IP Library Granted Patent US 11,657,460
Granted Patent B2
US 11,657,460 · App. 17/892,040 · Granted May 23, 2023

Using historical data for subrogation on a distributed ledger

Inventors: William J. Leise (Normal, IL); Douglas A. Graff (Mountain View, MO); Anthony McCoy (Normal, IL); Jaime Skaggs (Chenoa, IL); Shawn M. Call (Bloomington, IL); Stacie A. McCullough (Bloomington, IL); Wendy H. Clayton (Franklin, TN); Melinda Teresa Magerkurth (Utica, IL); Kim E. Flesher (Normal, IL); Travis Charles Runge (Heyworth, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
G06Q40/08G06F16/27G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,657,460
App. No.
17/892,040
Filed
Aug 19, 2022
Granted
May 23, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3698
USPC
705/4
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed with respect to using a blockchain for managing the subrogation claim process related to a vehicle accident, in particular, utilizing historical data related to a vehicle or vehicle collisions as part of the subrogation process. An exemplary embodiment may include receiving historical sensor data, such as image, audio, telematics, and/or autonomous vehicle data, associated with a past vehicle collision; inputting the historical sensor data into a machine learning program to determine data relevant to a past vehicle collision; receiving current sensor data associated with a current vehicle collision; inputting the current sensor data into the machine learning program to determine data relevant to the current vehicle collision; and determining a percentage of fault of the vehicle collision for one or more autonomous vehicles, autonomous vehicle systems, and/or drivers based upon, at least in part, analysis of the historical sensor data and the current sensor data.

Claims (62)

1. A computer-implemented method of handling an insurance claim via a shared ledger, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors, historical sensor data associated with a past vehicle collision;

inputting, at the one or more processors, the historical sensor data into an algorithm, the algorithm being a machine learning algorithm that is trained by the historical sensor data to determine a percentage of fault for human drivers or self-driving vehicles;

receiving, at the one or more processors, current sensor data associated with a vehicle collision;

inputting, at the one or more processors, the current sensor data into the machine learning algorithm to determine a percentage of fault of the current vehicle collision for a human driver or a self-driving vehicle;

adding, at the one or more processors, a block to a blockchain with an indication of the determined percentage of fault determined by the trained machine learning algorithm; and

automatically processing and/or adjusting, at the one or more processors, an insurance claim via the blockchain.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic arbitration demand associated with the vehicle collision; and

generating, at the one or more processors, a recommendation based upon, at least in part, analysis of the percentage of fault and the electronic arbitration demand.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

generating, at the one or more processors, a new block including the recommendation or a link thereto; and

adding, at the one or more processors, the new block to the blockchain.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is generated by smart infrastructure or by a vehicle not involved in the vehicle collision.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes telematics data collected by another vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle collision.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic notification of the vehicle collision generated by the vehicle from analysis of sensor data generated by one or more vehicle-mounted sensors.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic notification of the vehicle collision generated by the vehicle from analysis of image data generated by one or more vehicle-mounted sensors or cameras.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic notification of the vehicle collision generated by the vehicle from analysis of telematics data generated by one or more vehicle-mounted sensors.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic notification of the vehicle collision generated by the vehicle from analysis of sensor data generated by one or more vehicle-mounted sensors, and sensor or other data, such as telematics data, received from the vehicle and one or more nearby vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle collision location.

10. A computer-implemented method of handling an insurance claim via a shared ledger, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors, historical sensor data associated with a past vehicle collision;

inputting, at the one or more processors, the historical sensor data into an algorithm, the algorithm being a machine learning algorithm that is trained by the historical sensor data to: (i) determine a percentage of fault for human drivers or self-driving vehicles, and (ii) determine data relevant to a past vehicle collision;

receiving, at the one or more processors, current sensor data associated with a current vehicle collision;

inputting, at the one or more processors, the current sensor data into the machine learning algorithm to determine: (i) that a vehicle was under autonomous control before, during, and/or after the current vehicle collision, and (ii) a percentage of fault for the vehicle determined to be under autonomous control;

adding, at the one or more processors, a block to a blockchain with an indication of the determined percentage of fault for the vehicle determined to be under autonomous control; and

automatically processing and/or adjusting, at the one or more processors, an insurance claim via the blockchain.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic arbitration demand associated with the vehicle collision; and

generating, at the one or more processors, a recommendation based upon, at least in part, analysis of the percentage of fault and the electronic arbitration demand.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating, at the one or more processors, a new block including the recommendation or a link thereto; and

adding, at the one or more processors, the new block to the blockchain.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor data is generated by smart infrastructure or by a vehicle not involved in the vehicle collision.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor data includes telematics data collected by the vehicle, a mobile device traveling within the vehicle, another vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle collision, or combinations thereof.

15. A computer system for providing data relevant to collisions and subrogation claims by interacting with a distributed ledger maintained by a plurality of participants, the system comprising:

a network interface configured to interface with one or more processors;

one or more sensors;

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions and configured to interface with the one or more processors; and

the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

receive historical sensor data associated with a past vehicle collision;

input the historical sensor data into a machine learning algorithm to train the machine learning algorithm to determine a percentage of fault for human drivers or self-driving vehicles;

receive current sensor data associated with a current vehicle collision;

input the current sensor data into the machine learning algorithm to determine a percentage of fault of the current vehicle collision for a human driver or a self-driving vehicle;

add a block to a blockchain with an indication of the determined percentage of fault determined by the trained machine learning algorithm; and

automatically process and/or adjust, at the one or more processors, an insurance claim via the blockchain.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

receive an electronic arbitration demand associated with the vehicle collision; and

generate a recommendation based upon, at least in part, analysis of the percentage of fault and the electronic arbitration demand.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

generate a new block including the recommendation or a link thereto; and

add the new block to the blockchain.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sensor data is generated by smart infrastructure or by a vehicle not involved in the vehicle collision.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

receive an electronic notification of the vehicle collision generated by the vehicle from analysis of sensor data generated by one or more vehicle-mounted sensors.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to add, to the blockchain, an additional block including an electronic subrogation demand;

the electronic subrogation demand is based on the determined percentage of fault, and wherein the electronic subrogation demand includes one or more line items directed to medical expenses; and

the processor is further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to add, to the blockchain, a block including a hash of the electronic subrogation demand.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2023
From: LEISE, WILLIAM J.; GRAFF, DOUGLAS A.; MCCOY, ANTHONY; SKAGGS, JAIME; CALL, SHAWN M.; MCCULLOUGH, STACIE A.; CLAYTON, WENDY H.; MAGERKURTH, MELINDA TERESA; FLESHER, KIM E.; RUNGE, TRAVIS CHARLES
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 063198/0207 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 16999260 · Aug 21, 2020
Continuation 15957438 · Apr 19, 2018
Provisional Application 62609644 · Dec 22, 2017
Provisional Application 62555358 · Sep 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62554907 · Sep 6, 2017
Provisional Application 62555030 · Sep 6, 2017
Related Publication 20220405857A1 · Dec 22, 2022
Cited By (5)
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