Synchronization of vehicle sensor information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9361650-B2
Application number	US-201314057435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A method includes receiving and storing sensor data including a first plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of the environment external to a vehicle at a plurality of respective times, operational data including a second plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of an operational parameter of the vehicle at a plurality of respective times, and synchronization data. The method also includes generating a virtual model of an event involving the vehicle using the stored data, at least by generating a first visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the external environment, generating a second visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the operational parameter, and using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with, and in a time-aligned manner with, the second visual representation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method in an electronic processing system comprising a memory and one or more processors, the method comprising:
receiving, at the electronic processing system, sensor data representing information collected by a sensor (i) located on or in a vehicle and (ii) configured to sense an environment external to the vehicle, wherein receiving sensor data includes receiving a first plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of the environment external to the vehicle at a plurality of respective times;
receiving, at the electronic processing system, first operational data (i) generated by a first unit arranged within the vehicle and (ii) indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle, wherein receiving first operational data includes receiving a second plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of the first operational parameter at a plurality of respective times;
receiving, at the electronic processing system, external data that (i) was received by the vehicle from a mobile communication device of a pedestrian external to the vehicle via a wireless link and (ii) is indicative of objects sensed by the mobile communication device, wherein receiving external data includes receiving a third plurality of data points indicative of an additional plurality of respective states of the environment external to the vehicle at a plurality of respective times;
receiving, at the electronic processing system, synchronization data indicating a temporal relationship between the first plurality of data points, the second plurality of data points, and the third plurality of data points;
storing the received sensor data, the received first operational data, the received external data, and the received synchronization data in the memory; and
generating, via the one or more processors, a virtual model of an event involving the vehicle using the stored sensor data, the stored first operational data, the stored external data, and the stored synchronization data, wherein generating a virtual model includes
generating, using the first plurality of data points, a first visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the environment external to the vehicle,
generating, using the second plurality of data points, a second visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the first operational parameter,
generating, using the third plurality of data points, a third visual representation of the additional plurality of respective states of the environment external to the vehicle, and
using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with the second visual representation and the third visual representation such that the first visual representation is time-aligned with the second visual representation and the third visual representation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving synchronization data includes receiving data indicating (i) which of the first plurality of data points corresponds to which of the second plurality of data points and (ii) which of the first plurality of data points corresponds to which of the third plurality of data points.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving synchronization data includes receiving:
a first plurality of time stamps each corresponding to a respective one of the first plurality of data points;
a second plurality of time stamps each corresponding to a respective one of the second plurality of data points; and
a third plurality of time stamps each corresponding to a respective one of the third plurality of data points.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving sensor data representing information collected by a sensor includes receiving sensor data representing information collected by:
a camera device;
a radar device;
a lidar device; or
a sonar device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first operational data indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle includes receiving first operational data indicative of:
velocity of the vehicle;
acceleration of the vehicle;
braking of the vehicle; or
steering of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first operational data indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle includes receiving first operational data indicative of motion of the vehicle with respect to six degrees of freedom.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first operational data indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle includes receiving first operational data indicative of status of an automated driving system of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first operational data indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle includes receiving diagnostics information associated with the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving sensor data representing information collected by a sensor includes receiving video data representing information collected by a video camera device;
generating a first visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the environment external to the vehicle includes generating a video corresponding to the video data;
generating a second visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the first operational parameter includes generating a visual indication of status of the first operational parameter of the vehicle; and
using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with the second visual representation includes using the synchronization data to cause the video to be displayed simultaneously with the visual indication of status of the first operational parameter of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a virtual model of an event involving the vehicle includes generating a virtual model of an accident involving the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising at least one of:
determining fault for the accident based on the virtual model of the accident involving the vehicle; or
determining damages resulting from the accident based on the virtual model of the accident involving the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises
receiving, at the electronic processing system, second operational data (i) generated by a second unit arranged within the vehicle and (ii) indicative of a second operational parameter of the vehicle, wherein receiving second operational data includes receiving a fourth plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of the second operational parameter at a plurality of respective times, and
storing the received second operational data in the memory;

receiving synchronization data includes receiving synchronization data indicating a temporal relationship between the first plurality of data points, the second plurality of data points, the third plurality of data points, and the fourth plurality of data points;
generating a virtual model of an event involving the vehicle further includes generating a fourth visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the second operational parameter; and
using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with the second visual representation and the third visual representation further includes using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with the second visual representation, the third visual representation and the fourth visual representation, such that the first visual

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Binion Todd
• Harr Joe
• Fields Brian
• Cielocha Steven
• Balbach Steve J

Classifications

• G08G1/01

  Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled (G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G07C5/12

  in graphical form · CPC title

• G06F30/15 Primary

  Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design · CPC title