State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

Other

Steve Roberson

Brian Mark Fields

Scott T Christensen

Bryan Allen Plummer

Jibo He

Stephen R Prevatt

Abhishek Harish

Hyunji Lim

Matthew James Waughtel

Parker Andrew Brown

John Adrian Nepomuceno

Jufeng James Peng

Steve Cielocha

Douglas L Dewey

Jon Hodel

Kurtis C Houdek

Neeraj Jain

Kenneth Jason Sanchez

Aaron Scott Chan

Nathan Lee Tofte

Steven C Cielocha

Kristopher Keith Gaudin

Michael L Bernico

Matthew Christopher Jon Donovan

Duane Christiansen

Julian Coltea

Systems and methods are provided for controlling operation of a vehicle. An example system for controlling operation of a vehicle includes one or more data collection components and one or more processors. The one or more data collection components are configured to collect data representative of a physical configuration of an interior vehicle component. The one or more processors are configured to access the collected data, determine, by processing the collected data, the physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, select a manner of operation based upon the determined physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, and cause the vehicle to operate according to the manner of operation.

Dynamic limiting of vehicle operation based on interior configurations

An impairment analysis ('IA') computer system for alerting a first driver of a first vehicle to a driving hazard posed by a second vehicle operated by a second driver is provided. The IA computer system is associated with the first vehicle, and includes at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device. The at least one processor is programmed to: (i) receive second vehicle data including second driver data and second vehicle condition data, where the second vehicle data is collected by a plurality of sensors included on the first vehicle; (ii) analyze the second vehicle data by applying a baseline model to the second vehicle data; (iii) determine that the second vehicle poses a driving hazard to the first vehicle based upon the analysis; and/or (iv) generate an alert signal based upon the determination that the second vehicle poses a driving hazard to the first vehicle.

Vehicle collision alert system and method for detecting driving hazards

An impairment analysis ('IA') computer system for detecting an impairment is provided. The IA computer system is associated with a host vehicle, and includes at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device. The at least one processor is programmed to: (i) interrogate or otherwise scan a target vehicle by using a plurality of sensors included on a host vehicle to scan the target vehicle and a target driver; (ii) receive sensor data including target driver data and target vehicle condition data; (iii) analyze the sensor data by applying a baseline model to the sensor data; (iv) detect an impairment of the target driver or target vehicle based upon the analysis; and/or (v) output an alert signal to a host vehicle controller, or direct collision preventing actions (such as automatically engage vehicle safety systems), based upon the determination that the target driver or target vehicle is impaired.

Vehicle collision alert system and method

In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.

Driver re-engagement system

An alert may be triggered to notify a pedestrian of the current operational mode of a nearby vehicle. For instance, a vehicle may operate in an autonomous or manual mode, and may occasionally switch from one mode to the other. A pedestrian who may be unaware of the current operational mode of a nearby vehicle may notice the alert and proceed accordingly. In one embodiment, an indication of the current operational mode of the nearby vehicle may be transmitted to an electronic device associated with the pedestrian. The device may generate a notification to the pedestrian based on the current operational mode. In an additional or alternative embodiment, the alert may be transmitted by the vehicle externally to be visible or audible to the pedestrian. In some embodiments, the alert may be triggered only for particular operational modes (e.g., only for autonomous or only for manual).

Autonomous vehicle mode alert system for bystanders

Systems and methods for providing an aspirational safe driving incentive to drivers having the propensity or ability to improve high risk driving behaviors are provided. Drivers exhibiting high risk driving behaviors may be identified, and initial vehicle telematics data associated with each of the drivers may be collected and analyzed in order to determine which drivers have propensity or ability to improve their high risk driving behaviors. These candidate drivers may receive a probationary safe driving incentive along with feedback configured to improve the drivers' high risk driving behaviors. Updated vehicle telematics data associated with each candidate driver may be collected in order to evaluate an extent to which each candidate driver has improved his or her high risk driving behaviors. Accordingly, a candidate driver's probationary safe driving incentive may be modified or maintained based on the extent to which the candidate has improved upon high risk driving behaviors.

Predictive risk propensity model for improving high risk driving behaviors

Systems and methods are provided for improving safety of one or more vehicle occupants. An example method for improving safety of one or more vehicle occupants includes accessing interior vehicle configuration data that is generated by, or derived from data generated by an interior data collection component, the data representing an interior space of a vehicle; determining, by processing the interior vehicle configuration data, location and orientation of one or more vehicle occupants; selecting a plurality of vehicle safety components to be active based on the location and orientation of the one or more vehicle occupants, and setting the plurality of vehicle safety components to an active state in which the plurality of vehicle safety components are deployed, when an emergency condition is detected.

Adjusting interior configuration of a vehicle based on vehicle contents

A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle following a collision. Sensor data that includes, or is derived from data that includes, data collected by one or more sensors is received, and a vehicle accident condition indicative of an accident having occurred is detected by processing the sensor data. After detecting the vehicle accident condition, an actuator component is caused to prevent a passenger from adjusting an interior vehicle component outside a predetermined range of physical configurations, while allowing the passenger to adjust the interior vehicle component within the predetermined range of physical configurations.

System and method for adjusting an interior configuration of a vehicle in response to a vehicular accident

Systems and methods are provided for dynamically protecting transportable articles in vehicles. A system for dynamically protecting a transportable article in a vehicle may include one or more processors and non-volatile memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to determine at least one of a characteristic or a trait of the transportable article; detect, based on sensed data, an emergency condition; select one or more article protection components based on (i) the at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article, and (ii) the detected emergency condition; and in response to detecting the emergency condition, deploy the selected one or more article protection components to protect the transportable article.

Dynamic safe storage of vehicle content

Systems and methods are provided for dampening impact to a vehicle. The system may include a vehicle frame component; a plurality of adjustable exterior vehicle body components coupled to the frame component, wherein the vehicle body components are on different sides of a vehicle and are configurable to dampen an external force exerted on the vehicle; a plurality of actuator components configured to adjust physical configurations of the vehicle body components relative to the frame component; a component configured to collect data representing an external environment of the vehicle; and one or more processors configured to detect, by processing the data, an external driving condition, wherein the external driving condition is an impending collision between the vehicle and one or more objects external to the vehicle, and when the external driving condition is detected, cause the actuator components to correspondingly adjust the physical configurations of the vehicle body components.

System and method for dampening impact to a vehicle

Systems and methods for real-time detection and mitigation anomalous behavior of a remote vehicle are provided, e.g., vehicle behavior that is consistent with distracted or unexpectedly disabled driving. On-board and off-board sensors associated with a subject vehicle may monitor the subject vehicle's environment, and behavior characteristics of a remote vehicle operating within the subject vehicle's environment may be determined based upon collected sensor data. The remote vehicle's behavior characteristics may be utilized to detect or determine the presence of anomalous behavior, which may be anomalous for the current contextual conditions of the vehicles' environment. Mitigating actions for detected remote vehicle anomalous behaviors may be suggested and/or automatically implemented at the subject vehicle and/or at proximate vehicles to avoid or reduce the risk of accidents, injury, or death resulting from the anomalous behavior. In some situations, authorities may be notified.

Growing community of inventors

Normal, IL, United States of America

Steve Roberson