Qualifying Automatic Vehicle Crash Emergency Calls to Public Safety Answering Points

Abstract

The present application provides methods for in-vehicle emergency telematics devices and systems to automatically qualify vehicle crash events before directly placing a 3-digit emergency call from an in-vehicle TCU to a local PSAP operator. The qualification is performed in two stages. The first stage produces a qualified crash detection decision wherein a preliminary crash detection based on impact sensors is qualified by crash related non-impact sensors and vehicle telemetry data. The second stage uses an injury severity prediction algorithm to score the detected crash and produces a decision as to whether the crash warrants an emergency call to the PSAP operator.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claim priority to U.S. provisional application No. 61 / 658,598, entitled “Qualifying Automatic Vehicle Crash Emergency Calls to Public Safety Answering Points”, dated Jun. 12, 2012. This application is related to application Ser. No. 13 / 276,991, entitled “Detecting a Transport Emergency Event and Directly Enabling Emergency Services”, filed on Oct. 19, 2011, and Docket No. Guardity012012A entitled “Qualifying Automatic Vehicle Crash Emergency Calls to Public Safety Answering Points”, filed on even date herewith, and Docket No. Guardity022012 entitled “Horn Input to In-Vehicle Devices and System”, filed on even date herewith, and Docket No. Guardity032012 entitled “Mounting Angle Calibration for an In-Vehicle Accelerometer Device”, filed on even date herewith, and Docket No. Guardity042012 entitled “Automatic Speech Message Validation of an Emergency Teletype Text Message”, filed on even date herewith. The contents of which...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent application provides methods, systems, and computer-readable media for in-vehicle emergency telematics solutions that automatically qualify vehicle crash events before directing a 3-digit emergency call to a local PSAP operator. The system uses accelerometers and microphone sensors to detect the occurrence of a crash and qualifies the decision to make or not make a call based on factors such as the impact severity and the vehicle occupant's response to an interactive voice response system. The system can also combine non-impact sensors and vehicle speed data to make the decision. The technical effect of this invention is to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of emergency notification systems by automatically qualifying crash events and directing appropriate emergency service providers to the scene.

Problems solved by technology

If there is not the expected increase in the ambient sound level during the brief ‘crash pulse’ it is likely that the preliminary crash detection is false and should be ignored.

If the time history of the vehicle speedometer data is inconsistent with a vehicle crash, for example, there is no change in vehicle speed that is associated with the crash pulse, then again, it is likely that the preliminary crash detection is false and should be ignored.

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