Crash event detection, response and reporting apparatus and method

• US 9,628,975 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Video Computing Solutions Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Mobile Video Computing Solutions Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Watkins, D Scott, Tieman, Craig A
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US14/819,879
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A crash detection system with a mobile communications device configured for periodically interrogating (a) an acceleration signal to determine whether a change in acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold and (b) a sound signal to determine whether a sequence of sensed sound signals within a predetermined period matches crash sound indicators of (i) glass breakage and (ii) metal folding, displaying selectable options upon detection of a crash incident, and upon a failure to select within a predetermined period, communicating an identifier and crash incident information dispatch center for dispatching a response servicer.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle crash detection system, comprising:

a tracking and dispatch center having a computer processor configured with an electronic memory device that maintains driver information of driver name, address, insurance company and policy number for a plurality of drivers and maintains vehicle crash information of motor vehicle, crash location data, date and time, and optionally one or more sequences of sounds from a crash location, one or more images thereof, for a plurality of crashed motor vehicles;

a plurality of mobile communications devices, each associated with a respective one of the plurality of drivers and configured with a sensor that generates an acceleration signal responsive to acceleration of the mobile communications device and a sound receiver for receiving a sound signal of sound proximate the mobile communications device;

the mobile communications device configured with software instructions that upon execution monitors for an occurrence of a crash event by periodically interrogating (a) the acceleration signal to determine whether a change in acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold and (b) the sound signal to determine whether a sequence of sensed sound signals within a predetermined period matches crash sound indicators of (i) glass breakage and (ii) metal folding;

a display that upon determining the occurrence of the crash incident displays a possible event window for selection of one of (a) to return the mobile communications device to monitoring for the occurrence of the crash incident and (b) to confirm the crash incident;

upon a failure of selection of one of the selectable options within a predetermined period, the mobile communications device communicating by a communications network an identifier associated with the mobile communications device and crash incident information of a location data, date and time to the tracking and dispatch center; and

at least one response servicer for dispatching by the tracking and dispatch center to a site of the crash incident based on the location data, the response servicer provides a lantern device having a light, an imaging device, and a communications device, whereby images received by the imaging device communicate by the communications device through the network to the tracking and dispatch center.

2. The motor vehicle crash detection system as recited in claim 1, wherein the response servicer further provides a vehicle transporter.

3. The motor vehicle crash detection system as recited in claim 1, wherein the imaging device is operable for video.

4. The motor vehicle crash detection system as recited in claim 1, wherein the imaging device is operable for single frame images.

5. The motor vehicle crash detection system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an electronic data storage device installed for communication with the imaging device for recording of images prior to communicating the recorded images to the tracking and dispatch center.

6. The motor vehicle crash detection system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a claims servicer for processing claims arising from the detected crash occurrence.