Patent ID: 11972487
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 8:
9. A computer-implemented method for tracking vehicle usage by users of a vehicle to allocate vehicle costs between the users of the vehicle, the method implemented using a vehicle cost allocation (VCA) computing device including a processor in communication with a memory, the method comprising, via one or more processors, sensors, servers, or transceivers:
receiving, from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, a first user-specific key associated with a first vehicle user of the vehicle and a second user-specific key associated with a second vehicle user of the vehicle, the first and second user-specific keys indicating that the first and second vehicle users have initiated an anticipated trip using the vehicle, the first and second user-specific keys capable of accessing the vehicle, the first and second user-specific keys previously registered with the VCA computing device to the first vehicle user and the second vehicle user respectively, the first user-specific key and second user-specific key each being one of a key fob or an electronic key included in a computing device;
receiving, from the one or more sensors, location data associated with the first and second vehicle users of the vehicle, the location data indicating a location within the vehicle of each of the first and second vehicle users;
determining whether (a) the first user-specific key has been used based upon an indication included in the received first user-specific key, and (b) the first vehicle user is located on or near a driver seat of the vehicle based upon the received location data;
in response to determining that the first user-specific key has been used and the first user is located on or near the driver seat, identifying the first vehicle user as a driver of the anticipated trip;
retrieving, from the memory, a first usage report associated with the first vehicle user and a second usage report associated with the second vehicle user, each of the first and second usage reports generated using information previously collected by the one or more sensors during one or more previous trips performed by the first vehicle user and/or the second vehicle user, each usage report indicating a prior usage of the vehicle by the first and the second vehicle users;
retrieving, from the memory, insurance policy information associated with the vehicle, the second vehicle user, and the first vehicle user, wherein the insurance policy information includes at least one pre-defined vehicle policy identifying how the vehicle costs are to be allocated between the first vehicle user and one or more other users of the vehicle, the one or more other users including the second vehicle user;
generating an anticipated insurance cost for the anticipated trip based upon the first usage report, the second usage report, the first vehicle user being the driver of the anticipated trip, and the at least one pre-defined vehicle policy;
allocating the anticipated insurance cost between the first vehicle user and the second vehicle user; and
transmitting the anticipated insurance cost to one or more computing devices for review by the first vehicle user.