US 8,930,269 B2 · System and method to adjust insurance rate based on real-time data about potential vehicle operator impairment

Abstract

The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates monitoring a vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle during the course of vehicle operation to determine whether the vehicle operator is impaired (e.g., distracted, drowsy), log data relating to vehicle operator impairment for further analysis, and send the data to a server for analysis. The method, system, and computer-readable medium may monitor the vehicle operator, the environment ahead of the vehicle, and/or forces acting on the vehicle using either or both of optical sensors or accelerometers. In particular, one optical sensor may monitor the vehicle operator to detect eye blinks, head nods, head rotations, and/or gaze fixation. Another optical sensor may monitor the road ahead of the vehicle to detect lane deviation, lane centering, and time to collision. The accelerometers may detect acceleration in the direction of vehicle travel and/or lateral acceleration. The data gathered by the various sensors may be scored to determine whether to change a property and casualty insurance rate charged to vehicle operator and/or vehicle owner and/or vehicle policy.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method implemented on a computer system comprising:

receiving at the computer system data about potential vehicle operator impairment gathered by:
monitoring a vehicle operator with a first optical sensor, and
monitoring an environment ahead of the vehicle with a second optical sensor, and
wherein the data about potential vehicle operator impairment is stored on a computer-readable medium;
assigning, with one or more processors of the computer system, a plurality of scores based on the data about potential vehicle operator impairment, wherein each of the plurality of scores corresponds to a respective impairment indicator;
determining, with the one or more processors, a vehicle operator impairment score by performing a mathematical operation on the plurality of scores, the vehicle operator impairment score summarizing a level of impairment corresponding to the vehicle operator;
and
adjusting, with the one or more processors, a property and casualty insurance rate based on the vehicle operator impairment score.

5 more elements

A computer system comprising:

a processor;
a program memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to:
receive data about potential vehicle operator impairment gathered by:
monitoring a vehicle operator with a first optical sensor, and
monitoring an environment ahead of the vehicle with a second optical sensor, and
wherein the data about potential vehicle operator impairment is stored on a computer-readable medium;
assign a plurality of scores based on the data about potential vehicle operator impairment, wherein each of the plurality of scores corresponds to a respective impairment indicator;
determine a vehicle operator impairment score by performing a mathematical operation on the plurality of scores, the vehicle operator impairment score summarizing a level of impairment corresponding to the vehicle operator;
and
adjust a property and casualty insurance rate based on the vehicle operator impairment score.

7 more elements

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system cause the computer system to:

receive data about potential vehicle operator impairment gathered by:
monitoring a vehicle operator with a first optical sensor, and
monitoring an environment ahead of the vehicle with a second optical sensor;
and
wherein the data about potential vehicle operator impairment is stored on a computer-readable medium;
assign a plurality of scores based on the data about potential vehicle operator impairment, wherein each of the plurality of scores corresponds to a respective impairment indicator;
determine a vehicle operator impairment score by performing a mathematical operation on the plurality of scores, the vehicle operator impairment score summarizing a level of impairment corresponding to the vehicle operator;
and
adjust a property and casualty insurance rate based on the vehicle operator impairment score.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method to adjust insurance rate based on real-time data about potential vehicle operator impairment

Life of this patent

System and method to adjust insurance rate based on real-time data about potential vehicle operator impairment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18