Patent Publication Number: US-2007100521-A1

Title: Reporting information related to a vehicular accident

Description:
FIELD  
      The present invention relates generally to the insurance industry and more particularly to a method and system for reporting information related to a vehicular accident.  
     BACKGROUND  
      In the United States, automobile insurance companies deal with thousands of vehicular accident claims each year. These accidents involve drunk drivers, hit and run situations, speeding vehicles etc. Insurance companies then settle or litigate these claims based on which driver was at fault. However the determination of fault is sometimes calculated based on incomplete information.  
      Many times after an accident, the vehicles have to be quickly moved off the road. Accordingly, the accident information is typically gathered by hand with police reports, exchanges of information between drivers, etc. Sometimes accident reconstruction experts are also brought in to determine which driver was at fault. Because the vehicles usually have to be moved immediately after the accident, the information gathered is invariably inaccurate. This inaccurate information leads to many expensive trials and legal battles. Consequently, these costs are ultimately passed onto the consumer through higher insurance premiums.  
      Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system that is capable of recording information related to vehicular accident in a more accurate fashion. The inventive concepts described herein address this need.  
     SUMMARY  
      An aspect of the present invention includes a method of reporting information related to a vehicular accident wherein the vehicular accident involves at least one vehicle. The method includes capturing images of the vehicular accident with an image capturing device in response to an event trigger in a real time fashion and transmitting the images to a database.  
      Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification. Features shown in the drawing are meant as illustrative of only some embodiments of the invention, and not of all embodiments of the invention, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, and implications to the contrary are otherwise not to be made.  
       FIG. 1  is a flowchart of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of a system for recording data related to a vehicular accident in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows a more detailed illustration of a personal computer that could be utilized in conjunction with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows a high level illustration of a digital camera in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  shows a detailed block diagram of an imaging device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  shows a GPS in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the operation of the system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  shows a vehicular accident reporting module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The present invention relates to a system and method of recording data related to a vehicular accident. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the embodiments and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.  
      Based on varying embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of recording data related to a vehicular accident are disclosed. As a result, vital data and images of a vehicular accident are expeditiously recorded in real time and with high resolution. Consequently, a more accurate account of the vehicular accident is generated thereby resulting in less accident related litigation for insurance companies. This translates to lower insurance premiums for the consumer.  
       FIG. 1  shows a high-level flowchart of a method in accordance with an embodiment. A first step  110  involves capturing images of the vehicular accident with an image capturing device in response to an event trigger in a real time fashion. A second step  120  involves transmitting the images to a database.  
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of a system  200  for recording data related to a vehicular accident in accordance with an embodiment. The system  200  includes a data capturing system  210 , an impact sensory system  220 , a global positioning system (GPS)  230  and a database  240 . In an embodiment, the impact sensory system  220  and the GPS  230  are located in a vehicle  250  whereby the impact sensory system  220  and the GPS  230  are both capable of transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the data capturing system  210 . Additionally, the data capturing system  210  is capable of communicating with the database  240  via a satellite communications link  215  whereby the database  240  is coupled to client system  260  via communications network  245 .  
      In an embodiment, the database  240  is a server whereby the server and the client system  260  operate in a client/server environment. The term “server” may refer to both the hardware and software (the entire computer system) or just the software that performs the service. For example, Web server may refer to the Web server software in a computer that also runs other applications, or, it may refer to a computer system dedicated only to the Web server application. For example, a large Web site could have several dedicated Web servers or one very large Web server.  
      In an embodiment, the server is a database server. A database server is a computer in a local area network (LAN) dedicated to database storage and retrieval. It holds a database management system (DBMS) and the associated databases. Upon requests from the client machine(s), it searches the database for selected records and passes them back over the network.  
      A typical client/server environment involves an architecture in which the client (e.g. a PC) is the requesting machine and the server is the supplying machine, both of which are connected via a communications network such as a LAN or wide area network (WAN). Additionally, in a client/server relationship, the client processes the user interface (e.g. Windows) and can perform some or all of the application processing. Servers range in capacity from high-end PCs to mainframes.  
      In an embodiment, the communications network  245  is the Internet. The Internet, which is a global web of interconnected computers and computer networks, integrates local area networks (LANs) located in various entities, such as businesses, libraries, federal agencies, institutes of learning, and research organizations into a single communication network. The Internet uses a common communication protocol suite, known as a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which was specifically designed for the interconnection of different computer systems. Internal and external networks are linked by routers that route data packets from a sending network to another router or a receiving network. Gateways handle data transfer and conversion of messages from a sending network to the protocols used by a receiving network. Typically, gateways refer to devices that translate between applications. For example, e-mail gateways translate messages from one vendor&#39;s messaging program to another vendor&#39;s messaging program so that users with different e-mail programs can share messages over a network.  
      As mentioned above, in an embodiment, the client system  260  is a personal computer (PC). With reference to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary personal computer  260  for implementing an embodiment includes a processing unit  261 , a system memory  262 , and a system bus  263  that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit  261 . The system bus  263  may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory includes read only memory (ROM)  264  and random access memory (RAM)  265 . A basic input/output system (BIOS)  266 , containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the personal computer  260 , such as during start-up, is stored in ROM  264 . The personal computer  260  further includes a hard disk drive  267  for reading from and writing to a hard disk, not shown, a magnetic disk drive  268  for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk  269 , and an optical disk drive  270  for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk  271  such as a CD ROM or other optical media.  
      The hard disk drive  267 , magnetic disk drive  268 , and optical disk drive  270  are connected to the system bus  263  by a hard disk drive interface  272 , a magnetic disk drive interface  273 , and an optical disk drive interface  274 , respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the personal computer  260 . Although the exemplary environment described herein employs a hard disk, a removable magnetic disk  269 , and a removable optical disk  271 , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer-readable media which can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access memories, read only memories, and the like may also be used in the exemplary operating environment.  
      A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk  269 , optical disk  271 , ROM  264  or RAM  265 , including an operating system  275 , one or more applications programs  276 , other program modules  277 , and program data  278 . A user may enter commands and information into the personal computer  260  through input devices such as a keyboard  280  and a pointing device  282 . Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit  261  through a serial port interface  286  that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor  287  or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus  263  via an interface, such as a video adapter  288 . In addition to the monitor, personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices, not shown, such as speakers and printers.  
      Although the client system  260  is described in the context of being a personal computer, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the client system  260  could be any of a variety of systems. For example, the client system  260  could be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant or any of a variety of devices capable of receiving data transmissions from the database  240 .  
      The client system  260  includes a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI is a graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. GUIs have become the standard way users interact with a computer. In an embodiment, the GUI is employed to configure the client system  260  to receive data transmissions from the database  240 .  
      In an embodiment, the data capturing system  210  includes a satellite-based image capturing system such as a digital camera. For a more detailed description, please refer now to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  shows an illustration of a digital camera  400  in accordance with an embodiment. Digital camera  400  includes an imaging device  402 , a system bus  404  and an internal computer  406  whereby the imaging device  402  is electrically coupled to the internal computer  406  via system bus  404 . Although the above-described embodiment is a digital camera, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that any of a variety of image capturing devices can be implemented in conjunction the disclosed embodiments.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a more detailed block diagram of an embodiment of the imaging device  402  is shown. Imaging device  402  can be a lens  420  having an iris, a filter  422 , an image sensor  424 , a timing generator  426 , an analog signal processor (ASP)  428 , an analog-to-signal (A/D) converter  440 , an interface  442  and one or more motors  444 .  
      In operation, imaging device  402  captures an image of an object via reflected light impacting image sensor  424 . Image sensor  424  responsively generates a set of raw image data representing the captured image. The raw image data can ten be routed through ASP  428 , A/D converter  440  and interface  442 . Interface  442  has outputs for controlling ASP  428 , motors  444  and timing generator  426 . From interface  442 , the raw image data passes over system bus  404  to the internal computer  406 .  
      In an embodiment, the digital camera  400  is configured to capture and transmit image data to the database  240  in response to an event trigger from the impact sensory system  220 . The impact sensory system  220  includes one or more crash event sensors that are attached to the vehicle  250  for detecting the occurrence of the vehicle crash event. For example, the crash event sensor may be an inertia sensing device, a crush sensing device, and/or an acceleration sensing device. When the crash event sensor or sensors detect the occurrence of a crash event, one or more occupant protection devices (e.g. a vehicular airbag deployment system) are actuated to help protect one or more vehicle occupants.  
      As previously mentioned, the system  200  also includes a global positioning system (GPS)  230 . For a more detailed description of the GPS  230 , please refer to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  shows a more detailed description of a GPS  230  in accordance with an embodiment. The system includes the GPS satellite  210 , a GPS receiving antenna  231 , GPS receiver  232 , a controller  234 , an RF transmitter  235 , a GPS transmission antenna  236  and a power supply  237 .  
      During operation, the GPS satellite  210  outputs a GPS signal  211 , whereby the GPS receiving antenna  231  receives at the GPS signal  211  from the GPS satellite  210 . The signal  211  is input to the GPS receiver  232 . The GPS receiver  232  triangulates the GPS signals  211  into a location signal string  233 . The emergency location signal string  233  is input to the controller  234 . The controller  234  provides output to the RF transmitter  235 , whereby that output is transmitted through the RF antenna  236 . The RF antenna  236  subsequently outputs a signal  226  to the GPS satellite  210 . Accordingly, by utilizing the GPS, the system  200  can transmit the location, the speed of the vehicle  250 , as well as the date and time of an accident in response to the impact sensory system  220 .  
      Accordingly, referring back to  FIG. 2 , during the operation of the system  200 , when the vehicle  250  is involved in an accident, the impact sensory system  220  transmits a signal to the satellite  210 . Upon receipt of the signal, an image capturing device within the satellite  210  begins capturing images of the accident. Simultaneously, the GPS  230  transmits the location of the vehicle  250  to a processing engine within the satellite  210 . The images, the date, time and location of the accident are then recorded by the processing engine. This information is then transmitted to the database  240 . Finally, the database  240  transmits this info to the client system(s)  260  (e.g. insurance carrier, consumer, etc.) via email over the network  245  or any other of a variety of suitable transmittable means.  
      For a better understanding of the above-described embodiment, please refer to  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the operation of the system in accordance with an embodiment. A first step  701  includes transmitting a signal from the impact sensory system to the satellite in response to a vehicular accident. A next step  702  includes transmitting the location of the vehicle to the satellite. A third step  703  includes capturing images of the accident in response to the signal. A fourth step  704  includes recording the images, the date, the time and location of the accident. A fifth step  705  includes transmitting the images, the date, the time and location of the accident to a database. A final step  706  includes transmitting the images, the date, time and location of the accident to the client system.  
      Although the above-described embodiment involves a satellite based image capturing device, the inventive concept is not limited thereto. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that one or more image capturing devices could be configured on the vehicle  250  in order to simultaneously capture images of the accident from an alternate perspective.  
      The above-described embodiment(s) may also be implemented, for example, by operating a computer system to execute a sequence of computer readable instructions. Accordingly, computing device  260  typically includes at least some form of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computing device  260 . By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communications media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computing device  260 .  
      Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media. Accordingly, an alternate embodiment includes a computer readable medium having computer executable components for reporting information related to a vehicular accident wherein the vehicular accident involves at least one vehicle.  
      Additionally, another contemplated embodiment involves a vehicular accident reporting module that may be implemented as one or more respective software modules operating in the satellite  210 . In accordance with an embodiment, the accident reporting module controls the relevant components of the system  200 .  FIG. 8  shows a more detailed illustration of the accident reporting module  800  in accordance with an embodiment. The accident reporting module  800  includes impact sensory system interface electronics  810 , vehicular accident data recordation/transmission logic  820 , network interface electronics  830 . The impact sensory system interface electronics  810  are coupled to the vehicular accident data recordation logic  820  wherein the vehicular accident data recordation logic  820  is further coupled to the network interface electronics  830 .  
      Although the components of the above-described accident reporting module  800  are shown in a specific configuration, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize the components of the accident reporting module  800  could be configured in a variety of ways while remaining within the spirit and scope of the described embodiment.  
      The impact sensory system interface electronics  810  and the network interface electronics  830  include the electronic circuitry employed by the accident reporting module  220  to respectively communicate with the impact sensory system  220  and the communications network  245 . Vehicular accident data recordation/transmission logic  820  contains logic for recording and transmitting data to and from the network  245 .  
      Furthermore, an alternate embodiment includes a method of providing automobile insurance to a consumer.  FIG. 9  shows a flowchart of a business method in accordance with an embodiment. A first step  901  includes providing a system for recording data related to a vehicular accident. In an embodiment, the vehicular accident includes at least one vehicle and the system includes a data capturing system, an impact sensory system and a database coupled to the data capturing system for receiving the data related to the vehicular accident. A second step  902  includes offering a discount on automobile insurance to a consumer for implementing the system for recording data related to a vehicular accident.  
      Based on varying embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of recording data related to a vehicular accident are disclosed. As a result, vital data and images of a vehicular accident are expeditiously recorded in real time and with high resolution. Consequently, a more accurate account of the vehicular accident is generated thereby resulting in less accident related litigation for insurance companies. This accordingly translates to lower insurance premiums for the consumer.  
      Without further analysis, the foregoing so fully reveals the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. Therefore, such applications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the following claims. Although this invention has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention, as defined in the claims that follow.