Autonomous vehicle operation feature monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754325-B1
Application number	US-201514713266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring use and determining risks associated with operation of a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, a virtual log of data regarding performance of the features in a non-test environment may be recorded during operation of the vehicle. This may include information regarding the vehicle, the vehicle environment, use of the autonomous operation features, and/or control decisions made by the features. The control decisions may include evasive maneuvers performed by the vehicle under the control of the features. The performance data in the virtual log may be used to determine risk levels associated with vehicle operation by the autonomous operation features. The risk levels may further be used to adjust an insurance policy associated with the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle, the method comprising:
collecting, by an on-board computer of the vehicle, a virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology from the vehicle during vehicle operation, wherein the actual driving performance includes each of the following virtual log entries for each of a plurality of control decisions at a plurality of times during vehicle operation: (i) an implemented control decision generated by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology and implemented by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology to control the vehicle, (ii) an unimplemented control decision generated by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology but not implemented to control the vehicle, (iii) an indication of one or more environmental conditions, and (iv) a vehicle response to each implemented control decision;
analyzing, by one or more processors, the virtual log entries based upon the vehicle responses to the implemented control decisions and predicted vehicle responses to the unimplemented control decisions;
determining, by one or more processors, a rating of effectiveness of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology in controlling the vehicle based upon the analysis of the virtual log entries;
determining, by one or more processors, a risk level associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology based at least in part upon the rating of effectiveness;
determining, by one or more processors, an adjustment to an insurance policy based at least in part upon the determined risk level associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology; and
causing, by one or more processors, the adjustment to the insurance policy to be implemented.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment to the insurance policy includes one or more of generating, updating, or adjusting one or more of the following: a premium, a rate, a discount, a reward, a deductible, or a limit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the risk level indicates a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk level is based at least in part upon analysis of one or more of the following indicated by the virtual log: (1) evasive maneuvers that the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology directed the vehicle to perform; or (2) operating conditions under which the evasive maneuvers were performed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk level is based at least in part upon analysis of one or more of the following indicated by the virtual log: (1) how the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology responded to driving behaviors of other drivers operating other vehicles near the vehicle; or (2) evaluating the responsiveness of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology to the driving behavior of other drivers operating other vehicles near the vehicle.

6. A computer system for evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle, comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more communication modules adapted to communicate data; and
a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer to:
collect a virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology from the vehicle via the one or more communication modules, wherein the actual driving performance includes each of the following virtual log entries for each of a plurality of control decisions at a plurality of times during vehicle operation: (i) an implemented control decision generated by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology and implemented by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology to control the vehicle, (ii) an unimplemented control decision generated by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology but not implemented to control the vehicle, (iii) an indication of one or more environmental conditions, and (iv) a vehicle response to each implemented control decision, wherein the virtual log of actual driving performance is collected by an on-board computer of the vehicle during vehicle operation;
analyze the virtual log entries based upon the vehicle responses to the implemented control decisions and predicted vehicle responses to the unimplemented control decisions;
determine a rating of effectiveness of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology in controlling the vehicle based upon the analysis of the virtual log entries;
determine a risk level associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology based at least in part upon the rating of effectiveness;
determine an adjustment to an insurance policy based at least in part upon the determined risk level associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology; and
cause the adjustment to the insurance policy to be implemented.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the adjustment to the insurance policy includes one or more of generating, updating, or adjusting one or more of the following: a premium, a rate, a discount, a reward, a deductible, or a limit.

8. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the risk level indicates a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident.

9. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the risk level is determined based at least in part upon analysis of one or more of the following indicated by the virtual log: (1) evasive maneuvers that the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology directed the vehicle to perform; or (2) operating conditions under which the evasive maneuvers were performed.

10. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the risk level is determined based at least in part upon analysis of one or more of the following indicated by the virtual log: (1) how the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology responded to driving behavior of other drivers operating other vehicles near the vehicle; or (2) evaluating the responsiveness of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology to the driving behavior of other drivers operating other vehicles near the vehicle.

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Konrardy Blake
• Christensen Scott T
• Hayward Gregory
• Farris Scott

Classifications

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G08G1/096791

  where the origin of the information is another vehicle · CPC title

• G08G1/005

  including pedestrian guidance indicator · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• H04W4/90

  Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] · CPC title