or
technique.
[0039] It shall be understood that the term "means" as used herein
shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance
with 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim
incorporating the term "means" shall cover all structures,
materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents
thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the
equivalents thereof shall include all those described in any
portion of this document. Any one or more of the embodiments herein
can therefore be claimed using means-type language.
[0040] The term "vehicle" as used herein includes any conveyance,
or model of a conveyance, where the conveyance was originally
designed for the purpose of moving one or more tangible objects,
such as people, animals, cargo, and the like. The term "vehicle"
does not require that a conveyance moves or is capable of movement.
Typical vehicles may include but are in no way limited to cars,
trucks, motorcycles, busses, automobiles, trains, railed
conveyances, boats, ships, marine conveyances, submarine
conveyances, airplanes, space craft, flying machines, human-powered
conveyances, and the like.
[0041] The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to
provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This
summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the
disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations. It is intended neither to identify key or critical
elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the
disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a
simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description
presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure are possible
utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set
forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary vehicle monitoring
system;
[0043] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment
of monitoring and storing data;
[0044] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for stolen vehicle tracking;
[0045] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for providing feedback to a driver based on insurance incentives or
disincentives;
[0046] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for providing lawbreaking indicators;
[0047] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for obtaining information from a vehicle;
[0048] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for reputation management;
[0049] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for receiving reputation information;
[0050] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for associating a reputation;
[0051] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary technique
for forwarding reputation information to another vehicle or
destination;
[0052] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary technique for
providing etiquette suggestions to drivers and/or passengers;
and
[0053] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary technique to
provide suggestions to one or more of drivers and passengers in
another vehicle.
[0054] In the appended figures, similar components and/or features
may have the same reference label. Further, various components of
the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label
by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If
only the first reference label is used in the specification, the
description is applicable to any one of the similar components
having the same first reference label irrespective of the second
reference label.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0055] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary vehicle monitoring system
100. The vehicle monitoring system 100 includes a vehicle 200, an
insurance entity 300, one or more optional servers 404 and storage
408, an interrogator 504, one or more other vehicles 604, and a
remote monitor 704, all of which can be interconnected via one or
more wired or wireless links 5 and networks 10.
[0056] The vehicle 200 comprised one or more perimeter sensors 204,
one or more G-force sensors 208, one or more proximity sensors 212;
one or more controllers/processors 216; a GPS module 220; one or
more biometric sensors 224; a law module 228, storage and/or memory
232, a communication module 236, a feedback module 240, one or more
of a display, speaker and tactile feedback system 244, a passenger
detection and behavior sensor module 248, a mileage monitor 252 and
one or more vehicle sensors that sense one or more of turn signals,
lights, radio, Bluetooth.RTM. use, braking, turning, accelerating,
or in general any function of the vehicle 200.
[0057] The insurance company or entity 300 includes one or more
servers 304, a feedback module 308, an incentive/disincentive
module 312, and storage 316 all interconnected via one or more
links. The servers 404 and 408 can be associated with any entity
with some of the exemplary entities that are capable of accessing
information in the vehicle and/or the insurance company being law
enforcement agencies, other insurance entities, other drivers, or
the like. As will be appreciated, however, some of the information
stored in the various storage locations may be sensitive and
therefore access thereto may be limited.
[0058] In operation, and in accordance with one exemplary aspect,
if driver desires to receive better insurance rates for responsible
driving or other good driving behaviors, one exemplary technique
determines whether or not a driver should receive a discount or
better rates based on the analysis of the driver's behavior. While
the exemplary embodiment discussed hereinafter is directed toward
vehicle 200, it should be appreciated that these techniques could
be driver-centric and based upon a driver driving a specific
vehicle, with that driver identifying themself to the vehicle with
this identification being storable and forwardable to the insurance
company 300 such that the insurance company has granular
information about each of the drivers operating vehicle 200.
[0059] The vehicle 200 is equipped with one or more perimeter
sensors 204 that detect the vehicles proximity to one or more other
objects. These perimeter sensors can be one or more of optical,
capacitive, infrared, photoelectric, Doppler-based, Eddy-current
based, laser based, magnetic, video, infrared, radar based,
ultrasonic based technologies, or the like. In general, any sensor
that is capable of detecting one or more nearby objects can be used
as a perimeter sensor 204 as discussed herein. These perimeter
sensors can be located in one or more locations on a vehicle and
are capable of sensing the proximity of the vehicle 204 to one or
more other objects.
[0060] The G-force sensors 208 are able to detect G-forces upon,
for example, acceleration, deceleration, or cornering, with this
information being recordable in cooperation with the controller 216
and storage 232.
[0061] The proximity sensors 212 are capable of detecting the
vehicle's 200 proximity to one or more other vehicles 604. The
proximity sensors 212 can use similar technology(ies) as the
perimeter sensors 204, and can be separate therefrom or combined
therewith. The proximity sensors 212 can also optionally optimized
for detection of one or more other vehicles near the vehicle 200.
For example, the proximity sensors 212 can cooperate with the GPS
module 220, and communicate with a central repository (not shown)
which tracks a current location of all vehicles. Knowing the
current location of all vehicles, the proximity sensor 212,
cooperating with the GPS module 220, could determine the vehicles
that are in close proximity to the vehicle 200. In a similar
manner, using any of the above-described sensor technologies,
proximity sensors 212 could detect the presence of one or more
other vehicles that are near the vehicle 200 and optionally record
detailed information such as distance from the vehicle 200,
approach speed, departure speed, or the like. As with the other
sensors discussed herein, this information is then storable with
the cooperation of the controller 216 in the storage 232.
[0062] The GPS (global positioning system) module 220, in addition
to recording GPS location information, can also keep track of time
and date information and log each trip by start time, end time,
driver information, and any aspect of the vehicle's behavior such
as highest speed, lowest speed, average speed, journey information,
and the like. Again, this information is storable with the
cooperation of the controller 216 in the storage 232 as
discussed.
[0063] The vehicle 200 may also be equipped with one or more
biometric sensors 224 that are capable of detecting any biometric
information associated with one or more of the driver and
passenger(s). These biometric sensors 224 can be located in one or
more of the steering wheel, seat, vehicle cabin, other in vehicle
control(s), such as in the turn signal switch, cruise control
controller and climate control controllers, and are adapted to
record any desired biometric characteristic for recording in the
storage 232.
[0064] The law module 228 is capable of monitoring one or more of
local laws and regulations appropriate for the vehicle's 200
location. For example, the law module 228 can cooperate with the
GPS module 220 as well as the communication module 236 to receive
local laws/regulations from a central repository (not shown) which
stores the local laws/regulations for that particular geographic
area. These laws and regulations can include such information as
speed limit, whether a right turn on red is allowed, whether there
are any applicable noise ordinances, whether a vehicle needs to
yield to passengers in a crosswalk, and in general can include any
laws and/or regulations for that particular geographic area. As
will be discussed hereinafter, the information managed by the law
module 228 can be used by various other systems such as the
feedback module 240 to provide feedback to the driver regarding,
for example, whether or not they are in compliance with the local
laws/regulations.
[0065] Communication module 236, in addition to being able to
handle communications between the vehicle 200 and another entity,
such as the insurance company 300 or servers 404, can also manage
communications between the vehicle and other vehicle 604 as well as
the remote monitor 704 and interrogator 504 discussed hereinafter.
Moreover, the communication module 236 can include on-board
diagnostics (OBD-II) or comparable input(s) from which data can
also be aggregated and stored in the storage 232.
[0066] The various feedback elements 244 can include one or more of
a display, such as a touch-screen display, the multi-screen display
as disclosed in the related application(s), one or more speakers,
as well as a tactile feedback device(s). More specifically, the
display can be, for example, a vehicle installed display, such as
an on-board navigation system, or alternatively, and in cooperation
with the communication module 236, the vehicle 200 can be paired
with an aftermarket display, such as one associated with a GPS
device, a Smartphone, a tablet computer, or in general any
apparatus that has a display that is capable of communicating with
the communication module 236 and therefore the vehicle 200.
Similarly, manufacture-installed speakers can be used to provide
feedback in addition to one or more of a Smartphone speaker, and in
general any speaker that can be paired with or otherwise associated
with the vehicle 200 can be used. Tactile feedback devices include,
for example, vibrating elements in one or more of the seat,
steering wheel, or other vehicle controls, as well as optionally
include the ability to provide tactile feedback, such as through
the triggering of the vibrator of a Smartphone or cellphone that is
paired with the vehicle 200 with the cooperation of the
communication module 236.
[0067] Passenger detection behavior sensor module 248 allows one or
more passenger and driver behaviors to be sensed via, for example,
one or more of a camera, passenger presence detector in the seats,
or via any other sensor that is capable of determining whether or
not a passenger, or a pet, is also present in the vehicle with the
driver. The passenger detection and behavior sensor module 248
allows, for example, one or more of the monitoring of the driver
watching the road, falling asleep, texting, talking on the phone,
being distracted by food or entertainment options, or in general is
capable of monitoring any behavior of one or more of the drivers,
passengers, pets or cargo in the vehicle.
[0068] The mileage monitor 252 can optionally cooperate with the
GPS module 220 to track mileage that the vehicle 200 has done.
Again, and as with any of the other sensors or modules, information
relating to the operation thereto can be stored in storage 232 in
cooperation with controller 216 as necessary.
[0069] Other vehicle sensors 256 include one or more of sensors
associated with turn signals, lights, radio or entertainment
system, a Bluetooth.RTM. system, the brakes, the steering wheel,
the accelerator pedal, and in general, as discussed, can include
any sensor that is capable of monitoring the operation of any
aspect of the vehicle 200 optionally in conjunction with any
information received over one or more busses associated with a
vehicle, such as an OBD-II system. Again, any information sensible
by one or more of the vehicle sensors 256 is capable of being
stored in storage 232.
[0070] In accordance with the first exemplary operational
embodiment, the GPS module 220, mileage monitor 252, and controller
216 detect that the vehicle has been started and/or is in motion.
In conjunction with this detection, a GPS module 220 can record the
current vehicle location, time of day, date information, and any
other information related to the vehicles trip, in storage 232.
Furthermore, controller 216 can enable a data collection mode for
any one or more of the sensors and modules discussed herein such
that data logging can also commence. As discussed above, and during
operation of the vehicle, one or more of perimeter data, G-force
data, proximity data, GPS data, biometric data, vehicle data,
including, for example, braking data, acceleration data, turn
signal data, light data, radio data, entertainment system data,
Bluetooth.RTM. data, etc., passenger data, and mileage data are
collected from the appropriate sensor(s) and stored in the storage
232.
[0071] This information can be stored in storage 232 until a later
time or forwarded, for example in real-time, with the cooperation
of the communication module 236 to the insurance company 300 via
one or more links 5 and communication networks 10. This information
upon being received by the insurance company 300, is parsed to
determine an identification of one or more of the vehicle and/or
driver with which this data is associated, and then, in cooperation
with server 304, stored in storage 316. As previously discussed,
this information can optionally be forwarded to one or more other
destinations, such as servers 404 and storage 408, to the
interrogator 504, and the like, as discussed hereinafter.
[0072] In accordance with an optional exemplary embodiment, the
storage 232 can transmit its information to one or more other
entities, such as the insurance company 300, at a predetermined
time during the day, such as during low network-traffic times in
the middle of the night, and/or utilize, for example, a high-speed
network communication link associated with the driver's home for
uploading the data. For example, upon the vehicle 200 returning to
the driver's home, the communication module 236 can detect that the
driver's home Wi-Fi is range and commence the appropriate
procedures to logon to the Wi-Fi and begin transmission of one or
more portions of the data stored in storage 232 to another entity,
such as insurance company 300.
[0073] In accordance with another exemplary operational embodiment,
that could be particularly useful when a vehicle is stolen, one or
more of the GPS module 220 and controller 216 determine that
vehicle 200 has been parked. The GPS information available from the
GPS module 220 is recorded in conjunction with time and date
information as well as other optional information such as whether
or not the doors are locked, whether or not the alarm is engaged,
whether or not the doors and/or windows are closed, whether or not
the sunroof is closed or top is up, whether there is cargo in the
vehicle, or any other information available from the vehicle sensor
256. This information can optionally be forwarded, with the
cooperation of the communication module 236, to one or more of the
insurance company 300 or another destination, such as servers 404
and storage 408. If, for example, a theft of the vehicle is
reported, the GPS module 220 can be activated and optionally
provide, in real-time, that information via communication module
236 to one or more of the insurance company 300, local law
enforcement, or the like. Moreover, and in cooperation with the
controller 216, the vehicle can provide one or more of the owner
and the insurance company 300 notification that the vehicle has
been stolen. For example, an exemplary method in which the
controller 216 can trigger this activity is the detection of the
moving of the vehicle without an appropriate key having started the
vehicle. Moreover, in addition to being able to send information in
real-time, or at a predetermined later time, the vehicle 200 can
optionally execute evasive action with the cooperation of the
controller 216 and any one or more of the sensors discussed herein,
in cooperation with, for example, the engine control unit, a
braking unit, an ignition unit, or the like. In this manner, the
vehicle can appropriately be "shut down," slowed down, or otherwise
completely or partially disabled to assist with the vehicle
recovery. Moreover, the controller 216 can instruct one or more of
the sensors and/or modules discussed herein to start recording
specific information to, for example, try to capture a picture of
the thief in the driver's seat.
[0074] In accordance with an optional exemplary embodiment, the
controller 216, upon detecting the theft of a vehicle, can
automatically commence communications with local law enforcement
agencies and relay the various types of information discussed
herein to that law enforcement agency to assist with recovery of
the vehicle. Again, any information, such as GPS information, a
video or camera feed from the on-board camera, or the like, can be
sent to the local law enforcement agency to not only assist with
recovery of the vehicle, but prosecution of the perpetrator.
[0075] In accordance with another exemplary operational embodiment,
the system can provide feedback, via one or more of the feedback
module 240 and the display/speakers/tactile feedback 244 to the
driver. More specifically, this feedback can be provided based on
an assessment as to whether or not insurance company 300 wishes to
incentivize of disincentivize a particular driver's actions behind
the wheel. As discussed, any one or more of the sensors and modules
can record data related to the operation of the vehicle and/or
driver and/or passenger behavior. This information, being stored in
storage 232, is then accessible by one or more of the feedback
module 240 associated with the vehicle, or the feedback module 308
associated with the insurance company 300. Based on a set of, for
example, rules, a determination is made as to whether there have
been one or more triggering events that have occurred that can be
correlated to either incentivizing a driver's behavior, or
disincentivizing a driver's behavior. For example, either or both
of the feedback modules can analyze the data stored in storage 232,
or comparable data that has been forwarded with the communication
module 236 to storage 316 to determine whether, for example, a
threshold has been met.
[0076] For example, erratic driving behavior, failure to use
appropriate turn signaling or lighting, abrupt braking, or
deceleration, constant use of a cellphone, or Bluetooth.RTM.
services, or the like, can all be activities that an insurance
company may want to disincentivize a driver for use thereof
[0077] Alternatively, if the analysis of the data by the feedback
module(s) determine that the driver always (or mostly) complies
with applicable laws and regulations, always uses their turn
signals and drives the vehicle in a safe, consistent, and smooth
manner, this could be characterized as activities that an insurance
company would want to incentivize a driver for.
[0078] Incentivization or disincentivization can work in a number
of different exemplary manners. In accordance with the first
exemplary embodiment, this information is tracked and analyzed and
then used for determining whether or not, for example, a particular
driver's policy will be renewed, and/or whether there is going to
be an increase or decrease of their annual premiums.
[0079] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, feedback
can be provided to the driver, with the cooperation of the feedback
module 308 and incentive/disincentive module 312 either in
real-time, as discussed below, or for example at some other time.
In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, and based on an
analysis of the data associated with a particular driver over a
certain time period, the feedback module 308 determines that the
driver is performing in an excellent manner, and the feedback
module 308, cooperating with the incentive/disincentive module 312,
could automatically establish a communication, such as via the
phone, with the driver at a number stored in storage 316 to
congratulate them on their good performance and optionally offer
them further incentives or discounts to continue performing in the
same or similar manner.
[0080] This type of positive feedback could similarly be sent, via
the cooperation of the feedback module 308, incentive/disincentive
module 312 and communication module 236 to the feedback module 240
located in the vehicle. The feedback module 240 could then
determine the appropriate manner to display the incentive
information such as via one or more of the display, speaker, and
through tactile feedback. This could optionally be done in a
manner, such as when the vehicle is stopped, to minimize
distraction to the driver.
[0081] Analyzing the stored data to determine any appropriate
disincentive can work in a similar manner again with the
cooperation of the incentive/disincentive module 312, feedback
module 308, server 304, storage 316, as well as optionally in
cooperation with the communication module 236 and feedback module
240. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, if analysis of the
stored data reveals that the driver is behaving in an erratic
manner, such that it is determined via the proximity sensors 212
that the vehicle is coming close to contacting other vehicles, the
G-force sensor is recording high G-force inputs, and the
accelerator and brake sensors indicate erratic behavior, this
system can optionally enter a real-time feedback mode such that the
driver can be contacted, for example, ask them whether there is a
problem or recommend a change in their driving habits.
[0082] In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, one or more of
the feedback modules are monitoring the stored data in real-time
and are able to provide immediate feedback to a driver to assist
them with, for example, avoiding hitting an object or another
vehicle. For example, one or more of the data feeds from the
perimeter sensors and proximity sensors 212 can be monitored and
upon a threshold being detected, the feedback modules cooperating
with one or more of the display, speakers, and tactile feedback
devices 244 alert the driver that they are getting precariously
close to another object or vehicle.
[0083] In a similar manger, information from one or more of the
biometric sensors 244 can be analyzed and if it is determined based
on, for example, because of a slower heart rate and breathing
rhythm the driver is dozing off, the feedback module 240 can again
"stimulate" the driver via one or more of the display, speaker,
tactile feedback devices 244 to assist with waking them up. For
example, the driver's seat could be shaken and, in cooperation with
controller 216, the temperature in the vehicle turned down since
being cold has a tendency to make a driver more alert. As will be
appreciated, since there are rich feedback devices available,
feedback need not be limited as simply shaking a driver's seat,
adjusting the temperature, or playing an alert sound. Rather, the
feedback information can be rich and provided on one or more of the
display and speaker devices such that detailed information about,
for example, the driver's behavior, incentive or disincentive
information is communicated.
[0084] For example, an analysis of the data could reveal that the
driver is performing in a manner that is consistent with all laws
and regulations (as confirmed by the law module 228), and is
consistently using turn signals and uniformly and safely
controlling the vehicle. Feedback indicating this pattern could be
provided on the display 244 with the feedback communicating to the
driver that they are thanked for their good driving behaviors and
that they can expect to see a discount on next month's bill.
[0085] In a similar manner, based on an analysis of the data,
feedback can be provided to the driver such as "you are breaking
the speed limit by more than 25 miles an hour. This could have a
very negative impact on your insurance renewal rates. Please
consider your driving behavior in light of this possibility."
[0086] It should further be appreciated that this information need
not necessarily be displayed on a display, but, in cooperation with
the controller 216, the received information could go through a
text-to-speech converter and played on the one or more
speakers.
[0087] In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, this
information could be forwarded to a destination, such as an e-mail
address associated with the driver and stored on record with the
insurance company such that the driver can view at a later
time.
[0088] In accordance with another optional exemplary embodiment,
and since the system is able to aggregate data from a multitude of
vehicles, one or more portions of the aggregated data can be
analyzed to determine, for example, average driver behavior,
erratic driver behavior, and good driver behavior, with this
analysis being able to be fed back to the system to assist with
determining one or more rules that are used in the analysis of
received data from a specific vehicle. This could be complemented
with machine learning techniques to assist with determining one or
more of the rules and thresholds.
[0089] As will be appreciated, this data can also be mined for a
plurality of other uses such as by one or more of departments of
transportation, local law enforcement, traffic planners and
analyzers, and in general any entity that has a use in following,
analyzing, and/or studying traffic or driver behaviors.
[0090] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the system
monitors behavior to determine whether or not one or more laws or
regulations have been broken. As discussed, the GPS module 220,
upon determining a vehicle's current location, can download the
applicable laws/regulations to the law module 228. The law module
228, cooperating with one or more of the controller 216 and storage
232 analyzes information from any of the various sensors, such as
speed information, turn signal information, volume information, and
the like. This information is then compared with information in the
law module 228 (such as a set of rules) to determine whether or not
one or more laws or regulations have been broken.
[0091] As will be appreciated, the law module 228 need not
necessarily download all the applicable laws/regulations from a
central repository via the communication module 236, but in an
alternative exemplary embodiment can communicate with this central
repository and then make the analysis as to whether one or more
laws or regulations have been broken. If a law or regulation has
been broken, the system can perform any one or more of the
following actions. In accordance with the first exemplary
embodiment, notification regarding the violation is sent to one or
more entities. In addition to indicating the type of violation,
information such as location information, vehicle information,
driver information, license plate information, and the like can be
forwarded with the type of infraction. As a specific example, if
there is a school zone with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, and
the GPS detects that while the vehicle is in the school zone and
the school zone is active that the car is driving at a rate of 33
miles per hour, this information could be communicated to an
entity, with the cooperation of the communication module 236,
controller 216, and storage 232, such as local law enforcement.
[0092] As will be appreciated, the information in the law module
can also have an indication as to which geographic location those
particular laws/regulations are applicable to. Therefore, this
information can be reconciled with vehicle location information
obtained by the GPS module 220 to determine whether the vehicle is
in compliance with those laws and regulations for that specific
geographic area.
[0093] In addition to, or as an alternative to communicating the
infraction to one or more other entities, the feedback module 240,
cooperating with the law module 228, GPS module 220, controller
216, and storage 232 can communicate with the display, speaker, or
tactile feedback devices 244 and could also provide an indication
to the driver if they are not in compliance with one or more laws
and/or regulations. This information can optionally be very
detailed in nature, for example, "The speed limit in this area is
55, and you are driving 72." Alternatively, or in addition,
feedback can be very simple such as a tone plate over the speakers,
a "slow down" message shown on the display or a simple vibration of
the seat to alert the driver that they are not in compliance with
one or more of the applicable laws and regulations.
[0094] As discussed above, this information could also be sent to
the insurance company 300 recorded in storage 316 and/or optionally
be considered by the feedback module 308 and incentive/disincentive
module 312 when determining whether or not an incentive or
disincentive should be provided to a specific driver.
[0095] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, this stored
information can be utilized for interrogation purposes of the
vehicle as well. More specifically, an interrogator 504, such as a
law enforcement official, a "rule trap" for example installed along
the roadside or in a road can be used to catch law or regulation
violators. Similarly, an accident investigator, or the like, is
able to query the vehicle 202 and retrieve stored information
therefrom. This interrogator can be wired or wireless and cooperate
with one or more of the communication module 236 and with storage
232.
[0096] In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the
interrogator generates a query which is sent to the vehicle 202
requesting specific information. This information can be as broad
as "all data" or could be more focused for example "within the last
10 minutes," for a specific geographic area, on a specific road, at
a specific traffic light, since the vehicle started, or in general
for any time period, at any location or area. This information
could then be used by a law enforcement agency to, for example,
issue a ticket, corroborate information from one of their sensors,
such as radar or LADAR, and/or an addition be used to assist with
accident reconstruction. This could be particularly valuable to
determine, for example, whether or not a vehicle was speeding or
applying the brakes before hitting object.
[0097] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the "rule
trap" utilizes the same techniques to secure information from the
vehicle 200 to assist with, for example, one or more of law
enforcement, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, or the like.
In accordance with this exemplary embodiment, the rule trap 504
could be positioned alongside, for example, a road, with the rule
trap 504 interrogating every car or a predefined number of cars, as
they pass the rule trap. The rule trap 504 could query the vehicle
for specific information, such as what is the vehicle's current
speed, as well as identifying information such as VIN information,
license plate information and/or driver information. Having this
information, the rule trap 504 could make a determination as to
whether an infraction has occurred and then coordinate with the
appropriate authorities to issue, for example, a speeding
ticket.
[0098] An exemplary advantage associated with this particular
configuration is that it is the vehicle 200 that is providing the
data as opposed to some other data acquisition means. Therefore,
since GPSs and other related vehicle sensors are typically very
accurate, information that can be provided by the vehicle during
interrogation tends to be much more accurate than other data
acquisition means, such as radar.
[0099] An optional aspect includes the ability to determine whether
or not the query from the interrogator 504 is authorized. In
addition to being able to determine whether the query is
authorized, the controller 216 can also limit access to information
in the storage 232 based on one or more rules. For example,
acceptable queries could be limited to law enforcement agency
officers and rule traps and accident investigators, however,
queries from another vehicle would be refused. In a similar manner,
the controller 216 can filter the types of information available in
response to the query based on one or more rules that can be one or
more predefined, user defined, or vehicle defined. For example, a
rule may specify data is available to a law enforcement officer
only if that data is related to a one mile radius of where the
vehicle was stopped and interrogated.
[0100] As generally discussed above, in addition to data regarding
the operation of the driver and/or vehicle 200, a response to the
query from the interrogator 504 can also optionally include
information such as vehicle registration information and proof of
insurance. Therefore, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment
the vehicle 200 also stores electronically vehicle registration and
proof of insurance information in the storage 232 that can be
electronically updated, via the communication module 236, from one
or more of the appropriate entities such as the Department of Motor
Vehicles and an insurance company.
[0101] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the
passenger detection-behavior sensor module 248 also records a
reputation value for a particular driver. Similar to some of the
other embodiments disclosed herein, the behavior sensor module 248
can analyze any one or more of the portions of stored data and
develop a driver reputation based on that analysis. The reputation
can be, for example, excellent driver, good driver, average driver,
poor driver, aggressive driver, new driver, elderly driver, or in
general any identifier that appropriately describes a driver in
vehicle 200. This reputation information can, for example, be
forwarded to one or more entities, such as insurance company 300,
server 404, and storage 408, to the interrogator 504, to a remote
monitor 704, and optionally shared with another vehicle(s) 604.
[0102] More specifically, this reputation information can be shared
with one or more nearby vehicles that are detected with the
cooperation of the proximity sensor 212 and the communication
module 236. This could be particularly advantageous for surrounding
drivers to appreciate a particular reputation or skill level of
surrounding drivers. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment,
information regarding the reputation of surrounding drivers can be
graphically displayed on the display device 244 and presented to
the driver visually such that they, for example, can see a picture
of one or more of the vehicles around them and a label identifying
the reputation of the driver associated with that vehicle. This
information could be particularly advantageous to, for example,
allow a driver to avoid another driver who has an aggressive
reputation. In a similar manner, it can allow a driver to give a
novice driver extra room appreciating that they may be new to the
road.
[0103] This reputation could also be used as a "quick and dirty"
means for the insurance company 300 to determine whether or not a
driver is performing poorly in lieu of analyzing one or more of the
portions of data stored in storage 232.
[0104] It is to be appreciated this reputation information can be
updated on a regular or semi-regular basis or, for example, if a
triggering event occurs that warrants the changing of the
reputation information from one reputation to another.
[0105] In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment, the
reputation information could be updated or supplemented with
reputation information received from one or more other drivers. In
accordance with this exemplary embodiment, reputation information
could be a "social status" such that the vehicle 200 is able to
receive reputation submissions from one or more other vehicles.
[0106] As an example, a first driver sees a second driver that
appears to be obeying all laws and appropriately uses signals, and
waves after they change lanes, the second driver could provide
feedback to them, the feedback indicating that they are a good,
courteous driver. This information could then be assimilated into
the behavior module 248 and optionally used to update the
reputation of that driver. In a similar manner, drivers could
accumulate "scores" while other drivers are evaluating them on the
road. Thus, a good driver could have hundreds of "thumbs up" while
a dangerous and aggressive driver may have thousands of "thumbs
down." As with the other data, this information could also be
evaluated by one or more of the interrogator 504, insurance company
300, or other entity to assess with determining the particular
driver's driving habits.
[0107] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, where a driver
desires to associate reputation information with another vehicle,
that other vehicle is initially identified. This can be via one or
more of the proximity sensor, via Bluetooth.RTM., via license plate
data, or through the sensing of an open communications system that
can used for the exchange of reputation information. Having
identified the vehicle with which reputation information is to be
associated, a user than selects an appropriate reputation value
which is sent or otherwise associated with the identified
vehicle.
[0108] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, instead of
this reputation information being forwarded to the other vehicle,
the reputation information is stored in storage 232, and at a later
time, and in cooperation with the communication module 236, sent
to, for example, a central repository that can optionally be
queried by one or more entities. The information stored in the
central repository could also optionally be pushed to the vehicle
that the reputation information was associated with and optionally
stored in that vehicle's storage.
[0109] In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, etiquette
suggestions can be provided by analyzing one or more portions of
the stored data and making an "etiquette" suggestion based on the
outcome of the data analysis. In addition to the analysis of the
data, behavior sensor 248, in cooperation with controller 216,
storage 232, and law module 228 can then compare the data with one
or more of any applicable laws, rules, regulations, traffic data,
local customs, traffic conditions, or the like. If appropriate, the
results of this analysis can be used by the behavior sensor module
248 to provide feedback, with the cooperation of the feedback
module 240, in the form of an etiquette suggestion to the driver.
As an example, if an automobile is blocking faster traffic in the
fast lane, the system can suggest that the driver move over to a
slower lane. Similarly, if the driver is known to not use turn
signals, the system may remind the driver during, after, or
anticipating a turn, to use their turn signals. And similarly, the
system may also detect a fast approaching vehicle and suggest
changing lanes, increasing speed, etc., utilizing one or more of
the feedback devices such as on a display, audibly via the speakers
or with tactile feedback through one or more of the steering wheel,
seat, or the like. As with the other data and determined results
discussed herein, this etiquette suggestion can be stored in
storage 232, and optionally forwarded to one or more other
entities, such as interrogator 504, another vehicle 604, insurance
company 300, etc.
[0110] As will be appreciated, some drivers may not want to receive
etiquette suggestions so a filter can be equipped in the behavior
sensor module 248 that allows, for example, a driver to turn on or
off the etiquette suggestion or limit the types of suggestions that
are provided to the driver. As another example, and for a new
driver, the system may be requested to operate with increased
sensitivity to provide more etiquette suggestions than normal to
try to improve a young or new driver's performance. As will be
appreciated, this should be done in a manner that does not distract
the new or inexperienced driver with this determination being based
on, for example, a driver profile. This driver profile can have
such information as age, number of years driving, name, drivers
license information, whether or not there are any special
restrictions on the license, or the like. Moreover, this driver
profile information can include preferences such as temperature or
climate control preferences, volume preferences, display
preferences, and the like, such that when feedback is provided by
one of the feedback devices 244, the preferences in the driver
profile govern how that feedback should be provided. For example,
for an elderly driver, any audible feedback may be broadcast at a
higher volume than normal. Similarly, another driver may not like
to have display device 244 flash various messages to them because
they find it distractive. Here, the driver could specify that all
messages from one of the feedback devices, via another mechanism
such as audibly or through tactile feedback.
[0111] Similar to the embodiment discussed above regarding
reputation information, etiquette information can be provided to
one or more other drivers and in a similar manner provided to the
other driver(s) either in real-time or at a later time as discussed
above. Therefore, the behavior sensor module 248, cooperating with
one or more of the proximity sensor 212, controller 216, and
storage 232 cooperates with the user to identify a vehicle to
associate an etiquette suggestion. Similar to the above embodiment,
this association can be done via one or more of license plate entry
or identification, an internet protocol address, Bluetooth.RTM.
address, an interrogation technique, via RFID, via near-field
communication, or in general any other technique that allows a
first vehicle to positively identify another vehicle. This could
also be done in cooperation with, for example, a touch-screen
display installed in the vehicle 200 where surrounding vehicles are
graphically shown on the display, and the user selects the vehicle
by touching on the vehicle to which they want to send the etiquette
suggestion. The user than selects the etiquette suggestion, by, for
example, speaking into microphone which is then speech-to-text
converted into a message, by typing into the touchscreen display,
selecting from a canned set of etiquette suggestions, or the like,
that is then forwarded, with the cooperation of the communication
module 236, to the communication module of the receiving
vehicle.
[0112] Upon receiving this etiquette suggestion, a determination
can be made as to whether the suggestion should be provided to the
driver and/or passengers in the vehicle or optionally stored for a
later time. In a similar manner to the above-discussed embodiment,
the receiving vehicle can be equipped with a filter that governs
the handling of received etiquette suggestions and filters based on
one or more of suggestion content, driver profile, or the like. In
a similar manner, this etiquette suggestion can be sent to a
central repository and provided to the driver of the vehicle at a
later time, such as via an e-mail, a phone call, downloaded to the
vehicle for a display at a later time, or the like. Similarly, this
etiquette suggestion can be provided to any entity in the vehicle
monitoring system.
[0113] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a system and
method for reconstructing a road event for authority purposes may
be provided. The method and system may comprise: a storage device
with stored data (information) collected from an aggregating device
(controller) in communication with at least one of various sensors,
data capturing means, image capturing means, or metrics; a
reporting module that evaluates collected information stored in the
storage device to determine a driving behavior of a driver
associated with the vehicle, and determine whether the driving
behavior includes one or more triggering events that are one or
more of operator-defined or authority-defined for communication to
at least one of an authority source. Additionally, a communication
module may be provided enabling querying for at least one of said
information by at least one of an authority source for
reconstructing the road event of interest (timeline, schematic,
annotated map, written description, or audio description upon a
threshold-grade road event triggered and relaying the reconstructed
road event to at least one of an authority source for at least one
of the authority purpose; wherein the authorized source is at least
one of a Department of Motor Vehicle, insurance company, vehicle
manufacturer, or law enforcement; and wherein the authority purpose
is at least one of a revocation of license, filing of accident
report, increasing or lowering of insurance premiums, issuing a
violation, or issuing a warning in real-time or postponed.
[0114] In other embodiments, a controller may collect data
(information) from one or more sensors on a vehicle, the sensors
including a perimeter sensor, a proximity sensor, a
gravitational-force (G-force) sensor, at least one of a biometric
sensor, either worn or not worn on the user, and a global
positioning service module, a mileage monitor, a law module, and an
image capture means, such as a camera or optical/IR sensor. The
controller (or information gathering means, such as an aggregating
module) is coupled a storage device that stores the collected data
(information), the stored data (information) capable of being
forwarded in real-time to an authority source. Furthermore, an
incentive/disincentive (reporting) module may evaluate the
collected data to determine a driving behavior of a driver
associated with the vehicle, and determine whether the driving
behavior includes one or more triggering events that are one or
more of operator-defined or authority-defined for communication to
at least one of the authority source. Finally, a query/relay
(communication) module may enable querying for at least one of said
information by at least one of an authority source for
reconstructing the road event of interest upon a threshold-grade
road event triggered and relaying the reconstructed road event to
at least one of an authority source for at least one of the
authority purpose. The threshold range may be determined by at
least one of an operator/owner of the vehicle; authority sources,
such as an insurance company, vehicle manufacturer, law
enforcement, or non-authority sources, such as a parent, sibling,
relative, spouse, child, friend, with or without
consent/authorization from the vehicle owner/operator.
[0115] In yet other embodiments, the communications module may be
configured to relay or be queried by an authority source. Examples
of authority sources may be the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV),
vehicle manufacturer, insurance company, or appropriate law
enforcement jurisdiction. In other embodiments, the communication
module may be further adapted to forward the stored data to one or
more additional destinations (authority or non-authority sources)
in real-time or at a later time (postponed).
[0116] For instance, in an exemplary scenario, once a determination
has been made that the vehicle has been stolen based on a non-FOB
key access, and in response to determining that the vehicle has
been stolen, capture image information from an on-board camera of
the vehicle. The trigger could be based on the non-FOB key access,
an image capture of a non-authorized driver of the vehicle, or
other driving information, such as out-of-norm driving metrics or
route. Once one or all of the information is sent to law
enforcement (precinct local to the current geo-location of the
vehicle), appropriate law enforcement officials may query the
vehicle for additional information, such as vehicle registration,
or an image from the vehicles image capture for matching of the
non-authorized driver image with images from a law enforcement
facial database, etc. The thread of communication or information
exchanged between the vehicle, vehicle operator, thief, and law
enforcement may be shared with an insurance provider (real-time or
postponed) to make a determination of changes in the insurance
premiums. The law enforcement officials message or feedback may be
delivered in real-time to the owner or operator (thief) in any
number of ways, such as a mobile device SMS, text, pushed message,
vehicle dash display message, audio message, speaker, dash,
steering, pedal, or seat tactile feedback, etc. The reconstructed
road event, which may be at least one of timeline, description
(written or audio), annotated map, etc., may further prompt action
from the law enforcement officials in real-time. Conversely, the
reconstructed road event may prompt a delayed action from the
insurance company, such as adjusting the insurance premiums, given
the fact that the message regarding premium changes is not time
critical. In some embodiments, the system may further comprise a
feedback module, that based on one or more rules and the
evaluation, determines whether feedback should be provided to the
driver in real-time or at a later date (postponed). Feedback may be
delivered as one of many actions from any one or more of the
authority sources prior to, concurrently, or after the
reconstructed road event. In other embodiments, feedback as an
action may be delivered as an action, numerous times, at any point
prior, during, or after the reconstructed road event.
[0117] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary technique for monitoring and
storing data aggregated by the vehicle monitoring system. In
particular, control begins in step S200 and continues to step S210.
In step S210, the vehicle being started or set into motion is
detected. Next, in step S220 data collection and monitoring is
enabled. Then, in step S230, data from one or more of the vehicle's
sensors is aggregated and collected. As discussed, this data can be
related to one or more of perimeter data, G-force data, proximity
data, GPS data, time and date data, biometric data, vehicle data,
such as braking data, accelerator data, turn signal data, light
data, radio data, Bluetooth.RTM. data, and the like, passenger
data, mileage data, camera data, and in general can be any of the
types of data as discussed herein. Control then continues to step
S240.
[0118] In step S240, the harvested data is one or more of stored
and optionally forwarded in real-time or near real-time to a third
party, such as an insurance company. Next, in step S250, the stored
data can optionally be forwarded to one or more other destinations
such as a home computer, a remote computer, a Smartphone, or in
general any location that is capable of receiving the data
aggregated by the vehicle. Control then continues to step S260
where the control sequence ends.
[0119] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary technique for assisting with
stolen vehicle tracking and/or recovery. In particular, control
begins in step S300 and continues to step S310. In step S310 the
vehicle is detected as being parked. This can be done, for example,
by detecting the removal of the key from the ignition and the
vehicle being turned off. Next, in step S320, one or more of GPS
coordinate information, time information, and other information
related to the status of the vehicle is recorded. This information
can include, for example, whether or not the doors are locked,
whether or not the windows are up, whether or not the sunroof is
open, whether an alarm is set, and in general any characteristic
that would either make a vehicle harder or easier to steal being
recorded. Control then continues to step S330.
[0120] In step S330, the recorded information can optionally be
forwarded to an insurance company or other location(s) so that they
have the last known good information about the vehicle. If a theft
is not reported, control continues to step S340 where the control
sequence ends.
[0121] If a theft is reported, control jumps to step S332. In step
S332, and if possible, GPS tracking can be automatically or
remotely enabled. For example, and in accordance with the automatic
embodiment, if it is detected that the vehicle is moving without
the ignition having received the correct key, GPS tracking can
automatically be invoked. This could also be performed remotely
such as by an insurance company, local law enforcement, or the
like, once they establish communication with the vehicle. Next, in
step S334, one or more of the owner and/or insurance company and/or
local law enforcement can be notified about the theft. This can be
done automatically by the vehicle in conjunction with a
communication module where an outbound message is sent to one or
more of these entities on any available communications device or
media type. Similarly, if the insurance company is monitoring a
vehicle that has been identified as stolen, the insurance company
could notify the owner and provide them with information as
appropriate. Then, in step S336, evasive action can optionally
commence execution on the vehicle. As discussed, this can include
one or more of shutting the vehicle down, locking the doors,
rolling up the windows, disabling some or all of the vehicle
systems, automatically applying the brake, allowing remote control
of the vehicle, or the like. Control then continues to step
S338.
[0122] In step S338, any of these activities can further be
optionally coordinated with local law enforcement or the police to
help ensure a safe and swift recovery of the stolen vehicle.
Control then continues to step S339 where the control sequence
ends.
[0123] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary technique for providing
feedback to, for example, a driver, based on an analysis of one or
more portions of data aggregated by the vehicle. In particular,
control begins in step S400 and continues to step S410. In step
S410, one or more portions of the data are accessed for analysis.
Next, in step S420, an analysis is performed on the one or more
portions of data. Then, in step S430, a determination is made
whether a triggering event has occurred that can be correlated to
an incentive or disincentive by an insurance company. For example,
this determination can be made relative to one or more rules either
stored (after downloading) in the vehicle, or remote location, such
as hosted by an insurance company. If it is determined that there
has not been a triggering event, control jumps back to step S420.
Otherwise, control continues to step S440.
[0124] In step S440, a determination is made as to whether
real-time feedback should be provided. If real-time feedback is to
be provided, control jumps to step S442 with control otherwise
continuing to step S450.
[0125] In step S450, a determination is made as to whether the
feedback should be provided at a later time. If the feedback is to
be provided at a later time, control continues to step S460 where
the feedback is provided via one or more communications modalities,
with control continuing to step S470 where the control sequence
ends. If the feedback is not to be provided at a later time,
control jumps directly to step S470 where the control sequence
ends.
[0126] If real-time feedback is to be provided to, for example the
driver, in step S442 communication is established with one or more
of the display, speakers, tactile devices, driver's Smartphone, or
the like. Then, in step S444 this feedback is provided in one or
more of audibly, visually, or tactilely, such as via one or more
vibrations with control continuing to step S446 where the control
sequence ends.
[0127] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary technique for providing an
indicator as to whether or not a law or regulation has been broken.
In particular, control begins in step S500 and continues to step
S510. In step S510, a current GPS location of the vehicle is
retrieved. Next, in step S520, the laws and/or regulations for the
retrieved GPS location are retrieved from one or more of a local
location, such as a storage location in the vehicle, or from one or
more remote locations. Knowing the applicable laws and/or
regulations for the vehicle's current geographic area, in step S530
data from one or more of the vehicle's sensors is monitored. Then,
in step S540, a determination is made as to whether data from one
or more of the vehicle's sensors is indicative of a law and/or
regulation having been broken. If a law or regulation has not been
broken, control jumps to step S550 where the control sequence ends.
Otherwise, control continues to step S560.
[0128] In step S560, a determination is made as to whether feedback
should be provided about the infraction. If feedback is to be
provided, in step S562 communication is established with one or
more of the display, speaker, tactile devices, user's Smartphone,
or the like. Next, in step S564, feedback is provided notifying the
driver that there has been an infraction. As discussed, this
notification can be one or more of audible, visual, and tactile,
such as via one or more vibrations, with control continuing to step
S566 where the control sequence ends.
[0129] Alternatively, if the infraction is to be reported, control
continues to step S570. In step S570, one or more of reporting,
recording, or forwarding of a notification of the infraction is
sent to one or more entities, such as local law enforcement,
insurance companies, or the like. Control then continues to step
S580 where the control sequence ends.
[0130] FIG. 6 outlines an exemplary technique for querying
information from a vehicle. This technique could be particularly
useful to, for example, local law enforcement, a rule trap, an
accident investigator, or the like. Control begins in step S600,
with the querying entity, and continues to step S610. In step S610,
a vehicle to be queried is identified. Next, in step S620, a query
is assembled and forwarded to the identified vehicles specifying
one or more of time and location information. As will be
appreciated, this time and location information can be very
granular, or it could be very general, such as within the last
year, all recorded data, or the like. Then, via either a wired
and/or wireless communication protocol, the query is forwarded
where it is received by the vehicle in step S622.
[0131] Next, in step S624, it is optionally determined whether the
query is authorized. For example, a check can be performed using,
for example, authenticatable signatures, as to whether or not the
query is from an authorized source, such as local law enforcement,
a government employee, an accident investigator, or the like. Then,
in step S626, and in response to receiving the query, vehicle
registration and/or insurance information can also be gathered and
bundled with the response to the query. Then, in step S626, the
response to the query is assembled by gathering the requested data
and/or registration and/or insurance information, with, in step
S629, the response to the query being returned to the querying
entity.
[0132] Then, in step S630, and at the querying entity, the response
to the query is received. Control then continues to step S640.
[0133] In step S640, the data corresponding to the query can be one
or more recorded, displayed, printed, viewed, or the like. Control
then continues to step S650 where a determination is made as to
whether a further query is appropriate. If a further query is
appropriate, control jumps back to step S610 with control otherwise
continuing to step S660 where the control sequence ends.
[0134] FIG. 7 outlines an exemplary technique for assembling a
reputation. In particular, control begins in step S700 and
continues to step S710. In step S710, one or more portions of the
vehicle data are analyzed. Next, in step S720, a reputation value
is developed and stored based on the analysis of the data. As
discussed, this analysis can look to certain metrics, thresholds,
and/or average behavior patterns and determine whether a particular
vehicle's and/or driver's reputation value or index should be set.
Control then continues to step S730.
[0135] In step S730, this determined reputation value can then
optionally be forwarded to one or more entities, such as an
insurance company, law enforcement, or the like. Next, in step
S740, this reputation value can also optionally be shared with one
or more other vehicles such that other vehicles are privy to the
reputation associated with a particular vehicle/driver combination.
Control then continues to step S750 where a determination is made
whether the reputation value should be updated. If the reputation
value should be updated, control jumps back to step S710 with
control otherwise continuing to step S760 where the control
sequence ends.
[0136] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary technique for receiving
reputation information from, for example, one or more other
vehicles. Control begins in step S800 and continues to step S810.
In step S810, a request to receive reputation information is
received. Next, in step S820, and optionally, one or more rules are
parsed to determine if the request should be granted. If the
request is granted, in step S830 reputation information can be
received and stored with control continuing to step S840 where the
control sequence ends. If however, for example, the one or more
rules indicate that a vehicle is not receiving reputation
information, or not receiving certain types of reputation
information, the request to receive the reputation information can
be denied where the control sequence would end.
[0137] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary technique for associating
reputation information with one or more other vehicles. In
particular, control begins in step S900 and continues to step S910.
In step S910, a vehicle to associate the reputation information is
identified using, for example, one or more of license plate
information, via a communications query, graphically by using
touchscreen, or the like, as discussed. Next, in step S920, one or
more reputation values are selected. This can again be done using
one or more predetermined reputation values, or a custom reputation
value could be entered. Once the reputation value(s) has been
selected, control continues to step S930 where the reputation
values are forwarded to a repository(ies) and stored. Once stored,
the reputation value(s) can optionally be queried, retrieved and
displayed to the identified vehicle driver, or the like. Control
then continues to step S940 where the control sequence ends.
[0138] FIG. 10 outlines an exemplary technique for associating
reputation information with a vehicle. In particular, control
begins in step S1000 and continues to steps S1010. In step S1010, a
vehicle is identified with which to associate reputation
information. This identification can be done via one or more of
license plate information, internet protocol address information,
Bluetooth.RTM. address information, an interrogation technique,
using RFID or near-field communications, or in general any other
communications protocol or technique that allows another vehicle to
be identified. Moreover, and as previously discussed, this can be
done by selecting an icon graphically representing the vehicle with
which reputation information should be associated, that vehicle
having been detected by, for example, a proximity sensor as
described. Next, in step S1020 the reputation information is
assembled. This reputation information can be selected from, for
example, a predefined list, or optionally entered as a custom
reputation. Control then continues to step S1030.
[0139] In step S1030, the reputation information is forwarded to
one or more of the identified vehicle or some other destination.
Next, in step S1040, an optional step of confirming that the
reputation information was associated with that vehicle can be
performed. Control then continues to step S1050 where the control
sequence ends.
[0140] FIG. 11 outlines an exemplary technique for providing an
etiquette suggestion. In particular, control begins in step S1100
and continues to step S1110. In step S1110, one or more portions of
data are analyzed. Next, in step S1120, the data is optionally
compared with one or more of applicable laws, rules, regulations,
traffic data, local customs, traffic conditions, or the like. Then,
in step S1130, an etiquette suggestion is determined and stored.
Control then continues to step S1140.
[0141] In step S1140, this determined etiquette suggestion can
optionally be forwarded to one or more entities, aside from the
driver. Next, in step S1150, a determination is made as to whether
to provide the etiquette suggestion to the driver and/or
passenger(s). If the etiquette suggestion is not to be provided,
control continues to step S1170 where the etiquette suggestion can
optionally be stored with control continuing to step S1180 where
the control sequence ends.
[0142] If the etiquette suggestion is to be provided to the driver,
control jumps to step S1160 where the etiquette suggestion is
provided to one or more of the driver and/or passenger via, one or
more of the display, speakers, tactile feedback, phone or
smartphone, or other audible/visual/tactile feedback device(s).
Control then continues to step S1180 where the control sequence
ends.
[0143] FIG. 12 outlines an exemplary technique for forwarding an
etiquette suggestion to one or more other identified vehicles. In
particular, control begins in step S1200 and continues to step
S1210. In step S1210, the vehicle to associate the reputation
information is identified. As discussed, this can be done using one
or more of license plate information, internet protocol address
information, Bluetooth address information, an interrogation
technique, RFID, near-field communications, or in general any
communications protocol or modality that allows another vehicle to
be identified. Moreover, and as discussed, this can be done by
selecting via, for example, a touch-screen display, an icon
representing the vehicle with which to associate the etiquette
information. Next, in step S1220, the etiquette suggestion is
assembled. This can be assembled from one or more "canned"
etiquette recommendations, or it can be a custom etiquette
suggestion entered by a user. Then, in step S1230, the determined
etiquette suggestion is forwarded to the identified vehicle. Again,
this can be done using one or more protocols and modalities such as
an internet protocol, Bluetooth.RTM., RFID, near-field
communications, or other communication technique. Control then
continues to step S1240.
[0144] In step S1240, and at the receiving vehicle, a determination
is made as to whether to provide the etiquette suggestion to one or
more of the driver and/or passenger(s). If the etiquette suggestion
is not to be provided, control jumps to step S1250 with control
otherwise continuing to step S1260.
[0145] In step S1250, the etiquette suggestion can optionally be
stored for retrieval at a later time. Control then continues to
step S1270 where the control sequence ends.
[0146] If the etiquette suggestion is to be provided, in step S1260
this etiquette suggestion is provided to one or more of the driver
and/or passengers via one or more of a display, audibly, and via
tactile feedback. Control then continues to step S1270 where the
control sequence ends.
[0147] The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have
been described in relation to vehicle sensors, systems and
techniques. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present
disclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known
structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a
limitation of the scopes of the claims. Specific details are set
forth to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It
should however be appreciated that the present disclosure may be
practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth
herein
[0148] Furthermore, while the exemplary aspects, embodiments,
and/or configurations illustrated herein show the various
components of the system collocated, certain components of the
system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a
distributed network, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, or within a
dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the
components of the system can be combined in to one or more devices,
such as a Personal Computer (PC), laptop, netbook, smart phone,
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), tablet, etc., or collocated on a
particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and/or
digital telecommunications network, a packet-switch network, or a
circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from the preceding
description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the
components of the system can be arranged at any location within a
distributed network of components without affecting the operation
of the system. For example, the various components can be located
in a switch such as a PBX and media server, gateway, in one or more
communications devices, at one or more users' premises, or some
combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functional portions of
the system could be distributed between a telecommunications
device(s) and an associated computing device.
[0149] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links
(such as link 5, optionally communicating over network 10)
connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any
combination thereof, or any other known or later developed
element(s) that is capable of supplying and/or communicating data
to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links
can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating
encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for
example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals,
including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and may
take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated
during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.
[0150] Also, while the flowcharts have been discussed and
illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it
should be appreciated that changes, re-ordering, additions, and
omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting
the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and
aspects.
[0151] A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure
can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of
the disclosure without providing others.
[0152] In some embodiments, the systems and methods of this
disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose
computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and
peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other
integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired
electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a
programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA,
PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like.
In general, any device(s) or one or more means capable of
implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to
implement the various aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary
hardware that can be used for the disclosed embodiments,
configurations and aspects includes computers, handheld devices,
telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog,
hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of
these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiple
microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and
output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations
including, but not limited to, distributed processing or
component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or
virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the
methods described herein.
[0153] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be
readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or
object-oriented software development environments that provide
portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or
workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be
implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic
circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to
implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is
dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the
system, the particular function, and the particular software or
hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being
utilized.
[0154] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be
partially implemented in software that can be stored on a
non-transitory storage medium, executed on programmed
general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and
memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like.
In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosure can
be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an
applet, JAVA.RTM. or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server
or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated
measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can
also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and/or
method into a software and/or hardware system.
[0155] Although the present disclosure describes components and
functions implemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations with reference to particular standards and
protocols, the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations are not
limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards
and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are
considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the
standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar
standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically
superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having
essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and
protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents
included in the present disclosure.
[0156] The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments,
and/or configurations, includes components, methods, processes,
systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described
herein, including various aspects, embodiments, configurations
embodiments, subcombinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of
skill in the art will understand how to make and use the disclosed
aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations after understanding the
present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations, includes providing devices and
processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described
herein or in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations
hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been
used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving
performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of
implementation.
[0157] The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to
limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the
foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the
disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining
the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate
aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those
discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted
as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features
than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following
claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of
a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or
configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated
into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own
as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.
[0158] Moreover, though the description has included description of
one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain
variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and
modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may
be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after
understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain
rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate,
interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or
steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate,
interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or
steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly
dedicate any patentable subject matter.
* * * * *