Impact detection system including a microphone, first and second batteries, and first and second antennas and operating method thereof

Abstract

A crash detection system for a vehicle includes first and second batteries, and a computing system including a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. First and second antennas are both in electronic communication with the computing system and powered by one of the batteries, wherein the antennas are configured to independently communicate wirelessly with an external network. A microphone is powered by one of the batteries and in electronic communication with the computing system. The microphone continuously receives sound waves in real time and transmits the sound signal to the processor. The processor monitors properties of the sound waves within the sound signal, compares the properties to thresholds stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, determines whether the vehicle has been involved in a crash if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold, and communicates with the external network using one of the antennas to report the crash.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an impact detection system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an impact detection system for a vehicle and an operating method thereof, the impact detection system utilizing a microphone, first and second batteries, and first and second antennas. Background Art

[0002] Current crash detection systems in vehicles rely on data from electronic sensors (i.e., accelerometers, pressure sensors, etc.) or acceleration data from communications with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network to trigger emergency response calls. However, the communication between the electronic sensors (spaced apart around the vehicle) and the processor may fail over time due to wear and tear, or due to the forces applied to the vehicle during a crash. Similarly, a vehicle may lose communication with the GNSS network due to being out of view of satellites (i.e., in a tunnel, near large buildings or mountains, etc.), thereby reducing the opportunity to use GNSS data as a crash detection method. As a result, in the event of a crash, the vehicle may not be able to trigger an emergency response call.

[0003] Therefore, while existing impact detection systems achieve their intended purposes, a need remains for a new and improved impact detection system that addresses these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a collision detection system for a vehicle is provided. The collision detection system includes: a first battery and a second battery; a computing system powered by one of the first and second batteries and including at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions; a first antenna and a second antenna, both in electronic communication with the computing system and powered by one of the first and second batteries, wherein the first and second antennas are configured to independently communicate wirelessly with an external network. The collision detection system also includes a microphone powered by one of the first and second batteries and in electronic communication with the computing system. The microphone is configured to continuously receive sound waves in real time and transmit a sound signal corresponding to the sound waves to a processor. The processor is programmed to monitor properties of the sound waves within the sound signal, compare the properties with thresholds stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, determine whether the vehicle has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold, and communicate with the external network using one of the first and second antennas to report the collision.

[0005] In one aspect, the first battery is further defined as a vehicle battery configured to power the entire vehicle, and the first antenna is further defined as a vehicle cellular antenna configured to provide wireless communication between the entire vehicle and an external network. The second battery and the second antenna are further defined as a backup battery and a backup cellular antenna, respectively, and are independently connected to the computing system. The backup battery is configured to power the computing system if the computing system loses power from the vehicle battery. The backup cellular antenna is configured to provide wireless communication between the computing system and the vehicle cellular antenna if electronic communication between the computing system and the vehicle cellular antenna is lost.

[0006] In another aspect, the processor programmed to monitor a property of an acoustic wave within the sound signal is further defined as a processor programmed to monitor at least one of a gradient of a variance of the acoustic wave, a spectral flux of the acoustic wave, and a cross-correlation analysis.

[0007] In another aspect, the microphone is further defined as an occupant microphone, wherein the sound waves include at least speech and collision sounds from an occupant of the vehicle.

[0008] In another aspect, the processor is programmed to adjust a gain of the microphone, wherein the processor decreases the gain to receive sound waves of an impact sound and increases the gain to receive sound waves of speech.

[0009] In another aspect, the crash detection system further includes a primary crash indication system comprising at least one of an accelerometer and a navigation system and configured to detect acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the primary crash indication system is in communication with the computing system and powered by one of a first battery and a second battery, and wherein the primary crash indication system is configured to send a primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle to the computing system. The processor is programmed to: prioritize the primary signal over the audible signal; monitor the acceleration of the vehicle within the primary signal; compare the acceleration to an acceleration threshold stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; determine whether the vehicle has been involved in a crash if the acceleration exceeds the corresponding acceleration threshold; and communicate with an external network using one of the first antenna and the second antenna to report the crash.

[0010] In another aspect, the processor is further programmed to: determine whether the primary signal is present; prioritize the acoustic signal if the primary signal is not present; and monitor properties of the acoustic waves within the acoustic signal.

[0011] In another aspect, a first antenna is prioritized for wireless communication with an external network, and a first battery is prioritized for powering the first antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system. If power is lost from the first battery, the second battery powers the first antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system. If electronic communication is lost between the computing system and the first antenna, the first battery powers the second antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system. If power is lost from the first battery and electronic communication is lost between the computing system and the first antenna, the second battery powers the second antenna, the microphone, and the computing system.

[0012]

[0011] In another aspect, a navigation system includes a navigation antenna in electronic communication with a computing system, wherein the navigation antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate with a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) network.

[0013] In another aspect, the processor of the computing system is further programmed to: communicate with a GNSS network via a navigation antenna to confirm the location of the vehicle; calculate an acceleration of the vehicle from changes in the location with respect to time; compare the acceleration to an acceleration threshold stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; determine whether the vehicle has been in a collision if the acceleration exceeds the corresponding acceleration threshold; and communicate with an external network to report the collision.

[0014] According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a method for operating a collision detection system for a vehicle is provided, wherein the collision detection system includes a first battery and a second battery and a computing system powered by one of the first battery and the second battery. The computing system includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions. The collision detection system also includes a first antenna and a second antenna, both of which are in electronic communication with the computing system and powered by one of the first battery and the second battery. The collision detection system also includes a microphone powered by one of the first battery and the second battery and in electronic communication with the computing system. The method includes: continuously and in real time receiving sound waves with the microphone; transmitting a sound signal corresponding to the sound wave to the processor; monitoring properties of the sound wave within the sound signal with the processor; comparing the properties with thresholds stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; determining whether the vehicle has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold; wirelessly communicating with an external network with one of the first antenna and the second antenna; and reporting the collision to the external network.

[0015] In one aspect, monitoring, with the processor, a property of the acoustic waves within the sound signal is further defined as monitoring, with the processor, at least one of a gradient of a variance of the acoustic waves within the sound signal, a spectral flux of the acoustic waves, and a cross-correlation analysis.

[0016] In another aspect, the method further includes, after receiving the sound wave with the microphone, adjusting a gain of the microphone to accommodate the sound wave.

[0017] In another aspect, the microphone is further defined as an occupant microphone, wherein the sound waves include speech from an occupant of the vehicle and an impact sound. The method of adjusting the gain of the microphone to adapt to the sound waves is further defined as: reducing the gain to receive the sound waves of the impact sound and increasing the gain to receive the sound waves of the speech.

[0018] In another aspect, the crash detection system further includes a primary crash indication system comprising at least one of an accelerometer and a navigation system, wherein the primary crash indication system is in communication with the computing system and is configured to send a primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle to the computing system. The method further includes: detecting the acceleration of the vehicle with the primary crash indication system; sending the primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle to the computing system; prioritizing the primary signal over the audible signal with the processor; monitoring the acceleration of the vehicle within the primary signal with the processor; comparing the acceleration with an acceleration threshold stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium with the processor; determining with the processor whether the vehicle has been involved in a crash if the acceleration exceeds the corresponding acceleration threshold; wirelessly communicating with an external network with one of the first antenna and the second antenna; and reporting the crash to the external network.

[0019] In another aspect, the method further includes determining with the processor whether the primary signal is present, prioritizing with the processor the acoustic signal if the primary signal is not present, and monitoring with the processor a property of the acoustic waves within the acoustic signal.

[0020] In another aspect, the method further includes determining whether the first antenna is available for electronic communication; and if the first antenna is not available, wirelessly communicating with the external network using the second antenna.

[0021] In another aspect, the method further includes powering the first antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system with a first battery; losing continuity with the first battery; and powering the first antenna, the microphone, and the computing system with a second battery.

[0022] According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a method for operating a collision detection system for a vehicle is provided. The collision detection system includes: a first battery and a second battery; a computing system including at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions; a first antenna and a second antenna, both of which are in electronic communication with the computing system and powered by one of the first battery and the second battery; and a microphone in electronic communication with the computing system. The method includes: powering the first antenna, the primary collision indication system, the microphone, and the computing system with the first battery; losing continuity with the first battery; powering the first antenna, the microphone, and the computing system with the second battery; continuously and in real time receiving sound waves with the microphone; adjusting the gain of the microphone to adapt to the sound waves; transmitting a sound signal corresponding to the sound waves to a processor; monitoring properties of the sound waves within the sound signal with the processor; comparing the properties with thresholds stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; determining whether the vehicle has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold; wirelessly communicating with an external network with the first antenna; and reporting the collision to the external network.

[0023] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example vehicle having a collision detection system.

[0026] Figure 2 is a line graph illustrating an example of a gradient of the variance of sound waves received by an impact detection system over a period of time.

[0027] Figure 3 is a line graph showing an example of the spectral flux of a 500 Hz sinusoidal sound wave received by an impact detection system.

[0028] Figure 4 is a line graph illustrating an example of spectral flux of sound waves from a song received by an impact detection system.

[0029] Figure 5 is a line graph showing an example of spectral flux of sound waves received by an impact detection system from a 32 kph vehicle collision.

[0030] Figure 6 is a line graph showing an example of the spectral flux of sound waves received by the impact detection system from a 56 kph vehicle collision.

[0031] Figure 7 is a line graph illustrating an example of a cross-correlation between an exemplary sound wave received by an impact detection system and a template corresponding to a 500 Hz sine wave.

[0032] Figure 8 is a line graph illustrating an example of a cross-correlation between an exemplary sound wave received by an impact detection system and a template corresponding to a song.

[0033] Figure 9 is a line graph illustrating an example of a cross-correlation between an exemplary sound wave received by an impact detection system and a template corresponding to a 32 kph vehicle collision.

[0034] Figure 10 is a line graph illustrating an example of a cross-correlation between an exemplary sound wave received by an impact detection system and a template corresponding to a 56 kph vehicle collision.

[0035] Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating a crash detection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 , according to several aspects of the present disclosure, a crash detection system 20 for a vehicle 22 is generally shown. Figure 1 In the example shown in the figure, the vehicle 22 is an automobile. However, impact detection can be utilized in various industries (e.g., heavy trucking, construction, agriculture, etc.). The impact detection system 20 includes: a first battery 24A and a second battery 24B; and a computing system 26, which is powered by one of the first battery 24A and the second battery 24B and includes at least one processor 28 and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 containing instructions. The impact detection system 20 also includes a first antenna 32A and a second antenna 32B, both of which are in electronic communication with the computing system 26 and are powered by one of the first battery 24A and the second battery 24B. The first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B are configured to independently communicate wirelessly with an external network 34. In the example shown in the figure, the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B are configured as cellular antennas. However, the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B can be configured for use with any suitable wireless communication protocol.

[0038] Crash detection system 20 also includes a microphone 36 powered by one of first battery 24A and second battery 24B and in electronic communication with computing system 26. Microphone 36 is configured to continuously receive sound waves in real time and transmit sound signals corresponding to the sound waves to processor 28. Microphone 36 can be configured to be on and continuously receive sound waves and transmit the sound signals to processor 28. During a collision, sound is generated due to the force and energy of the impact being dispersed through vehicle 22. Processor 28 is programmed to monitor properties of the sound waves within the sound signal, compare the properties to thresholds stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30, determine if vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold, and communicate with external network 34 using one of first antenna 32A and second antenna 32B to report the collision. More specifically, microphone 36 continuously and in real time receives sound, and the processor analyzes the sound and compares it to a threshold (e.g., a pre-learned crash sound profile) to detect a collision. In one example, microphone 36 is positioned inside vehicle 22 (i.e., in the passenger compartment). However, the microphone 36 may be located externally (e.g., along an exterior surface of the vehicle 22, within the engine compartment, etc.). The external network 34 may be an emergency services network (e.g., a fire department, police, ambulance) that receives communications from the crash detection system 20 and then contacts the appropriate emergency response team (e.g., fire department, police, ambulance) that can provide assistance to the occupants of the vehicle 22. ). Alternatively, the external network 34 may be a local emergency service operator (ie, 911) or a direct connection to an emergency response team.

[0039] The communication from the crash detection system 20 to the external network 34 may be an electronic signal that is interpreted by a processor of the external network 34 to indicate that a crash has occurred. Alternatively, the communication with the external network 34 may be a direct connection with the microphone 36 so that the external network 34 can listen to what is happening in and / or around the vehicle 22, such as a voice conversation with the occupant(s) of the vehicle 22 supported by the same microphone 36 used to detect the crash sound.

[0040] In one example, microphone 36 is also defined as an occupant microphone, where sound waves include at least the voices of the occupants of vehicle 22 and the crash sounds. More specifically, the occupant microphone can be the same microphone used by the occupants of vehicle 22 for hands-free cellular communication. In this way, the same microphone used for regular conversations will be used to capture the sounds transmitted during a crash. In another example (not shown), microphone 36 is a component of the occupant's cellular phone, which is connected to the vehicle (wirelessly or via a wired connection). Microphone 36 is separate and distinct from any microphone used to receive speech from the occupants. Processor 28 can be programmed to adjust the gain of microphone 36. More specifically, the gain required to receive regular speech can be different than the gain required to receive sounds transmitted during a crash. Lower gain will allow for lower harmonic distortion in the crash audio, but will compromise regular conversation. Thus, processor 28 can lower the gain to receive sound waves for crash sounds and increase the gain to receive sound waves for speech. If microphone 36 is being used for a conversation when a crash occurs, the call will not be interrupted. Conversely, if the captured sound (even if the gain is increased) indicates that a collision has occurred, a message will be transmitted to the external network 34 indicating that a collision may have occurred.

[0041] The processor 28 programmed to monitor the properties of the acoustic waves within the acoustic signal may be further defined as a processor 28 programmed to monitor at least one of a gradient of the variance of the acoustic waves, a spectral flux of the acoustic waves, and a cross-correlation analysis. More specifically, in order to characterize the acoustic signal as having a pattern indicative of a collision, at least one of a gradient of the variance of the acoustic waves, a spectral flux of the acoustic waves, and a cross-correlation analysis may be utilized. The gradient of the variance within a window of some finite time period helps identify sudden peaks that vary over time, which occur during a collision in the time domain. Figure 2 An example of a variance gradient over a period of time, indicating a collision, is shown in FIG. The variance of regular sounds, such as those from conversation or songs, remains within a certain range over time. However, when a collision sound occurs, the variance suddenly increases and remains high (in one example, for approximately 6 seconds). Processor 28 can be programmed to compare how the variance range behaves over time.

[0042] In order to detect sudden changes in the spectrum over time, the spectral flux can be calculated to identify sudden changes in the frequency domain that occur during a collision. Figures 3 to 6 As demonstrated in , non-impact sounds can be distinguished based on spectral flux analysis. More specifically, Figure 3 The spectral flux of a 500 Hz sine wave is shown. Figure 4 Shown are the spectral fluxes of songs, more specifically songs of the "Metal" genre. Figure 5 The spectral flux of the vehicle in a 32 kph collision is shown. Figure 6The spectral flux of vehicles in a 56 kph collision is shown. From non-collision events ( Figure 3 and Figure 4 ) can distinguish collision events ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 ). Similarly, the similarities between the spectral fluxes of collision events are discernible ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 ).

[0043] Cross-correlation can be calculated to compare and objectively determine how well the sound signal being recorded matches the pre-recorded collision distribution. Specifically, the cross-correlation shows at what point the best match occurs, e.g. Figures 7 to 10 More specifically, Figure 7 The cross-correlation between an exemplary sound signal and a template corresponding to a 500 Hz sine wave is shown, wherein a low correlation can be observed between the 500 Hz sine wave and the template defined as a pre-stored collision curve. Figure 8 The cross-correlation between an exemplary sound signal and a template corresponding to a song of the “Metal” genre is shown, wherein a low correlation can be observed between the song of the “Metal” genre and the template defined as a pre-stored crash curve. Figure 9 The cross-correlation between an exemplary sound signal and a template corresponding to a 32 kph collision is shown, where a high correlation can be observed between the 32 kph collision sound wave and the template defined as a pre-stored collision curve. Figure 10 The cross-correlation between an exemplary sound signal and a template corresponding to a 56 kph collision is shown, where a high correlation can be observed between the 56 kph collision sound wave and the template defined as a pre-stored collision curve. Figure 10 The best match between the exemplary sound signal and the template is shown. More specifically, the best match between the exemplary sound signal and the template is shown. Figure 9 ) and 56kph( Figure 10 The acoustic wave of the exemplary acoustic signal of a ) collision has the highest correlation with the pre-learned collision profile, which can be continuously updated wirelessly via the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B. In this way, the processor 28 can confirm or distinguish that a collision of approximately 32 kph or 56 kph has occurred, which can help to notify the collision independently of any other vehicle subsystems (e.g., GNSS, speedometer, or other sensors on the vehicle, which may be unavailable or damaged due to the impact of the collision).

[0044] As described above, processor 28 is programmed to monitor the properties of the sound waves within the acoustic signal and compare the properties to thresholds stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30. Multiple thresholds may be stored to correspond to different sounds that occur during a collision. More specifically, variables occurring during a collision (e.g., the speed of vehicle 22 during the collision, the type of collision (e.g., frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, rollover, etc.), and the impact of vehicle 22 (e.g., another vehicle, guardrail, etc.)) may generate different sounds, as may the properties of the sounds (e.g., variance gradient of the sound waves, spectral flux of the sound waves, and cross-correlation analysis). Furthermore, the thresholds may be unique for each vehicle using impact detection system 20. For example, the sounds generated during a collision may differ between different models (e.g., a compact car versus a full-size pickup truck) due to the mass of vehicle 22, materials of construction, component layout, etc. The sounds generated during a collision may also differ between the same model with different configurations and options (e.g., a standard cab pickup truck versus a crew cab pickup truck).

[0045] like Figure 1As shown in FIG , the crash detection system 20 may further include a primary crash indication system 38 comprising at least one of an accelerometer 40 and a navigation system 42 and configured to detect acceleration of the vehicle 22, wherein the primary crash indication system 38 is in communication with the computing system 26 and is powered by one of the first battery 24A and the second battery 24B, and wherein the primary crash indication system 38 is configured to send a primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle 22 to the computing system 26. The accelerometer 40 may be comprised of a plurality of accelerometers 40 spaced about the vehicle 22 and configured to detect acceleration of the vehicle 22 at various angles and rotations that may occur in many different types of crash events (as described above). Similarly, the navigation system 42 may include a navigation antenna 44 in electronic communication with the computing system 26, wherein the navigation antenna 44 is configured to wirelessly communicate with a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) network 46. The processor 28 of the computing system 26 can be further programmed to communicate with the GNSS network 46 via the navigation antenna 44 to confirm the location of the vehicle 22 and calculate the acceleration of the vehicle 22 from the change in location over time. The processor 28 can be programmed to compare the acceleration to an acceleration threshold stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30, determine if the acceleration exceeds the corresponding acceleration threshold, and communicate with the external network 34 using one of the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B to report the collision. The primary collision indication system 38 can include one or both of the accelerometer 40 and the navigation system 42. The primary collision indication system 38 can include other components (not described herein) to monitor changes in the acceleration of the vehicle 22 or to detect that the vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision. The accelerometer 40 and the navigation system 42 can independently or jointly monitor whether the vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision.

[0046] Processor 28 can be programmed to prioritize the primary signal over the acoustic signal and monitor the acceleration of vehicle 22 within the primary signal. More specifically, processor 28 can rely on the primary signal to determine that vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision. Processor 28 can also be programmed to determine whether the primary signal is present; if not, prioritize the acoustic signal; and monitor the properties of the acoustic waves within the acoustic signal. More specifically, if processor 28 cannot establish communication with primary crash indication system 38, processor 28 can utilize microphone 36 (which is directly connected to computing system 26 and independent of the rest of vehicle 22) and the acoustic signal to detect a collision. In one example, accelerometer 40 detects a collision first, with navigation system 42 acting as a backup to detect the collision after accelerometer 40, and microphone 36 acting as a secondary backup to detect the collision. However, the components of primary crash indication system 38 can be utilized in any suitable manner and order to detect a collision. Furthermore, primary crash indication system 38 and microphone 36 can be utilized in any suitable manner and order to detect a collision. It is further appreciated that microphone 36 in electronic communication with processor 28 may be the only means of detecting that vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision.

[0047] The first battery 24A can be defined as a vehicle battery configured to power the entire vehicle 22, and the first antenna 32A can be defined as a vehicle cellular antenna configured to provide wireless communication with an external network 34 for the entire vehicle 22. The second battery 24B and the second antenna 32B can be defined as a backup battery and a backup cellular antenna, respectively, and are independently connected to the computing system 26. The backup battery is configured to power the computing system 26 when the computing system 26 loses power from the vehicle battery. The backup cellular antenna is configured to provide wireless communication with the external network 34 when electronic communication between the computing system 26 and the vehicle cellular antenna is lost. More specifically, during a crash, power from the first battery 24A may be lost and / or communication with the first antenna 32A may be lost for a number of reasons, including physically disconnecting the electrical wiring therebetween due to forces exerted on the vehicle 22 during the crash. Thus, the second battery 24B and the second antenna 32B provide a backup through which the processor 28 can communicate with the external network 34 to report that the vehicle 22 has been involved in a crash. In one example, the first antenna 32A is prioritized for wireless communication with the external network 34, and the first battery 24A is prioritized for powering the first antenna 32A, the primary crash indication system 38, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26. If power is lost from the first battery 24A, the second battery 24B powers the first antenna 32A, the primary crash indication system 38, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26. If electronic communication is lost between the computing system 26 and the first antenna 32A, the first battery 24A powers the second antenna 32B, the primary crash indication system 38, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26. If power is lost from the first battery 24A and electronic communication is lost between the computing system 26 and the first antenna 32A, the second battery 24B powers the second antenna 32B, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26. More specifically, if power is lost from the first battery 24A and electronic communication is lost between the computing system 26 and the first antenna 32A, the computing system switches from utilizing the primary crash indication system 38 to utilizing crash sounds received by the microphone 36 to determine whether the vehicle 22 has been involved in a crash.

[0048] Alternatively, first antenna 32A, primary crash indication system 38, microphone 36, and computing system 26 may be arranged to be powered by first battery 24A. Second antenna 32B, microphone 36, and computing system 26 may be arranged to be powered by second battery 24B. First antenna 32A and second antenna 32B are configured to independently communicate wirelessly with external network 34. Processor 28 is programmed to determine whether electronic communication with first antenna 32A is available and, if first antenna 32A is unavailable, to communicate with external network 34 using second antenna 32B to report a crash. More specifically, if processor 28 loses connection with first battery 24A and / or first antenna 32A, the primary crash indication system becomes inoperable. Similarly, if connection with first battery 24A and / or first antenna 32A is lost, processor 28 may not utilize the acoustic signal from microphone 36 and may instead communicate with external network 34 via first antenna 32A. Thus, in the event of a loss of power from the first battery 24A and / or loss of electronic communication with the first antenna 32A, the processor 28 switches to being powered solely by the second battery 24B and using only the second antenna 32B to communicate with the external network 34. Furthermore, in this example, the acoustic signal from the microphone 36 becomes the only way to detect a collision.

[0049] exist Figure 1In the example shown in , the at least one processor 28 is further defined as a first processor 28A and a second processor 28B. Similarly, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 is further defined as a first non-transitory computer-readable medium 30A and a second non-transitory computer-readable medium 30B. The microphone 36 may also be defined as a first microphone 36A and a second microphone 36B. The first processor 28A and the first microphone 36A are electrically connected to the first antenna 32A and the primary crash indication system 38 and are powered by the first battery 24A. The second processor 28B and the second microphone 36B are electrically connected to the second antenna 32B and are powered by the second battery 24B. The first processor 28A and the first microphone 36A may be part of a vehicle control unit, wherein the first microphone 36A is configured as an occupant microphone and wherein the first processor 28A communicates with the primary crash indication system 38. Alternatively, the second processor 28B and the second microphone 36B may be configured as a backup processor and a backup microphone. Although the second microphone 36B can be configured as an occupant microphone, the second microphone 36B is configured to receive sound when powered by the second battery 24B (i.e., when power from the first battery 24A is lost). Therefore, the second battery 24B, the second antenna 32B, the second processor 28B, and the second microphone 36B can be configured as a modular, self-sustaining backup system that can detect when a collision has occurred based on sound waves received in the second microphone 36B, even if a failure occurs within the standard vehicle systems (i.e., the first battery 24A, the first antenna 32A, the first processor 28A, the first microphone 36A, and the primary crash indication system 38).

[0050] This article also discloses and Figure 11 , a method 200 for operating the impact detection system 20 is shown in FIG. The method includes: continuously and in real time receiving sound waves with the microphone 36 (see block 202); transmitting a sound signal corresponding to the sound waves to the processor 28 (see block 204); and monitoring properties of the sound waves within the sound signal with the processor 28 (see block 206). The method also includes: comparing the properties to thresholds stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 (see block 208); determining whether the vehicle 22 has been involved in a collision if at least one of the properties exceeds the corresponding threshold (see block 210); wirelessly communicating with the external network 34 using one of the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B (see block 212); and reporting the collision to the external network 34 (see block 214). Monitoring the properties of the sound waves within the sound signal with the processor 28 can also be defined as monitoring at least one of a variance gradient of the sound waves, a spectral flux of the sound waves, and a cross-correlation analysis within the sound signal with the processor 28.

[0051] Method 200 may also include, after receiving the sound waves with microphone 36 (see block 202), adjusting the gain of microphone 36 to accommodate the sound waves (see block 216). As described above, microphone 36 may also be defined as an occupant microphone, where the sound waves include speech and collision sounds from an occupant of vehicle 22. Adjusting the gain of microphone 36 to accommodate the sound waves may also be defined as reducing the gain to receive the sound waves of the collision sound and increasing the gain to receive the sound waves of the speech.

[0052] As described above, the crash detection system 20 may further include a primary crash indication system 38 including at least one of an accelerometer 40 and a navigation system 42, wherein the primary crash indication system 38 is in communication with the computing system 26 and is configured to send a primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle 22 to the computing system 26. The method may further include: detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 22 with the primary crash indication system 38 (see block 218); sending the primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle 22 to the computing system 26 (see block 220); and prioritizing the primary signal over the acoustic signal using the processor 28 (see block 222). The method may also include: monitoring the acceleration of the vehicle 22 within the main signal with the processor 28 (see box 224); comparing the acceleration with an acceleration threshold stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 with the processor 28 (see box 226); if the acceleration exceeds the corresponding acceleration threshold, determining with the processor 28 whether the vehicle 22 has been in a collision (see box 228); wirelessly communicating with the external network 34 with one of the first antenna 32A and the second antenna 32B (see box 212); and reporting the collision to the external network (see box 214).

[0053] In another aspect, the method further includes determining, with the processor 28, whether a primary signal is present (see block 230); prioritizing, with the processor 28, the acoustic signal (see block 232) if the primary signal is not present; and monitoring, with the processor 28, properties of the acoustic waves within the acoustic signal (see block 206).

[0054] The method may also include determining whether electronic communication with the first antenna 32A is available (see box 234); and if the first antenna 32A is not available, communicating with the external network 34 using the second antenna 32B to report the collision (see box 236). The method may also include powering the first antenna 32A, the primary collision indication system 38, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26 using the first battery 24A (see box 238); losing continuity with the first battery 24A (see box 240); and powering the first antenna 32A, the microphone 36, and the computing system 26 using the second battery 24B (see box 242).

[0055] The method may also include updating the threshold value stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 (see block 244) before comparing the property to the threshold value stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 30 (see block 208). More specifically, the threshold value indicating that a collision has occurred (i.e., the impact distribution in the pre-learned impact curve) may be continuously added to or updated during the life of the vehicle based on new data and research received by the manufacturer in order to continuously improve the impact detection system 20. Updating the threshold value may be performed wirelessly by receiving data from an external communication source (e.g., a satellite or cellular tower) via the first antenna 32A and / or the second antenna 32B, which may be powered by the first battery 24A and / or the second battery 24B. Updating the threshold value may also be performed via a wired connection to the vehicle (e.g., by a technician at a vehicle service center). Furthermore, the threshold value may be stored in an electronic cloud service and compared in real time to the sound captured by the microphone 36.

[0056] Thus, the crash detection system 20 and corresponding method 200 provide several advantages. The use of the microphone 36 and computing system 26 to receive and interpret sound waves to determine whether the vehicle 22 has been involved in a crash, and the corresponding communication with the external network 34, creates another way to obtain assistance for occupants of a vehicle involved in a crash. The crash detection system 20 can be used as a primary or backup system, used in conjunction with other systems (e.g., the primary crash indication system 38) to detect that the vehicle 22 has been involved in a crash. Furthermore, the use of the second battery 24B and the second antenna 32B separately from the microphone 36 and processor 28 provides a robust backup system to help establish communications with the external network 34 in the event of a loss of power from the first battery 24A and / or communication with the first antenna 32A.

[0057] The description of the present disclosure is merely exemplary in nature, and variations that do not depart from the general meaning of the present disclosure are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Such variations should not be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A collision detection system for a vehicle, comprising: a first battery and a second battery; a computing system powered by one of the first battery and the second battery and comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions; a first antenna and a second antenna, each in electronic communication with the computing system and powered by one of the first battery and the second battery, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are configured to independently communicate wirelessly with an external network; as well as a microphone powered by one of the first battery and the second battery and in electronic communication with the computing system, wherein the microphone is configured to continuously receive sound waves in real time and transmit sound signals corresponding to the sound waves to the processor; Wherein, the processor is programmed to: monitoring properties of the sound waves within the sound signal; comparing the property to a threshold stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; If at least one of the properties exceeds a corresponding threshold, determining whether the vehicle has been involved in a collision; and communicating with the external network using one of the first antenna and the second antenna to report the collision; The crash detection system further includes a primary crash indication system comprising at least one of an accelerometer and a navigation system and configured to detect acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the primary crash indication system is in communication with the computing system and is powered by one of the first battery and the second battery, and wherein the primary crash indication system is configured to send a primary signal related to the acceleration of the vehicle to the computing system, wherein the processor is programmed to: giving priority to the main signal over the sound signal; monitoring acceleration of the vehicle within the primary signal; comparing the acceleration to an acceleration threshold stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; If the acceleration exceeds a corresponding acceleration threshold, determining whether the vehicle has collided; and Communicate with the external network using one of the first antenna and the second antenna to report the collision.

2. The impact detection system according to claim 1, wherein: The first battery is further defined as a vehicle battery configured to power the entire vehicle, and the first antenna is further defined as a vehicle cellular antenna configured to provide the entire vehicle with wireless communication with the external network, wherein the second battery and the second antenna are further defined as a backup battery and a backup cellular antenna, respectively, and are independently connected to the computing system, wherein the backup battery is configured to power the computing system if the computing system loses power from the vehicle battery, and wherein the backup cellular antenna is configured to provide the computing system with wireless communication with the external network if electronic communication between the computing system and the vehicle cellular antenna is lost.

3. The impact detection system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor programmed to monitor a property of the acoustic wave within the sound signal is further defined as a processor programmed to monitor at least one of a variance gradient of the acoustic wave, a spectral flux of the acoustic wave, and a cross-correlation analysis.

4. The impact detection system according to claim 1, wherein: The microphone is also defined as an occupant microphone, wherein the sound waves include at least voice and collision sounds from an occupant of the vehicle.

5. The impact detection system according to claim 4, wherein: The processor is programmed to adjust a gain of the microphone, wherein the processor decreases the gain to receive the sound waves of the collision sound and increases the gain to receive the sound waves of the speech.

6. The impact detection system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is also programmed to: determining whether the primary signal exists; If the primary signal is not present, prioritizing the audio signal; and A property of the sound waves within the sound signal is monitored.

7. The impact detection system according to claim 6, wherein: the first antenna being prioritized for wireless communication with the external network, and wherein the first battery is prioritized for powering the first antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system; wherein if power from the first battery is lost, the second battery powers the first antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system; wherein if electronic communication between the computing system and the first antenna is lost, the first battery provides power to the second antenna, the primary crash indication system, the microphone, and the computing system; and Wherein, if power from the first battery is lost and electronic communication between the computing system and the first antenna is lost, the second battery provides power to the second antenna, the microphone, and the computing system.

8. The impact detection system according to claim 1, wherein: The navigation system includes a navigation antenna in electronic communication with the computing system, wherein the navigation antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network.

9. The impact detection system according to claim 8, wherein: The processor of the computing system is further programmed to: communicating with the GNSS network via the navigation antenna to confirm the position of the vehicle; calculating an acceleration of the vehicle from the change in position with respect to time; comparing the acceleration to an acceleration threshold stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; If the acceleration exceeds a corresponding acceleration threshold, determining whether the vehicle has collided; and Communicate with the external network to report the collision.

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