SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GATHERING AND SUBMITTING DATA TO A THIRD PARTY IN RESPONSE TO A VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT

• US 20100004816A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Truntschka, Carole, Marmigere, Gerard, Clement, Jean-Yves, Bauchot, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A system and associated method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident. First an information manager stores data regardless of the vehicle being involved in an accident. Next the event detection manager stores data in response to detecting the vehicle being involved in an accident. Next the information manager stores state data pertaining to the vehicle'"'"'s current state. Then an adjacent identifier manager requests, receives, and stores data from surrounding vehicles in memory. Next a report is generated and encrypted. Finally, the encryption and transmission manager stores the report in memory.

Claims

1. A method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident, the method comprising:

storing sensor data in memory, said storing said sensor data being performed by an information manager that receives said sensor data from at least one sensor in response to a request from said information manager, said memory and said at least one sensor and said information manager all being attached to said vehicle;

storing detector data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in an accident, said storing said detector data being performed by an event detection manager that receives said detector data from at least one detector in response to said at least one detector detecting said accident, said at least one detector and said event detection manager both being attached to said vehicle;

after said storing said detector data, storing state data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said state data being performed by said information manager that receives said state data from said at least one sensor;

after said storing said detector data, storing surrounding vehicle data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said surrounding vehicle data being performed by an adjacent identifier manager that receives said surrounding vehicle data from at least one surrounding vehicle in response to a request from said adjacent identifier manager, said adjacent identifier manager being attached to said vehicle;

generating and encrypting a report, said report comprising said sensor data and said detector data and said state data and said surrounding vehicle data residing in said memory, said generating and said encrypting being performed by an encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from a report manager, said encryption and transmission manager and said report manager both being attached to said vehicle; and

after said generating and said encrypting said report, storing said report in said memory, said storing said report being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from said report manager.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said storing said report in said memory, storing a receipt in said memory, said storing said receipt being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives said receipt from said third party, said receipt comprising an acknowledgement that said third party received said report from said encryption and transmission manager in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensor data is being requested by said information manager both cyclically and independently of said vehicle being involved in said accident.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a participant vehicle and a witness vehicle, said participant vehicle being involved in said accident with said vehicle, said witness vehicles not being involved in said accident but within such a proximity to said accident so as to being able to provide eyewitness information corresponding to a cause of said accident.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said surrounding vehicle data received from each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle comprises sensor data, detector data, and state data, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each sensor in said at least one sensor is selected from the group comprising a global positioning system device, a speedometer, a brake meter, a slope meter, a sensor determining a position of each vehicle window, a sensor determining volume of a radio attached to said vehicle, a sensor determining the weight of a driver of said vehicle, a sensor determining whether windshield wipers are operating on said vehicle, a sensor determining whether headlights are operating on said vehicle, and a sensor determining both presence and weight of a passenger of said vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each detector in said at least one detector is selected from the group comprising a choke detector, an accelerometer, a neighborhood radar, a supplemental restraint system, an impact detector, and a gyroscope.

9. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said storing said report in said memory, storing a receipt in said memory, said storing said receipt being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives said receipt from said third party, said receipt comprising an acknowledgement that said third party received said report from said encryption and transmission manager in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident.

16. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said storing said report in said memory, storing a receipt in said memory, said storing said receipt being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives said receipt from said third party, said receipt comprising an acknowledgement that said third party received said report from said encryption and transmission manager in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident.

23. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

after said storing said report in said memory, storing a receipt in said memory, said storing said receipt being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives said receipt from said third party, said receipt comprising an acknowledgement that said third party received said report from said encryption and transmission manager in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer-usable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident, the method comprising:

storing sensor data in memory, said storing said sensor data being performed by an information manager that receives said sensor data from at least one sensor in response to a request from said information manager, said memory and said at least one sensor and said information manager all being attached to said vehicle;

storing detector data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in an accident, said storing said detector data being performed by an event detection manager that receives said detector data from at least one detector in response to said at least one detector detecting said accident, said at least one detector and said event detection manager both being attached to said vehicle;

after said storing said detector data, storing state data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said state data being performed by said information manager that receives said state data from said at least one sensor;

after said storing said detector data, storing surrounding vehicle data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said surrounding vehicle data being performed by an adjacent identifier manager that receives said surrounding vehicle data from at least one surrounding vehicle in response to a request from said adjacent identifier manager, said adjacent identifier manager being attached to said vehicle;

generating and encrypting a report, said report comprising said sensor data and said detector data and said state data and said surrounding vehicle data residing in said memory, said generating and said encrypting being performed by an encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from a report manager, said encryption and transmission manager and said report manager both being attached to said vehicle; and

after said generating and said encrypting said report, storing said report in said memory, said storing said report being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from said report manager.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said sensor data is being requested by said information manager both cyclically and independently of said vehicle being involved in said accident.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a participant vehicle and a witness vehicle, said participant vehicle being involved in said accident with said vehicle, said witness vehicles not being involved in said accident but within such a proximity to said accident so as to being able to provide eyewitness information corresponding to a cause of said accident.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said surrounding vehicle data received from each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle comprises sensor data, detector data, and state data, respectively.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein each sensor in said at least one sensor is selected from the group comprising a global positioning system device, a speedometer, a brake meter, a slope meter, a sensor determining a position of each vehicle window, a sensor determining volume of a radio attached to said vehicle, a sensor determining the weight of a driver of said vehicle, a sensor determining whether windshield wipers are operating on said vehicle, a sensor determining whether headlights are operating on said vehicle, and a sensor determining both presence and weight of a passenger of said vehicle.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein each detector in said at least one detector is selected from the group comprising a choke detector, an accelerometer, a neighborhood radar, a supplemental restraint system, an impact detector, and a gyroscope.

15. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instruction that when executed by said processor, implement a method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident, the method comprising:

storing sensor data in memory, said storing said sensor data being performed by an information manager that receives said sensor data from at least one sensor in response to a request from said information manager, said memory and said at least one sensor and said information manager all being attached to said vehicle;

storing detector data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in an accident, said storing said detector data being performed by an event detection manager that receives said detector data from at least one detector in response to said at least one detector detecting said accident, said at least one detector and said event detection manager both being attached to said vehicle;

after said storing said detector data, storing state data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said state data being performed by said information manager that receives said state data from said at least one sensor;

after said storing said detector data, storing surrounding vehicle data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said surrounding vehicle data being performed by an adjacent identifier manager that receives said surrounding vehicle data from at least one surrounding vehicle in response to a request from said adjacent identifier manager, said adjacent identifier manager being attached to said vehicle;

generating and encrypting a report, said report comprising said sensor data and said detector data and said state data and said surrounding vehicle data residing in said memory, said generating and said encrypting being performed by an encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from a report manager, said encryption and transmission manager and said report manager both being attached to said vehicle; and

after said generating and said encrypting said report, storing said report in said memory, said storing said report being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from said report manager.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said sensor data is being requested by said information manager both cyclically and independently of said vehicle being involved in said accident.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a participant vehicle and a witness vehicle, said participant vehicle being involved in said accident with said vehicle, said witness vehicles not being involved in said accident but within such a proximity to said accident so as to being able to provide eyewitness information corresponding to a cause of said accident.

19. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said surrounding vehicle data received from each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle comprises sensor data, detector data, and state data, respectively.

20. The computing system of claim 15, wherein each sensor in said at least one sensor is selected from the group comprising a global positioning system device, a speedometer, a brake meter, a slope meter, a sensor determining a position of each vehicle window, a sensor determining volume of a radio attached to said vehicle, a sensor determining the weight of a driver of said vehicle, a sensor determining whether windshield wipers are operating on said vehicle, a sensor determining whether headlights are operating on said vehicle, and a sensor determining both presence and weight of a passenger of said vehicle.

21. The computing system of claim 15, wherein each detector in said at least one detector is selected from the group comprising a choke detector, an accelerometer, a neighborhood radar, a supplemental restraint system, an impact detector, and a gyroscope.

22. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein said code in combination with the computing system is capable of implementing a method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident, the method comprising:

storing sensor data in memory, said storing said sensor data being performed by an information manager that receives said sensor data from at least one sensor in response to a request from said information manager, said memory and said at least one sensor and said information manager all being attached to said vehicle;

storing detector data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in an accident, said storing said detector data being performed by an event detection manager that receives said detector data from at least one detector in response to said at least one detector detecting said accident, said at least one detector and said event detection manager both being attached to said vehicle;

after said storing said detector data, storing state data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said state data being performed by said information manager that receives said state data from said at least one sensor;

after said storing said detector data, storing surrounding vehicle data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said surrounding vehicle data being performed by an adjacent identifier manager that receives said surrounding vehicle data from at least one surrounding vehicle in response to a request from said adjacent identifier manager, said adjacent identifier manager being attached to said vehicle;

generating and encrypting a report, said report comprising said sensor data and said detector data and said state data and said surrounding vehicle data residing in said memory, said generating and said encrypting being performed by an encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from a report manager, said encryption and transmission manager and said report manager both being attached to said vehicle; and

after said generating and said encrypting said report, storing said report in said memory, said storing said report being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from said report manager.

24. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 22, wherein said sensor data is being requested by said information manager both cyclically and independently of said vehicle being involved in said accident.

25. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 22, wherein each surrounding vehicle in said at least one surrounding vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a participant vehicle and a witness vehicle, said participant vehicle being involved in said accident with said vehicle, said witness vehicles not being involved in said accident but within such a proximity to said accident so as to being able to provide eyewitness information corresponding to a cause of said accident.