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, 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, and
 a data collection and assessment logic, comprising a carbon emissions assessment module which includes information about typical carbon emissions associated with known driving patterns, and can compare current patterns of driving based on captured data and information from the one or more data collection devices with said known patterns to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; 
   wherein the data collection and assessment environment is configured to provide the calculated emissions to an external system to calculate a driver profile based on the calculated emissions.   
     
     
         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, comprising:
 measuring and collecting data representing vehicle actions using one or more data collection devices disposed in the vehicle;   determining current patterns of driving using pattern recognition and based on said measured and collected data representing vehicle actions;   comparing said current patterns of driving with known driving patterns associated with typical carbon emissions to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; and   providing the calculated emissions to an external system to calculate a driver profile based on said calculated emissions.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising comparing the calculated carbon emissions with physical emission measurements, and determining a precision built-in error, whereby certainty levels may be attached to the calculated emissions, 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 steps, comprising:
 measuring and collecting data representing vehicle actions using one or more data collection devices disposed in the vehicle to capture data and information or otherwise measure vehicle actions;   comparing current patterns of driving as determined based on measured and collected data representing vehicle actions with known driving patterns associated with typical carbon emissions to calculate carbon emissions for a current driver/vehicle; and   providing the calculated emissions information to an external system to calculate a driver profile based on said calculated emissions information.   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the steps further comprise determining said current patterns of driving using pattern recognition based on said measured and collected data representing vehicle actions and using said current patters of driving as determined by the pattern recognition in said comparing step. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the steps further comprise comparing the calculated carbon emissions with physical emission measurements, and determining a precision built-in error, whereby certainty levels may be attached to the calculated emissions, which can be used to associate confidence intervals with driver quality prediction scores. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said data collection and assessment logic further comprises a pattern recognition module configured with one or more defined operating patterns, each pattern reflecting a known change in vehicle status or known vehicle operation, said pattern recognition module determining current vehicle operating patterns by comparison of measured and collected data from the one or more data collection devices with said defined operating patterns, and said carbon emissions assessment module uses said determined current vehicle operating patterns to calculate current emissions. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said one or more data collection devices comprise at least one accelerometer and at least one GPS device mounted in the vehicle.