Vehicle-to-vehicle incident information collection

• US 10,176,524 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Brandmaier, Jennifer A., Higgins, Martin, Loo, William, Plachta, Christopher G., Ramirez, Philip Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US14/922,914
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

One or more driving analysis computing devices in a driving analysis system may be configured to collect vehicle driving data and infrastructure data in response to a collision. Vehicle driving data may be received from a first vehicle involved in the collision and a second vehicle involved in the collision. Vehicle driving data may be received for vehicles within a defined radius of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle. Infrastructure data from infrastructure elements within a defined vicinity of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle may be received. The received data may be used to initiate an insurance claim, assess fault for the collision, and detect fraudulent claims.

Claims

1. A driving analysis computing device installed in a first vehicle, the driving analysis computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the driving analysis computing device installed in the first vehicle to;

detect a collision between the first vehicle and a second vehicle;

retrieve first vehicle driving data collected by first vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle;

receive, from the second vehicle, second vehicle driving data collected by second vehicle operations sensors within the second vehicle;

transmit, from the first vehicle and to a third vehicle within a first radius of the first vehicle, a first vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication comprising a first request for vehicle driving data collected by third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle;

receive, from the third vehicle and by the first vehicle, a second V2V communication comprising third vehicle driving data collected by the third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle;

transmit, from the first vehicle and to the third vehicle, a third V2V communication comprising a second request for vehicle driving data for one or more vehicles that are within a second radius of the third vehicle;

receive, from the third vehicle and in response to the third V2V communication comprising the second request for vehicle driving data, fourth vehicle driving data collected by fourth vehicle operations sensors within a fourth vehicle that is within the second radius of the third vehicle, wherein the fourth vehicle driving data is sent by the fourth vehicle to the third vehicle; and

transmit the first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data to a server.

2. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the fourth vehicle driving data is received via a fourth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

3. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

transmit the first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data to the server via a telematics device.

4. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

determine a time frame associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmit, to one or more infrastructure elements within a second radius of the first vehicle, and via a first vehicle-to-infrastructure (“

V2I”

) communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, a request for image files for the time frame;

receive, from one or more infrastructure elements and via a second V2I communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, image files associated with the time frame;

tag the image files with a collision identification number associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and

transmit the tagged image files to the server.

5. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

transmit, to the third vehicle and via a fourth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, a request for image files from infrastructure elements that are within a second radius of the third vehicle;

transmit, by the third vehicle, to one or more infrastructure elements that are within the second radius of the third vehicle, a first vehicle-to-infrastructure (“

V2I”

) communication between the third vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements requesting image files; and

receive, by the third vehicle and from the one or more infrastructure elements, a second V2I communication between the third vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements comprising the requested image files.

6. The driving analysis computing device of claim 5, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

receive, from the third vehicle and via a fifth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, the image files.

7. The driving analysis computing device of claim 6, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

transmit the image files received from the third vehicle to a server.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, by a driving analysis computing device installed in a first vehicle, a collision between the first vehicle and a second vehicle;

retrieving, by the driving analysis computing device, first vehicle driving data collected by first vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle;

receiving, by the driving analysis computing device and from the second vehicle, second vehicle driving data collected by second vehicle operations sensors within the second vehicle;

transmitting, by the driving analysis computing device and to a third vehicle within a first radius of the first vehicle, a first request for vehicle driving data collected by third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle, wherein the first request is transmitted via a first vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle;

receiving, by the driving analysis computing device and from the third vehicle, a second V2V communication comprising third vehicle driving data collected by the third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle;

transmitting, from the first vehicle and to the third vehicle, a third V2V communication comprising a second request for vehicle driving data for one or more vehicles that are within a second radius of the third vehicle; and

receiving, by the driving analysis computing device and from the third vehicle, and in response to the third V2V communication, fourth vehicle driving data collected by fourth vehicle operations sensors within a fourth vehicle that is within the second radius of the third vehicle, wherein the fourth vehicle driving data is sent by the fourth vehicle to the third vehicle; and

transmitting, by the driving analysis computing device and to a server, the first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fourth vehicle driving data is received via a fourth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data to the server via a telematics device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a time frame associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmitting, to one or more infrastructure elements within a second radius of the first vehicle, and via a first vehicle-to-infrastructure (“

V2I”

) communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, a request for image files for the time frame;

receiving, from one or more infrastructure elements and via a second V2I communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, image files associated with the time frame;

tagging the image files with a collision identification number associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and

transmitting the tagged image files to the server.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmit, to the third vehicle and via a fourth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, a request for image files from infrastructure elements that are within a second radius of the third vehicle;

transmit, by the third vehicle, to one or more infrastructure elements that are within the second radius of the third vehicle, a first vehicle-to-infrastructure (“

V2I”

) communication between the third vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, the first V2I communication requesting image files; and

receiving, by the third vehicle and from the one or more infrastructure elements, a second V2I communication between the third vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, the second V2I communication comprising the requested image files.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, from the third vehicle and via a fifth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, the image files.

14. The driving analysis computing device of claim 13, further comprising:

transmit the image files received from the third vehicle to the server.

15. A system comprising:

a driving analysis computing device installed within a first vehicle; and

a second vehicle,

wherein the driving analysis computing device is configured to;

detect a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

retrieve first vehicle driving data collected by first vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle;

receive, from the second vehicle, second vehicle driving data collected by second vehicle operations sensors within the second vehicle;

transmit, to a third vehicle within a first radius of the first vehicle and via a first (V2V) communications between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, a first request for vehicle driving data collected by third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle;

receive, from the third vehicle and via a second V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle, third vehicle driving data collected by the third vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle;

transmit, from the first vehicle and to the third vehicle, a third V2V communication comprising a second request for vehicle driving data for one or more vehicles that are within a second radius of the third vehicle; and

receive, from the third vehicle and in response to the third V2V communication comprising the second request for vehicle driving data, fourth vehicle driving data collected by fourth vehicle operations sensors within a fourth vehicle that is within the second radius of the third vehicle, wherein the fourth vehicle driving data is sent by the fourth vehicle to the third vehicle; and

transmit the first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data, to a server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the driving analysis computing device is further configured to receive the fourth vehicle driving data via a fourth V2V communication between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the driving analysis computing device is further configured to transmit first vehicle driving data, the second vehicle driving data, the third vehicle driving data, and the fourth vehicle driving data to the server via a telematics device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the driving analysis computing device is further configured to:

determine a time frame associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmit, to one or more infrastructure elements within a second radius of the first vehicle, and via a first vehicle-to-infrastructure (“

V2I”

) communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, a request for image files for the time frame;

receive, from one or more infrastructure elements and via a second V2I communication between the first vehicle and the one or more infrastructure elements, image files associated with the time frame;

tag the image files with a collision identification number associated with the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and

transmit the tagged image files to the server.