Method and apparatus for detecting vehicular collisions

• US 7,119,669 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grivas, Nick J., Lundsgaard, Soren K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W.
• Application Number:
  US10/738,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/435, 340/436, 340/539.18, 340/425.5, 340/903, 340/467, 701/45, 701/30, 701/29, 455/404.1, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/557, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A portable electronic device, like a cellular telephone is capable of detecting collisions between vehicles and notifying the proper authorities. The device includes a microprocessor and memory, in addition to an accelerometer and global positioning systems receiver. The memory includes at least one filter for screening out false positives, which are false collision detections. In one embodiment, the device determines its velocity. It then checks to see if its velocity falls within a range associated with moving vehicles. If so, the device monitors the accelerometer. When acceleration values in excess of a predetermined threshold are detected, the device pauses and again checks its velocity. If the velocity has fallen from the range associated with moving vehicles to a range associated with a vehicle that has sustained a collision, the device notifies emergency personnel that a collision has occurred. Another filter includes an operability check of the keypad, coupled with a notification message that the authorities will be called if the keypad has not been actuated within a predetermined time. Another embodiment includes a detector capable of detecting a vehicular cradle, such that the notification only occurs when high acceleration values are detected in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A portable, electronic device capable of detecting a collision, the device comprising:

a controller subsystem;

a radio-frequency transmit and receive subsystems;

a global positioning system subsystem; and

an accelerometer;

wherein the controller subsystem comprises a microprocessor and a memory, the memory having firmware stored therein, and wherein the firmware comprises at least one filter for preventing false positives from being detected; and

wherein the at least one filter is dependent on an output of the global positioning system subsystem and an output of the accelerometer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality of actions to be executed by the microprocessor, the plurality of actions comprising:

monitoring a velocity of the device;

recording a plurality of velocity values in the memory;

monitoring an acceleration of the device via the accelerometer;

determining when the velocity falls within a predetermined range;

determining when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

actuating the transmit subsystem to notify an external source that a collision has occurred when both the velocity is within the predetermined range and the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of actions further comprises determining the velocity of the device after the acceleration falls below a predetermined minimum threshold.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the actuating the transmit subsystem occurs only when:

the velocity is within the predetermined range;

the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

the velocity of the device, after the acceleration falls below the predetermined minimum threshold, falls below a second predetermined threshold.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the actuating the transmit subsystem occurs only when the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold for at least a predetermined minimum time.

6. The device of claim 2, further comprising a keypad, and wherein the plurality of actions further comprises:

determining the operability of the keypad;

notifying a user that a collision has been detected; and

if the keypad is operable, notifying the user that the transmit subsystem will be actuated if a key on the keypad is not pressed.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from one of the following:

a cellular telephone, a pager, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

7. A portable, electronic device capable of detecting a collision, the device comprising:

a controller subsystem;

a radio-frequency transmit and receive subsystems;

a global positioning system subsystem;

an accelerometer; and

a means for detecting a vehicular cradle,

wherein the device actuates the accelerometer to facilitate the detection of a collision only if the vehicle cradle is detected.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the means for detecting the vehicular cradle is selected from the group consisting of reed switches, Hall effect sensors, means for monitoring data communications with peripheral devices, means for monitoring charging of the battery, and means for monitoring audio communications with vehicular car-kits and accessories.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller subsystem comprises a microprocessor and a memory, the memory having firmware stored therein, wherein the firmware comprises at least one filter for preventing false positives.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality of actions to be executed by the microprocessor, the plurality of actions comprising:

monitoring the velocity of the device;

recording a plurality of velocity values in the memory;

monitoring the acceleration of the device via the accelerometer;

determining when the velocity falls within a predetermined range;

determining when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

actuating the transmit subsystem to notify an external source that a collision has occurred when both the velocity falls within a predetermined range and the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of actions further comprises determining the velocity of the device after the acceleration falls below a predetermined minimum threshold.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the actuating the transmit subsystem occurs only when:

the velocity is within the predetermined range;

the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

the velocity of the device, after the acceleration falls below the predetermined minimum threshold, falls below a second predetermined minimum threshold.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the actuating the transmit subsystem occurs only when the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold for at least a predetermined minimum time.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of actions further comprises:

determining the operability of the keypad;

notifying a user that a collision has been detected; and

notifying the user that the transmit subsystem will be actuated if a key is not pressed.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of actions further comprises actuating the transmit subsystem when the keypad is inoperable.

16. The device of claim 2 or 10, wherein the memory comprises at least one message, wherein when the microprocessor actuates the transmit subsystem, the at least one message is transmitted.

18. A portable, electronic device capable of detecting a collision, the device comprising:

a controller subsystem comprising a microprocessor and a memory, the memory having firmware stored therein, and the firmware comprises at least one filter for preventing false positives;

a radio-frequency transmit and receive subsystems;

a global positioning system subsystem;

an accelerometer; and

a means for detecting a vehicular cradle,

wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality of actions to be executed by the microprocessor, the plurality of actions comprising;

monitoring the velocity of the device;

recording a plurality of velocity values in the memory;

monitoring the acceleration of the device via the accelerometer;

determining when the velocity falls within a predetermined range;

determining when the acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

actuating the transmit subsystem to notify an external source that a collision has occurred when both the velocity falls within a predetermined range and the acceleration exceeds the predetermined threshold.