Methods of facilitating emergency assistance

• US 10,163,327 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Potter, Thomas Michael, Clauss, Mark E., Carter, Dustin Ryan, Baumann, Megan Michal, Bonnom, Atlanta, Cope, Craig, Lawyer, Jennifer Luella, Simpson, Curtis, Baumann, Nathan W., Graff, Douglas Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US15/676,470
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 34042612, 34053912, 340439, 340436, 340435, 340438, 705 4, 705400, 705325, 705 267, 455557, 4554041, 4554562
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

In system and methods for loss mitigation, accident data associated with a vehicle accident involving a driver may be collected. The accident data may be analyzed, and a likely severity of the vehicle accident may be determined based upon the analysis of the accident data. A communication related to emergency assistance or an emergency assistance recommendation may be generated based upon the determined likely severity of the vehicle accident, and transmitted, via wireless communication, from one or more remote servers to a mobile device associated with the driver. A wireless communication from the driver indicating approval or modification of the emergency assistance or emergency assistance recommendation may be received. A third party may be notified, via a communication sent from the remote server(s), of requested emergency assistance as approved or modified by the driver. An estimated insurance claim may also be generated based upon vehicle accident likely severity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of vehicle accident response, the method comprising:

collecting, at one or more servers via a communication network, telematics data associated with the vehicle at a time of a vehicle accident;

analyzing, by the one or more servers, the telematics data to determine an indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

determining, by the one or more servers, one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

generating, by the one or more servers, a confirmation request message including an indication of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations;

transmitting, from the one or more servers to a mobile device associated with a driver of the vehicle via the communication network, the confirmation request message;

receiving, at the one or more servers from the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle via the communication network, an indication of a driver response to the confirmation request message based upon a driver interaction with the mobile device, wherein the driver response indicates one or more of the following;

confirmation of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, modification of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, or rejection of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations; and

generating, by the one or more servers, an emergency response message to one or more emergency responders based upon the received indication of the driver response; and

transmitting, from the one or more servers to one or more computer devices associated with the one or more emergency responders via the communication network, the emergency response message to the one or more emergency responders.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telematics data is collected from one or more of a vehicle computer or the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle based upon one or more sensors of the vehicle computer or mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the one or more servers, a preliminary emergency response message indicating at least one of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations; and

transmitting, from the one or more servers to at least one of the one or more computer devices associated with the one or more emergency responders via the communication network, the preliminary emergency response message prior to receiving the indication of the driver response,

wherein;

the driver response indicates modification or rejection of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, and

the emergency response message includes a modification or a cancellation of the at least one of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations indicated by the preliminary emergency response.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the driver response indicates confirmation of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations; and

the emergency response message to one or more emergency responders includes a request to provide the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the confirmation request message further includes the indication of severity of the vehicle accident; and

the driver response further indicates one or more of the following;

confirmation of the indication of severity, modification of the indication of severity, or rejection of the indication of severity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the indication of severity of the vehicle accident includes one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident; and

the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations are determined based upon the one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations are further determined based upon a user-customized profile indicating preferences of the driver.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more servers, an insurance policy associated with the vehicle accident, wherein the insurance policy is associated with the vehicle or with the driver; and

determining, by the one or more servers, a type of a claim associated with the insurance policy relating to the vehicle accident based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the claim is determined to be a minor type of claim, and further comprising:

causing, by a message to the mobile device from the one or more servers, the mobile device to present one or more options to the driver, the one or more options facilitating submission of a self-service report associated with the claim by the driver.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more servers, an adjustment or update to an insurance policy associated with the driver based upon the self-service report; and

causing, by the one or more servers, the adjustment or update to the insurance policy to be implemented.

11. A computer system for responding to vehicle accidents, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to;

collecting telematics data associated with a vehicle at a time of a vehicle accident via a communication network;

analyze the telematics data to determine an indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

determine one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

generate a confirmation request message including an indication of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations;

transmit the confirmation request message to a mobile device associated with a driver of the vehicle via the communication network;

receive an indication of a driver response to the confirmation request message from the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle via the communication network, wherein the driver response is based upon a driver interaction with the mobile device and indicates one or more of the following;

confirmation of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, modification of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, or rejection of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations; and

generate an emergency response message to one or more emergency responders based upon the received indication of the driver response; and

transmit the emergency response message to the one or more emergency responders.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the telematics data is collected from one or more of a vehicle computer or the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle based upon one or more sensors of the vehicle computer or mobile device.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein:

the indication of severity of the vehicle accident includes one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident; and

the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations further cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based upon the one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations further cause the computer system to:

access a user-customized profile indicating preferences of the driver; and

determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based at least in part upon the preferences indicated by the user-customized profile.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to:

identify an insurance policy associated with the vehicle accident, wherein the insurance policy is associated with the vehicle or with the driver;

determine a claim associated with the insurance policy relating to the vehicle accident is a minor type of claim based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

cause the mobile device to present one or more options to the driver, the one or more options facilitating submission of a self-service report associated with the claim by the driver;

receive the self-service report associated with the claim from the mobile device;

determine an adjustment or update to an insurance policy associated with the driver based upon the self-service report; and

cause the adjustment or update to the insurance policy to be implemented.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for responding to vehicle accidents that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

collecting telematics data associated with a vehicle at a time of a vehicle accident via a communication network;

analyze the telematics data to determine an indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

determine one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

generate a confirmation request message including an indication of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations;

transmit the confirmation request message to a mobile device associated with a driver of the vehicle via the communication network;

receive an indication of a driver response to the confirmation request message from the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle via the communication network, wherein the driver response is based upon a driver interaction with the mobile device and indicates one or more of the following;

confirmation of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, modification of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations, or rejection of the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations; and

generate an emergency response message to one or more emergency responders based upon the received indication of the driver response; and

transmit the emergency response message to the one or more emergency responders.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the telematics data is collected from one or more of a vehicle computer or the mobile device associated with the driver of the vehicle based upon one or more sensors of the vehicle computer or mobile device.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

the indication of severity of the vehicle accident includes one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident; and

the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations further cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based upon the one or more indications of damage to the vehicle or injuries to persons involved in the vehicle accident.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations further cause the computer system to:

access a user-customized profile indicating preferences of the driver; and

determine the one or more emergency response actions or recommendations based at least in part upon the preferences indicated by the user-customized profile.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to:

identify an insurance policy associated with the vehicle accident, wherein the insurance policy is associated with the vehicle or with the driver;

determine a claim associated with the insurance policy relating to the vehicle accident is a minor type of claim based upon the indication of severity of the vehicle accident;

cause the mobile device to present one or more options to the driver, the one or more options facilitating submission of a self-service report associated with the claim by the driver;

receive the self-service report associated with the claim from the mobile device;

determine an adjustment or update to an insurance policy associated with the driver based upon the self-service report; and

cause the adjustment or update to the insurance policy to be implemented.