System and method for estimating an emergency level of a vehicular accident

• US 8,054,168 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: McCormick, Catherine L., Tengler, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US12/395,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/438, 340/435, 340/441, 340/471, 340/933, 340/937, 701/35, 701/213, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

A method for estimating an emergency level of a vehicular accident includes detecting an event associated with the vehicular accident, initiating a video recording of an interior and/or exterior of the vehicle in response to the detecting of the event, uploading the video recording on a remotely accessible page, and reviewing the uploaded video recording to estimate the emergency level of the vehicular accident. Also disclosed herein is a system for accomplishing the same.

Claims

1. A method of estimating an emergency level of a vehicular accident, the method comprising:

detecting an event associated with the vehicular accident;

via a telematics unit operatively connected to a vehicle, initiating a video recording of at least one of an interior of the vehicle or an exterior of the vehicle in response to the detecting of the event;

via the telematics unit, uploading the video recording on a remotely accessible page; and

reviewing the uploaded video recording to estimate the emergency level of the vehicular accident.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to the uploading of the video recording, the method further comprises transmitting, via the telematics unit operatively connected to the vehicle, at least the video recording to a call center.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising uploading signature data related to the vehicular accident.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the video recording of the at least one of the interior of the vehicle or the exterior of the vehicle is generated using at least one video recording device operatively associated with the vehicle.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the at least one video recording device is a reverse parking aid camera operatively disposed in or on the vehicle.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the reverse parking aid camera is positioned to record video data located at a rear side of the vehicle, and wherein prior to the detecting of the event, the method further comprises:

shifting the vehicle into drive mode; and

rotating the reverse parking aid camera to a position sufficient to record video data at a location other than the rear side of the vehicle.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the detecting of the event associated with the vehicular accident is accomplished prior to the vehicular accident or during the vehicular accident.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein after the uploading of the video recording, the method further comprises notifying emergency personnel of the uploaded video recording, the notifying being accomplished by transmitting a call signal to the emergency personnel.

9. A method of estimating an emergency level of a vehicular accident, the method comprising:

detecting an event associated with the vehicular accident;

initiating a video recording of at least one of an interior of a vehicle or an exterior of the vehicle in response to the detecting of the event;

uploading the video recording on a remotely accessible page;

notifying emergency personnel of the uploaded video recording; and

reviewing the uploaded video recording to estimate the emergency level of the vehicular accident, the reviewing being accomplished by;

accessing, by the emergency personnel, the remotely accessible page;

entering a case identification code and a password; and

if the case identification code and the password are entered correctly, allowing the emergency personnel to review the uploaded video recording.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising retrieving data from the uploaded video recording, the data including at least one of i) an injury to one or more occupants of the vehicle, ii) a number of occupants in the vehicle, iii) an approximate age of each of the one or more occupants in the vehicle, or iv) an impact to the vehicle.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising determining an appropriate rescue plan based on the retrieved data.

12. A system for estimating an emergency level of a vehicular accident, comprising:

at least one sensor disposed at least one of in or on a vehicle, the at least one sensor configured to detect an event associated with the vehicular accident;

a video recording device operatively connected to the vehicle, the video recording device configured to produce a video recording of at least one of an interior of a vehicle or an exterior of the vehicle in response to detecting the event via the at least one sensor;

a telematics unit operatively connected to the vehicle and configured to transmit the video recording to a call center; and

a remotely accessible page configured to have the video recording uploaded thereto from the call center, the uploaded video recording being reviewable by emergency personnel.

13. The system as defined in claim 12 wherein the video recording device is a reverse parking aid camera operatively disposed in or on the vehicle.

14. The system as defined in claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes an automatic transmission system controlled by a gearshift, and wherein the reverse aid parking camera is configured to rotate to a position sufficient to record video data at a location other than the rear side of the vehicle when the gearshift is shifted into a drive mode.

15. The system as defined in claim 12, further comprising means for notifying the emergency personnel of the uploaded video recording.

16. The system as defined in claim 12 wherein video recording includes data selected from i) an injury to one or more occupants of the vehicle, ii) a number of occupants in the vehicle, iii) an approximate age of each of the one or more occupants in the vehicle, and iv) an impact to the vehicle.

17. The system as defined in claim 12, further comprising at least one other video recording device operatively connected to the vehicle, and wherein:

the video recording device is further configured to produce a video recording of a predetermined portion of the at least one of the interior of a vehicle or the exterior of the vehicle in response to the detecting of the event; and

the at least one other video recording device configured to produce an other video recording of an other predetermined portion of the at least one of the interior or the exterior of the vehicle in response to the detecting of the event.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, further comprising a multi-frame video including at least a portion of the video recording from the video recording device and at least a portion of the other video recording from the at least one other video recording device.

19. The system as defined in claim 17 wherein a position of the at least one of the video recording device or the at least one other video recording device is changeable from a default position.