# US 10,121,380 B2 · Automatic motor vehicle accident reporting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,380 B2 - Document ID: US10121380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/679,387 - Filed: 2017-08-17 - Published: 2018-02-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-17 - Assignees: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America - Applicants: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, division of Panasonic Corporation of North America - Inventors: Shantha Kumari Rajendran; Padhu Kanagaraj - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121380B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental} - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - B60R 2021/0027: {Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services} - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - G07C 5/0866: {the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract An accident reporting arrangement for a motor vehicle includes at least one camera capturing images of an environment surrounding the motor vehicle. A microphone is positioned to produce a microphone signal based on sounds in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. A global positioning system determines a global position of the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to each of the at least one camera, the microphone, the global positioning system, and a user-actuatable switch. The electronic processor causes an accident reporting signal to be wirelessly transmitted in response to a user actuating the user-actuatable switch. The accident reporting signal is dependent upon the images captured by the at least one camera, the global position of the motor vehicle, and the microphone signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An accident reporting arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising: at least one camera configured to capture images of an environment surrounding the motor vehicles; a microphone positioned to produce a microphone signal based on sounds in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle; a global positioning system configured to determine a global position of the motor vehicle; a user-actuatable switch; and an electronic processor communicatively coupled to each of the at least one camera, the microphone, the global positioning system, and the user-actuatable switch, the electronic processor being configured to cause an accident reporting signal to be wirelessly transmitted in response to a user actuating the user-actuatable switch, the accident reporting signal being dependent upon: the images captured by the at least one camera; the global position of the motor vehicle; and the microphone signal, wherein the accident reporting signal is dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user actuates the user-actuatable switch a first time, but is not dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur before the user actuates the user-actuatable switch the first time, and is not dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user actuates the user-actuatable switch a second time, the second time being after the first time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising a memory device communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store the images captured by the at least one camera, the accident reporting signal being dependent upon the images stored in the memory device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The arrangement of claim 2 wherein an image stored in the memory device is automatically deleted a particular period of time after the image was captured. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera comprises a 360-degree camera mounted on a roof of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 5 A method of operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising: capturing images of an environment surrounding the motor vehicle; producing a microphone signal based on sounds in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle; determining a global position of the motor vehicle; detecting a user actuating a switch; and causing an accident reporting signal to be wirelessly transmitted in response to the detecting step, the accident reporting signal being dependent upon: the images captured of the environment surrounding the motor vehicle; the global position of the motor vehicle; and the microphone signal, wherein the accident reporting signal is dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user actuates the switch a first time, but is not dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur before the user actuates the switch the first time, and is not dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user actuates the switch a second time, the second time being after the first time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising storing the images in a memory device, the accident reporting signal being dependent upon the stored images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising automatically deleting an image stored in the memory device a particular period of time after the image was captured. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the images are captured by a 360-degree camera mounted on a roof of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 9 A motor vehicle emergency reporting arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising: at least one camera configured to capture images of an environment surrounding the motor vehicle; a microphone positioned to produce a microphone signal based on sounds in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle; a global positioning system configured to determine a global position of the motor vehicle; and an electronic processor communicatively coupled to each of the at least one camera, the microphone, and the global positioning system, the electronic processor being configured to cause an emergency reporting signal to be wirelessly transmitted in response to a prompt from the user, the emergency resorting signal being dependent upon: the images captured by the at least one camera; the global position of the motor vehicle; and the microphone signal, wherein the emergency reporting signal is dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user provides the prompt, but is not dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur before the user provides the prompt, and wherein the prompt comprises a first prompt, the emergency reporting signal not being dependent upon sounds in the passenger compartment that occur after the user provides a second prompt, the second prompt being after the first prompt. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 further comprising a memory device configured to store the images captured by the at least one camera, the emergency reporting signal being dependent upon the images stored in the memory device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The arrangement of claim 10 wherein an image stored in the memory device is automatically deleted a particular period of time after the image was captured. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the first prompt and the second prompt each comprise the user actuating a switch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the first prompt and the second prompt each comprise a voice command from the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the at least one camera comprises a 360-degree camera mounted on a roof of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the prompt comprises the user actuating a switch. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the prompt comprises a voice command from the user.