Automatic crash detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12475741-B2
Application number	US-202117461050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Apr 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining whether or not a crash involving a vehicle has occurred. A computing device may receive acceleration measurement(s) measured by one or more accelerometers during a time window. The computing device may determine, for one or more acceleration measurements, a corresponding acceleration magnitude. Based on the corresponding acceleration magnitude(s), the computing device may identify, from the acceleration measurement(s), an acceleration measurement and/or may determine whether the acceleration magnitude exceeds a threshold acceleration magnitude. The computing device may corroborate whether a vehicle associated with the mobile computing device was involved in a crash. Data associated with the acceleration magnitude and/or an event, such as a crash event, may be transmitted to a server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile device comprising:
one or more memories having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
determine information associated with a movement of a vehicle in a particular direction, wherein the vehicle is associated with the mobile device;
perform a first process using a first subset of the information obtained via a first sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a first metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in a crash, wherein the first process comprises:
receiving acceleration measurement values within overlapping time windows; and
determining a crash indication when a number of acceleration measurement values within a window exceeds a threshold;

after determining the crash indication, perform a second process using a second subset of the information obtained via a second sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a second metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in the crash;
determine a confidence value as a weighted sum of the first metric indicative of acceleration and the second metric indicative of acceleration; and
indicate, based on a comparison of the confidence value with a threshold value, whether the vehicle was involved in the crash.

2 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the information includes acceleration measurements associated with the movement of the vehicle.

3 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the second subset of the information includes speed measurements of the vehicle.

4 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the second process comprises:
determining, based on the speed measurements, whether a speed of the vehicle exceeds at least one threshold speed; when the speed of the vehicle exceeds the at least one threshold speed, determining at least one magnitude of acceleration of the vehicle over a time window; and verifying that the vehicle was involved in the crash based on a comparison of the at least one magnitude of acceleration to a threshold.

5 . The mobile device of claim 4 , wherein the second process further comprises:
determining at least one deceleration for the vehicle upon determining that the at least one magnitude of acceleration exceeds the threshold; determining a distance the vehicle has moved based on the at least one magnitude of acceleration and the at least one deceleration; and verifying that the vehicle was involved in the crash based on the distance.

6 . A method comprising:
determining information associated with a movement of a vehicle in a particular direction, wherein the vehicle is associated with a mobile device; performing a first process using a first subset of the information obtained via a first sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a first metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in a crash, wherein the first process comprises: receiving acceleration measurement values within overlapping time windows; and determining a crash indication when a number of acceleration measurement values within a window exceeds a threshold; after determining the crash indication, performing a second process using a second subset of the information obtained via a second sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a second metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in the crash; determining a confidence value as a weighted sum of the first metric indicative of acceleration and the second metric indicative of acceleration; and indicating, based on a comparison of the confidence value with a threshold value, whether the vehicle was involved in the crash.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first subset of the information includes acceleration measurements associated with the movement of the vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second subset of the information includes speed measurements of the vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second process comprises:
determining, based on the speed measurements, whether a speed of the vehicle exceeds at least one threshold speed; when the speed of the vehicle exceeds the at least one threshold speed, determining at least one magnitude of acceleration of the vehicle over a time window; and verifying that the vehicle was involved in the crash based on a comparison of the at least one magnitude of acceleration to a threshold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second process further comprises:
determining at least one deceleration for the vehicle upon determining that the at least one magnitude of acceleration exceeds the threshold; determining a distance the vehicle has moved based on the at least one magnitude of acceleration and the at least one deceleration; and verifying that the vehicle was involved in the crash based on the distance.

11 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to:
determine information associated with a movement of a vehicle in a particular direction, wherein the vehicle is associated with the mobile device; perform a first process using a first subset of the information obtained via a first sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a first metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in a crash, wherein the first process comprises:
receiving acceleration measurement values within overlapping time windows; and
determining a crash indication when a number of acceleration measurement values within a window exceeds a threshold;
after determining the crash indication, perform a second process using a second subset of the information obtained via a second sensor, and that is associated with the movement of the vehicle in the particular direction, to determine a second metric indicative of acceleration and of whether the vehicle was involved in the crash; determine a confidence value as a weighted sum of the first metric indicative of acceleration and the second metric indicative of acceleration; and indicate, based on a comparison of the confidence value with a threshold value, whether the vehicle was involved in the crash.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the first subset of the information includes acceleration measurements associated with the movement of the vehicle.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the second subset of the information includes speed measurements of the vehicle.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the second process comprises:
determining, based on the speed measurements, whether a speed of the vehicle exceeds at least one threshold speed; when the speed of the vehicle exceeds the at least one threshold speed, determining at least one magnitude of acceleration of the vehicle over a time window; and verifying that the vehicle was involved in the crash based on a comparison of the at least one magnitude of acceleration to a threshold.

Assignees

• Arity International Ltd

Inventors

• Schmitt Kyle Patrick
• Harish Pratheek M
• Tammali Venu Madhav
• Layne Larry
• Ferguson Dana

Classifications

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• G07C5/008 Primary

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title