Systems and methods for collecting vehicle evidence

• US 9,153,077 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Healey, Jennifer A., Zafiroglu, Alexandra C., Montesinos, Carlos R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US13/690,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 36- 39, 340/436, 360/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Systems and methods to request and collect evidence elements from one or more evidence systems responsive to a triggering event are disclosed. An evidence request beacon may be generated based at least in part on information associated with the triggering event. The evidence request beacon may be received by one or more evidence systems and may be evaluated to determine if potentially relevant evidence is available from the evidence system. If potentially relevant evidence elements are available from the one or more evidence systems, then the potentially relevant evidence elements may be provided to the requesting system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors associated with a vehicle, a triggering event associated with the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one information element associated with the triggering event;

generating, by the one or more processors, an evidence request beacon based at least in part on the at least one information element, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for one or more entities external to the vehicle to provide evidence elements, wherein the evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information; and

transmitting the evidence request beacon at or near the time of the triggering event for receipt by the one or more entities external to the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the one or more processors, one or more first evidence elements responsive to identifying the triggering event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more first evidence elements are received from one or more sensors disposed on the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) an accident involving the vehicle;

(ii) a break-in of the vehicle;

(iii) a theft of the vehicle;

(iv) a rapid deceleration of the vehicle;

(v) structural damage of the vehicle;

or (vi) deployment of an air bag associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one information element associated with the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) identification of the vehicle;

(ii) identification of an owner of the vehicle;

(iii) identification of a driver of the vehicle;

(iv) identification of a user of the vehicle;

(v) indication of a type of triggering event;

(vi) a location associated with the triggering event;

(vii) a viewing angle associated with the triggering event;

(viii) time associated with the triggering event;

or (ix) one or more monetary values.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more second evidence elements responsive to transmitting the evidence request beacon.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising instantiating a monetary payment responsive to receiving the one or more second evidence elements.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more antennas; and

one or more processors configured to;

identify a triggering event associated with a vehicle;

receive one or more first data elements from the one or more sensors responsive to identifying the triggering event;

determine at least one information element associated with the triggering event;

generate an evidence request beacon based at least in part on the at least one information element, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for one or more entities external to the vehicle to provide evidence elements, wherein the evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information; and

transmit the evidence request beacon via the one or more antennas at or near the time of the triggering event for receipt by the one or more entities external to the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) an accident involving the vehicle;

(ii) a break-in of the vehicle;

(iii) a theft of the vehicle;

(iv) a rapid deceleration of the vehicle;

(v) structural damage of the vehicle;

or (vi) deployment of an air bag associated with the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one information element associated with the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) identification of the vehicle;

(ii) identification of an owner of the vehicle;

(iii) identification of a driver of the vehicle;

(iv) identification of a user of the vehicle;

(v) indication of a type of triggering event;

(vi) a location associated with the triggering event;

(vii) a viewing angle associated with the triggering event;

(viii) time associated with the triggering event;

or (ix) one or more monetary values.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive one or more second evidence elements responsive to transmitting the evidence request beacon.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to instantiate a monetary payment responsive to receiving the one or more second evidence elements.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

identify a triggering event associated with a vehicle;

receive one or more first data elements from the one or more sensors responsive to identifying the triggering event;

determine at least one information element associated with the triggering event;

generate an evidence request beacon based at least in part on the at least one information element, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for one or more entities external to the vehicle to provide evidence elements, wherein the evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information; and

transmit the evidence request beacon via the one or more antennas at or near the time of the triggering event for receipt by the one or more entities external to the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured further to receive one or more second evidence elements responsive to transmitting the evidence request beacon.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured further to instantiate a monetary payment responsive to receiving the one or more second evidence elements.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors and from a vehicle, an evidence request beacon, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for evidence elements;

determining, by the one or more processors and based at least in part on the evidence request beacon, at least one information element associated with a triggering event associated with the vehicle;

identifying, by the one or more processors, one or more evidence elements associated with the triggering event based at least in part on the at least one information element, wherein the one or more evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information; and

transmitting, in response to receiving the evidence request beacon, the one or more evidence elements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) an accident involving a vehicle;

(ii) a break-in of a vehicle;

(iii) a theft of a vehicle;

(iv) a rapid deceleration of a vehicle;

(v) structural damage of a vehicle;

or (vi) deployment of an air bag associated with a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one information element associated with the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) identification of a vehicle;

(ii) identification of an owner of a vehicle;

(iii) identification of a driver of a vehicle;

(iv) identification of a user of a vehicle;

(v) indication of a type of triggering event;

(vi) a location associated with the triggering event;

(vii) a viewing angle associated with the triggering event;

(viii) time associated with the triggering event;

or (ix) one or more monetary values.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more communicative links; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive one or more evidence elements from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information;

receive, from a vehicle, an evidence request beacon via the one or more communicative links, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for evidence elements;

determine, based at least in part on the evidence request beacon, at least one information element associated with a triggering event;

identify at least one of the one or more evidence elements that is associated with the triggering event based at least in part on the at least one information element; and

transmit, in response to receiving the evidence request beacon, the at least one of the one or more evidence elements associated with the triggering event via the one or more communicative links.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) an accident involving a vehicle;

(ii) a break-in of a vehicle;

(iii) a theft of a vehicle;

(iv) a rapid deceleration of a vehicle;

(v) structural damage of a vehicle;

or (vi) deployment of an air bag associated with a vehicle.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one information element associated with the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) identification of a vehicle;

(ii) identification of an owner of a vehicle;

(iii) identification of a driver of a vehicle;

(iv) identification of a user of a vehicle;

(v) indication of a type of triggering event;

(vi) a location associated with the triggering event;

(vii) a viewing angle associated with the triggering event;

(viii) time associated with the triggering event;

or (ix) one or more monetary values.

22. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processor to:

receive one or more evidence elements from one or more sensors, wherein the one or more evidence elements comprise at least one of;

(i) still images, (ii) video, (iii) audio, (iv) speed information, or (v) acceleration information;

receive, from a vehicle, an evidence request beacon via one or more communicative links, wherein the evidence request beacon carries a request for evidence elements associated with a triggering event associated with the vehicle;

determine, based at least in part on the evidence request beacon, at least one information element associated with the triggering event;

identify at least one of the one or more evidence elements that is associated with the triggering event based at least in part on the at least one information element; and

transmit, in response to receiving the evidence request beacon, the at least one of the one or more evidence elements associated with the triggering event via the one or more communicative links.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

(i) an accident involving a vehicle;

(ii) a break-in of a vehicle;

(iii) a theft of a vehicle;

(iv) a rapid deceleration of a vehicle;

(v) structural damage of a vehicle;

or (vi) deployment of an air bag associated with a vehicle.