Method and device in a motor vehicle for minimizing damage in the case of accident situations

A method comprising:

• a processor creating a model of an existing traffic situation using data from sensor and/or information systems of a motor vehicle;
• the processor analyzing the model of the existing traffic situation;
• the processor identifying an imminent primary accident and ascertaining response options for responding to the primary analysis based on the analysis;
• the processor predicting sequences to possibly occur beyond a primary accident, the sequences incorporating subsequent movements of road users and objects involved up to secondary accidents or hazardous situations;
• the processor computing for the response options and based on the predicted sequences a probability or extent of injury to persons and/or damage to objects of the road users and the involved objects involved;
• the processor determining which of the response options has been computed to have, compared to all others of the response options, a smallest of the probabilities or extents of injury;
• and
• the processor outputting control signals to trigger the motor vehicle to initiate the determined one of the response options to automatically respond to the imminent primary accident.

A device of a motor vehicle comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• at least one interface;
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• create a model of an existing traffic situation using data obtained via the at least one interface from sensor and/or information systems of the motor vehicle;
• analyze the model of the existing traffic situation;
• identify an imminent primary accident and ascertain response options for responding to the primary analysis based on the analysis;
• predict sequences to possibly occur beyond a primary accident, the sequences incorporating subsequent movements of road users and objects involved up to secondary accidents or hazardous situations;
• compute for the response options and based on the predicted sequences a probability or extent of injury to persons and/or damage to objects of the road users and the involved objects involved;
• determine which of the response options has been computed to have, compared to all others of the response options, a smallest of the probabilities or extents of injury;
• and
• output via the at least one interface control signals to trigger the motor vehicle to initiate the determined one of the response options to automatically respond to the imminent primary accident.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions that are executable by a processor and that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

• creating a model of an existing traffic situation using data from sensor and/or information systems of a motor vehicle;
• analyzing the model of the existing traffic situation;
• identifying an imminent primary accident and ascertaining response options for responding to the primary analysis based on the analysis;
• predicting sequences to possibly occur beyond a primary accident, the sequences incorporating subsequent movements of road users and objects involved up to secondary accidents or hazardous situations;
• computing for the response options and based on the predicted sequences a probability or extent of injury to persons and/or damage to objects of the road users and the involved objects involved;
• determining which of the response options has been computed to have, compared to all others of the response options, a smallest of the probabilities or extents of injury;
• and
• outputting control signals to trigger the motor vehicle to initiate the determined one of the response options to automatically respond to the imminent primary accident.