US-20260127959-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DOCUMENTING VEHICULAR EVENTS

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for matching vehicles related to a collision event involving a first vehicle and a second vehicle. A first collision message having data related to a first collision event detected by the first vehicle with a first unknown vehicle is received by a collision matching application. The collision matching application determines whether a second collision message having data related to a second collision event detected by the second vehicle with a second unknown vehicle has been received. The first and second collision messages are compared to determine whether the first collision event is the same as the second collision event. A first collision report is transmitted to the first vehicle and a second collision report to the second vehicle after determining that the first collision event is the same as the second collision event.

Inventors

• Mohammad Naserian
• Daniel Xie
• Utkarsh Saini
• Patrick Giancarlo Gabriel Digioacchino

Assignees

• GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241107

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A cloud-based application, hosted on a remote server, for documenting vehicular collision events, the cloud-based application comprising: a communication module configured to communicate with a plurality of vehicles; a collision matching module operably coupled to the communication module and having a processing unit configured to: receive a first collision message reporting a collision event involving a first vehicle, wherein the first collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the first vehicle during the collision event; determine whether a second collision message reporting a collision event involving a second vehicle has been received, wherein the second collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the second vehicle during the collision event; compare the first collision message with the second collision message for confirming a multi-vehicle collision event involving the first and second vehicles occurred when the second collision message has been received; and generate a collision event record to document the multi-vehicle collision event, wherein the collision event record includes a first insurance record for a driver of the first vehicle and a second insurance record for a driver of the second vehicle; and a collision database in communication with the collision matching module for storing the first and second collision messages, and the collision event record.
2. 2 . The cloud-based application of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a first collision report including the second insurance record for transmitting from the communication module to the first vehicle.
3. 3 . The cloud-based application of claim 2 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a second collision report including the first insurance record for transmitting from the communication module to the second vehicle.
4. 4 . The cloud-based application of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to: (a) generate a list of target vehicles within a predetermined range of the first vehicle; (b) search the collision database for a target collision message from one of the target vehicles; (c) compare the target collision message with the first collision message; and (d) confirm whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in a same collision event from the comparison of the target collision message with the first collision message.
5. 5 . The cloud-based application of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle data includes collision metrics and the processing unit is further configured to: prompt a user of the first vehicle, the second vehicle or the first and the second vehicles to confirm whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in the same collision event; and receive a response from the user confirming that the first and second vehicles were in the same collision event.
6. 6 . The cloud-based application according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a first request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the second vehicle for confirming that the second vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event, wherein the request is transmitted from the communication module to the first vehicle.
7. 7 . The cloud-based application according to claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to generate a second request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the first vehicle for confirming that the first vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event, wherein the request is transmitted from the communication module to the second vehicle.
8. 8 . The cloud-based application according claim 1 , wherein the first collision message comprises vehicle data selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle location, a vehicle make, a vehicle model, a vehicle color, an impact force, an impact direction or a combination thereof for the first vehicle.
9. 9 . The cloud-based application according claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to process the first collision message for confirming that the vehicle location for the second vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle location for the first vehicle.
10. 10 . The cloud-based application according claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to process the first and second collision messages, respectively for confirming that the impact force and impact direction for the second vehicle coincides with the impact force and the impact direction for the first vehicle.
11. 11 . A method for documenting vehicular collision events on the cloud-based application hosted on a remote server, the method comprising: receiving a first collision message from a first vehicle reporting a collision event involving the first vehicle, wherein the first collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the first vehicle during the collision event; determining whether a second collision message from a second vehicle reporting a collision event involving the second vehicle has been received, wherein the second collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the second vehicle during the collision event; comparing the first collision message with the second collision message to determine a matched collision event indicating that the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in the same collision event when the second collision message has been received; generating a collision event record of the matched collision event, wherein the collision event record includes a first insurance record for a driver of the first vehicle and a second insurance record for a driver of the second vehicle; and storing the first and second collision messages, and the collision event record in a collision database.
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating a first collision report including the second insurance record and transmitting the first collision report to the first vehicle.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating a second collision report including the first insurance record and transmitting the second collision report to the second vehicle.
14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving a second collision message reporting a collision event involving a second vehicle further comprises: (a) generating a list of target vehicles within a predetermined range of the first vehicle; (b) searching a collision database for a target collision message from one of the target vehicles; (c) comparing the target collision message with the first collision message; and (d) confirming whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in a same collision event from the comparison of the target collision message and the first collision message.
15. 15 . The cloud-based application of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle data includes collision metrics and the step (d) further comprises: (d-1) determining whether a first collision metrics associated with the first collision message coincides with a second collision metrics associated with the target collision message; and (d-2) confirming that the first and second vehicles were involved in the same collision event when the first collision metrics coincides with the second collision metrics.
16. 16 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising generating a first request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the second vehicle to confirm that the second vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event and transmitting the request to the first vehicle.
17. 17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising generating a second request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the first vehicle to confirm that the first vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event and transmitting the request to the second vehicle.
18. 18 . The method according claim 11 , wherein the first collision message comprises vehicle data selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle location, a vehicle make, a vehicle model, a vehicle color, an impact force, an impact direction or a combination thereof for the first vehicle.
19. 19 . The method according claim 18 , further comprising processing the first and second collision messages, respectively to confirm that the vehicle location for the second vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle location for the first vehicle.
20. 20 . A method for documenting vehicular collision events on the cloud-based application hosted on a remote server, the method comprising: receiving a first collision message from a first vehicle reporting a collision event involving the first vehicle, wherein the first collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the first vehicle during the collision event; storing the first collision message in a collision database; generating a list of target vehicles within a predetermined range of the first vehicle; searching the collision database for a target collision message from one of the target vehicles; comparing the first collision message and the target collision message for the list of target vehicles to confirm that an impact force and an impact direction of the vehicle data associated with the first collision message coincides with an impact force and an impact direction of the vehicle data of one of the target collision messages; confirming whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in a same collision event from the comparison of the target collision message and the first collision message; and generating a collision event record for the same collision event, wherein the collision event record includes a first insurance record for a driver of the first vehicle and a second insurance record for a driver of the second vehicle.

Description

INTRODUCTION The technical field generally relates to gathering and documenting data associated with vehicular collision events, and more particularly relates to a system and method for generating a collision report for a multi-vehicle collision event. In recent years, advancements in vehicular safety technologies have increasingly focused on improving the ability of vehicles to prevent and mitigate collisions. One significant area of development is in vehicular communication protocols, which allow vehicles to exchange critical information in real time. These systems are designed to enhance situational awareness, enabling vehicles to react to potential hazards before they become imminent threats. A primary use case for vehicular communication is the transmission of vehicle data to cloud-based applications, hosted on a remote server. In the event of a minor collision event, drivers of vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle collision event may not find it desirable to pull over and share collision event information. For varied reasons, the driver may not feel as if the environment associated with the collision event is safe. Likewise, the driver may not consider the minor collision serious enough to stop and provide information regarding the collision event. The present disclosure addresses the above-mentioned issues and more. SUMMARY In one aspect, the present disclosure includes a cloud-based application, hosted on a remote server, for documenting vehicular collision events. The cloud-based application includes a communication module, a collision matching module, and a collision database. The communication module is in communication with a plurality of vehicles. The collision matching module is operably coupled to the communication module and has a processing unit. The processing unit receives a first collision message reporting a collision event involving a first vehicle. The first collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the first vehicle during the collision event. The processing unit also determines whether a second collision message reporting a collision event involving a second vehicle has been received. The second collision message includes image data and vehicle data captured by the second vehicle during the collision event. The processing unit also compare the first collision message with the second collision message for confirming a multi-vehicle collision event involving the first and second vehicles occurred when the second collision message has been received and generates a collision event record to document the multi-vehicle collision event. The collision event record includes a first insurance record for a driver of the first vehicle and a second insurance record for a driver of the second vehicle. The collision database in communication with the collision matching module for storing the first and second collision messages, and the collision event record. In one form, the processing unit generates a first collision report including the second insurance record for transmitting from the communication module to the first vehicle. In another form, the processing unit generates a second collision report including the first insurance record for transmitting from the communication module to the second vehicle. In yet another form, the processing unit (a) generates a list of target vehicles within a predetermined range of the first vehicle, (b) searches the collision database for a target collision message from one of the target vehicles, (c) compares the target collision message with the first collision message, and (d) confirms whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in a same collision event from the comparison of the target collision message with the first collision message. In still another form, the vehicle data includes collision metrics and the processing unit prompts a user of the first vehicle, the second vehicle or the first and the second vehicles to confirm whether the first vehicle and the second vehicle were involved in the same collision event, and receives a response from the user confirming that the first and second vehicles were in the same collision event. In one form, the processing unit generates a first request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the second vehicle for confirming that the second vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event. The request is transmitted from the communication module to the first vehicle. In another form, the processing unit generates a second request including a vehicle make, a vehicle model, and a vehicle color of the first vehicle for confirming that the first vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision event. The request is transmitted from the communication module to the second vehicle. In yet another form, the first collision message includes vehicle data selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle location, a vehicle make, a vehicle model,