Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle incident management and recertification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in managing incidents effectively, including assessing damage, coordinating repairs, and ensuring recertification to regulatory standards, which requires significant time and resources.

Innovation Solution

A network-based incident management system that includes an IM computing device communicating with vehicles, capable of receiving notifications, analyzing sensor and subsystem data to determine incident responses, identifying relevant parties, generating critical data, and transmitting messages to initiate repairs and recertification processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual incident management procedures are used, then flexibility and human judgment are maintained, but time consumption and resource requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveincident management efficiencyVSAvoidtime for incident response and recertification

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables autonomous vehicles to self-report incidents, self-assess damage through onboard sensors, and self-initiate recertification requests. The vehicle's own data systems perform the initial evaluation and documentation, eliminating the need for manual data collection and reducing human intervention requirements throughout the incident management workflow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical processes such as physical inspections, paper-based documentation, and in-person coordination between parties are replaced with automated electronic systems. Sensors, processors, and communication networks substitute for human analysts, inspectors, and coordinators, dramatically accelerating the incident response and recertification timeline.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive data analysis is performed to ensure accurate damage assessment and regulatory compliance, then measurement precision improves, but computational resources and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage assessment accuracyVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The comprehensive data analysis process is divided into distinct modular segments: sensor data acquisition, preliminary damage classification, detailed damage assessment, regulatory compliance checking, and recertification decision-making. Each segment processes only the specific data types relevant to its function, reducing overall computational burden while maintaining comprehensive analysis quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary data filtering, validation, and categorization before the main analysis processes. Sensors continuously monitor and pre-process data in real-time, organizing information into structured formats and identifying critical anomalies beforehand, so that when incident analysis is needed, the computational work is already partially completed and optimized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple parties are notified and coordinated for incident response and recertification, then completeness of response improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of incident responseVSAvoidcoordination system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The incident management system serves multiple functions through a single integrated platform: it acts as a notification system, coordination hub, data repository, and compliance verification mechanism. All parties (regulatory agencies, insurance companies, repair facilities, vehicle owners) interact through the same universal interface, reducing the need for multiple separate communication channels and coordination protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a centralized digital intermediary platform that mediates all communications and coordination between multiple parties. This intermediary automatically routes notifications, shares relevant data, tracks response status, and coordinates scheduling, eliminating the need for direct complex multi-party negotiations and reducing overall system complexity despite involving numerous stakeholders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250191417A1Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle incident management and recertification

Publication Date: 2025.06.12 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.