Hit-and-run detection

• US 10,019,857 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mcquillen, Michael, Makled, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US15/598,378
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 34053913, 340436, 340989, 340935, 340905, 340903, 348148, 705305, 705 1466
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

A computer in a first vehicle is programmed to detect a collision with a second vehicle, start a countdown timer upon detecting the collision, classify the collision as a hit-and-run with the second vehicle based on expiration of the countdown timer, and upon classifying the collision as a hit-and-run, tag the second vehicle based on at least one of receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle collision broadcast and receiving data from a sensor operable to identify the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer in a first vehicle comprising a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions executable by the processor, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are configured to cause the computer to:

detect a collision with a second vehicle;

start a countdown timer upon detecting the collision;

classify the collision as a hit-and-run with the second vehicle based on expiration of the countdown timer;

transmit a vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast to a third vehicle requesting that the third vehicle provide data identifying the second vehicle; and

upon classifying the collision as a hit-and-run, tag the second vehicle based on at least one of receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle collision broadcast and receiving data from a sensor operable to identify the second vehicle.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to record data identifying the second vehicle from the broadcast upon receiving the broadcast, and to include the data when tagging the second vehicle.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to record data identifying the second vehicle from the sensor upon determining that the sensor is operable to identify the second vehicle, and to include the data when tagging the second vehicle.

4. The computer of claim 3, wherein the data identifying the second vehicle includes an image of a license plate.

5. The computer of claim 1, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to determine that the computer failed to receive predetermined data about the second vehicle, and to classify the collision as a hit-and-run upon expiration of the countdown timer without receiving the predetermined data.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to transmit a hit-and-run broadcast upon classifying the collision as a hit-and-run.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the hit-and-run broadcast includes data used when tagging the second vehicle.

8. The computer of claim 1, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to determine that the computer received predetermined data about the second vehicle, and to classify the collision as a non-hit-and-run upon receiving the predetermined data from the second vehicle.

9. The computer of claim 1, wherein the memory, the computer program, and the processor are further configured to determine that the computer received a second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast from the third vehicle including the data identifying the second vehicle, to record the data identifying the second vehicle from the second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast upon determining that the computer received the second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast, and to include the data when tagging the second vehicle.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a collision by a first vehicle with a second vehicle;

starting a countdown timer upon detecting the collision;

classifying the collision as a hit-and-run with the second vehicle based on expiration of the countdown timer;

transmitting a vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast to a third vehicle requesting that the third vehicle provide data identifying the second vehicle; and

upon classifying the collision as a hit-and-run, tagging the second vehicle based on at least one of receiving a vehicle-to-vehicle collision broadcast and receiving data from a sensor operable to identify the second vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing data identifying the second vehicle from the broadcast upon receiving the broadcast, and including the data when tagging the second vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising recording data identifying the second vehicle from the sensor upon determining that the sensor is operable to identify the second vehicle, and including the data when tagging the second vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data identifying the second vehicle includes an image of a license plate.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that the computer failed to receive predetermined data about the second vehicle, and classifying the collision as a hit-and-run upon expiration of the countdown timer without receiving the predetermined data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting a hit-and-run broadcast upon classifying the collision as a hit-and-run.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hit-and-run broadcast includes data used when tagging the second vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that the computer received predetermined data from the second vehicle, and classifying the collision as a non-hit-and-run upon receiving the predetermined data from the second vehicle.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that the computer received a second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast from the third vehicle including data identifying the second vehicle, recording the data identifying the second vehicle from the second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast upon determining that the computer received the second vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast, and including the data when tagging the second vehicle.