# US 10,872,380 B2 · Route risk mitigation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,380 B2 - Document ID: US10872380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/827,860 - Filed: 2017-11-30 - Published: 2018-03-22 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2007-05-10 - Assignees: Allstate Insurance Company - Applicants: Allstate Insurance Company - Inventors: Jason Brian Bogovich; Julie A. Jordan Peters - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872380B2 ## CPC - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - G01C 21/26: specially adapted for navigation in a road network - G01C 21/3407: {specially adapted for specific applications} - G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents} - G01C 21/3461: {Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries} - G06Q 10/0635: Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G08G 1/096816: {where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once} - G08G 1/096827: {where the route is computed onboard} - G08G 1/096838: {where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality} - G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental} - H04W 4/024: Guidance services - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method is disclosed for mitigating the risks associated with driving by assigning risk values to road segments and using those risk values to select less risky travel routes. Various approaches to helping users mitigate risk are presented. A computing device is configured to generate a database of risk values. That device may receive accident information, geographic information, vehicle information, and other information from one or more data sources and calculate a risk value for the associated road segment. Subsequently, the computing device may provide the associated risk value to other devices. Furthermore, a personal navigation device may receive travel route information and use that information to retrieve risk values for the road segments in the travel route. An insurance company may use this information to determine whether to adjust a quote or premium of an insurance policy. This and other aspects relating to using geographically encoded information to promote and reward risk mitigation are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a location detection device located in a vehicle and monitoring a current location of the vehicle during travel; and a personal computing device located in the vehicle comprising: a processor; a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to: calculate a route of the vehicle from a start location to an end location based on locations received from the location detection device; identify a plurality of roads associated with the route of the vehicle; determine a plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle, wherein determining the plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle comprises determining, based on historical accident information, a length of each segment of the plurality of road segments to create segment lengths based on normalized risk values; calculate, based on vehicle direction through each road segment of the plurality of road segments and the length of each segment of the plurality of road segments, a route risk score for the route of the vehicle, wherein at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments has a higher risk score for the vehicle travelling in a first direction and a lower risk score for the vehicle traveling in a second direction opposite to the first direction; display the calculated route and the route risk score on an output device; and adjust the route risk score upon completion of the route being traveled by the vehicle based on vehicle conditions experienced during travel along the route. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to adjust the route risk score based on traffic conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to adjust the route risk score based on weather conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to adjust the route risk score based on weather conditions and traffic conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein calculating the route risk score based on one or more of a type of road in the route, a number of turns in the route, road hazard information accessed from an ancillary data store, weather information accessed from the ancillary data store, or traffic information accessed from the ancillary data store. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the output device is configured to offer a driver of the vehicle an incentive for avoiding a high risk road segment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the location detection device comprises a global positioning system computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to: after receiving a notification of arrival at the end location of the route, cause the route risk score to be deducted from a total number of risk units associated with a vehicle insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and when the total number of risk units associated with the vehicle insurance policy is less than a subsequent route risk score for a subsequently completed route, provide a notification of a debit to an account associated with a user of the personal computing device to cover remaining risk units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the total number of risk units corresponds to an initial assumption of risk to be consumed in a policy period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the total number of risk units corresponds to an amount of risk consumed in a preceding policy period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the personal computing device to: after receiving a notification of arrival at the end location of the route, cause the route risk score to be added to a total number of risk units associated with a vehicle insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and when a policy period expires, determine a cost of the vehicle insurance policy based on the total number of risk units associated with the vehicle insurance policy. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: at a personal computing device comprising a processor and a memory: calculating, by the processor, a route of a vehicle from a start location to an end location based on locations received from a location detection device, wherein the personal computing device is located in the vehicle, and wherein the location detection device is located in the vehicle and configured to monitor a current location of the vehicle during travel; identifying, by the processor, a plurality of roads associated with the route of the vehicle; determining, by the processor, a plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle, wherein determining the plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle comprises determining, based on historical accident information, a length of each segment of the plurality of road segments to create segment lengths based on normalized risk values; calculating, by the processor, based on vehicle direction through each road segment of the plurality of road segments and the length of each segment of the plurality of road segments, a route risk score for the route of the vehicle, wherein at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments has a higher risk score for the vehicle travelling in a first direction and a lower risk score for the vehicle traveling in a second direction opposite to the first direction; displaying, by the processor, the calculated route and the route risk score on an output device; and adjusting, by the processor, the route risk score upon completion of the route being traveled by the vehicle based on vehicle conditions experienced during travel along the route. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising adjusting the route risk score based on traffic conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising adjusting the route risk score based on weather conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising adjusting the route risk score based on weather conditions and traffic conditions experienced while the vehicle travels along the route. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein calculating the route risk score based on one or more of a type of road in the route, a number of turns in the route, road hazard information accessed from an ancillary data store, weather information accessed from the ancillary data store, or traffic information accessed from the ancillary data store. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the output device is configured to offer a driver of the vehicle an incentive for avoiding a high risk road segment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the location detection device comprises a global positioning system computing device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: after receiving a notification of arrival at the end location of the route, causing the route risk score to be deducted from a total number of risk units associated with a vehicle insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and when the total number of risk units associated with the vehicle insurance policy is less than a subsequent route risk score for a subsequently completed route, providing a notification of a debit to an account associated with a user of the personal computing device to cover remaining risk units. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the total number of risk units corresponds to an initial assumption of risk to be consumed in a policy period. ### Claim 21 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a personal computing device comprising a processor and a memory, cause the personal computing device to: calculate a route of a vehicle from a start location to an end location based on locations received from a location detection device, wherein the personal computing device is located in the vehicle, and wherein the location detection device is located in the vehicle and configured to monitor a current location of the vehicle during travel; identify a plurality of roads associated with the route of the vehicle; determine a plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle, wherein determining the plurality of road segments for each road associated with the route of the vehicle comprises determining, based on historical accident information, a length of each segment of the plurality of road segments to create segment lengths based on normalized risk values; calculate, based on vehicle direction through each road segment of the plurality of road segments and the length of each segment of the plurality of road segments, a route risk score for the route of the vehicle, wherein at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments has a higher risk score for the vehicle travelling in a first direction and a lower risk score for the vehicle traveling in a second direction opposite to the first direction; display the calculated route and the route risk score on an output device; and adjust the route risk score upon completion of the route being traveled by the vehicle based on vehicle conditions experienced during travel along the route.