Mileage and speed estimation

Abstract

An approach to determining vehicle usage makes use of a sensor that provides a vibration signal associated with the vehicle, and that vibration signal is used to infer usage. Usage can include distance traveled, optionally associated with particular ranges of speed or road type. In a calibration phase, auxiliary measurements, for instance based on GPS signals, are used to determine a relationshipbetween the vibration signal and usage. In a monitoring phase, the determined relationship is used to infer usage from the vibration signal.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims priority to US Application No. 15 / 211,478 filed July 15, 2016 and is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of said application for US purposes, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Background technique [0003] Insurance companies are very interested in predicting the cost of claims for insured vehicles. A vehicle's mileage is considered a useful predictor of claim costs and is often estimated by odometer degrees. The duration spent traveling at an unsafe speed can also be used to predict claims costs, but is not often recorded. [0004] Current methods for estimating range and speed suffer from several drawbacks. One approach is to install the device into the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port on the vehicle, enabling continuous direct access to odometer and speedometer readings. However, such OBD devices are prone to accidental removal, can drain the vehicle's battery, and can be e...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

While such software applications can be used to record a driver's vehicle usage to, for example, determine distance traveled, speed, or other driving characteristics, sometimes the driver may not be carrying their smartphone, or the software application may not be executing

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