Patent ID: 8121753

Claim:
A method for gathering and submitting data to a third party in response to a vehicle being involved in an accident, the method comprising: storing sensor data in memory, said storing said sensor data being performed by an information manager that receives said sensor data from at least one sensor in response to a request from said information manager, said memory and said at least one sensor and said information manager all being attached to said vehicle; storing detector data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in an accident, said storing said detector data being performed by an event detection manager that receives said detector data from at least one detector in response to said at least one detector detecting said accident, said at least one detector and said event detection manager both being attached to said vehicle; after said storing said detector data, storing state data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said state data being performed by said information manager that receives said state data from said at least one sensor; after said storing said detector data, storing surrounding vehicle data in said memory in response to said vehicle being involved in said accident, said storing said surrounding vehicle data being performed by an adjacent identifier manager that receives said surrounding vehicle data from at least one surrounding vehicle in response to a request from said adjacent identifier manager, said adjacent identifier manager being attached to said vehicle; generating and encrypting a report, said report comprising said sensor data and said detector data and said state data and said surrounding vehicle data residing in said memory, said generating and said encrypting being performed by an encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from a report manager, said encryption and transmission manager and said report manager both being attached to said vehicle; and after said generating and said encrypting said report, storing said report in said memory, said storing said report being performed by said encryption and transmission manager that receives a request from said report manager.