Collection of crash data using autonomous or semi-autonomous drones

• US 10,380,694 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Grant, Rosemarie G., Mullen, Christina P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lemieux, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US14/989,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/689 Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/695 for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A system for collecting vehicle crash data at a vehicle crash site of a vehicle crash is provided. The system may include an emergency response unit that includes an emergency response vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is automatically deployed from the emergency response vehicle at the vehicle crash site. The UAV may be an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone, and include a processor, memory, and sensor, wherein the sensor collects vehicle crash data (such as image, video, or audio) at the crash site. The system may include a remote computing device and an insurance computing device to process the vehicle crash data collected by the UAV and/or initiate a crash insurance claim. The vehicle crash data may be used for one or more insurance-related purposes or activities, such as handling, adjusting, or generating auto or homeowners insurance claims; crash reconstruction; fault determination; damaged vehicle repair; and/or buildup identification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of collecting autonomous, semi-autonomous, and/or other drone data for insurance-related purposes, the method comprising:

determining or receiving, via one or more processors, a crash GPS location associated with a crash location of a crash scene, the crash GPS location associated with an insurance-related event occurring at the crash scene;

generating, at the one or more processors, a pre-generated flight path for an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone based upon the crash GPS location, the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone being mounted, or held securely in place, on an emergency response vehicle traveling to the crash location;

uploading, via the one or more processors, the pre-generated flight path to the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone;

once the emergency response vehicle arrives at the crash scene, autonomously or semi-autonomously flying the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone in accordance with the pre-generated flight path at the crash GPS location to generate or collect drone data associated with the crash scene;

generating or collecting crash scene or drone data, via one or more drone or other processors, while the drone is flying the pre-generated flight path, or a portion thereof;

determining, via the one or more processors, an extent of vehicle or building damage caused by the insurance-related event from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data collected while the drone is flying the pre-generated flight path; and

using, via the one or more processors, the extent of vehicle or building damage determined from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data to facilitate mitigating further damage or for further insurance-related purposes.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method comprising:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the extent of vehicle or building damage determined from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data to handle, adjust, and/or generate an insurance claim for the insured.

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

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the extent of vehicle or building damage determined from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data to request additional emergency responders promptly respond to the scene of the crash via wireless communication and/or data transmission.

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

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the extent of vehicle or building damage determined from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data to estimate a repair or replacement cost of the vehicle or building damage, or make recommendations to the insured to facilitate promptly repairing the vehicle or home damage.

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

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to identify potential buildup or otherwise adjust insurance claims upward or downward.

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

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to virtually reconstruct the crash scene or assign partial or whole fault for the crash at the crash scene to one or more participants or vehicles, or weather or construction conditions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method comprising:

determining, via one or more local or remote processors, (a) the emergency response vehicle has arrived at, or within the vicinity of the crash location, or (b) has stopped moving or is otherwise parked;

once the emergency response vehicle is at the crash location, via one or more processors, automatically releasing or otherwise opening one or more vehicle-mounted latches holding the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone in place on the emergency response vehicle; and

directing, via one or more processors, the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone to liftoff and fly around the crash location and collect crash scene data that may be used for insurance-related purposes.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, the method comprising:

once the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone is airborne at the crash scene, determining, via one or more local or remote processors, one or more obstacles in a pre-generated or other flight path of the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone from computer analysis of the drone data initially collected at the crash scene; and

automatically adjusting, via one or more processors, the flight path of the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone at the crash scene to avoid the one or more obstacles detected via computer analysis of the recently gathered drone data.

9. A computer-implemented method of collecting autonomous or semi-autonomous drone data for insurance-related purposes, the method comprising:

determining or receiving, via one or more processors, a crash GPS location associated with a crash location of a crash scene, the crash GPS location associated with an insurance-related event occurring at the crash scene;

generating, at the one or more processors, a pre-generated flight path for an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone based upon the crash GPS location, including a length and/or width of the crash scene, or a radius around the crash GPS location, the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone being mounted, or held securely in place, on an emergency response vehicle traveling to the crash location;

uploading, via the one or more processors, the pre-generated flight path to the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone, or memory unit thereof; and

once the emergency response vehicle arrives at the crash scene, autonomously or semi-autonomously flying under the direction and control of the one or more processors the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone in accordance with the pre-generated flight path at the crash location to collect drone data associated with the crash scene to facilitate using the drone data for insurance-related activity.

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

collecting crash scene or drone data, via one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous drone or other processors, while the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone is flying, otherwise operating via, the pre-generated flight path.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data transmitted from the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone; and

storing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data in a memory unit for subsequent analysis.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the method comprising:

analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data;

determining, via the one or more processors, an extent of vehicle or building damage caused by the insurance-related event from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data; and

using, via the one or more processors, the extent of vehicle or building damage determined from computer analysis of the crash scene or drone data to mitigate further damage and/or for further insurance-related purposes.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to handle, adjust, and/or generate an insurance claim for the insured.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to request additional emergency responders promptly respond to the scene of the crash via wireless communication and/or data transmission.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to estimate an amount of vehicle or building damage, or make recommendations to the insured to facilitate promptly repairing the vehicle or building damage.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to identify potential buildup or otherwise adjust insurance claims upward or downward.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the crash scene or drone data to virtually reconstruct events before, during, and/or after the crash at the crash scene, and assign partial or whole fault for the crash to one or more participants or autonomous vehicles.

18. A computer-implemented method of collecting autonomous or semi-autonomous drone data for insurance-related purposes, the method comprising:

determining or receiving, via one or more processors mounted on an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone a GPS crash location associated with a crash location of a crash scene, the crash GPS location associated with an insurance-related event occurring at the crash scene;

generating, at the one or more processors mounted on the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone, a pre-generated flight path for the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone based upon the crash location, the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone being mounted, or held securely in place, on an emergency response vehicle traveling to the crash location; and

once the emergency response vehicle arrives at the crash scene, autonomously or semi-autonomously flying under the direction and control of the one or more processors mounted on the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone, the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone in accordance with the pre-generated flight path at the crash location to collect drone data associated with the crash scene to facilitate using the drone data for insurance-related activity.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, the method comprising transmitting the drone data from the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone to an emergency response vehicle, emergency responder mobile device, third party remote server, or insurance provider remote server to facilitate processing the drone data for insurance-related purposes or activity.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the insurance-related activity comprises:

using or otherwise analyzing, via the one or more processors, the drone data to handle, adjust, and/or generate an insurance claim for the insured.