IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,623,649
Granted Patent B2
US 11,623,649 · App. 17/848,232 · Granted Apr 11, 2023

Managing self-driving behavior of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle based upon actual driving behavior of driver

Inventors: Brian M. Fields (Normal, IL); Joseph P. Harr (Bloomington, IL); Jeremy Myers (Normal, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
B60W40/09B60W50/0098G05D1/0088G06Q40/08B60W2050/0075B60W2050/0088B60W2556/10B60W2556/45
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,623,649
App. No.
17/848,232
Filed
Jun 23, 2022
Granted
Apr 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3662
USPC
701/41
Abstract

A system and method for measuring a driver's actual driving behaviors (e.g., acceleration, deceleration) in a manual driving mode to determine their preferred driving style, and then causing an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to operate itself, within limits, in accordance with the drivers' driving style when operating in a self-driving mode, thereby providing a more familiar and comfortable driving experience for the driver. Data is collected on the actual driving behavior, any pre-existing data is accessed on the actual driving behavior, and the collected data and the pre-existing data are combined. A custom control is then created based upon the combined data, and the custom control is applied to manage the self-driving behavior of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle in a self-driving mode. Additional data continues to be collected on the actual driving behavior, and the custom control is adjusted based upon the collected additional data.

Claims (53)

1. A system for managing a self-driving behavior of a self-driving vehicle, the system comprising:

a communication element configured to receive and transmit signals via a network;

a memory element configured to store information; and

a processing element electronically coupled to the communication element and the memory element and configured to perform the following:

accessing pre-existing telematics data regarding an actual driving behavior of a driver in a manual driving mode;

creating a custom control based upon the pre-existing telematics data, the custom control including not exceeding a limit that is determined by collecting driving behavior data of a plurality of drivers; and

applying the custom control to manage the self-driving behavior of the self-driving vehicle in a self-driving mode.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing telematics data was collected using one or more sensors to measure the actual driving behavior.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the pre-existing telematics data includes a location and a time at which the measured actual driving behavior occurred.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the custom control is a performance threshold for the self-driving driving behavior.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including determining a safe operating range for driving based upon the collected driving behavior data, and basing the limit on the determined safe operating range.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including:

collecting driving behavior data of a plurality of drivers driving through a particular area;

determining a safe operating range for driving through the particular area based upon the collected driving behavior data of the plurality of drivers; and

basing the limit on the determined safe operating range.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including:

collecting driving behavior data of a plurality of drivers driving through a particular area at a particular time;

determining a safe operating range for driving through the particular area at the particular time based upon the collected driving behavior data of the plurality of drivers; and

basing the limit on the determined safe operating range.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein applying the custom control includes:

identifying a change in the actual driving behavior of the driver in the manual driving mode associated with a particular location; and

adjusting the custom control to reflect the change in the actual driving behavior of the driver when the self-driving vehicle is operating in the self-driving mode at the particular location.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein applying the custom control includes:

identifying a change in the actual driving behavior of the driver in the manual driving mode associated with a particular location and a particular time; and

adjusting the custom control to reflect the change in the actual driving behavior of the driver when the self-driving vehicle is operating in the self-driving mode at the particular location at the particular time.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including allowing the driver to transfer the custom control from the self-driving vehicle to a second self-driving vehicle.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including:

creating a plurality of custom controls for a plurality of different drivers of the self-driving vehicle, with each custom control being associated with each different driver;

identifying a particular driver using the self-driving vehicle from the plurality of different drivers; and

applying a particular custom control associated with the identified particular driver from the plurality of custom controls.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further including adjusting an insurance rate based upon the custom control for the self-driving vehicle.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 , further including:

allowing the driver to manually adjust the custom control; and

basing the insurance rate on the manually adjusted custom control and an amount of time spent in the self-driving mode.

14. A computer system for managing a self-driving behavior of a self-driving vehicle, the system comprising:

a communication element configured to receive and transmit signals via a network;

a memory element configured to store information; and

processing element electronically coupled to the communication element and the memory element and configured to perform the following:

accessing pre-existing telematics data regarding an actual driving behavior of a driver in a manual driving mode, wherein the pre-existing telematics data was collected using one or more sensors to measure the actual driving behavior;

creating a custom control based upon the pre-existing telematics data, wherein the custom control is not allowed to exceed a limit that is determined by collecting driving behavior data of a plurality of drivers;

storing the custom control in the memory element; and

applying the custom control to manage the self-driving behavior of the self-driving vehicle in a self-driving mode.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the processing element is further configured to determine a safe operating range for driving based upon the collected driving behavior data, and base the limit on the determined safe operating range.

16. Computer system for managing a self-driving behavior of a self-driving vehicle, the computer system comprising:

a communication element configured to receive and transmit signals via a network;

a memory element configured to store information; and

a processing element electronically coupled to the communication element and the memory element and configured to perform the following:

accessing pre-determined telematics data regarding an actual driving behavior of a driver in a manual driving mode;

creating a custom control based upon the pre-determined telematics data, wherein the custom control is not allowed to exceed a limit that is determined by collecting driving behavior data or a plurality of drivers;

storing the custom control in the memory element; and

applying the custom control to manage the self-driving behavior of the self-driving vehicle in a self-driving mode.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the processing element is further configured to base an insurance rate for the self-driving vehicle upon the custom control.

18. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the processing element is further configured to determine a safe operating range for driving based upon the collected driving behavior data, and base the limit on the determined safe operating range.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2022
From: HARR, JOSEPH; FIELDS, BRIAN M.; MYERS, JEREMY
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 060303/0297 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 16870799 · May 8, 2020
Continuation 16266325 · Feb 4, 2019
Continuation 16000116 · Jun 5, 2018
Continuation 14978701 · Dec 22, 2015
Provisional Application 62182023 · Jun 19, 2015
Provisional Application 62152573 · Apr 24, 2015
Related Publication 20220315014A1 · Oct 6, 2022