Vehicle-to-vehicle accident detection

• US 10,460,534 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• 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): Shudy, Angelina
• Application Number:
  US14/922,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 701 293, 701300, 701301, 705 4
• 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 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

One or more driving analysis computing devices in a driving analysis system may be configured to analyze driving data, determine driving behaviors, and determine whether a collision is imminent or has occurred using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications. Determination of whether a collision has occurred may be based on X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis positional data from two vehicles. Driving data from multiple vehicles may be collected by vehicle sensors or other vehicle-based systems, transmitted using V2V communications, and then analyzed and compared to determine various driving behaviors by the drivers of the vehicles.

Claims

1. A driving analysis computing device comprising:

a processing unit comprising a processor; and

a memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, cause the driving analysis computing device to;

receive, in real time, first vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a first vehicle being operated by a first user, the first vehicle driving data comprising first velocity data collected by a first velocity sensor;

receive, in real-time, second vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a second vehicle being operated by a second user, the second vehicle driving data comprising second velocity data collected by a second velocity sensor;

determine a first projected location for the first vehicle during a first time interval based on the first velocity data;

determine a second projected location for the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the second velocity data;

determine a probability of a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the first projected location and the second projected location;

responsive to determining that the probability of the collision is above a threshold value, transmit a first set of warnings to the first vehicle;

receive first data collected by vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle being operated by the first user, the first data including X-axis positional data for the first vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle;

receive second data collected by the vehicle operation sensors within the second vehicle being operated by the second user, the second data including X-axis positional data for the second vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a first difference between the X-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the X-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a second difference between the Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a third difference between the Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine whether a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference; and

responsive to a determination that a collision has occurred between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmit, to a mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via one or more wireless networks, a request for additional vehicle driving data from one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the first vehicle; and

receive, from the mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via the one or more wireless networks, additional vehicle driving data of a third vehicle that is within the predetermined distance of the first vehicle, the additional vehicle driving data comprising images from a camera of the third vehicle and vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle.

2. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein determining whether a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference comprises:

determining whether the first difference is within a first range of values;

determining whether the second difference is within a second range of values; and

determining whether the third difference is within a third range of values.

3. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the determining a third difference between the Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle is performed in response to:

determining that the first difference is within a first range of values; and

determining that the second difference is within a second range of values.

4. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first data and the second data is performed in real-time.

5. The driving analysis computing device of claim 4, wherein the determining whether the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference is performed in real-time.

6. The driving analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle driving data further comprises a first direction data for the first vehicle and a first acceleration data for the first vehicle, and wherein the second vehicle driving data further comprises a second direction data for the second vehicle and a second acceleration data for the second vehicle.

7. The driving analysis computing device of claim 6,

wherein the first projected location for the first vehicle during the first time interval is further based on the first direction data and the first acceleration data, and

wherein the second projected location for the second vehicle during the first time interval is further based on the second direction data and the second acceleration data.

8. The driving analysis computing device of claim 7, the memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, further cause the driving analysis computing device to:

transmit a second set of warnings to the second vehicle.

9. The driving analysis computing device of claim 8, wherein:

the first set of warnings is based on historical behavior of a first driver of the first vehicle; and

the second set of warnings is based on historical behavior of a second driver of the second vehicle.

10. The driving analysis computing device of claim 8, wherein the first time interval is determined by a driver of the first vehicle.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, in real time, first vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a first vehicle being operated by a first user, the first vehicle driving data comprising first velocity data collected by a first velocity sensor;

receiving, in real-time, second vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a second vehicle being operated by a second user, the second vehicle driving data comprising second velocity data collected by a second velocity sensor;

determining a first projected location for the first vehicle during a first time interval based on the first velocity data;

determining a second projected location for the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the second velocity data;

determining a probability of a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the first projected location and the second projected location;

responsive to determining that the probability of the collision is above a threshold value, transmitting a first set of warnings to the first vehicle;

receiving first data collected by the vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle, the first data including X-axis positional data for the first vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle;

receiving second data collected by the vehicle operation sensors within the second vehicle, the second data including X-axis positional data for the second vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determining a first difference between the X-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the X-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determining a second difference between the Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determining a third difference between the Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determining whether a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference; and

responsive to a determination that a collision has occurred between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmit, to a mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via one or more wireless networks, a request for additional driving data from one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the first vehicle; and

receive, from the mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via the one or more wireless networks, additional vehicle driving data of a third vehicle that is within the predetermined distance of the first vehicle, the additional vehicle driving data comprising images from a camera of the third vehicle and vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference comprises:

determining whether the first difference is within a first range of values;

determining whether the second difference is within a second range of values; and

determining whether the third difference is within a third range of values.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining a third difference between the Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle is performed in response to:

determining that the first difference is within a first range of values; and

determining that the second difference is within a second range of values.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the first data and the second data and the determining whether the collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference is performed in real-time.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle driving data further comprises a first direction data for the first vehicle and a first acceleration data for the first vehicle, and wherein the second vehicle driving data further comprises a second direction data for the second vehicle and a second acceleration data for the second vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the first projected location for the first vehicle is further based on the first direction data and the first acceleration data, and

wherein the second projected location for the second vehicle is further based on the second direction data and the second acceleration data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising

transmitting a second set of warnings to the second vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first set of warnings is based on historical behavior of a first driver of the first vehicle and the second set of warnings is based on historical behavior of a second driver of the second vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first time interval is determined by a driver of the first vehicle.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, in real time, first vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a first vehicle being operated by a first user, the first vehicle driving data comprising first velocity data collected by a first velocity sensor;

receive, in real-time, second vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within a second vehicle being operated by a second user, the second vehicle driving data comprising second velocity data collected by a second velocity sensor;

determine a first projected location for the first vehicle during a first time interval based on the first velocity data;

determine a second projected location for the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the second velocity data;

determine a probability of a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle during the first time interval based on the first projected location and the second projected location;

responsive to determining that the probability of the collision is above a threshold value, transmit a first set of warnings to the first vehicle;

receive first data collected by vehicle operation sensors within the first vehicle being operated by the first user, the first data including X-axis positional data for the first vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle;

receive second data collected by the vehicle operation sensors within the second vehicle being operated by the second user, the second data including X-axis positional data for the second vehicle, Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle, and Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a first difference between the X-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the X-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a second difference between the Y-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Y-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine a third difference between the Z-axis positional data for the first vehicle and the Z-axis positional data for the second vehicle;

determine whether a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle has occurred based on the first difference, the second difference, and the third difference; and

responsive to a determination that a collision has occurred between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

transmit, to a mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via one or more wireless networks, a request for additional driving data from one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the first vehicle; and

receive, from the mobile cellular device associated with the first vehicle, and via the one or more wireless networks, additional vehicle driving data of a third vehicle that is within the predetermined distance of the first vehicle, the vehicle driving data comprising images from a camera of the third vehicle and vehicle driving data collected by vehicle operation sensors within the third vehicle.