Patent ID: 6098048
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method of obtaining consumer driving-activity market research information comprising the following steps:(a) selecting a plurality of panelists to form a consumer driving-activity panel, at least one subject trackable motor vehicle and at least one subject consumer driver being in association with each panelist of the consumer driving-activity panel, the subject consumer driver in association with the panelist having use of the subject trackable motor vehicle in association with the panelist, the subject trackable motor vehicles in association with the panelists collectively forming the consumer driving-activity panel providing representatives from a varied plurality of vehicle-classification categories and the subject consumer drivers in association with such panelists providing representatives from a varied plurality of demographic categories;(b) for each panelist in the consumer driving-activity panel, storing panelist attribute data corresponding to the panelist in a data processing system, the panelist attribute data including vehicle-classification data concerning each subject trackable motor vehicle in association with the panelist and demographic data concerning each subject consumer driver in association with the panelist;(c) for each subject trackable motor vehicle and each trip portion of a sample group of trip portions driven by the subject trackable motor vehicle, automatically generating time-annotated vehicle-location data approximately tracking the movement of the subject trackable motor vehicle during the trip portion by means of automatic vehicle-location tracking gear on the subject vehicle and storing the time-annotated vehicle-location data in digital data storage, the time-annotated vehicle-location data for the trip portion comprising a data sequence encoding successive location coordinates and associated times approximately tracking the movement of the subject vehicle during the trip portion;(d) for each subject trackable motor vehicle and each trip portion of the sample group of trip portions driven by the subject vehicle, analyzing time-annotated vehicle-location data associated with the trip portion to generate a set of trip-portion vehicle-use data including data encoding the date, the approximate time of day, and the approximate duration of the trip portion; the approximate starting point coordinates and the approximate destination coordinates of the trip portion; the approximate distance driven by the subject vehicle in the trip portion; and a representative approximate speed driven by the subject vehicle during the trip portion;(e) for each subject trackable motor vehicle, associating trip-portion vehicle-use data for the sample group of trip portions driven by the subject vehicle in the data processing system with elements of panelist attribute data corresponding to the panelist of the consumer driving-activity panel with which the subject trackable motor vehicle is in association; and(f) with the data processing system, analyzing statistically, over a survey group of panelists of the consumer driving-activity panel, trip-portion vehicle-use data and associated panelist attribute data to obtain consumer driving-activity market research information.