Recording and reporting of driving characteristics with privacy protection

Abstract

In a vehicle usage monitoring system, the privacy of the user is protected by performing some coding prior to sending the information from the user. Specific details of the user's driving history are converted to generalized codes that relate to insurance rates. Optionally, different types of vehicle information may be combined into generating the codes to be sent from the user in order to provide even more privacy. The codes may be used to calculate a vehicle insurance rate.

1 . A method of recording vehicle usage comprising the steps of:
 a) sensing data indicative of at least one vehicle operation characteristic, including a location of the vehicle;   b) generating at least one code based upon the at least one vehicle operation characteristic; and   c) determining an insurance cost based upon the at least one code.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step c) is performed without reference to the data. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of transmitting the at least one code to a server without transmitting the data or the at least one vehicle operation characteristic, and wherein said step c) is performed by the server. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one code is a risk code based upon the location of the vehicle. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one code is a risk code based upon the at least one vehicle operation characteristic and wherein the at least one vehicle operation characteristic includes a plurality of vehicle operation characteristics. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one code at least partially obscures the at least one vehicle operation characteristic to protect privacy of a user of the vehicle. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the risk code is a geographic code. 
   
   
       8 . A system for gathering vehicle usage data for use in determining vehicle insurance cost comprising:
 at least one sensor for determining at least one vehicle operation characteristic of the vehicle;   at least one processor generating at least one code based upon the at least one vehicle operation characteristic; and   the at least one processor determining an insurance cost based upon the at least one code.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor includes a first processor generating the at least one code and a second processor determining the insurance cost at a location remote from the first processor. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first processor is on the vehicle. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the first processor transmits the at least one code, but not the data or the at least one vehicle operation characteristic, to the second processor. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one processor is on a server remote from the vehicle and wherein the server discards the at least one vehicle operation characteristic after generating the code. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one sensor includes a GPS receiver. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one sensor includes a cell transceiver device. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 8  further including a geographic risk code map, wherein a plurality of noncontiguous geographic areas have a same risk code associated therewith.