Methods Using a Mobile Device to Provide Data for Insurance Premiums to a Remote Computer
A method for providing vehicle operation data to a remote computer or server for calculation of a vehicle insurance premium for a period of time based at least in part on collected vehicle operation data, wherein the method includes steps of: collecting vehicle operation data via a mobile device while the mobile device is associated with an operating vehicle, wherein the vehicle operation data has insurance risk predictive power; and transmitting the collected vehicle operation data from the mobile device to a remote computer. The remote computer or server receives collected vehicle operation data, stores the collected vehicle operation data in a database, a determines a vehicle insurance premium via a rating engine based at least in part on collected vehicle operation data.
1 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . A computer-implemented method for calculating driving scores by a mobile device, the method comprising:
scoring, by a mobile device, via execution of an application stored locally in the mobile device by a processor of the mobile device, driving behavior of a driver by:
receiving vehicle operation data that is collected by one or more sensors integrated in the mobile device while a vehicle is in operation;
comparing the vehicle operation data with one or more predefined threshold values;
identifying one or more notable driving events based on the comparison of the collected vehicle operation data with the one or more predefined threshold values; and
calculating one or more driving scores for a driver of the vehicle based on the vehicle operation data and the one or more identified notable driving events; and
after calculating the one or more driving scores by executing the locally stored application, transmitting, by the mobile device, the calculated one or more driving scores to a remote processing computer for insurance premium analysis and/or insurance policy adjustment based on the one or more driver scores.
17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the method further including:
receiving, by the mobile device from the remote processing computer, data comprising an insurance premium for the driver; and
displaying, by the mobile device, the insurance premium for the driver.
18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , the method further including automatically starting vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a first triggering event associated with the vehicle or the mobile device.
19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , the method further including automatically stopping vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a second triggering event associated with the vehicle or the mobile device.
20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein the mobile device is a device selected from smartphone, cell phone, mobile telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop computer, and tablet-style computer.
21 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the method further including automatically starting vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a first triggering event.
22 . The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , the method further including automatically stopping vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a second triggering event.
23 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the mobile device is a device selected from smartphone, cell phone, mobile telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop computer, and tablet-style computer.
24 . The computer-implemented method of claim 23 , the method further including automatically starting vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a first triggering event associated with an accelerometer mounted within the mobile device.
25 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the method further including automatically starting vehicle operation data collection by the mobile device in response to a first triggering event associated with vehicle acceleration.
26 . The method of claim 16 , wherein collection of the vehicle operation data comprises sensing a characteristic of the mobile computing device selected from distance traveled, location, time, and g-force dynamics via the one or more sensors associated with the mobile device.
27 . The method of claim 16 , wherein collection of the vehicle operation data comprises the mobile device collecting vehicle operation data periodically during vehicle operation.
28 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of the mobile device transmitting the calculated one or more driving scores to the remote processing computer comprises the mobile device transmitting the one or more driving scores to the remote processing computer periodically.
29 . A mobile device for collecting and transmitting vehicle-related information, comprising:
a processor configured to score a driving behavior of a driver by:
comparing (i) vehicle operation data collected by one or more integrated sensors of the mobile device with (ii) one or more predefined threshold values;
identifying one or more notable driving events based on the comparison of the collected vehicle operation data with the one or more predefined threshold values; and
calculating one or more scores related to the driving behavior of the driver based on the collected vehicle operation data and the one or more identified notable driving events;
wherein the processor is further configured to direct a transmission of the calculated one or more scores related to the driving behavior of the driver to a remote processing computer for insurance premium analysis or insurance policy adjustment based on the one or more scores.
30 . The mobile device of claim 29 , the processor further configured to:
receive from the remote processing computer data comprising an insurance premium for the driver; and
display on a display device of the mobile device the insurance premium for the driver.
31 . The mobile device of claim 29 , the processor further configured to automatically start collecting vehicle operation data in response to a first triggering event associated with the vehicle or the mobile device.
32 . The mobile device of claim 29 , wherein the first triggering event associated with the vehicle or the mobile device is based upon vehicle acceleration or speed.
33 . The mobile device of claim 16 , the mobile device further configured to automatically stop collecting vehicle operation data in response to a second triggering event associated with the vehicle or the mobile device.
34 . The mobile device of claim 29 , the mobile device further configured to collect vehicle operation data periodically during vehicle operation.
35 . The mobile device of claim 34 , the processor further configured to transmit the one or more driving scores to the remote processing computer periodically.