# US 11,307,042 B2 · Three-dimensional risk maps

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- Number: US 11,307,042 B2
- Document ID: US11307042B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/863,476
- Filed: 2015-09-24
- Published: 2017-03-30
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-24
- Assignees: Allstate Insurance Company
- Applicants: Allstate Insurance Company
- Inventors: Mark Slusar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307042B2

## CPC

- 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}
- G01C 21/3492: {employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968)}
- G01C 21/3807: {characterised by the type of data}
- G01C 21/3833: {characterised by the source of data}
- G06Q 40/08: Insurance
- G06T 15/205: {Image-based rendering}
- G06T 19/20: Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
- G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
- G06V 20/588: {Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road}
- B60R 2300/108: using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
- B60R 2300/207: using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
- B60R 2300/308: by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
- B60R 2300/8093: for obstacle warning
- G01C 21/3602: {Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera}
- G06T 2210/61: Scene description
- G06T 2219/2012: Colour editing, changing, or manipulating; Use of colour codes
- 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)
- 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
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Systems including one or more sensors, coupled to a vehicle, may detect sensor information and provide the sensor information to another computing device for processing. The processing may include analyzing the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects, such as animals, pedestrians, potholes, etc. The processing may further include generating a three-dimensional (3D) risk map, which may be displayed to a passenger in the vehicle. The 3D risk map may illustrate the one or more risk objects as one or more point clouds, respectively, within a virtual world representation of the vehicle's surroundings. Such a display may be used to alert drivers to possible risks while driving. In case of an accident, the 3D risk map may also be leveraged by insurance providers to process insurance claims and to notify customers that an insurance claim has been established.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a server storing template map data;
a global positioning system device configured to determine geographic location information for a vehicle;
one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect sensor information; and
a first computing device configured to:
communicate with the server to receive the template map data comprising environmental information indicating environments along road segments for generating one or more three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds representing the environments;
communicate with the global positioning system device to receive the geographic location information;
determine, based on the geographic location information, a particular road segment on which the vehicle is located among the road segments of the template map data;
determine, based on a portion of the environmental information of the template map data corresponding to the particular road segment, a particular environment along the particular road segment;
generate a particular 3D virtual world representing the particular environment along the particular road segment on which the vehicle is located;
communicate with the one or more sensors to receive the sensor information;
analyze the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects;
generate one or more point clouds illustrating the one or more risk objects, respectively;
generate, by superimposing the one or more point clouds into the particular 3D virtual world, a 3D risk map;
display, using a display device of the vehicle, the 3D risk map;
determine a risk score for at least one of the one or more risk objects;
output a first alert if the risk score is above a predetermined threshold; and
output a second alert if the risk score is below the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to:
determine a plurality of at risk objects based on the sensor information;
determine a risk score for each of any additional ones of the plurality of at risk objects; and
filter the plurality of at risk objects based on the risk score for each object to identify the one or more risk objects.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
determine a route of travel of the vehicle;
calculate a route risk score of the route; and
update, based on the route risk score, the 3D risk map to indicate a level of risk associated with the route.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
determine, based on the 3D risk map, one or more road segments the vehicle has traveled;
calculate one or more road segment risk scores for the one or more road segments; and
transmit the one or more road segment risk scores.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
determine a risk score for at least one of the one or more risk objects;
output a first alert if the risk score is above a predetermined threshold; and
output a second alert if the risk score is below the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
output an audio alert based on the risk score exceeding a threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
assign a color to each of the one or more risk objects, wherein the color is based on the risk score and represents a level of risk for each of the one or more risk objects.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
update the 3D risk map to change the color of a particular risk object among the one or more risk objects to red if the level of risk associated with the particular risk object is greater than a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a second server configured to store weather information,
wherein the first computing device is further configured to communicate with the second server to receive the weather information, and
wherein generation of the particular 3D virtual world is further based on the weather information, such that the particular 3D virtual world illustrates a weather condition.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
one or more second sensors coupled to a second vehicle or an element of infrastructure, wherein the one or more second sensors are configured to detect second sensor information; and
a second computing device configured to:
analyze the second sensor information to identify one or more second risk objects; and
transmit additional information indicating the one or more second risk objects,
wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
receive the additional information transmitted by the second computing device;
based on the additional information, update the 3D risk map by superimposing one or more second point clouds corresponding to the one or more second risk objects, respectively, into the particular 3D virtual world; and
display the updated 3D risk map to a person in the vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to dynamically update the 3D risk map to provide an updated virtual world representing environments along subsequent road segments as the vehicle moves.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
determine that the vehicle was in an accident;
analyze the 3D risk map to determine a cause of the accident;
determine if the accident is on a pre-determined list of accidents that indicate which accidents are eligible for insurance claim processing by the system; and
if the accident is on the pre-determined list, construct, based on the cause of the accident, an insurance claim.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
compare information regarding damage to the vehicle with a location of the one or more risk objects within the 3D risk map.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
transmit a notification to a driver or owner of the vehicle in response to constructing the insurance claim.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
adjust an insurance premium of an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based on the cause of the accident.

### Claim 16

A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device and from a server, template map data comprising environmental information indicating environments along road segments for generating one or more three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds representing the environments;
receiving, by the computing device and from a global positioning system device, geographic location information for a vehicle;
determining, based on the geographic location information, a particular road segment on which the vehicle is located among the road segments of the template map data;
determining, based on a portion of the environmental information of the template map data corresponding to the particular road segment, a particular environment along the particular road segment;
generating a particular 3D virtual world representing the particular environment along the particular road segment on which the vehicle is located;
receiving, by the computing device from one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle, sensor information;
analyzing, by the computing device, the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects;
generating, by the computing device, one or more point clouds illustrating the one or more risk objects, respectively;
generating, by the computing device, a 3D risk map by superimposing the one or more point clouds into the particular 3D virtual world;
outputting, by the computing device and to a display device of the vehicle, the 3D risk map for display;
determining a risk score for at least one of the one or more risk objects;
outputting a first alert if the risk score is above a predetermined threshold; and
outputting a second alert if the risk score is below the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
determining a route of travel of the vehicle; and
calculating a route risk score of the route,
wherein the generating the 3D risk map is further based on the route risk score.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
determining a road segment associated with a location of the vehicle;
calculating a road segment risk score for the road segment; and
updating, based on the road segment risk score, the 3D risk map to alert a person about a level of risk associated with the road segment.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
outputting an alert after a determination that the risk score is above a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 20

An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a server, template map data comprising environmental information indicating environments along road segments for generating one or more three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds representing the environments;
receive, from a global positioning system device, geographic location information for a vehicle;
determine, based on the geographic location information, a particular road segment on which the vehicle is located among the road segments of the template map data;
determine, based on a portion of the environmental information of the template map data corresponding to the particular road segment, a particular environment along the particular road segment;
generate a particular 3D virtual world representing the particular environment along the particular road segment on which the vehicle is located;
receive, from one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle, sensor information;
analyze the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects;
generate one or more point clouds illustrating the one or more risk objects, respectively;
generate a 3D risk map by superimposing the one or more point clouds into the particular 3D virtual world;
output, a display device of the vehicle, the 3D risk map for display;
determine a risk score for at least one of the one or more risk objects;
output a first alert if the risk score is above a predetermined threshold; and
output a second alert if the risk score is below the predetermined threshold.