Fault determination with autonomous feature use monitoring

A computer system for automatically evaluating vehicle operation to detect occurrence of and determine fault relating to a collision, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more communication modules adapted to communicate data;
• and
• a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to:
• monitor operation of a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features for controlling the vehicle during a vehicle trip including an accident involving the vehicle, wherein the operation of the vehicle is monitored using sensor data from one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle and information regarding the operation of the vehicle is stored in the non-transitory program memory;
• generate an indication of the accident involving the vehicle based upon the monitored sensor data;
• receive from the non-transitory program memory the monitored operating data regarding operation of the vehicle during the vehicle trip including the accident, wherein the operating data includes (i) information from the one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle, (ii) information regarding implemented control decisions generated by the one or more autonomous operation features and implemented by the one or more autonomous operation features to control the vehicle, and (iii) information regarding unimplemented control decisions generated by the one or more autonomous operation features but not implemented to control the vehicle;
• receive information regarding use levels of each of the one or more autonomous operation features during the vehicle trip including the accident;
• automatically determine an allocation of fault for the accident based at least in part upon the received operating data and the use levels of each of the one or more autonomous operation features and without human involvement, wherein the allocation of fault includes a measure of fault of at least one of the following:
• a manufacturer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, a manufacturer of the vehicle, an installer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, a seller of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, or a repairer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, and wherein the allocation of fault is determined based at least in part upon one or more of the following:
• a point of impact on the vehicle, a point of impact on one or more additional vehicles, a velocity of the vehicle, a velocity of one or more additional vehicles, a movement of the vehicle, a movement of one or more additional vehicles, a location of one or more obstructions, a movement of one or more obstructions, a location of one or more pedestrians, a movement of one or more pedestrians, a measure of road surface integrity, a measure of road surface friction, a location of one or more traffic signs, a location of one or more traffic signals, an indication of a state of one or more traffic signals, or a control signal generated by one or more additional autonomous operation features of one or more additional vehicles;
• automatically determine a payment amount for a claim associated with a vehicle insurance policy based at least in part upon the determined allocation of fault;
• and
• cause a currency transfer equivalent to the payment amount to be automatically made to one or more accounts associated with the vehicle insurance policy when the payment amount is greater than zero.

A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for automatically evaluating vehicle operation to detect occurrence of and determine fault relating to a collision that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

• monitor operation of a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features for controlling the vehicle during a vehicle trip including an accident involving the vehicle, wherein the operation of the vehicle is monitored using sensor data from one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle and information regarding the operation of the vehicle is stored in a memory;
• generate an indication of the accident involving the vehicle based upon the monitored sensor data;
• receive operating data regarding the monitored operation of the vehicle during the vehicle trip including the accident from the memory, wherein the operating data includes (i) information from the one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle, (ii) information regarding implemented control decisions generated by the one or more autonomous operation features and implemented by the one or more autonomous operation features to control the vehicle, and (iii) information regarding unimplemented control decisions generated by the one or more autonomous operation features but not implemented to control the vehicle;
• receive information regarding use levels of each of the one or more autonomous operation features during the vehicle trip including the accident from the memory;
• automatically determine an allocation of fault for the accident based at least in part upon the received operating data and the use levels of each of the one or more autonomous operation features and without human involvement, wherein the allocation of fault includes a measure of fault of at least one of the following:
• a manufacturer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, a manufacturer of the vehicle, an installer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, a seller of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, or a repairer of at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features, and wherein the allocation of fault is determined based at least in part upon one or more of the following:
• a point of impact on the vehicle, a point of impact on one or more additional vehicles, a velocity of the vehicle, a velocity of one or more additional vehicles, a movement of the vehicle, a movement of one or more additional vehicles, a location of one or more obstructions, a movement of one or more obstructions, a location of one or more pedestrians, a movement of one or more pedestrians, a measure of road surface integrity, a measure of road surface friction, a location of one or more traffic signs, a location of one or more traffic signals, an indication of a state of one or more traffic signals, or a control signal generated by one or more additional autonomous operation features of one or more additional vehicles;
• automatically determine a payment amount for a claim associated with a vehicle insurance policy based at least in part upon the determined allocation of fault;
• and
• cause a currency transfer equivalent to the payment amount to be automatically made to one or more accounts associated with the vehicle insurance policy when the payment amount is greater than zero.