Autonomous vehicle accident and emergency response

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12032945-B2
Application number	US-202318134365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2023
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features arm provided. According to certain aspects, the operating status of the features, the identity of a vehicle operator, risk levels for operation of the vehicle by the vehicle operator, or damage to the vehicle may be determined based upon sensor or other data. According to further aspects, decisions regarding transferring control between the features and the vehicle operator may be made based upon sensor data and information regarding the vehicle operator. Additional aspects may recommend or install updates to the autonomous operation features based upon determined risk levels. Some aspects may include monitoring transportation infrastructure and communicating information about the infrastructure to vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for directing a route of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle during an emergency, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, an indication that an occupant of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is experiencing a medical emergency;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a medical facility based upon a vehicle location of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle;
causing, by the one or more processors, the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel along a route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is controlled by one or more autonomous operation features during travel along the route; and
transmitting, by the one or more processors, a message to at least one of the following: the medical facility, a police department, a fire department, or a family member of the occupant, wherein the message indicates the route.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the medical emergency is detected by a sensor disposed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, and wherein the vehicle location is determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes one or more of the following: a heart attack or a stroke.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes a stroke.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel to the medical facility further comprises:
causing, by the one or more processors, the one or more autonomous operation features to engage;
causing, by the one or more processors, the one or more autonomous operation features to control the operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle along the route; and
causing, by the one or more processors, the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to park at an appropriate location upon arrival at the medical facility.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more autonomous operation features of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle perform at least one of the following functions:
steering;
accelerating;
braking;
parking;
pedestrian detection;
artificial intelligence;
vehicle navigation;
vehicle positioning; or
remote vehicle location determination.

8. A computer system for directing a route of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle during an emergency, comprising:
one or more processors;
a communication component communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and
a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to:
receive an indication that an occupant of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is experiencing a medical emergency;
identify a medical facility based upon a vehicle location of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle;
cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel along a route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is controlled by one or more autonomous operation features during travel along the route; and
transmit, by the communication component, a message to at least one of the following: the medical facility, a police department, a fire department, or a family member of the occupant, wherein the message indicates the route.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein receiving the indication of the medical emergency includes receiving the indication from a sensor within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to determine the route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, and wherein the system further comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver communicatively connected to the one or more processors, wherein the vehicle location is determined using the GPS receiver.

11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes one or more of the following: a heart attack or a stroke.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes a seizure.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel to a medical facility further comprise executable instructions that cause the computer system to:
cause the one or more autonomous operation features to engage;
cause the one or more autonomous operation features to control the operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle along the route to the medical facility; and
cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to park at an appropriate location upon arrival at the medical facility.

14. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for directing a route of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle during an emergency that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to: receive an indication that an occupant of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is experiencing a medical emergency;
identify a medical facility based upon a vehicle location of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle;
cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel along a route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is controlled by one or more autonomous operation features during travel along the route; and
transmit a message to at least one of the following: the medical facility, a police department, a fire department, or a family member of the occupant, wherein the message indicates the route.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the indication of the medical emergency is received from a sensor within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions further comprise instructions to determine the route from the vehicle location to the medical facility, and wherein the vehicle location is determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes one or more of the following: a heart attack or a stroke.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the detected medical emergency includes a seizure.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to automatically travel to a medical facility further comprise executable instructions that cause the computer system to:
cause the one or more autonomous operation features to engage;
cause the one or more autonomous operation features to control the operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle along the route; and
cause the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to park at an appropriate location upon arrival at the med

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Fields Brian Mark
• Huang Chien Che
• Wazeer Mohamed A
• Bennett Shawn C
• Cielocha Steven C
• Bryant Ronny S
• Kohaus Stephen
• Quakenbush Terry
• Novak Richard A
• Main Craig M
• Wu Weixin
• Wollenschlager Torri
• Csanda Carol Marie
• Gorsuch Stacey
• Binion Todd
• Chan Aaron Scott

Classifications

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/85

  Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data · CPC title

• G06Q30/0217

  involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title