Methods and systems for providing accident information

• US 9,969,344 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kolasiski, Marcin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US15/435,898
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 34042618-42634, 340436, 3404571
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/006 Type of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs. One system includes a sensor and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to receive vehicle data from the sensor. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data. The electronic processor is also configured to generate an emergency message including the child presence indication and the state of a windshield of the vehicle. The electronic processor is also configured to automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder.

Claims

1. A method for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs, the method comprising:

receiving, with an electronic processor, vehicle data;

determining, with the electronic processor, a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data;

determining, with the electronic processor, a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data;

determining a number of total occupants of the vehicle;

determining an occupant seatbelt indication of whether each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt;

determining an orientation of the vehicle;

determining an ejected occupant indication of whether an occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident when (i) the state of a windshield of the vehicle is a cracked state and (ii) the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle does not have a fastened seatbelt;

generating, with the electronic processor, an emergency message including the child presence indication, the state of a windshield of the vehicle, and the ejected occupant indication; and

automatically transmitting, with the electronic processor, the emergency message to an emergency responder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the occupant seatbelt indication includes

determining a number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle based on the vehicle data, and

comparing the number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle with the number of total occupants of the vehicle,

wherein the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt when the number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle is the same as the number of total occupants of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of a windshield of the vehicle includes determining the state of a windshield of the vehicle is a cracked state when at least one selected from a group consisting of a current force of the windshield is less than a predetermined force threshold, an infrared signal is obstructed, and a conductivity value of the windshield changes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the child presence indication includes comparing a weight of an occupant of the vehicle to a predetermined weight threshold, wherein the child presence indication indicates that a child is present in the vehicle when the weight of an occupant of the vehicle less than the predetermined weight threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an emergency response category based on the vehicle data,

wherein automatically transmitting the emergency message includes automatically transmitting the emergency message to an emergency responder included in the emergency response category.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a second emergency message based on the vehicle data;

identifying a second emergency response category based on the vehicle data; and

automatically transmitting the second emergency message to an emergency responder included in the second emergency response category.

7. A system for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs, the system comprising:

a sensor; and

an electronic processor configured to

receive vehicle data from the sensor,

determine a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

generate an emergency message including the child presence indication and the state of a windshield of the vehicle, and

automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder,

wherein the state of a windshield of the vehicle is a cracked state when at least one selected from a group consisting of a current force of the windshield is less than a predetermined force threshold, an infrared signal is obstructed, and a conductivity value of the windshield changes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to generate an accident request based on the vehicle data, the accident request including at least one selected from a group consisting of a request for particular equipment, a request for a particular number of emergency response vehicles, and a request for a particular type of emergency response vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to

determine a number of total occupants of the vehicle,

determine an occupant seatbelt indication of whether each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt,

determine an ejected occupant indication of whether an occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident, and

determine an orientation of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the emergency message further includes at least one selected from a group consisting of the number of total occupants, the occupant seatbelt indication, the ejected occupant indication, and the orientation of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the ejected occupant indication indicates that at least one occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident when (i) the state of a windshield of the vehicle is the cracked state and (ii) the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle did not have a fastened seatbelt.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic processor is further configure to

determine a number of occupants of the vehicle that do not have a fastened seatbelt by calculating a difference between the number of total occupants of the vehicle and a number of total fastened seatbelts of the vehicle, wherein the emergency message includes the number of occupants of the vehicle that do not have a fastened seatbelt.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic process is configured to determine the occupant seatbelt indication by

determining a number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle based on the vehicle data, and

comparing the number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle with the number of total occupants of the vehicle,

wherein the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt when the number of total seatbelts fastened in the vehicle is the same as the number of total occupants of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to

identify an emergency response category based on the vehicle data, and

automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder included in the emergency response category.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to

generate a second emergency message based on the vehicle data,

identify a second emergency response category based on the vehicle data, and

automatically transmit the second emergency message to an emergency responder included in the second emergency response category.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second emergency message has content different than content of the first emergency message, wherein the content of the first emergency message is specific to the first emergency response category and the content of the second emergency message is specific to the second emergency response category.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine the child presence indication by comparing a weight of an occupant of the vehicle to a predetermined weight threshold, wherein the child presence indication indicates that a child is present in the vehicle when the weight of an occupant of the vehicle less than the predetermined weight threshold.

18. A vehicle controller for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs, the vehicle controller comprising:

an electronic processor configured to

receive vehicle data from the sensor,

determine a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine an occupant seatbelt indication of whether each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt,

determine a number of total occupants of the vehicle,

determine an ejected occupant indication of whether an occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident, wherein the ejected occupant indication indicates that at least one occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident when (i) the state of a windshield of the vehicle is a the cracked state and (ii) the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle did not have a fastened seatbelt,

generate an emergency message including the child presence indication, the state of a windshield of the vehicle, and the ejected occupant indication, and

automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder.

19. A vehicle controller for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs, the vehicle controller comprising:

an electronic processor configured to

receive vehicle data from the sensor,

determine a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine a number of total occupants of the vehicle,

determine a number of occupants of the vehicle that do not have a fastened seatbelt by calculating a difference between the number of total occupants of the vehicle and a number of total fastened seatbelts of the vehicle,

generate an emergency message including the child presence indication, the state of a windshield of the vehicle, and the number of occupants of the vehicle that do not have a fastened seatbelt, and

automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder.

20. A system for providing accident information from a vehicle to an emergency responder when a vehicle accident occurs, the system comprising:

a sensor; and

an electronic processor configured to

receive vehicle data from the sensor,

determine a child presence indication of whether a child is present in the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine a state of a windshield of the vehicle based on the vehicle data,

determine an occupant seatbelt indication of whether each occupant of the vehicle has a fastened seatbelt,

determine an ejected occupant indication of whether an occupant of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the vehicle accident when (i) the state of a windshield of the vehicle is a cracked state and (ii) the occupant seatbelt indication indicates that each occupant of the vehicle does not have a fastened seatbelt,

generate an emergency message including the child presence indication, the state of a windshield of the vehicle, and the ejected occupant indication, and

automatically transmit the emergency message to an emergency responder.