Methods of reconstructing an accident scene using telematics data

• US 10,387,962 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Potter, Thomas Michael, Clauss, Mark E., Carter, Dustin Ryan, Graff, Douglas Albert, Baumann, Megan Michal, Bonnom, Atlanta, Cope, Craig, Lawyer, Jennifer Luella, Simpson, Curtis, Baumann, Nathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khattar, Rajesh
• Application Number:
  US14/798,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

In systems and methods for accident scene reconstruction, accident data associated with a vehicle accident involving a driver may be collected. The accident data may include vehicle telematics and/or other data, and/or the driver may be associated with an insurance policy. The accident data may be analyzed and, based upon the analysis of the accident data, a sequence of events occurring before, during, and/or after the vehicle accident may be determined. Based upon the determined sequence of events, a virtual reconstruction of the vehicle accident and/or a scene of the vehicle accident may be generated. The virtual reconstruction may include images of vehicles and/or road, weather, traffic, or construction conditions at the time of the accident. Based upon the virtual reconstruction, fault of the driver, or lack thereof, for the accident may be determined. The determined fault may be used to handle an insurance claim associated with the vehicle accident.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of accident scene reconstruction, the method comprising:

generating, by one or more sensors of a mobile computing device associated with a driver, accident data associated with a vehicle during a time period including a vehicle accident, the accident data including vehicle telematics data from the one or more sensors indicating acceleration or velocity of the vehicle, and the accident data including audio or video data associated with the interior of the vehicle from the one or more sensors;

collecting, by one or more remote servers associated with an insurance provider from an application of the mobile computing device, the accident data, wherein the accident data is associated with the driver, and the driver being associated with an insurance policy issued by the insurance provider;

analyzing, by the one or more remote servers, the accident data to determine (i) vehicle movement at a plurality of times associated with the vehicle accident based upon the vehicle telematics data and (ii) mobile phone usage by the driver during the vehicle accident based upon the audio or video data;

determining, by the one or more remote servers and based upon the analysis of the accident data, a sequence of events occurring one or more of before, during, or after the vehicle accident;

generating, by the one or more remote servers and based upon the determined sequence of events, a virtual reconstruction of one or both of (i) the vehicle accident and (ii) a scene of the vehicle accident;

determining, by the one or more remote servers and based upon the virtual reconstruction and the mobile phone usage by the driver, fault of the driver for the vehicle accident; and

using the determined fault of the driver to handle, at the one or more remote servers, an insurance claim associated with the vehicle accident.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising using the determined fault of the driver to adjust, generate, or update, at the one or more remote servers, one or more insurance-related items, the one or more insurance-related items including one or more of (i) parameters of the insurance policy;

(ii) a premium;

(iii) a rate;

(iv) a discount;

or (v) a reward.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting information indicative of the adjusted, generated, or updated insurance-related items from the one or more remote servers to a mobile device associated with either the driver or another individual associated with the insurance policy, to be displayed on the mobile device for review, modification, or approval by the driver or other individual.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the accident data further includes using the accident data to analyze driver behavior of the driver at least one of before, during or after the vehicle accident.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the accident data further includes using the accident data to analyze driver acuity of the driver at least one of before, during or after the vehicle accident.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing, by the one or more remote servers, additional data associated with the vehicle accident to determine conditions that were associated with a location of the vehicle accident at least one of before, during or after the vehicle accident, the conditions including one or more of (i) road conditions;

(ii) weather conditions;

(iii) traffic conditions;

or (iv) construction conditions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing, by the one or more remote servers, additional data associated with the vehicle accident to determine driver behavior of another driver involved in the vehicle accident at least one of before, during or after the vehicle accident.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a virtual reconstruction includes generating an animated graphical depiction of (i) two or more vehicles involved in the vehicle accident before and during the accident, and (ii) one or more of weather conditions, traffic conditions, or construction conditions, at the time of the accident and at or in the vicinity of the vehicle accident, the virtual reconstruction being superimposed upon a map.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by an insured vehicle or a computer system of the insured vehicle, additional accident data,

wherein the sequence of events is further determined based in part upon the additional accident data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the additional accident data is associated with, or generated by, one or more of (i) a vehicle other than the insured vehicle;

(ii) vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication;

or (iii) roadside equipment or infrastructure located near a location of the vehicle accident.

11. A system for accident scene reconstruction, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

generate accident data associated with a vehicle during a time period including a vehicle accident using one or more sensors of a mobile computing device associated with a driver, the accident data including vehicle telematics data from the one or more sensors indicating acceleration or velocity of the vehicle, and the accident data including audio or video data associated with the interior of the vehicle from the one or more sensors,

collect the accident data from an application of the mobile computing device, wherein the accident data is associated with the driver, and the driver being associated with an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider,

analyze the accident data to determine (i) vehicle movement at a plurality of times associated with the vehicle accident based upon the vehicle telematics data and (ii) mobile phone usage by the driver during the vehicle accident based upon the audio or video data,

determine, based upon the analysis of the accident data, a sequence of events occurring one or more of before, during, or after the vehicle accident,

generate, based upon the determined sequence of events, a virtual reconstruction of one or both of (i) the vehicle accident and (ii) a scene of the vehicle accident,

determine, based upon the virtual reconstruction and the mobile phone usage by the driver, fault of the driver for the vehicle accident, and

use the determined fault of the driver to handle an insurance claim associated with the vehicle accident.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to transmit, via the communication interface, information indicative of the adjusted, generated, or updated insurance-related items to a mobile device associated with either the driver or another individual associated with the insurance policy, to be displayed on the mobile device for review, modification, or approval by the driver or other individual.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to analyze the accident data at least by using the accident data to analyze driver behavior of the driver.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to analyze the accident data at least by using the accident data to analyze driver acuity of the driver.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to analyze additional data to determine one or more of road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions, or construction conditions associated with a location of the vehicle accident.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to analyze additional data to determine driving behavior of another driver involved in the vehicle accident.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual reconstruction:

includes an animated graphical depiction of (i) two or more vehicles involved in the vehicle accident before and during the accident, and (ii) one or more of weather conditions, traffic conditions, or construction conditions, at the time of the accident and at or in the vicinity of the vehicle accident; and

is superimposed upon a map.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to collect additional data associated with, or generated by, one or more of (i) vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication;

or (iii) roadside equipment or infrastructure located near a location of the vehicle accident, and wherein the sequence of events is further determined based in part upon the additional accident data.