Accident alert system for preventing secondary collision

• US 9,142,128 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kakao Mobility Corp. (Kakao Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Loc&ALL Inc.
• Inventors: Shin, Myoung Jin, Oh, Kwang Jin, Park, Hee Man
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/969,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/934, 340/995.13, 701/119, 342/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096708 where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an accident alert system for preventing secondary collisions. The system for preventing a secondary accident comprises a terminal configured to have a global positioning system (GPS) navigation capability, monitor and display a driving state and an accident state of a vehicle, transmit information on a driving state and the accident state via a communication network, and display information received on a screen; and a server platform configured to exchange information with the terminal, include an algorithm for determining the occurrence of an accident based on the information on the driving state and the accident state received from the terminal and traffic information, and inform other terminals of the occurrence of the accident.

Claims

1. A system for preventing a secondary accident, comprising:

a terminal configured to;

have a global positioning system (GPS) navigation capability;

monitor and display a driving state and an accident state of a vehicle;

transmit information on the driving state and the accident state via a communication network; and

display information received on a screen; and

a server platform configured to;

exchange information with the terminal;

include an algorithm for determining an occurrence of an accident based on the information of the driving state and the accident state received from the terminal; and

inform other terminals of the occurrence of the accident;

wherein the information on the driving state comprises a speed of the vehicle, a location of the vehicle, and acceleration in three different directions of the vehicle; and

wherein the algorithm includes instructions for;

filtering each acceleration measured on X (rostrocaudal direction), Y (lateral direction), and Z (longitudinal direction) axes;

summing the filtered accelerations;

detecting an occurrence of an impact based on the summed acceleration; and

determining whether the occurrence of the impact is caused by the occurrence of the accident.

2. The system of claim 1, the algorithm further includes an instruction for determining that the accident has cleared if the vehicle moves after detection of the impact.

3. The system of claim 1, the algorithm further includes an instruction for ignoring the occurrence of the impact if the direction of the impact is along the X-axis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm further includes instructions for:

determining whether the vehicle is in a shadow area out of visibility of a global positioning system (GPS); and

determining whether the vehicle is effectively stopped even if the speed of the vehicle is not exactly zero by referencing a location and the acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, the algorithm further includes an instruction for detecting overturning of the vehicle by measuring gravitational acceleration along each of the X, Y, and Z axes.

6. A method for preventing a secondary accident which follows after a first accident of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting an occurrence of an impact based on acceleration information in three different directions of the vehicle;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the impact, determining whether the vehicle is stopped for a prescribed duration of time based on a speed of the vehicle;

determining an occurrence of the accident if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped for the certain duration of time and confirming the occurrence of the accident based on determining whether trailing vehicles respective to the vehicle present a significant decrease in speed relative to leading vehicles respective to the vehicle if it is determined that the vehicle is stopped for the certain duration of time;

detecting that the accident has occurred when trailing vehicles respective to the vehicle present a significant decrease in speed relative to leading vehicles respective to the vehicle; and

notifying the occurrence of the accident to nearby vehicles of the vehicle if the accident is detected;

wherein detecting the occurrence of the impact comprises;

filtering each acceleration measured on X (rostrocaudal direction), Y (lateral direction), and Z (longitudinal direction) axes;

summing the filtered accelerations; and

detecting an occurrence of the impact by using the summed acceleration.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the accident to be cleared if the vehicle moves after the detecting of the occurrence of the impact.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the vehicle is stopped is skipped if the direction of the impact is along the X-axis.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the vehicle is stopped comprises:

determining whether the vehicle is in a shadow area out of visibility of a global positioning system (GPS); and

determining whether the vehicle is effectively stopped even if the speed of the vehicle is not exactly zero by referencing a location and the acceleration of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting overturning of the vehicle by measuring gravitational acceleration along each of the X, Y, and Z axes.

11. A method for preventing a second accident with a secondary vehicle following a first accident involving a primary vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an impact involving the primary vehicle by;

filtering each acceleration measured on X (rostrocaudal direction), Y (lateral direction), and Z (longitudinal direction) axes of the primary vehicle;

summing the filtered accelerations; and

using the summed acceleration to detect the impact;

subsequent to detecting the impact, determining whether the primary vehicle is stopped for a predetermined period of time based on speed of the primary vehicle;

detecting occurrence of the first accident if the primary vehicle is stopped for the predetermined period of time after the impact is detected, and confirming the occurrence of the first accident based on determining whether secondary vehicles trailing the primary vehicle decrease in speed relative to leading vehicles ahead of the primary vehicle; and

notifying the secondary vehicles and leading vehicles of the accident.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting that the first accident has cleared when the primary vehicle moves after detecting the impact.