WO2014207660A1

WO2014207660A1 - System and method for the geographic-temporal verification of vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2014207660A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/062566
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuseppe Simonazzi
Original assignee: Meta System S.P.A.
Priority date: 2013-06-26
Filing date: 2014-06-24
Publication date: 2014-12-31
Also published as: EP3014216A1; ITMO20130187A1

Abstract

The geographic-temporal verification system (1) for vehicles (2) comprises: a remote station (3) and a telematic appliance (4) that can be mounted on board of a vehicle (2) and comprises: a location device for determining the position of the vehicle (2); a communication device for communicating with the station (3); and at least a processing unit for managing said location device and said communication device. The system (1) further comprises: identification means (7) comprising identification data able to associate the identification means (7) with the vehicle (2); and reading means (8) for reading the identification data, comprising location data concerning the position of a geographic point of interest (9), the reading means (8) being suitable for communicating with the station (3) and for transmitting information about the identification data, the location data and the time when the identification data have been read. The station (3) comprises verification means able to determine the position of the vehicle (2) with respect to the geographic point of interest (9) at the reading time.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC-TEMPORAL VERIFICATION OF VEHICLES

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a geographic-temporal verification system and method for vehicles.

Background Art

Within the field of car insurance, systems are known for determining tariffs based on the actual use of the insured motor vehicle.

Such systems comprise telematic appliances installed on board of motor vehicles to determine their actual use.

These appliances first of all comprise a processing unit connectable to its station.

Such appliances also comprise a radio-wave device, of the type commonly used in the field of mobile phones such as, e.g. a GSM, GPRS, UMTS transceiver or the like.

The radio-wave device, in particular, supports the sending of information stored in the appliance towards a remote station.

The appliances of this type also include a satellite receiver, e.g., a GPS receiver, which permits localizing the motor vehicle.

In practice, appliance operation involves the collecting of information relating to the position of the motor vehicle by means of the satellite receiver and the subsequent transmission of such information towards the remote station, by means of the radio-wave device.

The collected information is then used to determine a "by consumption" insurance premium, i.e., based on the actual use of the insured motor vehicle. In detail, the main parameter used to establish the premium consists of the vehicle mileage during the period of validity of the insurance, e.g., one year or six months, etc. . .

Such parameter will clearly be taken into consideration when calculating the premium for the renewal of the policy, which will therefore depend on the mileage covered during the period of validity of the previous contract.

This system provides significant advantages to insurance companies and to a number of their insured clients, but does not fully exploit the potential offered by the above-described telematic appliances.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a geographic-temporal verification system and method for vehicles which permits increasing the technical scope of application of the telematic appliances for motor vehicles, especially for the purpose of maintaining client loyalty.

Within this aim, one object of the present invention is to provide a geographic- temporal verification system and method for vehicles which permits maintaining the business of insurance company clients, particularly within the field of "by consumption" policies, with a premium based on mileage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a geographic-temporal verification system and method for vehicles which allow to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art in the ambit of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as low cost solution.

The above mentioned objects are achieved by the present geographic-temporal verification system for vehicles, according to claim 1, and by the present geographic-temporal verification method for vehicles, according to claim 8. Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the geographic-temporal verification system for vehicles, illustrated by way of an indicative, but not limitative example in the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a schematic representation of the system according to the invention. Embodiments of the Invention

With special reference to these figures, generally indicated by reference number 1 is the system of the invention.

The system 1 has been designed to perform a geographic-temporal verification of vehicles, with special reference to motor vehicles 2.

Hereinafter, for explanatory convenience only, reference will be made to the particular case wherein the vehicles using the system 1 are cars 2, without this restricting the scope of the invention. We also anticipate that the invention is designed in particular to be used by insurance companies within the field of car civil liability policies with premiums based on mileage.

As will be explained in detail when describing the operation of the invention, the proposed system 1 permits, in synergy with "by consumption" policies, to maintain client loyalty, especially if used in commercial initiatives in agreement with third entrepreneurial parties, such as large organized distribution chains and the like.

The system 1 of the invention, in its more general aspects, first of all comprises a remote station 3, preferably having one or more dedicated electronic processors which are associated with at least one database.

The system 1 also comprises at least one telematic appliance 4 that can be mounted on board of the car 2.

Preferably, the appliance 4 is of the type comprising: at least a location device, e.g., a satellite receiver, suitable for determining the position of the car 2; at least a communication device, e.g., a GSM, GPRS, UMTS transceiver or the like suitable for communicating with the station 3; and at least a processing unit to manage the location device and the communication device.

Such processing unit can be of the type connectable to the station of the car 2. The satellite receiver can be of the type of a GPS, GLONASS receiver or the like and, therefore, can perform the triangulation of the signals coming from the constellation of artificial satellites 5.

In practice, the processing unit of the appliance 4 receives, from the location device, data relating to its georeferencing (and consequently to that of car 2) and can transmit these to the station 3 using its communication device, if necessary with the interposition of radio links 6 or repeaters or other infrastructures that implement one of the numerous available telecommunication networks.

The system 1 of the invention also comprises identification means 7, preferably of the portable type, comprising identification data which are suitable for associating the identification means 7 themselves with the car 2.

In practice, such means, which can advantageously comprise a smart card 7 or other similar electronic device, are associated in a binary relationship with the car 2.

In the preferential case of the identification means 7 being of the electronic type, then the identification data are recorded on an electronic memory included in such means 7.

The aforementioned binary relationship can be of the univocal type, and in this case the identification data associate a single car 2 with the identification means 7; alternatively, the same identification means 7 can be associated with several cars 2, e.g., belonging to the same person or for which the same person has taken out car civil liability insurance policies, etc.

The identification means 7 are able to identify a person, e.g., a person that carries them with him/her, as an individual associated with a given car 2.

This association is made possible by the aforementioned identification data which create a definite relationship between the identification means 7 and the car 2.

The invention then provides reading means 8 to read the identification data of the identification means 7.

The reading means 8 comprise location data concerning the position of at least one geographic point of interest 9.

The expression "point of interest" is given here the meaning it has within the field of cartography and more in general of geography, where it is usually abbreviated in POI ("point of interest"); an alternative expression used in the same field, with the same meaning, is "waypoint".

As will be better explained when describing how the invention works, the reading means 8 can be placed precisely at the geographic point of interest 9, which can e.g. be commercial premises, such as the supermarket shown in the illustration, or a filling station, a shop, but also a public library, etc...

The location data are not necessarily the geographic coordinates of the point of interest 9, but may be data which are associated with such coordinates and are therefore able to convey in an indirect way the location of the point of interest. To understand this, consider first of all that the reading means 8 of the invention are of the type suitable for communicating with the station 3 and for transmitting to it information relating to the identification data, to the location data and to the time when the identification data have been read.

For example, such location data could be included in an encrypted file sent to the station 3 by an electronic device included in the reading means 8.

By means of the above databank of the station 3, it is possible to recover the geographic coordinates of the point of interest 9 which were previously stored in the databank, univocally associating them with the location data.

In other words, in the present description, by "location data" shall be meant data which are usable, including indirectly, to obtain the position of a point of interest 9.

In fact, as will be explained below, the position of the point of interest 9 is an important piece of information for the operation of the system 1; as has been said, it may already be known to the station 3 and, in this case, the location data are identification data of the point of interest.

The reading means 8 could also directly include the geographic coordinates of the point of interest 9 which, in this case, would directly make up such location data.

In any case, the location data associate the reading means 8 with the point (or points) of interest 9.

Notice that, while it is clear that in the case of the use of the smart card 7, the reading means comprise reading devices 8 for smart cards, suitable for automatically reading the identification data, this does not mean that, in the case of other identification means 7, manual intervention is ruled out.

For example, if such identification means 7 comprise a token complete with display screen, then the reading means 8 can be of the type comprising a keyboard for keying in the code shown on the display screen, such code being read by a specific control unit included in the means 8 themselves.

If instead, the identification means 7 comprise a USB token, it will be enough for the reading means to comprise a USB port.

The reading means 8, with the purpose of the transmission of data to the station 3, can be equipped with a communication device like that contained in the telematic appliance 4 or with other devices suitable for the purpose. According to a very important aspect of the proposed system 1, the station 3 comprises verification means to determine the position of the car 2 with respect to the geographic point of interest 9 at the time the reading means 8 read the identification data from the identification means 7.

In practice, the verification means, which may comprise a computer program, determine where the car 2 is located at the time the identification means 7 associated with it interact with the reading means 8.

Explained below is the operation of the invention in relation to its application in the insurance field, without prejudice to the fact that it can also be used in other sectors too.

In detail, below, reference will be made to the case in which the system 1 is used by insurance companies to determine a premium for car civil liability policies based on mileage.

In practice, the insurance policy is combined with a loyalty-building program in agreement with commercial parties, e.g., forming part of the large-scale organized distribution sector or fuel distribution chains, etc.

One or more businesses of such parties make up or comprise the points of interest 9 which have been discussed above.

By way of example, reference will be made below to a point of interest made up of a supermarket 9, in which the above-mentioned reading means 8 are present. The above-mentioned loyalty-building program associates the purchases made in the supermarket 9 with a predetermined bonus for the mileage covered by the insured car 2 without any further cost for the insured party.

This way, the higher the expenditure in the supermarket 9 the less the premium to be paid to renew the policy with the same company for the same car 2.

Advantageously, the system 1 offers a solution to the problem of making sure the insured car 2 is really used to transport the owner/holder to the supermarket where the purchase is made, which is the reason why the above bonus is provided.

To achieve this, the invention provides the above identification means 7, which comprise the identification data discussed above.

The identification data can include an identification code of the car 2 itself, or of the holder of the policy relating to the car 2 or again of the policy itself; in any case, these make it possible to associate the car 2 with the identification means, hereinafter referred to in the exemplified form of the smart card 7.

Such smart card 7 can be issued to the contracting party when the insurance policy is stipulated.

Clearly, the stipulation of the contract also implies the fitting of the telematic appliance 4 on board of the insured car 2.

The holder of the policy, in the event of wanting to avail itself of the loyalty- building program, goes to the supermarket 9 using the insured car and taking with him/her the smart card 7.

At the time of purchase, the smart card 7 will be presented to the cash desk, or to an automatic cash desk, and this will be read by means of the specific reading device of the reading means 8, which can be connected to the cash register (or integrated in this) to receive the purchase data relating to the amount of the purchases made.

The reading means 7 will communicate to the station 3 the above information comprising the identification data, the location data referring to the supermarket 9, the purchase data and the datum relating to the moment the smart card 7 was read, substantially corresponding to the moment of the transaction.

The station 3, as explained above, also has at disposal the georeferenced information of the car 2, which has reached the station 3 from the telematic appliance 4, mounted on board of the car, which comprises the above location device and communication device.

This way, the above verification means can detect where the car 2 is located at the time the smart card 7 is read and thus verify whether the person who has made the purchases has gone to the supermarket with the insured car 2.

In a particular embodiment, the verification means are suitable, upon receiving the above information, for determining whether the distance of the car 2 from the point of interest 9, at the moment of reading, is below a reference value. In this case, the verification is positive if, at the moment of reading, the car 2 is within a radius of predefined amplitude from the supermarket 9.

In a different, more elaborate embodiment, the station 3 precisely "knows" the coordinates of the car parks 10 of the supermarket 9 and can verify whether, at the moment of reading, the car 2 is parked in such car parks 10; in the case of a different type of point of interest, instead of the car parks there will be another area of interest relating to the specific case.

This version is particularly suitable to the case of supermarkets 9 included in large shopping malls, and can be used to verify the above bonuses are not credited to whoever lives in neighboring areas to the supermarket 9 and can therefore leave the car parked at home, i.e., in any case in the proximity of the supermarket 9, to reach this on foot, taking the smart-card with him/her.

Optionally, as schematically indicated in figure 1, the invention can make available a smart phone application to allow the holder of the policy to monitor the total mileage accumulated by means of bonus accrediting through his/her phone 11 or tablet or the like.

From the explanation expounded above, it can be appreciated how the use of the invention permits building the loyalty of the insurance company client, inasmuch as he/she can only "draw" the bonuses at the time of renewing the policy.

The chain of supermarkets 9, or other agreed party, will also achieve client loyalty building, with the big advantage that, unlike the other initiatives relating to point premiums or the like, the system 1 does not involve any particular management costs.

The invention also provides a geographic-temporal verification method for vehicles 2.

The proposed method comprises the following steps:

a. providing at least a remote station 3;

b. providing at least a telematic appliance 4 that can be mounted on board of a vehicle 2 and comprising: at least a location device to determine the position of the vehicle 2; at least a communication device to communicate with the station 9; and at least a processing unit to manage the location device and the communication device;

c. providing identification means 7 comprising identification data suitable for associating the identification means 7 with the vehicle 2; d. providing reading means 8, suitable for communicating with the station 3; e. identifying at least a geographic point of interest 9;

f. providing location data concerning the position of the point of interest 9; g. associating the reading means 8 with the location data;

h. reading the identification data by means of the reading means 8;

i. transmitting from the reading means 8 to the station 3, information concerning the identification data, the location data and the time when the identification data have been read; and

j. determining, by means of verification means included in the station 3, the position of the vehicle 2 with respect to the point of interest 9 at the moment of reading.

The method of the invention, like the proposed system 1, is also specifically intended for motor vehicles and in particular for cars 2.

The remote station 3, the telematic appliance 4, the identification means 7 and the reading means 8 provided by the method, can be configured in the way explained at the time of describing the system 1, to which reference is therefore made.

For the sake of precision, the different structures and operations of the different versions of the components of the system 1 mentioned in the previous paragraph, can be identically reproduced in the same components provided by the method.

This is also valid in relation to the point of interest 9, with special reference to the explanations contained in the description of the operation of the proposed system 1.

In detail, the verification step j. listed above, can be implemented by determining whether the distance of the vehicle 2 from the point of interest 9, at the moment of reading, is below a reference value.

Furthermore, the steps e. and f., relating to the identification of the point of interest 9 and to the determination of the location data, can be carried out by choosing as the point of interest 9 the place where the reading means 8 have been located.

It has in practice been ascertained how the described invention achieves the proposed objects and in particular the fact is underlined that it provides a geographic-temporal verification method and a system 1 for vehicles which extends the application range of the telematic appliances 4 installed on motor vehicles 2.

Claims

1) Geographic-temporal verification system (1) for vehicles (2), comprising: at least a remote station (3); and

at least a telematic appliance (4) that can be mounted on board of a vehicle (2) and comprises: at least a location device for determining the position of said vehicle (2); at least a communication device for communicating with said station (3); and at least a processing unit for managing said location device and said communication device;

characterized in that it comprises:

identification means (7) comprising identification data able to associate said identification means (7) with said vehicle (2); and

reading means (8) for reading said identification data from said identification means (7), comprising location data concerning the position of at least one geographic point of interest (9), said reading means (8) being suitable for communicating with said station (3) and for transmitting information about said identification data, said location data and the time when said identification data have been read;

said station (3) comprising verification means able to determine the position of said vehicle (2) with respect to said geographic point of interest (9) at said time.

2) System (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said identification means (7) are portable.

3) System (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said identification means comprise a smart card (7).

4) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said reading means (8) are placed in said point of interest (9).

5) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said station (3) comprises at least an electronic processor with which a database is associated.

6) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, upon receiving said information, said verification means determines whether the distance of said vehicle (2) from said point of interest (9), at the moment of reading, is below a reference value.

7) System (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said verification means comprise a computer program.

8) Method for the geographic-temporal verification of vehicles, comprising the following steps:

a. providing at least a remote station (3);

b. providing at least a telematic appliance (4) that can be mounted on board of a vehicle (2) and comprises: at least a location device able to determine the position of said vehicle (2); at least a communication device able to communicate with said station (3); and at least a processing unit able to manage said location device and said communication device;

c. providing identification means (7) comprising identification data suitable for associating said identification means (7) with said vehicle (2);

d. providing reading means (8), suitable for communicating with said station (3);

e. identifying at least a geographic point of interest (9);

f. providing location data concerning the position of said point of interest

(9);

g. associating said reading means (8) with said location data;

h. reading said identification data by means of said reading means (8);

i. transmitting from said reading means (8) to said station (3) information concerning said identification data, said location data and the time when said identification data have been read; and

j. determining, by means of verification means included in said station (3), the position of said vehicle (2) with respect to a geographic point of interest (9) at said time.

9) Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the step j. is carried out by determining whether the distance of said vehicle (2) from said point of interest (9), at the moment of reading, is below a reference value.

10) Method according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the steps e. and f. are carried out by choosing as point of interest (9) the place where said reading means (8) are located. 11) Method according to one or more of the claims from 8 to 10, characterized in that it uses portable identification means (7).

12) Method according to one or more of the claims from 8 to 11, characterized in that it uses at least an electronic processor included in said station (3), with which a database is associated.

13) Method according to one or more of the claims from 8 to 12, characterized in that said verification means include a computer program.