Vehicle damage detection and indication
Methods and systems for vehicle damage detection, identification and communication are disclosed. Specifically, a method to detect damage to a vehicle, identify the extent and location of the damage, and communicate the damage event is provided. In the event of damage to a vehicle, the system may take a number of actions. In one embodiment, the actions comprise notifying authorized users of the vehicle, a maintenance provider, an insurance provider and/or an emergency agency, disabling the vehicle, and emitting a visual or audio alarm.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors;
determining, from the sensor data, whether vehicle damage has occurred to a particular area of the vehicle;
selecting, when vehicle damage has occurred to the particular area of the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors and at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors in an area surrounding the particular area;
recording, by the selected non-vehicle sensors and the at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors, vehicle damage data corresponding to the vehicle damage that has occurred; and
storing the vehicle damage data in a user profile memory associated with a user of the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the sensor data to vehicle damage threshold data.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein vehicle damage occurs if one or more vehicle damage thresholds are exceeded.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to storing the vehicle damage data, the method comprises:
determining, based on the sensor data received, that a damage hazard is in proximity to the vehicle; and
storing hazard data associated with the damage hazard in the user profile associated with the user of the vehicle.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensors comprise an image sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor and a force sensor, and wherein the non-vehicle sensors include one or more sensors associated with a mobile communications device of the user.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, based at least partially on the hazard data and the vehicle damage data, a potential cause of the vehicle damage.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert comprising a visual alert, an audio alert, emergency responder alert, and alert to one or more authorized users.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a notice to a mobile communication device associated with an owner of the vehicle in real-time when the vehicle damage occurs.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one of the location of the damage and the degree of the damage.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein both the location of the damage and the degree of the damage are identified and both are communicated to a third party.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, to a communication device associated with an authorized user, a message configured to alert the authorized user of the vehicle damage, the message including at least a portion of the vehicle damage data.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensor comprise a sensor located within a body frame of the vehicle.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message includes identifying information associated with one or more entities detected inside or outside the vehicle at a time when the vehicle damage occurred.
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:
receiving sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors;
determining, from the sensor data, whether vehicle damage has occurred to a particular area of the vehicle;
selecting, when vehicle damage has occurred to the particular area of the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors and at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors in an area surrounding the particular area;
recording, by the selected non-vehicle sensors and the at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors, vehicle damage data corresponding to the vehicle damage that has occurred; and
storing the vehicle damage data in a user profile memory associated with a user of the vehicle.
15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising comparing the sensor data to vehicle damage threshold data.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein vehicle damage occurs if one or more vehicle damage thresholds are exceeded.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensors comprise an image sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration sensor and a force sensor.
18. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising:
sending, to a communication device associated with an authorized user, a message configured to alert the authorized user of the vehicle damage, the message including at least a portion of the vehicle damage data.
19. A vehicle damage incident detection system comprising a vehicle control system that:
receives sensor data from one or more vehicle sensors;
determines, from the sensor data, whether vehicle damage has occurred to a particular area of the vehicle;
selects, when vehicle damage has occurred to the particular area of the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors and at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors in an area surrounding the particular area;
records, by the selected non-vehicle sensors and the at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors, vehicle damage data corresponding to the vehicle damage that has occurred; and
stores the vehicle damage data in a user profile memory associated with a user of the vehicle.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the vehicle control system is further configured to compare the sensor data to vehicle damage threshold data.