Automatic Crash Detection

• US 20190130660A1
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Published: 05/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmitt, Kyle Patrick, Harish, Pratheek M., Tammali, Venu Madhav, Layne, Larry, Ferguson, Dana
• Granted Patent: US 10,650,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining whether or not a crash involving a vehicle has occurred. A computing device may receive acceleration measurement(s) measured by one or more accelerometers during a time window. The computing device may determine, for one or more acceleration measurements, a corresponding acceleration magnitude. Based on the corresponding acceleration magnitude(s), the computing device may identify, from the acceleration measurement(s), an acceleration measurement and/or may determine whether the acceleration magnitude exceeds a threshold acceleration magnitude. The computing device may corroborate whether a vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash. Data associated with the acceleration magnitude and/or an event, such as a crash event, may be transmitted to a server.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration of at least one axis of the accelerometer;

communication circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate with other devices;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor of the mobile computing device to;

receive, from the accelerometer, one or more acceleration measurements measured by the accelerometer during a time window;

compare the one or more acceleration measurements to one or more acceleration thresholds;

based on the comparison, determine a likelihood that a vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash; and

store data indicative of at least the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the time window overlaps a previous time window by a predetermined amount of time.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more acceleration thresholds comprises a threshold acceleration magnitude, and wherein the comparison comprises comparing a magnitude of an acceleration measurement of the one or more acceleration measurements to the threshold acceleration magnitude.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more acceleration thresholds comprises a threshold number of acceleration measurements, wherein the one or more acceleration measurements comprises a plurality of acceleration measurements measured by the accelerometer during the time window, and wherein the comparison comprises comparing a number of the plurality of acceleration measurements to the threshold number of acceleration measurements.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor of the mobile computing device to:

corroborate, based on one or more sensor measurements different from the one or more acceleration measurements, the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise location data, and wherein corroborating the likelihood that the vehicle was involved in a crash comprises determining, based on the location data, whether a distance the vehicle traveled during one or more additional time windows after the time window exceeds a threshold distance.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise deceleration data, and wherein corroborating the likelihood that the vehicle was involved in a crash comprises determining whether a deceleration value calculated from the deceleration data exceeds a threshold deceleration.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash is determined based on an acceleration magnitude of the one or more acceleration measurements and based on one or more of a deceleration value associated with the vehicle or a distance the vehicle traveled.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the comparison is performed based on one or more of a determination that a speed associated with the vehicle is above a first threshold speed or a determination that the speed associated with the vehicle is below a second threshold speed.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile computing device, one or more acceleration measurements measured by an accelerometer during a time window;

comparing, by the mobile computing device, the one or more acceleration measurements to one or more acceleration thresholds;

based on the comparing, determining, by the mobile computing device, a likelihood that a vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash; and

storing, by the mobile computing device, data indicative of at least the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the time window overlaps a previous time window by a predetermined amount of time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more acceleration thresholds comprises a threshold acceleration magnitude, and wherein the comparing comprises comparing a magnitude of an acceleration measurement of the one or more acceleration measurements to the threshold acceleration magnitude.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more acceleration thresholds comprises a threshold number of acceleration measurements, wherein the one or more acceleration measurements comprises a plurality of acceleration measurements measured by the accelerometer during the time window, and wherein the comparing comprises comparing a number of the plurality of acceleration measurements to the threshold number of acceleration measurements.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

corroborating, based on one or more sensor measurements different from the one or more acceleration measurements, the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise location data, and wherein corroborating the likelihood that the vehicle was involved in a crash comprises determining, based on the location data, whether a distance the vehicle traveled during one or more additional time windows after the time window exceeds a threshold distance.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprise deceleration data, and wherein corroborating the likelihood that the vehicle was involved in a crash comprises determining whether a deceleration value calculated from the deceleration data exceeds a threshold deceleration.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when read by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause the processor of the mobile computing device to:

receive one or more acceleration measurements measured by an accelerometer during a time window;

compare the one or more acceleration measurements to one or more acceleration thresholds;

based on the comparison, determine a likelihood that a vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash; and

store data indicative of at least the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, storing instructions that, when read by the processor of the mobile computing device, cause the processor of the mobile computing device to:

corroborate, based on one or more sensor measurements different from the one or more acceleration measurements, the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the likelihood that the vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash is determined based on an acceleration magnitude of the one or more acceleration measurements and based on one or more of a deceleration value associated with the vehicle or a distance the vehicle traveled.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the comparison is performed based on one or more of a determination that a speed associated with the vehicle is above a first threshold speed or a determination that the speed associated with the vehicle is below a second threshold speed.