Autonomous Vehicle Incident Response With Blockchain Recertification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in managing incidents, including damage assessment, legal notifications, and recertification, which require significant time and resources due to complex navigation issues, environmental hazards, and operational failures, necessitating efficient incident response and verification procedures.

Innovation Solution

An incident management system utilizing a computing device that receives sensor and sub-system data from vehicles, analyzes the data to determine incident responses, identifies relevant parties, generates critical data, and transmits notifications, while also utilizing a blockchain to record repairs and testing procedures for recertification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual incident response procedures are used for autonomous vehicles, then comprehensive damage assessment and legal notifications can be performed, but significant time and resources are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomprehensive damage assessmentVSAvoidincident response time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous vehicle performs self-diagnosis and self-assessment of damage using its own sensors and control systems. The vehicle automatically generates incident reports, identifies involved parties, and initiates recertification requests without human intervention, enabling comprehensive assessment while minimizing time loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-loads recertification requirements, maintains updated lists of authorized repair facilities and regulatory bodies, and prepares incident response templates in advance. This preliminary preparation enables immediate action when incidents occur, reducing response time while maintaining comprehensive assessment quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple entities are coordinated for vehicle recertification, then regulatory standards are met, but the process requires significant coordination resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregulatory complianceVSAvoidcoordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The incident management system serves multiple functions: it coordinates with repair facilities, communicates with regulatory bodies, tracks recertification status, and maintains communication logs all through a single integrated platform. This multi-functionality reduces coordination complexity while ensuring comprehensive regulatory compliance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where recertification status is automatically updated and communicated to all relevant parties. Regulatory requirements are fed back into the system to update compliance checks, and repair progress is continuously monitored and reported, simplifying coordination through automated information flow

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If traditional incident management processes are used, then all necessary notifications and repairs can be managed, but the process is time-consuming and resource-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveincident management completenessVSAvoidincident resolution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with automated electronic systems. Physical coordination between entities is substituted with digital communication networks, paper-based recertification tracking is replaced with electronic databases, and manual damage assessment is replaced with sensor-based automated evaluation, thereby improving efficiency while maintaining completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The incident management process is divided into discrete automated segments: damage detection, incident classification, party identification, repair coordination, recertification processing, and notification distribution. Each segment operates independently but connects through standardized interfaces, improving overall efficiency while ensuring no step is missed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11922734B1Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle incident management and recertification

Publication Date: 2024.03.05 STATE FARM MUTAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY

AI summary

An incident management system for managing an incident response may be provided. The incident management system may include an incident management (IM) computing device and a vehicle. The IM computing device may include a processor and memory, the processor may be programmed to receive a notification that an incident has occurred, the notification including sensor data and sub-system data. The processor may analyze the data to determine an incident response, the determination including categorizing the incident based on damage determined from the data. The processor may also identify a responding party based on the incident response and the category of the incident. The processor may further parse the data to generate a set of critical data. The critical data may be based on the responding party. The processor may transmit a message to the responding party including the critical data and the location of the vehicle.