Patent Issued for Accident Detection And Recovery (USPTO 10,592,990)

2020 MAR 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventor Hanson, Randall M. (Lake Ozark, MO), filed on August 21, 2017, was published online on March 30, 2020, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 10,592,990 is assigned to Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The collection and analysis of driving data, such as the identification of driving behaviors and traffic accidents, has many applications. For example, insurance companies and financial institutions may offer rate discounts or other financial incentives to customers based on safe driving behaviors and accident-free driving records. Law enforcement or government personnel may collect and analyze driving data and traffic accident statistics to identify dangerous driving roads or times, and to detect moving violations and other unsafe driving behaviors. In other cases, driving data may be used for navigation applications, vehicle tracking and monitoring applications, and on-board vehicle maintenance applications, among others.

“Vehicle-based computer systems, such as on-board diagnostics (OBD) systems and telematics devices, may be used in automobiles and other vehicles, and may be capable of collecting various driving data and vehicle sensor data. For example, OBD systems may receive information from the vehicle’s on-board computers and sensors in order to monitor a wide variety of information relating to the vehicle systems, such as engine RPM, emissions control, vehicle speed, throttle position, acceleration and braking rates, use of driver controls, etc. Vehicles may also include Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and devices installed within or operating at the vehicle configured to collect vehicle location and time data. Such vehicle-based systems may be capable of collecting driving data which may be used to perform various driving data analyses such as statistical driving evaluations, driver score calculations, etc. Vehicle-based systems also may be configured to detect the occurrence of traffic accidents, for instance, using vehicle body impact sensors and airbag deployment sensors. However, not all vehicles are equipped with systems capable of collecting, analyzing, and communicating driving data. Moreover, a single vehicle may be used by multiple different drivers, and conversely, a single driver may drive multiple different vehicles. Thus, vehicle driving data and/or accident records collected by vehicle-based systems might not include the vehicle occupants that correspond to the collected driving and accident data.

“In contrast to vehicle-based systems, mobile devices such as smartphones, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, and the like, are often carried and/or operated by a single user. Some mobile devices may include movement sensors, such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, speedometer, and/or GPS receivers, capable of detecting movement.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent: “The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. The summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the description below.

“Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems, apparatuses, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for determining that vehicle accidents have occurred, collecting and analyzing accident characteristics and other related data, and providing customized accident recovery services. In some cases, a mobile computing device within a moving vehicle may be configured to detect that an accident involving the vehicle has occurred. The mobile computing device may detect an accident using movement and location sensors on the device, or may establish communication with one or more vehicle-based devices (e.g., a vehicle control computer, on-board diagnostic system, telematics device, etc.) to receive accident indication data from the vehicle. After determining that an accident has occurred, the mobile device and/or vehicle-based systems may be configured to determine accident characteristics, retrieve vehicle data and vehicle occupant data from one or external servers, determine the damages or potential damages resulting from the accident, and determine one or more accident recovery options or recommendations based on the accident damages. Various user interface screens may be generated and displayed via the user’s mobile device and/or a vehicle-based display device to provide the user with accident information, damages, and recovery options or recommendations. The determined damages may include actual and/or potential medical injuries to the vehicle occupants, as well as actual and/or potential property damage from the accident. Accident recovery options and recommendations may include, for example, required or suggested vehicle repairs, vehicle repair locations and estimates, required or suggested medical care for the vehicle occupants, insurance determinations, automatic initiation of insurance claims and title transfer processes, transportation and legal services, and the like.

“Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the additional description provided herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“The invention claimed is:

“1. A mobile computing device, comprising: one or more processors; one or more hardware memory units; and one or more network interfaces, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to access and employ the hardware memory units and processors to: receive, via the one or more network interfaces and via a wireless communication network, an accident detection and recovery application; execute the accident detection and recovery application, executing the accident detection and recovery application including executing computer-readable instructions to: receive current location and time data from a Global Positioning System (GPS) associated with the mobile computing device; determine, using at least one of: movement sensors and location sensors within the mobile computing device, that the mobile computing device is within a first vehicle; determine, based on the current location data, that the current location data corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle; after determining that the mobile computing device is within the first vehicle and that the current location data corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle, determine, based on a spike in positive or negative accelerometer readings, that the first vehicle was involved in an accident; determine, based at least on data received from the at least one of the movement sensors and the location sensors, one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident; determine at least one of a type of potential damages or an amount of potential damages associated with the accident, based on the accident characteristics; determine, based on the accident characteristics, a part of a body of one or more occupants of the first vehicle to evaluate for injury; and generate and display an accident recovery user interface on the mobile computing device, the accident recovery user interface including recommendations based on the determined type or amount of potential damages and medical recommendations based on the determined part of the body of the one or more occupants of the first vehicle to evaluate for injury and a potential type of injury, the medical recommendations further being based on the location and current time data received from the GPS.

“2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident comprises: receiving, from a vehicle-based computing device of the first vehicle, at least one of: a speed of the first vehicle at the time of the accident; an area of impact on the first vehicle during the accident; and a number of passengers in the first vehicle at the time of the accident.

“3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile computing device is in a vehicle includes: retrieving and analyzing data from at least one of: an accelerometer of the mobile computing device; a speedometer of the mobile computing device; and the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other location-based service (LBS) of the mobile computing device.

“4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein determining the type of potential damages or amount of potential damages associated with the accident further includes: retrieving, from an external computer server, via the one or more network interfaces, at least one of physical attribute data or medical history data for the one or more occupants of the first vehicle; and determining at least one of a type or amount of potential medical damages to the occupants of the first vehicle, based on the retrieved physical attribute data or medical history data of the occupants of the first vehicle, based on the accident characteristics, and based on the determined part of the body of the one or more occupants of the vehicle to evaluate for injury.

“5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein generating and displaying the accident recovery user interface comprises: determining one or more insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident; and determining an accident recovery recommendation based on the insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident, and based on the accident characteristics.

“6. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to access and employ the memory units and processors to: initiate at least one of: an insurance claim; a title transfer process; and a vehicle damage repair estimate, wherein the initiation of the insurance claim, title transfer process, or vehicle damage repair estimate is based on determined type or amount of potential damages associated with the accident, and the insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident.

“7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the potential damages are further based on seating positions within the vehicle.

“8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident includes: receiving data associated with individuals within the first vehicle at the time of the accident; receiving speed data of the first vehicle at the time of the accident; comparing the speed data to a plurality of speed thresholds, wherein the speed thresholds are based on the data associated with the individuals within the first vehicle at the time of the accident.

“9. A method, comprising: receiving, by a mobile computing device and via a wireless communication network, an accident detection and recovery application; executing, by the mobile computing device, the accident detection and recovery application, executing the accident detection and recovery application including executing a series of computer-readable instructions to: receive, from a Global Positioning System (GPS) associated with the mobile computing device, current time and location data of the mobile computing device; determine, by the mobile computing device and using at least one of: movement sensors and location sensors within the mobile computing device, that the mobile computing device is in a first vehicle; determine, based on the current location data, that the current location data corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle; after determining that the mobile computing device is within the first vehicle and that the current location data corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle, determine, based on a short spike in positive or negative accelerometer readings, that the first vehicle was involved in an accident; determine, by the mobile computing device and based at least on data received from the at least one of the movement sensors and the location sensors, one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident; determine, by the mobile computing device, at least one of a type of potential damages or an amount of potential damages associated with the accident, based on the accident characteristics; determine, based on the accident characteristics, a part of a body of one or more occupants of the first vehicle to evaluate for injury; and generate and display, by the mobile computing device, an accident recovery user interface, the accident recovery user interface including recommendations based on the determined type or amount of potential damages and medical recommendations based on the determined part of the body of the one or more occupants of the first vehicle to evaluate for injury and a potential type of injury, the medical recommendations further being based on the location and current time data received from the GPS.

“10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident comprises: receiving, from a vehicle-based computing device of the first vehicle, at least one of: a speed of the first vehicle at the time of the accident; an area of impact on the first vehicle during the accident; and a number of passengers in the first vehicle at the time of the accident.

“11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the mobile computing device is in a vehicle further includes: retrieving and analyzing data from at least one of: an accelerometer of the mobile computing device; a speedometer of the mobile computing device; and the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other location-based service (LBS) of the mobile computing device.

“12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the type of potential damages or amount of potential damages associated with the accident further includes: retrieving, from an external computer server, at least one of physical attribute data or medical history data for the one or more occupants of the first vehicle; and determining at least one of a type or amount of potential medical damages to the occupants of the first vehicle, based on the retrieved physical attribute data or medical history data of the occupants of the first vehicle, based on the accident characteristics and based on the determined part of the body of the one or more occupants of the first vehicle to evaluate for injury.

“13. The method of claim 9, wherein generating and displaying the accident recovery user interface comprises: determining one or more insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident; and determining an accident recovery recommendation based on the insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident, and based on the accident characteristics.

“14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: initiating, by the mobile computing device, at least one of: an insurance claim; a title transfer process; and a vehicle damage repair estimate, wherein the initiation of the insurance claim, title transfer process, or vehicle damage repair estimate is based on determined type or amount of potential damages associated with the accident, and the insurance coverage characteristics applicable to the accident.

“15. A system, comprising: a mobile computing device, comprising: a processing unit; a hardware memory unit; and a wireless network interface; a vehicle-based computing device of a first vehicle, comprising: a processing unit; a hardware memory unit; and a network interface configured to receive sensor data from vehicle sensors of the first vehicle; and one or more computer servers, each said computer server comprising: one or more processors; one or more nonvolatile hardware memory units; and one or more networking components, wherein the mobile computing device further includes an accident detection and recovery application executing in a background of the mobile computing device, the accident detection and recovery application configured to access and employ the hardware memory unit and processor of the mobile computing device to: determine that the mobile computing device is within the first vehicle based on communication with the vehicle-based computing device of the first vehicle; receive current location and time data from a Global Positioning System (GPS) associated with the mobile computing device; determine, based on the current location of the first vehicle, that the current location corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle; after determining that the mobile computing device is within the first vehicle and that the current location corresponds to an area accessible to a vehicle, determine, based on a short spike in positive or negative accelerometer readings, that the first vehicle was involved in an accident; determine one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident; determine at least one of a type of potential damages or an amount of potential damages associated with the accident based on the accident characteristics; determine, based on the accident characteristics, a part of a body of one or more occupants of the vehicle to evaluate for injury; retrieve, from the one or more computer servers, accident recovery data based on at least one of: data identifying the first vehicle; data identifying a user of the mobile computing device; or the one or more accident characteristics, and display an accident recovery user interface on the mobile computing device, the accident recovery user interface including recommendations based on the accident recovery data retrieved from the one or more computer computers, recommendations based on the determined type or amount of potential damages, and medical recommendations based on the determined part of the body of the one or more occupants of the vehicle to evaluate for injury and a potential type of injury, the medical recommendations further being based on the location and current time data received from the GPS.

“16. The system of claim 15, wherein retrieving the accident recovery data from the one or more computer servers comprises: transmitting, to the one or more computer servers, identifying information corresponding to the one or more occupants of the first vehicle; and receiving, from the one or more computer servers, at least one of physical attribute data or medical history data for the one or more occupants of the first vehicle.

“17. The system of claim 15, wherein retrieving the accident recovery data from the one or more computer servers comprises: transmitting the one or more accident characteristics to a vehicle repair server; and receiving, from the vehicle repair server, a vehicle damage repair estimate.

“18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the one or more accident characteristics associated with the accident comprises: receiving sensor data of the first vehicle, from the vehicle-based computing device of the first vehicle; and analyzing the sensor data of the first vehicle to determine the accident characteristics.

“19. The system of claim 18, wherein the determined accident characteristics comprise at least one of: a speed of the first vehicle at the time of the accident; an area of impact on the first vehicle during the accident; and a number of passengers in the first vehicle at the time of the accident.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Hanson, Randall M. Accident Detection And Recovery. U.S. Patent Number 10,592,990, filed August 21, 2017, and published online on March 30, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,592,990.PN.&OS=PN/10,592,990RS=PN/10,592,990

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