# US 11,442,918 B2 · Systems and methods for analyzing vehicle sensor data via a blockchain

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- Number: US 11,442,918 B2
- Document ID: US11442918B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/219,778
- Filed: 2021-03-31
- Published: 2021-07-15
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-03
- Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Inventors: William J. Leise; Jacob J. Alt; Jaime Skaggs; Eric Bellas; Shawn M. Call; Eric R. Moore; Melinda Teresa Magerkurth; Vicki King
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442918B2

## CPC

- G06F 16/2358: {Change logging, detection, and notification (replication G06F16/27)}
- G06F 16/182: Distributed file systems
- G06F 16/219: {Managing data history or versioning (querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477)}
- G06F 16/2255: {Hash tables}
- G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
- G06F 16/9024: {Graphs; Linked lists (G06F16/9027 takes precedence)}
- G06F 16/9027: {Trees}
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06Q 30/0611: {Request for offers or quotes}
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G06Q 40/03: Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
- G06Q 40/08: Insurance
- G06Q 40/12: Accounting
- G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)}
- G07C 5/085: {using electronic data carriers}
- H04L 9/0637: {Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]}
- H04L 9/0643: {Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC}
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- G06Q 2220/00: Business processing using cryptography
- H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
- H04L 2209/56: Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

The present embodiments relate to systems and methods for using a blockchain to record information related to processes and services in the vehicle industry. The systems and methods may include (1) receiving an indication of vehicle being involved a vehicle collision and a vehicle VIN; (2) accessing, at a memory, a loss history blockchain associated with the vehicle using the VIN as a key; (3) receiving vehicle sensor data generated or collected prior to, during, and/or after the vehicle collision; (4) creating a block to add to the loss history blockchain that includes the vehicle sensor data, or otherwise updating the loss history blockchain with the vehicle sensor data associated with the vehicle collision; (5) analyzing the vehicle sensor data to reconstruct the vehicle collision; and/or (6) updating the loss history blockchain to include and/or indicate the reconstructed vehicle collision by including the created block.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for verifying existence of data associated with Vehicle Identification Numbers stored on a permissioned blockchain maintained by a plurality of network participants, the method comprising:
receiving, at a processor coupled with a network interface, one or more request datasets from one or more network participants;
verifying, at the processor, that the one or more network participants have permission to access information stored on the permissioned blockchain using a requestor identifier included in the request dataset for each network participant;
when the one or more network participants have permission:
accessing, at a memory coupled with the processor, the permissioned blockchain using a Vehicle Identification Number included in each request dataset,
performing, at the processor coupled with the memory, a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number by:
identifying, at the processor, a request type included in the request dataset, wherein the request type comprises a verification request, a modification request, or a new transaction request; and
in response to the request type being the verification request, verifying, at the processor, the existence of data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number, and when the data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number does not exist, transmitting a nonexistence notification associated with the Vehicle Identification Number to at least one other network participant; and
transmitting, via the processor coupled with the network interface, a request notification based upon the verification to the one or more network participants;
when the one or more network participants do not have permission, transmitting, via the processor coupled with the network interface, a denial notification to the one or more network participants;
determining that multiple insurance claims have been submitted for a same Vehicle Identification Number;
in response to the determination that multiple insurance claims have been submitted for the same Vehicle Identification Number, using a smart contract to trigger an alert indicating potentially fraudulent activity;
determining that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number; and
in response to the determination that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected, notifying an insurance carrier that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network participants comprises a law enforcement agency, a state regulatory agency, an insurance agency, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each request dataset further comprises a request id, a request type, and a requestor type.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the requestor identifier comprises a hash value associated with a cryptographic key controlled by the corresponding network participant.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number further comprises:
when the request type is a modification request, transmitting, at the processor coupled with the network interface, an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the modification request to at least one other network participant; and
when the request type is a new transaction request, generating and transmitting, at the processor coupled with the network interface, an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the new transaction request to at least one other network participant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the modification request comprises a policy renewal, a policy change, or a policy transfer associated with the Vehicle Identification Number.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein transmitting a request notification based upon the verification to the one or more network participants further comprises:
generating, at the processor, the request notification using the request type and a success indicator indicating whether an insurance coverage dataset was sent to at least one other network participant.

### Claim 8

A system for verifying existence of data associated with Vehicle Identification Numbers stored on a permissioned blockchain maintained by a plurality of network participants, the system comprising:
a network interface configured to interface with a processor;
a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions and configured to interface with the processor; and
the processor configured to interface with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:
receive one or more request datasets from one or more network participants;
verify that the one or more network participants have permission to access information stored on the permissioned blockchain using a requestor identifier included in the request dataset for each network participant;
when the one or more network participants have permission:
access the permissioned blockchain using a Vehicle Identification Number included in each request dataset,
perform a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number by:
identifying a request type included in the request dataset, wherein the request type comprises a verification request, a modification request, or a new transaction request; and
when the request type is the verification request, verifying the existence of data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number, and when the data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number does not exist, transmitting a nonexistence notification associated with the Vehicle Identification Number to at least one other network participant; and
transmit a request notification based upon the verification to the one or more network participants;
when the one or more network participants do not have permission, transmit a denial notification to the one or more network participants;
determine if multiple insurance claims have been submitted for a same Vehicle Identification Number;
in response to a determination that multiple insurance claims have been submitted for the same Vehicle Identification Number, use a smart contract to trigger an alert indicating potentially fraudulent activity;
determine if duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number; and
in response to a determination that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected, notify an insurance carrier that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of network participants comprises a law enforcement agency, a state regulatory agency, an insurance agency, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein each request dataset further comprises a request id, a request type, and a requestor type.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the requestor identifier comprises a hash value associated with a cryptographic key controlled by the corresponding network participant.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein perform a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number further comprises:
when the request type is a modification request, generate and transmit an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the modification request to at least one other network participant; and
when the request type is a new transaction request, generate and transmit an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the new transaction request to at least one other network participant.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein transmit a request notification based upon the verification to the one or more network participants further comprises:
generate the request notification using the request type and a success indicator indicating whether an insurance coverage dataset was sent to at least one other network participant.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the modification request comprises a policy renewal, a policy change, or a policy transfer associated with the Vehicle Identification Number.

### Claim 15

A computer-implemented method for verifying existence of data associated with Vehicle Identification Numbers stored on a permissioned blockchain maintained by a plurality of network participants, the method comprising:
receiving, at a processor coupled with a network interface, a request dataset, wherein the request dataset comprises a requestor identifier and a Vehicle Identification Number;
verifying, at the processor, that the requestor identifier grants permission to access the permissioned blockchain;
when the requestor has permission:
accessing, at a memory coupled with the processor, the permissioned blockchain using the Vehicle Identification Number,
performing, at the processor coupled with the memory, a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number by:
identifying, at the processor, a request type included in the request dataset, wherein the request type comprises a verification request, a modification request, or a new transaction request; and
in response to the request type being the verification request, verifying, at the processor, the existence of data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number, and when the data associated with the Vehicle Identification Number does not exist, transmitting a nonexistence notification associated with the Vehicle Identification Number to at least one other network participant; and
generating and transmitting, at the processor, a request notification based upon the verification;
when the requestor does not have permission, generating and transmitting, via the processor, a denial notification to the requestor;
determining that multiple insurance claims have been submitted for a same Vehicle Identification Number;
in response to the determination that multiple insurance claims have been submitted for the same Vehicle Identification Number, using a smart contract to trigger an alert indicating potentially fraudulent activity;
determining that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number; and
in response to the determination that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected, notifying an insurance carrier that duplicate insurance coverage is suspected on the Vehicle Identification Number.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of network participants comprises a law enforcement agency, a state regulatory agency, an insurance agency, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein each request dataset further comprises a request id, a request type, and a requestor type.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the requestor identifier comprises a hash value associated with a cryptographic key controlled by the corresponding network participant.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein performing a verification of the existence of data stored in the permissioned blockchain associated with the Vehicle Identification Number further comprises:
when the request type is a modification request, generating and transmitting, at the processor coupled with the network interface, an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the modification request to at least one other network participant; and
when the request type is a new transaction request, generating and transmitting, at the processor coupled with the network interface, an insurance coverage dataset based upon the request dataset and the new transaction request to at least one other network participant.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein transmitting a request notification based upon the verification to the one or more network participants further comprises:
generating, at the processor, the request notification using the request type and a success indicator indicating whether an insurance coverage dataset was sent to at least one other network participant.