Systems and methods for reconstruction of a vehicular crash

• US 10,106,156 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Nave, Cole, Tofte, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kleinman, Lail A
• Application Number:
  US15/415,633
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/56 using mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01317 monitoring seat belt tensiont
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/00 : Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/085 : Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 : the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 : Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking or steering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 : with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system for detecting a vehicular collision (i) receives occupant data from at least one internal sensor; (ii) receives external data from at least one external sensor; (iii) determines positional information for at least one occupant of a vehicle; and (iv) generates a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision. The virtual reconstruction indicates a severity of vehicle damage and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision. The system may also utilized vehicle occupant positional data, and internal and external sensor data to detect potential imminent vehicle collisions, take corrective actions, automatically engage autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle systems, and/or perform at least one action to reduce a severity of a potential injury.

Claims

1. A computer system for reconstructing a vehicle collision, the computer system comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, the at least one processor is programmed to:

receive internal data from at least one internal sensor of a vehicle, the internal data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

receive external data from at least one external sensor, the external data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

determine positional information for at least one occupant of a vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data;

generate a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision, the virtual reconstruction indicating a severity of vehicle damage and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision; and

automatically engage an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate damage caused by the vehicle collision.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the severity of vehicle damage and the severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision based upon at least one of the internal data, the external data, and the positional information for the at least one occupant of the vehicle.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a position and a direction of facing of the at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine occupant skeletal positioning for the at least one occupant at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a size of the at least one occupant based upon the internal data.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system is related to at least one of driver alertness monitoring, driver responsiveness monitoring, pedestrian detection, artificial intelligence, a back-up system, a navigation system, a positioning system, a security system, an anti-hacking measure, a theft prevention system, and remote vehicle location determination.

7. A computer-based method for reconstructing a vehicle collision, the method implemented on a vehicle computer device including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, the method comprising:

receiving internal data from at least one internal sensor of the vehicle, the internal data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

receiving external data from at least one external sensor, the external data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

determining, by the vehicle computer device, positional information for at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data;

generating a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision, the virtual reconstruction indicating a severity of damage to the vehicle and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision; and

automatically engaging an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate damage caused by the vehicle collision.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the severity of vehicle damage and the severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision based upon at least one of the internal data, the external data, and the positional information for the at least one occupant of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a position and a direction of facing of at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining occupant skeletal positioning for the at least one occupant at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a size of the at least one occupant based upon the internal data.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system is related to at least one of driver alertness monitoring, driver responsiveness monitoring, pedestrian detection, artificial intelligence, a back-up system, a navigation system, a positioning system, a security system, an anti-hacking measure, a theft prevention system, and remote vehicle location determination.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by a processor coupled to at least memory device, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

receive internal data from at least one internal sensor of the vehicle, the internal data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

receive external data from at least one external sensor, the external data including data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision;

determine positional information for at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data;

generate a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision, the virtual reconstruction indicating a severity of vehicle damage and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision; and

automatically engage an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate damage caused by the vehicle collision.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to determine the severity of vehicle damage and the severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision based upon at least one of the internal data, the external data, and the positional information for the at least one occupant of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to determine a position and a direction of facing of the at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to determine occupant skeletal positioning for the at least one occupant at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data.

17. A computer system for reconstructing a vehicle collision, the computer system including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, the at least one processor is programmed to:

receive internal data from at least one internal sensor mounted on a vehicle, wherein the at least one internal sensor is configured to collect data internal to the vehicle, wherein the internal data includes data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision, and wherein the internal data is associated with the vehicle interior;

receive external data from at least one external sensor mounted on the vehicle, wherein the at least one external sensor is configured to collect data external to the vehicle, wherein the external data includes data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision, and wherein the external data is associated with the vehicle exterior;

determine positional information for at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data;

generate a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision, the virtual reconstruction indicating a severity of vehicle damage and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision based upon computer analysis of at least one of (i) the internal data, (ii) the external data, and (iii) the positional information; and

automatically engage an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate damage caused by the vehicle collision.

18. A computer-based method for reconstructing a vehicle collision, the method implemented on a vehicle computer device including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, the method comprising:

receiving internal data from at least one internal sensor mounted on a vehicle, wherein the at least one internal sensor is configured to collect data internal to the vehicle, wherein the internal data includes data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision, and wherein the internal data is associated with the vehicle interior;

receiving external data from at least one external sensor mounted on the vehicle, wherein the at least one external sensor is configured to collect data external to the vehicle, wherein the external data includes data from at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision, and wherein the external data is associated with the vehicle exterior;

determining, by the vehicle computer device, positional information for at least one occupant of the vehicle at least one of before, during, and after the vehicle collision based upon the internal data;

generating a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle collision, the virtual reconstruction indicating a severity of vehicle damage and a severity of injury to the at least one occupant caused by the vehicle collision based upon computer analysis of at least one of (i) the internal data, (ii) the external data, and (iii) the positional information; and

automatically engaging an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate damage caused by the vehicle collision.