System and method for estimating post-collision vehicular velocity changes

• US 6,381,561 B1
• Filed: 02/02/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CCC Information Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Injury Sciences, LLC (CCC Information Services Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Darrin A., Kidd, Scott D., Pancratz, David J., Bomar, John B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Kyle J.
• Application Number:
  US09/243,202
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 703/8, 703/7, 703/6, 703/1, 345/339, 345/349, 345/340, 700/303, 702/33, 702/142, 702/150, 705/4
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method that utilizes information relating to vehicle damage information including damaged vehicle area information, crush depth of the damaged areas information, and vehicle component-by-component damage information to estimate the relative velocities of vehicles involved in a collision. The change in velocity is estimated using a plurality of methods, and a determination is made as to which method provided a result that is likely to be more accurate, based on the damage information, and the types of vehicles involved. The results from each method may also be weighted and combined to provide a multi-method estimate of the closing velocity. The methods include using crash test data from one or more sources, estimating closing velocity based on the principals of conservation of momentum, and estimating closing velocity based on deformation energy resulting from the collision.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

computer readable medium coupled to the processor;

first computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for generating a first graphical user interface, wherein the first graphical user interface includes a first screen object representing a vehicle, a second screen object having data entry fields to allow entry of damaged vehicle components and repair/replace estimate information;

second computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for generating a second graphical user interface, wherein the second graphical user interface includes a third screen object representing the vehicle, and a fourth screen object having data entry fields to allow entry of damaged vehicle components and visual damage information;

third computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for rating damage severity of each vehicle component according to a set of predetermined rules with regard to said repair/replace information;

fourth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, to determine an overall damage rating for the vehicle based on rated damage to the vehicle components;

fifth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, to compare the overall damage rating for the vehicle to a crash test vehicle having an overall rating based on component damage ratings in accordance with the set of rules; and

sixth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity as a result of a collision, the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity being based on the damaged vehicle components and the component damage ratings.

2. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

seventh computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining an overall vehicle damage rating based on at least one component damage rating; and

eighth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for comparing the overall vehicle damage rating to a crash test vehicle damage rating to determine whether to use crash test data to determine the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity.

3. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining whether to use crash test data to estimate change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity based on the location of damaged components.

4. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for comparing the location of damaged components on vehicles involved in the same collision to determine whether to use crash test data to estimate the change in velocity for at least one of the vehicles.

5. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for comparing characteristics of a damaged vehicle to characteristics of vehicles for which crash test data is available, and determining whether crash test data for a particular vehicle is applicable to the damaged vehicle.

6. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for generating a coefficient of restitution for estimating the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity.

7. The computer system of claim 6 further comprising:

tenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating closing velocity based on an estimate of the coefficient of restitution.

8. The computer system of claim 7 further comprising:

eleventh computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining a distribution of changes in velocity by varying parameters used to estimate the change in velocity; and

twelfth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating statistical error in the distribution of changes in velocity.

9. The computer system of claim 8 further comprising:

thirteenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for varying parameters according to statistical distribution functions.

10. The computer system of claim 8 further comprising:

thirteenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating the distribution of changes in velocity using stochastic simulation.

11. The computer system of claim 6 further comprising:

tenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for modifying stiffness parameters based on the position of the vehicle'"'"'s bumper relative to the position of another vehicle'"'"'s bumper.

12. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity using conservation of momentum; and

tenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for determining whether to use the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity based on the crash data, or the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity based on conservation of momentum, as input to a multi-method change in velocity combination generator.

13. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for computationally estimating the change in a vehicle'"'"'s velocity as a result of a collision based on crush threshold energy.

14. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

tenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating deformation energy based on a one-way spring model.

15. The computer system of claim 2 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating principal forces based on at least one stiffness parameter and the depth information.

16. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising:

tenth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for comparing principal forces for at least two vehicles and determining whether the stiffness parameters and the depth information may be adjusted within predetermined thresholds to substantially balance the principal forces.

17. The computer system of claim 16 further comprising:

eleventh computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for comparing principal forces for at least two vehicles and determining whether vehicle parameters may be adjusted within predetermined thresholds to substantially balance the principal forces.

18. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

seventh computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for estimating the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity as a result of a collision based on a plurality of estimation methods including estimation based on one set of crash test data, estimation based on another set of crash test data, and estimation based on conservation of momentum; and

eighth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for weighting the results of each estimation method and combining the weighted estimates to determine a final estimate for the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity.

19. The computer system of claim 18 further comprising:

ninth computer code, encoded in the computer readable medium and executable by the processor, for using a statistical method for weighting the results of each estimation method.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the statistical method for weighting the results of each estimation method is the t-test.

21. A computer-implemented method for estimating the change in velocity of a vehicle as a result of a collision, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring information regarding damaged components of at least one vehicle, said information comprising repair/replace estimate information;

(b) assigning a damage rating to the at least one vehicle said damage rating based on at least in part on said repair/replace estimate information;

(c) determining whether to utilize crash test data for a first estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based at least partially on the damage rating;

(d) determining a second estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on conservation of momentum;

(e) determining a third estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on deformation energy; and

(f) determining a final estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on at least one of the first, second, and third estimates of the change in velocity.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (c) further comprises:

determining whether to utilize crash test data for a first estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on the location of damaged components.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (c) further comprises:

comparing the location of damaged components on vehicles involved in the same collision to determine whether to use crash test data to determine the change in at least one of the vehicles'"'"' velocity.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (c) further comprises:

comparing characteristics of a damaged vehicle to characteristics of vehicles for which crash test data is available, and determining whether crash test data for a particular vehicle is applicable to the damaged vehicle.

25. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (e) further comprises:

estimating principal forces based on at least one stiffness parameter and the depth information.

26. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (e) further comprises:

comparing principal forces for at least two vehicles and determining whether vehicle parameters may be adjusted within predetermined thresholds to substantially balance the principal forces.

27. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (e) further comprises:

determining a distribution of changes in velocity by varying parameters used to determine the change in velocity and estimating statistical error in the distribution of changes in velocity as a result of said collision.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (e) further comprises:

varying parameters according to a stochastic simulation, said stochastic simulation performed automatically.

29. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (e) further comprises:

modifying stiffness parameters based on the position of the vehicle'"'"'s bumper relative to the position of another vehicle'"'"'s bumper.

30. The method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein (f) further comprises:

weighting the first, second, and third estimates of the change in velocity and combining the weighted estimates to determine the final estimate for the change in the vehicle'"'"'s velocity.

31. The method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein (f) further comprises

using a statistical method for weighting the results of each estimation method.

32. A computer-implemented method for estimating the change in velocity of a vehicle as a result of a collision, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring information regarding damaged components of at least one vehicle, said information comprising repair/replace estimate information;

(b) assigning a damage rating to the at least one vehicle, said damage rating based on at least in part on said repair/replace estimate information said damage rating comprising a damage severity indicator for each of said damaged components of the at least one vehicle;

(c) comparing said damage rating to a crash test rating of the at least one vehicle;

(d) determining a first estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on crash test data if the crash test rating is greater than the damage rating;

(e) determining a second estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on conservation of momentum;

(f) determining a third estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on deformation energy; and

(g) determining a final estimate of the change in velocity for the at least one vehicle based on at least one of the first, second, and third estimates of the change in velocity.

33. The method, as set forth in claim 32, said damage rating comprising a first zone corresponding to a vertical measure of a bumper of the at least one vehicle and a second zone corresponding to a vertical measure above said bumper of the at least one vehicle.

34. The method, as set forth in claim 33, further comprising analyzing whether an override/underride condition.

35. The method, as set forth in claim 34, wherein said analyzing comprises a review of said first zone and said second zone of said damage rating.

36. The method, as set forth in claim 32, wherein said damage rating comprises an overall damage rating corresponding to a highest rating for each of said components of said vehicle.

37. The method, as set forth in claim 36, further comprising adjusting stiffness values of the at least one vehicle based upon presence of said override/underride condition.

38. The method, as set forth in claim 32, wherein said final estimate is determined by weighting the results of said first, second and third estimates and determining a final estimate therefrom.