Methods and Apparatus for Using Black Box Data to Analyze Vehicular Accidents
AssigneeCcc Information Services Inc.
InventorsDarrin A. Smith, Scott Palmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for using black box data to analyze vehicular accidents. The methods include obtaining information from an event data recorder associated with a vehicle and using the data obtained therefrom in determining and analyzing the vehicular accident. Attributes to be analyzed include impact severity, change in velocity, and other desired parameters. Further disclosed are methods to securely communicate the downloaded black box information to a secure location for later analysis and processing.
Claims12
A computer-implemented method for determining impact severity, comprising:
- receiving damage information regarding a first vehicle and a second vehicle in a computer system remote from the first and second vehicles, the first and second vehicles being involved in a collision;
- accepting, in the computer system, a description of pre-collision information regarding the first and second vehicles;
- determining a point of impact and a principal direction of force for each of the first and second vehicles;
- receiving data from an event data recorder associated with the first vehicle;
- and
- determining, in the computer system, impact severity for the second vehicle based on the data, and the point of impact and the principal direction of force for each of the first and second vehicles.
A computer-implemented method for determining impact severity of a collision between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, comprising:
- receiving information obtained from an event data recorder of said first vehicle, said information comprising a recorded change in velocity of said first vehicle;
- adjusting said recorded change in velocity to obtain a modified change in velocity;
- calculating a first momentum vector component for said first vehicle using said modified change in velocity;
- calculating a second momentum vector component for said first vehicle using said modified change in velocity;
- and
- determining a momentum vector for said second vehicle based on said first momentum vector component and said second momentum vector component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.