TechIPm Research

1. Mobile Insurance Telematics Patents: Progressive Casualty Case Study
Summary of Invention
Patents of Progressive Casualty Insurance Company cover a method and system of determining a cost of automobile insurance based
upon usage (usage-based insurance (UBI)). The cost of UBI is adjustable and dynamically set by relating the driving characteristics to
predetermined safety standards. Examples of the driving characteristics are 1. Actual miles driven; 2. Types of roads driven on (high risk vs.
low risk); 3. Safe operation of the vehicle by the vehicle user through: A. speeds driven, B. safety equipment used, such as seat belt and turn
signals, C. time of day driven (high congestion vs. low congestion), D. rate of acceleration, E. rate of braking, F. observation of traffic signs.
The method comprises steps of monitoring, recording and communicating data representative of operator and vehicle driving characteristics.
The system comprises monitoring sensors track the operation of a vehicle or driver actions, a data logging device, and a communication
device that transmits the encoded data through a mobile communication network that provides access to a distributed network.

2. Family Analysis (Maxval Patent Family Tree Tool)
USPTO families (priority date: 29-Jan-96): 5797134, 6064970, 6868386, 8090598, 8140358, 8311858, 20120209634, 20130013347,
20130013348

3. Contrast of claim 1 for Progressive Casualty Insurance Company patent family
US6064970 (CA of US
5797134)
US6868386 (CIP of
US6064970)
US8090598 (CIP of
US6868386)
US8140358 (CIP of
US6868386)
US8311858 (Div &
CIP of US8090598)
A method of generating a
database comprising data
elements representative of
operator or vehicle driving
characteristics, the method
comprising:
monitoring a plurality of the
data elements representative
of an operating state of a
vehicle or an action of the
operator during a selected
time period; and,
recording selected ones of
the plurality of data
elements into the database
when said ones are
determined to be appropriate
for recording relative to
determining a cost of
insurance for the vehicle
during the selected time
period, said ones including,
a time and location of
vehicle operation and a
corresponding log of vehicle
speed for the time and
location.
A method of communicating
a cost of insuring a unit of
risk and corresponding
operating characteristics for
the unit monitored for a
selected period, comprising
steps of:
providing a Web site system
for communicating data
between an insurer and an
insured relative to the unit of
risk;
monitoring the operating
characteristics during the
selected period;
deciding the cost of insuring
for the period based upon
the operating characteristics
monitored in that period; and
selectively communicating
the monitored operating
characteristics and decided
cost to the insured through
the Web site system.
A risk management system
comprising:
a server receiver configured
to wirelessly receive
selected onboard vehicle
data monitored by an in-
vehicle data monitoring
device within a vehicle;
a network server system
coupled to the server
receiver that provides an
interface having
functionality configured to
establish relationships
between the selected
onboard vehicle data and
levels of risk in a usage
based insurance system;
a database that stores
relationship data indicating
the relationships established
between the selected
onboard vehicle data
relating to one or more
users and an insured's
monitored vehicle data,
where the relationship data
identifies, for an insured or
A system that monitors
and facilitates a review
of data collected from a
vehicle that is used to
determine a level of
safety or cost of
insurance comprising:
a processor that collects
vehicle data from a
vehicle bus that
represents aspects of
operating the vehicle;
a memory that stores
selected vehicle data
related to a level of
safety or an insurable
risk in operating a
vehicle;
a wireless transmitter
configured to transfer
the selected vehicle data
retained within the
memory to a distributed
network and a server;
a database operatively
linked to the server to
store the selected vehicle
data transmitted by the
A system that
monitors vehicle data
transferred among
components that is
used to determine
one or more levels of
risk or is used to
determine a cost of
insurance
comprising:
an in-vehicle monitor
that filters data by
selectively polling
one or more in-
vehicle controllers
that transmit vehicle
data related to a level
of risk in operating
the vehicle, the
selected vehicle data
is acquired at a
predetermined
interval or upon an
event;
a processor
programmed to store
the selected vehicle
data in an in-vehicle

4. other selected users,
relationships between
relative levels of risk and
the selected onboard
vehicle data; and
an interface module
configured to search the
database for a risk
assessment of vehicle data,
where the interface module
is responsive to a request
from a database user by
using the relationship data
and the selected onboard
vehicle data to identify the
level of risk;
where the interface module
is further configured to be
responsive to a request to
quantify driver behavior by
processing the selected
onboard vehicle data to
render a driver safety score,
where the driver safety
score is characterized as a
level of risk associated with
insuring a selected operator
or a vehicle.
wireless transmitter, the
database comprising a
storage system remote
from the wireless
transmitter and the
memory comprising
records with operations
for searching the records
and other functions;
where the server is
configured to process
selected vehicle data that
represents one or more
aspects of operating the
vehicle with data that
reflects how the selected
vehicle data affects a
premium of an insurance
policy, safety or level of
risk; and
where the server is
further configured to
generate a rating factor
based on the selected
vehicle data stored in the
database.
memory, the memory
retains relationship
data that links the
selected vehicle data
to a vehicle identifier
and a wireless
network;
a wireless transceiver
configured to encrypt
and encode the
relationship data and
the selected vehicle
data and transmit the
encoded data through
a mobile
communication
network that provides
access to a
distributed network;
and
a receiver tuned to
receive continuously
transmitted trilateral
encoded signals
through a bandwidth
that is separate from
the mobile
communication
network.

5. Patent Litigations
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company sued Safeco (subsidiary of Liberty Mutual: Cases 1:10-CV-01370 and 1:11-CV-00082), State Farm
(Case 1:12-CV-01068), and Hartford (Case 1:12-CV-01070) for patent infringement of US6064970.
US6064970 is now under post-grant review at PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) in USPTO for inter partes covered business method
(CMB) review. The parties are Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual (for details about the CMD review:
http://www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/bpai.jsp).
For more information, please contact Alex Lee at alexglee@techipm.com .
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