VEHICULAR COLLISION-ACTIVATED INFORMATION EXCHANGE METHOD AND APPARATUS USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION RADIOS

• US 20130300552A1
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zen Lee Chang
• Original Assignee: Zen Lee Chang
• Inventors: CHANG, Zen Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,102,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A method, a system, and an apparatus used to automatically exchange identification and collision-related information utilizing wireless communication devices during vehicular accidents are presented. Upon collision, an impact sensor detects and registers the crash, causing a processor to trigger a collision warning, record selected identification and collision-related information in an electronic file, and exchange the same through a secure wireless connection with a collision-activated information exchange device (CIED) of the other vehicle involved and/or with an information exchange device (IED) or devices in the area of the collision. The stored electronic files can later be accessed by and/or even transmitted to authorities to serve as evidence in hit-and-run investigation and/or accident reconstruction.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a collision;

broadcasting a detection signal related to the collision;

receiving a response to the detection signal from a remote device;

establishing a wireless connection with the remote device based on the response; and

exchanging collision-related information with the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging collision-related information comprises:

transmitting a first set of collision-related information to the remote device; and

receiving a second set of collision-related information from the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of collision-related information comprises identification information and recorded collision parameters of a first vehicle, and wherein the second set of collision-related information comprises identification information and recorded collision parameters of a second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a Hull Identification Number (HIN), and wherein the collision parameters comprise at least one of a date and a time of the collision, velocity and acceleration profiles of the vehicle prior to and during impact, and geographic coordinates of the vehicle.

5. A communication device, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a collision;

a wireless communication radio configured to;

broadcast a detection signal related to the collision,

receive a response to the detection signal from a remote device,

establish a wireless connection with the remote device based on the response; and

a processor configured to exchange collision-related information with the remote device via the wireless communication radio.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a collision;

means for broadcasting a detection signal related to the collision;

means for receiving a response to the detection signal from a remote device;

means for establishing a wireless connection with the remote device based on the response; and

means for exchanging collision-related information with the remote device.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to perform exchange of collision-related information, the control logic comprising:

first code for detecting a collision;

second code for broadcasting a paging detection signal related to the collision;

third code for receiving a response to the paging detection signal from a remote device;

fourth code for establishing a wireless connection with the remote device based on the response; and

fifth code for exchanging collision-related information with the remote device.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving a detection signal from a remote device;

establishing a wireless connection with the remote device based on the detection signal; and

exchanging collision-related information with the remote device.

9. A communication device, comprising:

a wireless communication radio configured to;

receive a detection signal from a remote device, and

establish a wireless connection with the remote device based on the detection signal; and

a processor configured to exchange collision-related information with the remote device via the wireless communication radio.