Methods and Apparatus for Using Black Box Data to Analyze Vehicular Accidents

摘要

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for using black box data to analyze vehicular accidents. The methods include obtaining information from an event data recorder associated with a vehicle and using the data obtained therefrom in determining and analyzing the vehicular accident. Attributes to be analyzed include impact severity, change in velocity, and other desired parameters. Further disclosed are methods to securely communicate the downloaded black box information to a secure location for later analysis and processing.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for determining impact severity, comprising:
receiving damage information regarding a first vehicle and a second vehicle in a computer system remote from the first and second vehicles, the first and second vehicles being involved in a collision; accepting, in the computer system, a description of pre-collision information regarding the first and second vehicles; determining a point of impact and a principal direction of force for each of the first and second vehicles; receiving data from an event data recorder associated with the first vehicle; and determining, in the computer system, impact severity for the second vehicle based on the data, and the point of impact and the principal direction of force for each of the first and second vehicles.