Using train telematics data to reduce accident risk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841286-B1
Application number	US-201614990139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 7, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A computer system configured to use train telematics data may be mounted on or within an autonomous vehicle, and which may be configured to (1) receive train telematics data associated with a train that includes GPS location, speed, route, heading, acceleration, and/or track data; (2) determine, based upon the train telematics data, when, or a time period of when, the train will pass through, be passing through, and/or be within a predetermined distance of a railroad crossing; (3) determine an alternate route for the autonomous vehicle to take to avoid waiting at the railroad crossing; and (4) direct the autonomous vehicle to automatically travel along the alternate route or automatically stop at the railroad crossing to allow the train to pass unimpeded and to facilitate avoidance of train-vehicle collisions. Insurance discounts may be generated based upon the risk mitigation or prevention functionality.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A computer system configured to use train telematics data to reduce risk of accidents, the computer system comprising:
at least one of one or more processors or one or more associated transceivers, the at least one of the one or more processors or the one or more associated transceivers located on or within an autonomous vehicle, the at least one of the one or more processors or the one or more associated transceivers configured to:
receive, at the autonomous vehicle via wireless communication or data transmission, train telematics data associated with a train directly from a train transceiver or indirectly from a railroad crossing, the train telematics data including Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, speed data, at least one of direction data or heading data, and at least one of acceleration data or deceleration data;
determine, at the autonomous vehicle based upon the train telematics data, (1) when, or a time period of when, the train will pass through or be passing through the railroad crossing or another railroad crossing, or (2) when the train is within a predetermined distance of the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing;
determine, at the autonomous vehicle, an alternate route for the autonomous vehicle to take to avoid waiting at the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing to allow for the train to pass;
direct the autonomous vehicle to one of (1) automatically travel along the alternate route, or (2) automatically stop at the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing to allow the train to pass unimpeded; and
send an indication to an insurance provider remote server that the autonomous vehicle includes risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with (i) receiving a wireless communication broadcast including the train telematics data, (ii) analyzing the train telematics data, and (iii) directing corrective actions based upon a relevance of an identified anomaly, the relevance of the identified anomaly being determined based upon whether a location of the train as determined based upon the train telematics data is within a threshold distance of a current location of the autonomous vehicle, so as to cause generation of an insurance discount that is displayed to an insured customer associated with the autonomous vehicle so as to incentivize the insured customer to facilitate avoidance of train-vehicle collisions and safer train and vehicle travel.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more processors or the one or more associated transceivers are configured to determine when, or the time period of when, the train will pass through or be passing through the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing based upon at least one of (1) at least one of the GPS location data, the speed data, the at least one of the direction data or the heading data, or the at least one of the acceleration data or the deceleration data, or (2) comparison via the one or more processors of the at least one of the GPS location data, the speed data, the at least one of the direction data or the heading data, or the at least one of the acceleration data or the deceleration data with GPS location data of the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing and a current time.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the train telematics data includes data selected from one or more of:
a timestamp;
one or more sensor metrics indicative of braking motion of the train;
one or more sensor metrics indicative of acceleration motion of the train;
one or more sensor metrics indicative of cornering motion of the train; and
one or more sensor metrics indicative of a direction of the train.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the train telematics data further includes track data associated with the train.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the train telematics data includes one or more of: time, braking, the acceleration, left turn, right turn, the heading, GPS (Global Positioning System) speed, GPS latitude and longitude, gyroscope, battery level, and telephone usage data associated with the train.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising the insurance provider remote server, wherein the insurance provider remote server is configured to at least one of adjust or generate the insurance discount for the autonomous vehicle.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising the insurance provider remote server, wherein the insurance provider remote server is configured to at least one of adjust or generate the insurance discount as a time or mileage usage-based insurance discount for the autonomous vehicle based upon an amount of usage of the risk mitigation or prevention functionality.

8. A computer-implemented method of using train telematics data to reduce risk of accidents, the method comprising:
receiving, at an autonomous vehicle via at least one of one or more processors or one or more associated transceivers located on or within the autonomous vehicle, via wireless communication or data transmission, the train telematics data associated with a train directly from a train transceiver or indirectly from a railroad crossing, the train telematics data including Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, speed data, at least one of direction data or heading data, and at least one of acceleration data or deceleration data;
determining, at the autonomous vehicle via the one or more processors based upon the train telematics data, (1) when, or a time period of when, the train will pass through or be passing through the railroad crossing or another railroad crossing, or (2) when the train is within a predetermined distance of the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing;
determining, at the autonomous vehicle via the one or more processors, an alternate route for the autonomous vehicle to take to avoid waiting at the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing to allow for the train to pass;
directing, via the one or more processors, the autonomous vehicle to one of (1) automatically travel along the alternate route, or (2) automatically stop at the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing to allow the train to pass unimpeded; and
sending, via the at least one of the one or more processors or the one or more associated transceivers, an indication to an insurance provider remote server that the autonomous vehicle includes risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with (i) receiving a wireless communication broadcast including the train telematics data, (ii) analyzing the train telematics data, and (iii) directing corrective actions based upon a relevance of an identified anomaly, the relevance of the identified anomaly being determined based upon whether a location of the train as determined based upon the train telematics data is within a threshold distance of a current location of the autonomous vehicle, so as to cause generation of an insurance discount that is displayed to an insured customer associated with the autonomous vehicle so as to incentivize the insured customer to facilitate avoidance of train-vehicle collisions and safer train and vehicle travel.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein determining, via the one or more processors, when, or the time period of when, the train will pass through or be passing through the railroad crossing or the another railroad crossing based upon the train telematics data is based upon at least one of (1) at least one of the GPS location data, the speed data, the at least one of the direction data or the heading data, or the at least one of the acceleration data or the deceleration data, or (2) comparison via th

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Hayward Gregory

Classifications

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• G01S19/51

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• G08G7/02 Primary

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G01S19/42

  Determining position · CPC title