GB2568053A - Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents - Google Patents
Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2568053A GB2568053A GB1718103.3A GB201718103A GB2568053A GB 2568053 A GB2568053 A GB 2568053A GB 201718103 A GB201718103 A GB 201718103A GB 2568053 A GB2568053 A GB 2568053A
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- Prior art keywords
- vehicle
- acceleration
- recording
- sensor
- power source
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
- G07C5/08—Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
- G07C5/0841—Registering performance data
- G07C5/085—Registering performance data using electronic data carriers
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q40/00—Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G06Q40/08—Insurance
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
- Development Economics (AREA)
- Economics (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Strategic Management (AREA)
- Technology Law (AREA)
- General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Time Recorders, Dirve Recorders, Access Control (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a vehicle monitoring device comprising: at least one sensor 10 which measures acceleration in one or more directions; a power source 12; and a recording or memory device 13, wherein the device records acceleration data up to, after and during an impact event. Preferably the sensor and the recording device are included in the same housing or a separate housing. Preferably the sensor is an accelerometer. Preferably the sensors and the memory device communicate via wireless communication. Preferably the memory device is an application on a mobile electronic device. Preferably the acceleration data is continuously measured, or measured at known time intervals between 1ms and 10s. The device may comprise timing means 16 which time stamps the recorded data. The power source is preferably either a power supply in the vehicle external to the device or a battery integral to the device. The device is preferably positioned within the cabin of the vehicle, where the device may be positioned in, on, within or attached to a seat of the vehicle. The acceleration metric preferably measures both the magnitude and the direction of the acceleration. The device is used to measure accelerations during a collision.
Description
Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents
This invention relates to a vehicle monitoring system which may be useful in the event of an incident or accident in which occupants of the vehicle may sustain an injury such as a whiplash injury.
Whiplash is an injury caused by the sudden movement of the head away from the torso, resulting in a soft-tissue injury to the neck or surrounding tissues, and neurological symptoms of neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, headache and/or memory loss. One of the main causes of whiplash is in collisions such as road traffic accidents. More than 1500 whiplash (soft-tissue injury) claims are made each year in the UK, which is estimated to cost the motor insurance injury more than £2Billion a year, and which adds £90 a year on average to personal motor insurance premiums.
The diagnosis of whiplash is confounded by a general lack of objective symptoms, which may result in a long lasting chronic condition Therefore; the provision of any objective factors related to the incident itself may be helpful in elucidating the likelihood of a chronic soft tissue injury being suffered.
Insurance companies generate insurance premiums based upon a large number of factors that are known to be related to the risk of future claims being made by a driver or vehicle owner. A recent development in this area, is the installation of telematics boxes onto cars or other vehicles, to measure aspects of driving style, such as acceleration, braking and cornering characteristics. This information allows insurers to better understand the risk of said user making a claim in the future.
However, whilst data from telematics boxes help insurers to understand how a driver of a vehicle drives during a typical journey, it does not provide them with information regarding a collision when it occurs. Despite this being the moment at which a claim from any party is most likely to be made, and is therefore of most interest to the insurance companies when dealing with the claims.
Therefore, whilst a telematics box helps insurance companies to produce insurance quotes, no device currently exists that helps them to settle insurance claims and disputes.
During a collision, the torso is accelerated in the direction opposite to that in which the impact occurred. However, due to the large inertia of the head, the head does not accelerate to the same degree as the torso, causing an abnormal intersegmental displacement of the cervical vertebrae, which can lead to soft tissue damage of the neck and the surrounding tissues. Whilst soft tissue injuries can be assessed objectively, the range of neurological symptoms associated with whiplash are typically much harder to objectively quantify and are therefore highly subjective in nature. This means that court cases relating to whiplash claims rely in large part on witness statements and analysis of the outcome of the collision.
Previous work in this field appears to fit into one of three categories:
1) Devices to measure the accelerations of the seat in any given direction, to control the deployment of a safety system such as an array of airbags.
2) Devices for preventing whiplash injuries
3) Devices relating to telematics boxes focus on the driver and vehicle performance.
Currently devices exist to measure the accelerations of the seat in any given direction, however the purpose of these devices is to control the deployment of a safety system such as an array of airbags and, only typically look for measurements above a given threshold. See for example, US5338062A and US6823244B2. US5833312A, US6435592B2 US3310342A describe devices for preventing whiplash injuries, but do not provide information regarding the crash conditions, for post-incident analysis. US20060212195A1 relates to telematics boxes focus on the driver and vehicle performance, with no mention of other occupants of the car, or the effect of external forces on the vehicle. In general these patents relate to the collection of a variety of data, including accelerations, to describe driver behaviour and vehicle condition.
According to the invention there is provided a device for measuring and recording accelerations, forces and /or movements experienced by interior fittings and/or passengers in a vehicle when the vehicle is in use comprising: at least one sensor for measuring acceleration metrics in one or more directions; a power source; a recording device; and a memory device for storing measured accelerometer metrics, or a data transmission device for transmitting data to an external device; wherein said device will record said metrics up to, during and after the moment of an impact event. Preferably said at least one sensor is an accelerometer.
In a first embodiment of the invention said sensor and said recording/memory device are incorporated in a common housing. Alternatively, the sensor and said recording device are in separate housings, and may communicate via wireless technology. In this alternative embodiment of the invention, the recording device may be an application on a mobile electronic device.
In an embodiment of the invention the acceleration metrics are measured continuously. Alternatively, said acceleration metrics are measured at known time intervals, where the intervals are between Ims-lOs.
Preferably, said recording device further comprises timing means for providing a time stamp for the recorded data.
Further preferably the acceleration metrics comprise one or more of acceleration, deceleration, or a derivative or integral of the acceleration or deceleration, and said metric has magnitude and direction. Preferably, the direction is expressed in Cartesian or polar coordinates.
In an embodiment of the invention the power source is a power source within said vehicle, typically a battery.
Preferably said device is positioned within the cabin of the vehicle, either incorporated into a seat in the vehicle, or placed on or attached to a seat in the vehicle.
Description of the drawings
The present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Figure 1 shows the co-ordinate system with reference to the seat used to describe the calculations made with respect to an example device placed within a seat;
Figure 2 shows an example diagram of individual bi-axial accelerations in the x and y directions, and a resultant bi-axial acceleration vector with magnitude (RBA) and direction (0);
Figure 3 shows an example diagram of individual tri-axial accelerations, and a resultant triaxial acceleration (RTA);
Figure 4a shows an embodiment of the invention with an internal power source;
Figure 4b shows an embodiment of the invention with an external power source;
Figure 5 shows a side view of a car 20 with the monitoring device 1 in position.
The purpose of this invention is to measure and record the acceleration or deceleration of the interior fittings or passenger in a vehicle in a given direction. The measured values may be stored in a memory device and then output at a later point, for subsequent review and/or analysis, or exported real time to an external recording device. The following acceleration/deceleration metrics may be used:
1. Acceleration/deceleration
2. Jerk (the first derivate of acceleration): j =
3. velocity (the first integral of acceleration): v = Jadt
4. displacement (the second integral of acceleration): s = Jvdt
Where: j = jerk; a = acceleration; t = time; v = velocity; v, = initial velocity; vf = final velocity; s = displacement.
Each particular metric of interest can be expressed as a magnitude and direction, and the magnitude of the metric can will be expressed explicitly, or as a percentage. Furthermore, acceleration can also be expressed as a multiple of gravity, otherwise known as a G-force, or simply as a multiple of Gs. This is calculated by dividing the known acceleration by the known acceleration of gravity: 9.80665.
The direction of the measured metric can be expressed with respect to a known plane, axis or direction, such as the x, y or z axis as illustrated in figure 1. The description of the invention uses x to describe lateral movement left and right to direction of travel, y to describe anterior-posterior movement forwards and back, and z to describe translational movement up and down; however other co-ordinate systems may be used. The following alternate direction systems may also be used: Degrees; Radians; North, East, South, West.
The magnitude and direction of the acceleration (or any other specific metric) can be calculated using the cross product (or vector product) of two or three vector values of acceleration given by an individual bi-axial or tri-axial accelerometer or a similar device.
Bi-axial resultant vector magnitude (RBa) = square root of (x2).(y2) ( as shown in Figure 2). Bi-axial vector direction (using trigonometry): e.g. for direction in horizontal x-y plane; Θ = cosine_1(y/x) (Fig 2) Tri-axial resultant vector magnitude (RTA) = square root of (x2).(y2).(z2) (as shown in Figure 3). Tri-axial vector direction is obtained using the bi-axial vector directions from two planes of motion (ideally x-y and y-z).
The invention covers the use of two or three dimensional accelerations recorded from a device, for the identification of the effect of an external factor such as a collision on movement of the structures within the cabin of a vehicle.
Figures 4a and 4b show schematics of the vehicle monitoring device 1 of this invention. Device 1 is provided with a number of sensors 10 for measuring the movement of internal vehicle structures and occupants as a result of the application of an external force. Typically, sensors 10 are threedimensional accelerometers, but other sensors such as gyroscopes, inclinometers, or dynamometers may also be used. The sensors 10 are connected to a recording device 13 which records the measured data. If one of the sensors 10 malfunctions or stops working, then this sensor can be ignored, but the remaining sensors will remain operational. Additionally, it may be possible to take the average of all of the operational sensor outputs to get an average output. The device also has a time stamp 16 to ensure all the recorded data is provided with a time stamp, to identify when it was acquired. Alternatively, the sensors may be able to wirelessly transmit the data to a recording device that is positioned elsewhere in the vehicle, or may even be even external to the vehicle (in the house for example, or to a mobile device of the driver/passenger such as a mobile telephone or other portable electronic device). This may be particularly useful in the event of an accident with an associated insurance claim and/or incident investigation for example.
The sensors 10 within device 1 can record measurements and time information related to the movement of the structures within the cabin, such as seats, during a collision. By doing this, from the position within the seat, subsequent users of the data can gain an understanding of the structures that are closest to a given occupant during a collision. This allows legal and medical professionals to gain valuable objective information which may be used in a case to help support or reject a given claim.
In figure 4a the power supply 12 is internal to device 10 and is a battery, or other portable power supply, In figure 4b the power supply 10 is external to the device 1, and in this case the power supply is provided within the vehicle, such as the vehicle battery for example.
Preferably, device 1 is placed within the cabin of vehicle 20, or within the shell of the vehicle, ideally as close to the centre of the cabin as possible. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, device 1 is placed either in the seat 22, or in the central console of the car, away from direct contact from an external force. Figure 5 shows a side view of a car 20 with the monitoring device 1 in position within a seat 22 in the car.
As shown, the device is in the driver's seat, but the device 1 may be in any seat in the car, and in some cases the car 20 may be provided with devices 1 in two or more of the seats. As shown device 1 is placed within seat 22 but it may alternatively be placed, on, or attached to the seat 22 of a vehicle, or positioned on or any of the individual components of a seat, including but not limited to, the seat cushion, seat back and head restraint, or attached to an interior fitting of the vehicle 20 instead. By placing the device 1 in a specific seat, data for the individual occupant of that seat can be obtained, rather than more general data that is a function of the whole cabin of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, a contact that causes a pivoting of the vehicle, such as a lateral contact to the anterior or posterior corner of the vehicle, would result in different occupants of the vehicle experiencing different acceleration magnitudes and directions.
When device 1 is in position, and when the vehicle is in use, the device is (continuously or at regular intervals such as between lms-30s) measuring accelerations of the seat. The device will record these measurements up to, during and after the moment of an impact events, such as a collision with another vehicle, a pedestrian or other event. The device may also be activated when the engine is off, in the event of an impact, such as a collision/impact when the vehicle is parked or stationary.
In the event of the vehicle 20 being involved in a collision, the data measured by sensors 10 and recorded by memory device 13, consisting of magnitude and direction of external force (with timing information provided by time stamp 16) is then accessible, for analysis by relevant experts and professionals. In another embodiment of the invention, where data is wirelessly transmitted to an external device, the data may be analysed real-time. For example, to identify an incident and the severity of it, to automatically trigger the contact of emergency services.
The sensors 10 within device 1 can record measurements and time information related to the movement of the structures within the cabin, such as seats, during a collision. By doing this, from the position within the seat, subsequent users of the data can gain an understanding of the structures that are closest to a given occupant during a collision. This allows legal and medical professionals to gain valuable objective information as to the conditions within the cabin of the vehicle during an incident, which may be used in a case to help support or reject a given claim.
Without placing measurement devices on the head and torso of an occupant, in vivo measurements of whiplash are not possible; however, measurements of the movement of the structures within the cabin, such as the occupant's seat, may provide information that can indicate movement of the head and torso during the collision. A device such as an accelerometer measures the movement of the object or structure that it is attached to. The use of device 1 may therefore give objective information to refute or support whiplash court claims, and which therefore will save insurers from unnecessary pay-outs, and therefore customers in terms of reduced premiums.
The main metric of interest will be the peak cumulative acceleration in a given direction, as a result of an external force such as a collision, calculated using the vector product of accelerations in a minimum of two directions.
The secondary metric will be the direction of the acceleration in relation to a fixed axis, such as the direction of travel prior to the incident.
By understanding both the magnitude and direction of the movement of the structure, legal and medical professionals can make better informed judgements as to the movement of the head and body during the incident, and therefore understand the likelihood of injuries and symptoms related to said movement. For example, a lateral contact would result in a lateral movement of the head from the body, whilst an anterior or posterior contact would result in a posterior or anterior movement of the head from the body, respectively.
Whilst data from a telematics box could be used for the purpose of understanding the movement of the internal structures of the vehicle cabin, this method would not give an accurate measurement of any internal structures other than that onto which it is attached. Whilst the device may give a holistic description of the magnitude and direction of the movement of the vehicle in the event of an external force, it would not be able to provide information as to the movements of the individual structures and occupants of the vehicle. In particular, if an incident occurs that causes the rotation of the vehicle, as will happen unless the external force is applied parallel or perpendicular to the direction of travel, the accelerations and forces experienced by the internal structure and occupants will differ in different areas of the car.
Claims (18)
1. A device for measuring and recording forces and /or movements experienced by interior fittings and/or passengers in a vehicle when the vehicle is in use comprising:
at least one sensor for measuring acceleration metrics in one or more directions;
a power source;
and a recording/memory device for recording and storing measured accelerometer metrics, wherein said device will record said metrics up to, after and during the moment of an impact event.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor and said recording/memory device are incorporated in a common housing.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor and said recording device are in separate housings.
4 A device according to claim 3 wherein said sensor and said recording device communicate via wireless technology.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said recording device is an application on a mobile electronic device.
6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said at least one sensor is an accelerometer.
7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the acceleration metrics are measured continuously.
8. A device according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein said acceleration metrics are measured at known time intervals.
9.
A device according to claim 8 wherein said time interval is between Ims-lOs.
10. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said recording/memory device further comprises timing means for providing a time stamp for the recorded data.
11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the acceleration metrics comprise one or more of acceleration, deceleration, or a derivative or integral of the acceleration or deceleration.
12. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the acceleration metric has magnitude and direction.
13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the direction is expressed in Cartesian or polar coordinates.
14. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said power source is a power source within said vehicle.
15. A device according to any of claims 1 to 13 wherein said power source is a battery
16. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said device is positioned within the cabin of the vehicle.
17. A device according to claim 16 wherein the device is incorporated into a seat in the vehicle.
18. A device according claim 16 wherein the device is placed on, placed within, or attached to, a seat in the vehicle.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1718103.3A GB2568053A (en) | 2017-11-01 | 2017-11-01 | Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1718103.3A GB2568053A (en) | 2017-11-01 | 2017-11-01 | Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB201718103D0 GB201718103D0 (en) | 2017-12-13 |
| GB2568053A true GB2568053A (en) | 2019-05-08 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1718103.3A Withdrawn GB2568053A (en) | 2017-11-01 | 2017-11-01 | Vehicle monitoring system for capturing vehicle incidents |
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| GB (1) | GB2568053A (en) |
Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5446659A (en) * | 1993-04-20 | 1995-08-29 | Awaji Ferryboat Kabushiki Kaisha | Traffic accident data recorder and traffic accident reproduction system |
| WO2013150557A1 (en) * | 2012-04-05 | 2013-10-10 | Octo Telematics S.P.A. | Device and method for detecting road accidents, driving styles and for finding vehicles |
| GB2506365A (en) * | 2012-09-26 | 2014-04-02 | Masternaut Risk Solutions Ltd | Vehicle incident detection using an accelerometer and vibration sensor |
| US20150312655A1 (en) * | 2014-04-29 | 2015-10-29 | Cambridge Mobile Telematics | System and Method for Obtaining Vehicle Telematics Data |
| GB2537790A (en) * | 2014-01-31 | 2016-10-26 | Cambridge Consultants | Monitoring device |
-
2017
- 2017-11-01 GB GB1718103.3A patent/GB2568053A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5446659A (en) * | 1993-04-20 | 1995-08-29 | Awaji Ferryboat Kabushiki Kaisha | Traffic accident data recorder and traffic accident reproduction system |
| WO2013150557A1 (en) * | 2012-04-05 | 2013-10-10 | Octo Telematics S.P.A. | Device and method for detecting road accidents, driving styles and for finding vehicles |
| GB2506365A (en) * | 2012-09-26 | 2014-04-02 | Masternaut Risk Solutions Ltd | Vehicle incident detection using an accelerometer and vibration sensor |
| GB2537790A (en) * | 2014-01-31 | 2016-10-26 | Cambridge Consultants | Monitoring device |
| US20150312655A1 (en) * | 2014-04-29 | 2015-10-29 | Cambridge Mobile Telematics | System and Method for Obtaining Vehicle Telematics Data |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB201718103D0 (en) | 2017-12-13 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |