Systems and methods for alerting a driver to vehicle collision risks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10055796-B1
Application number	US-201815873202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems for displaying a user interface that warns a driver that a vehicle is located within or is near a geographical area (and/or intersection) associated with a higher than average risk of animal-vehicle and/or vehicle-vehicle collisions are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may access a database that identifies a plurality of high risk areas, including areas associated with prior vehicle accidents. The electronic device may display a virtual road map, as well as an icon indicating the vehicle's current location and a plurality of visual indications of high-risk areas. When the electronic device detects that the current location of the vehicle is within and/or approaching a high-risk area, the electronic device may then warn the driver about the higher than average risk of experiencing a vehicle collision.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method to facilitate safer driving and reduce vehicle accidents by alerting a driver of a vehicle about high-risk areas via an application executing on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the method comprising:
the application causing the one or more processors to access data stored in a vehicle accident database detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents, wherein the data includes a plurality of prior vehicle-vehicle accident locations and a plurality of prior vehicle-animal accident locations;
causing the one or more processors to display a primary interface in the application executing on the electronic device, the primary interface displaying at least:
(i) a virtual road map,
(ii) a virtual representation of a current location for the vehicle,
(iii) a first plurality of virtual representations corresponding to a first plurality of high-risk areas, wherein each of the first plurality of high-risk area corresponds to at least a portion of the plurality of prior vehicle-vehicle accident locations, and
(iv) a second plurality of virtual representations corresponding to a second plurality of high-risk areas, wherein each of the second plurality of high-risk areas corresponds to at least a portion of the plurality of prior vehicle-animal accident locations,
the application causing the one or more processors to update the current location of the vehicle in response to the vehicle moving to a new location;
when the current location of the vehicle is within one of the first plurality of high-risk areas or the second plurality of high-risk areas, the application causing the one or more processors to generate a warning.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing the one or more processors to display a secondary interface in the application executing on the electronic device, the secondary interface displaying a plurality of selectable interface elements corresponding to a plurality of features of the application.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein causing the one or more processors to display a plurality of selectable interface elements corresponding to a plurality of features of the application further comprises:
causing the one or more processors to display a selectable interface element corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding the plurality of high-risk areas.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving an input at the one or more processors, from the driver, indicating a selection of the selectable interface element corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding the plurality of high-risk areas; and
causing the primary interface to display the virtual road map without displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting, from the electronic device to an insurance provider corresponding to the driver, an indication that the driver has disabled the feature of the application corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas, wherein transmitting the indication causes the insurance provider to adjust at least one of:
an insurance policy,
an insurance rate,
an insurance premium, or
an insurance discount.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more processors to generate a warning further comprises:
displaying, via the primary interface, a textual warning indicating a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more processors to generate a warning further comprises:
causing the one or more processors to generate an audible alert indicating a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more processors to access data detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents further comprises:
causing the one or more processors to access data detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents, wherein:
(i) a first set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents correspond to vehicle-animal collisions, and
(ii) a second set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents correspond to vehicle-vehicle collisions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein causing the one or more processors to display on the primary interface a plurality of visual representations corresponding to at least one of the plurality of high-risk areas further comprises:
causing the one or more processors to display the virtual representations corresponding to high-risk areas belonging to the first set of the plurality of high-risk areas in a first color; and
causing the one or more processors to display the virtual representations corresponding to high-risk areas belonging to the second set of the plurality of high-risk areas in a second color.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more processors to access data display on the primary interface the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality high-risk areas further comprises:
causing the one or more processors to display only the virtual representations corresponding to high-risk areas that are within a temporal scope defined by at least one of (i) a time of day or (ii) a day of year.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input at the one or more processors, from the driver, indicating an intended change to a zoom level of the virtual road map displayed in the primary interface;
based upon the intended change to the zoom level, accessing a second set of data detailing a second plurality of prior vehicle accidents;
causing the one or more processors to display in the primary interface a plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the second set of data detailing the second plurality of prior vehicle data.

12. A graphical user interface for alleviating a risk of a vehicle collision, the graphical user interface comprising:
a virtual road map;
an icon virtually representing a current location of a vehicle, wherein the current location of the vehicle is updated in response to the vehicle moving to a new location;
a first plurality of virtual danger zones representing a first plurality of high-risk areas, wherein each of the first plurality of high-risk area corresponds to at least a portion of the plurality of prior vehicle-vehicle accident locations, wherein the prior vehicle-vehicle accident locations are stored in a vehicle accident database detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents;
a second plurality of virtual danger zones representing a second plurality of high-risk areas, wherein each of the second plurality of high-risk areas corresponds to at least a portion of the plurality of prior vehicle-animal accident locations, wherein the prior vehicle-animal accident locations are stored in the vehicle accident database detailing the plurality of prior vehicle accidents;
when the current location of the vehicle is not within one of the first plurality of high-risk areas or the second plurality of high-risk areas, an indication of an average or lower than average risk of vehicle accidents; and
when the current location of the vehicle is within one of the first plurality of high-risk areas or the second plurality of high-risk areas, an indication of a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

13. The graphical user interface

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Vose Matthew E
• Bernico Michael
• Mowery Milton
• Sanidas Tim G
• Zimmer Christopher

Classifications

• G01C21/3461

  Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries · CPC title

• G06Q40/08 Primary

  Insurance · CPC title

• B60Q9/008

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• G08G1/0112 Primary

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title

• G08G1/0129

  for creating historical data or processing based on historical data · CPC title