System and Method for Use of Carbon Emissions in Characterizing Driver Performance

Abstract

A system and method for use of carbon emissions in characterizing driver performance and using such characterization to determine a profile/score associated with a particular insured. The profile/score can then be used to determine an insurance premium for the insured. In accordance with an embodiment, a driver can use a portable device equipped with a data collection and assessment environment, including one or more data collection devices that can be used to capture data and information or otherwise measure the carbon emissions associated with a vehicle. A framework (system) can receive information about the driver's driving profile, and use this information either to determine an insurance quote, or act as a broker/aggregator in inviting other insurance providers to offer an insurance quote, or usage based insurance quote (UBI).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for use of carbon emissions in characterizing vehicle driver performance and use in determining insurance coverage comprising:
 a data collection and assessment environment, including
 one or more data collection devices that can be used to capture data and information or otherwise measure vehicle actions, 
 a data collection and assessment logic, and 
 a carbon emissions assessment module which includes information about typical carbon emissions, and can compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; and 
   wherein the data collection and assessment environment is configured to one or both
 compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle, and 
 provide the information to an external insurance provider or broker framework to calculate a driver profile, for use in obtaining a usage based insurance quote (UBI) for the driver. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein results from the carbon emissions assessment module are compared with physical emission measurements in order to determine a precision built-in error, which enables certainty levels to be attached to the calculated emissions, and which can be used to associate confidence intervals with driver quality prediction scores. 
     
     
         3 . A method for use of carbon emissions in characterizing vehicle driver performance and use in determining insurance coverage comprising:
 providing a data collection and assessment environment, including
 one or more data collection devices that can be used to capture data and information or otherwise measure vehicle actions, 
 a data collection and assessment logic, and 
 a carbon emissions assessment module which includes information about typical carbon emissions, and can compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; and 
   wherein the data collection and assessment environment is configured to one or both
 compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle, and 
 provide the information to an external insurance provider or broker framework to calculate a driver profile, for use in obtaining a usage based insurance quote (UBI) for the driver. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein results from the carbon emissions assessment module are compared with physical emission measurements in order to determine a precision built-in error, which enables certainty levels to be attached to the calculated emissions, and which can be used to associate confidence intervals with driver quality prediction scores. 
     
     
         5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps comprising:
 providing a data collection and assessment environment, including
 one or more data collection devices that can be used to capture data and information or otherwise measure vehicle actions, 
 a data collection and assessment logic, and 
 a carbon emissions assessment module which includes information about typical carbon emissions, and can compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; and 
   wherein the data collection and assessment environment is configured to one or both
 compare current patterns of driving with known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle, and 
 provide the information to an external insurance provider or broker framework to calculate a driver profile, for use in obtaining a usage based insurance quote (UBI) for the driver.