DISTRIBUTED LEDGER SYSTEM FOR USE WITH VEHICLE SENSOR DATA AND USAGE BASED SYSTEMS
Systems and methods are disclosed with respect to using a distributed ledger for use with vehicle sensor data and usage based systems. These usage based systems may be opt-in programs wherein a driver volunteers to install one or more vehicle sensors configured to monitor various characteristics associated with a vehicle (e.g., speed, acceleration, cornering, braking, path, etc.) that are utilized to develop a profile including information quantifying, for example, a driver's habits. Advantageously for the driver, such a profile can be utilized to reward safe drivers with lower insurance rates, including lower usage-based insurance rates.
1 . A computer-implemented method for managing a usage based insurance profile, the method comprising:
implementing a plurality of servers, each of the plurality of servers maintaining a copy of a distributed ledger, the plurality of servers including a vehicle-based server;
collecting, at the vehicle-based server, sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors or mobile device sensors;
generating, at the vehicle-based server, a transaction record including the collected sensor data;
validating the transaction record including the collected sensor data, including:
(i) causing the vehicle-based server to propose the transaction record to one or more other servers from the plurality of servers;
(ii) performing, via the plurality of servers, a consensus analysis of the transaction record utilizing a consensus mechanism; and
(iii) when the consensus analysis indicates that the plurality of servers have formed a consensus, storing the proposed transaction record at the distributed ledger by storing the transaction record to each copy of the distributed ledger at the plurality of servers;
updating a usage-based insurance (UBI) profile based upon an analysis of a plurality of transaction records stored at the distributed ledger, the plurality of transaction records including the proposed transaction record; and
calculating an insurance premium for the driver based upon the UBI profile.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the proposed transaction record at the distributed ledger comprises: storing the transaction to a block.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the consensus analysis comprises generating a hash value for the transaction, and utilizing the hash value for the transaction to generate a hash value for the block.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the consensus mechanism is: a proof of work mechanism, a proof of stake mechanism, or a proof of activity mechanism.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the consensus mechanism is: a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction record includes data representing: an identity of the insured person and an identity of the vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensors include one or more of the following: a GPS receiver, an accelerometer, a heading indicator, a gyroscope, a braking sensor, and a steering wheel sensor.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is or includes: (i) telematics data collected via one or more vehicles or mobile devices; (ii) autonomous vehicle data collected via one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein the autonomous vehicle data includes radar data, image data, or telematics data; (iii) smart infrastructure data collected by smart infrastructure, wherein the smart infrastructure data includes speed data or image data; (iv) data indicating an amount of mileage an autonomous vehicle has been driven or operated; and/or (v) data indicating an amount of time an autonomous vehicle has been driven or operated.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the transaction record includes data representing one or more of: acceleration, braking, speed, and a path of movement.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising publishing the UBI to a user interface of a mobile device accessible by the driver.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising publishing the UBI to a user interface installed in the vehicle.
12 . A system for tracking loss histories, the system comprising:
a plurality of servers maintaining a distributed ledger, the plurality of servers including a vehicle-based server that:
(i) collects sensor data from vehicle sensors or mobile device sensors that track the position and movement of the vehicle;
(ii) generates a transaction record including the collected sensor data; and
(iii) proposes the transaction record to one or more other servers from the plurality of servers;
wherein the plurality of servers are configured to: (i) facilitate validating the transaction record including the collected sensor data, wherein the plurality of servers: (a) perform a consensus analysis of the proposed transaction record utilizing a consensus mechanism; (b) store the transaction record at the distributed ledger when the consensus analysis indicates that the plurality of servers have formed a consensus by storing the transaction record to each copy of the distributed ledger at the plurality of servers; (ii) create a usage-based insurance (UBI) profile based upon an analysis of a plurality of transaction records stored at the distributed ledger, the plurality of transaction records including the proposed transaction record; and (iii) calculate an insurance premium for the driver based upon the UBI profile.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein storing the proposed transaction record at the distributed ledger comprises: storing the transaction to a block.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein performing the consensus analysis comprises generating a hash value for the transaction, and utilizing the hash value for the transaction to generate a hash value for the block.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the consensus mechanism is: a proof of work mechanism, a proof of stake mechanism, or a proof of activity mechanism.
16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the consensus mechanism is: a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.
17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the transaction record includes data representing: an identity of the insured person and an identity of the vehicle.
18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensors include one or more of the following: a GPS receiver, an accelerometer, a heading indicator, a gyroscope, a braking sensor, and a steering wheel sensor.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is or includes: (i) telematics data collected via one or more vehicles or mobile devices; (ii) autonomous vehicle data collected via one or more autonomous vehicles, wherein the autonomous vehicle data includes radar data, image data, or telematics data; (iii) smart infrastructure data collected by smart infrastructure, wherein the smart infrastructure data includes speed data or image data; (iv) data indicating an amount of mileage an autonomous vehicle has been driven or operated; and/or (v) data indicating an amount of time an autonomous vehicle has been driven or operated.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the transaction record includes data representing one or more of: acceleration, braking, speed, and a path of movement.