Methods and apparatus for using black box data to analyze vehicular accidents

• US 8,612,170 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CCC Information Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CCC Information Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Darrin A., Palmer, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US13/172,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 702/113
• US Class Current: 702/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/002 Analysing tachograph charts arrangements for graph-reading in general G06K11/00

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for using black box data to analyze vehicular accidents. The methods include obtaining information from an event data recorder associated with a vehicle and using the data obtained therefrom in determining and analyzing the vehicular accident. Attributes to be analyzed include impact severity, change in velocity, and other desired parameters. Further disclosed are methods to securely communicate the downloaded black box information to a secure location for later analysis and processing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a calculated impact severity for a first vehicle involved in an accident, comprising:

receiving change in velocity data and pre-crash data from an event data recorder of the first vehicle at a computer system remote from the first vehicle;

generating, at the computer system, a report of human factors using the pre-crash data and accident scene information input into the computer system;

determining, at the computer system, a first calculation of impact severity for the first vehicle using the change in velocity data received from the event data recorder;

obtaining, at the computer system, a second calculation of impact severity, the second calculation of impact severity determined without the change in velocity data received from the event data recorder; and

combining, at the computer system, the first calculation of impact severity according to a first weighting and the second calculation of impact severity according to a second weighting to obtain the calculated impact severity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting the first calculation of impact severity more heavily than the second calculation of impact severity in the combination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a Monte Carlo simulation to generate a distribution of change in velocity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating a file including the change in velocity data received from the event data recorder.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of algorithms to determine the first calculation of impact severity based on a type of the event data recorder.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein simulation variables for the Monte Carlo simulation include a pre-impact speed and the change in velocity data.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising obtaining a resultant change in velocity from the distribution of change in velocity and determining the first calculation of impact severity using the resultant change in velocity.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising selecting the algorithm using a vehicle identification number for the first vehicle.

9. An article comprising a non-transitory storage medium including instructions that when executed cause a computer system to:

receive change in velocity data and pre-crash data from an event data recorder of a first vehicle involved in a collision at the computer system remote from the first vehicle;

generate, at the computer system, a report of human factors using the pre-crash data and accident scene information input into the computer system;

determine, at the computer system, a first calculation of impact severity for the first vehicle using the change in velocity data via one of a plurality of algorithms selected based on a type of the event data recorder;

obtain, at the computer system, a second calculation of impact severity, the second calculation of impact severity determined without the change in velocity data; and

combine, at the computer system, the first calculation of impact severity and the second calculation of impact severity to obtain the calculated impact severity according to a weighting in which the first calculation of impact severity is weighted more heavily than the second calculation of impact severity.

10. The article of claim 9, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the computer system to perform a Monte Carlo simulation to generate a distribution of change in velocity.

11. The article of claim 9, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the computer system to select the algorithm using a vehicle identification number for the first vehicle.

12. The article of claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the computer system to simulate variables for the Monte Carlo simulation including a pre-impact speed and the change in velocity data.

13. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the computer system to obtain a resultant change in velocity from the distribution of change in velocity and determine the first calculation of impact severity using the resultant change in velocity.