Methods and systems for estimating local weather conditions of roadways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022371596-A1
Application number	US-202217735618-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	May 20, 2021
Publication date	Nov 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein are methods of estimating a chance of precipitation in an area that include identifying one or more vehicles in the area and determining the likelihood of precipitation using telematics data for the one or more vehicles in the area. Also described herein are methods that include receiving telematics data from a plurality of vehicles, wherein the telematics data is associated with a location, analyzing the telematics data to identify vehicle events associated with one or more segments of road, analyzing weather information associated with the one or more segments of road, and determining a correlation between the weather information and the vehicle events.

First claim

1 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A system comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method, wherein the method comprises:
estimating a chance of precipitation in an area, wherein estimating the chance of precipitation comprises:
identifying one or more vehicles in the area; and
determining the likelihood of precipitation using telematics data for the one or more vehicles in the area.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein determining the likelihood of precipitation comprises:
for each vehicle of the one or more vehicles:
analyzing the telematics data; and
estimating a vehicle-specific precipitation state based on the analyzed telematics data; and
determining the likelihood of precipitation based on the vehicle-specific precipitation states.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein for each vehicle:
the telematics data comprises windshield wiper data, analyzing the telematics data comprises determining a duration of windshield wiper use, and estimating the vehicle-specific precipitation state based on the analyzed telematics data comprises estimating the vehicle-specific precipitation state based on whether the duration of windshield wiper use exceeds a predetermined threshold.

21 . The system of claim 19 , wherein determining the likelihood of precipitation based on the vehicle-specific precipitation state of each vehicle comprises performing a logistic regression using the vehicle-specific precipitation states.

22 . The system of claim 19 , wherein estimating the vehicle-specific precipitation state comprises making a binary determination of whether there is precipitation or whether there is not precipitation.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein for each vehicle:
the telematics data comprises windshield wiper data, analyzing the telematics data comprises determining a duration of windshield wiper use, and making the binary determination of whether there is precipitation or whether there is not precipitation comprises:
determining that there is precipitation when the duration of windshield wiper use exceeds a predetermined threshold, and
determining that there is not precipitation when the duration of windshield wiper use does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

24 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the telematics data comprises location data, the method further comprising associating the likelihood of precipitation with the area when the location data is indicative of a position within the area.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the area is less than or equal to 153 m×153 m.

26 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the area is associated with a Geohash length of six or more characters.

27 . The system of claim 18 , wherein determining the likelihood of precipitation using the telematics data comprises determining the likelihood of precipitation using windshield wiper data.

28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein determining the likelihood of precipitation using windshield wiper data comprises determining the likelihood of precipitation using only windshield wiper data.

29 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises determining a type of precipitation in the area.

30 . The system of claim 29 , wherein determining the type of precipitation comprises determining the type of precipitation based, at least in part, on temperature information.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein determining the type of precipitation based, at least in part, on temperature information comprises determining the type of precipitation based only on temperature information.

32 . The system of claim 29 , wherein determining the type of precipitation comprises determining rain and/or snow.

33 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises rerouting at least one vehicle based, at least in part, on the likelihood of precipitation.

34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein rerouting the at least one vehicle comprises rerouting the at least one vehicle to avoid the area.

35 - 56 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Geotab Inc

Inventors

• Prystawski Benjamin Paul
• Lewis Daniel Jacob
• Bradley Robert

Classifications

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title

• G01W1/14 Primary

  Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F) · CPC title

• G01W1/10

  Devices for predicting weather conditions (computers per se G06; display devices G09) · CPC title

• B60W40/02 Primary

  related to ambient conditions · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title