Pre-license development tool

• US 10,056,006 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsu-Hoffman, Chienlan, Gibbs, Evan, Dornadic, Alicia, Madigan, Regina, Zahedi, Maryam, Parsell, Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Jerry-Daryl
• Application Number:
  US14/522,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 434 62- 66, 434 69, 434247
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/246 Computer generated or synthesized image
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a tool for use by drivers and/or coaches throughout the pre-license stage of obtaining a driver'"'"'s license. A pre-license program may control a computing device to collect drive data while a driver is driving a vehicle. This drive data may be used to detect a drive event. Then, the computing device may present coaching information associated with the detected drive event. The coaching information may provide a passenger, such as a coach or parent, with real-time advice for instructing the driver how to improve his/her driving skills. Moreover, the drive data collected may be used to prepare reports providing feedback to the drivers and coaches. Further, the pre-license program may determine an expected track for a driver to follow to prepare for a driver'"'"'s license test and may indicate whether the driver is on or off the track.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device, comprising an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver, to:

receive a target driver'"'"'s license test date associated with a driver;

determine, based on the target driver'"'"'s license test date, a total number of days to prepare for a driver'"'"'s license test;

communicate with one or more additional computing devices to establish a communicative connection and a reference time;

activate the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to detect first drive data while the driver is driving a vehicle;

receive, through the communicative connection and from the one or more additional computing devices, second drive data;

correlate, based on the reference time, the first drive data and the second drive data to produce final drive data;

analyze the final drive data to determine a skill level of the driver; and

indicate that the driver is on track to reach a target skill level by the target driver'"'"'s license test date by;

displaying a circle graph that is shaded in a clockwise direction according to the skill level of the driver; and

displaying a marker over a shaded portion of the circle graph, wherein the marker indicates an expected skill level on a current date.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

prompt a user for the target driver'"'"'s license test date during a registration of the computer-executable instructions.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

divide the total number of days into a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups is associated with a level.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the total number of days is divided according to an algorithm that sets forth percentages of the total number of days to be assigned to the plurality of groups, respectively.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 4,

wherein at least two of the percentages are different, and

wherein the total number of days corresponds to a number of days between a date on which the driver receives a driver'"'"'s permit and the target driver'"'"'s license test date.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein indicating that the driver is not on track to reach the target skill level by the target driver'"'"'s license test date comprises displaying a calendar using one color to indicate a projected skill level associated with a present date and another color to indicate an actual skill level associated with the present date.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to indicate that the driver is not on track to reach the target skill level by the target driver'"'"'s license test date by:

displaying the circle graph; and

displaying a second marker on the circle graph showing a projected skill level at a present date.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

determine skill levels of the driver for a plurality of test skills, respectively; and

display the skill levels of the driver by shading areas associated with the plurality of test skills, respectively.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

present a screen that allows a user to change the plurality of test skills.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

provide tip information to a user of the computing device in response to a selection indicating the driver is starting a drive.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

determine a weakest skill of the driver among a set of skills to be tested during the drive, wherein the tip information comprises information related to improving the weakest skill; and

start a timer to time the drive, wherein the timer is started in response to the selection.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:

prompt a user of the computing device to provide a score for each of a plurality of test skills to be tested during a drive performed by the driver.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, via an input interface by a computing device comprising the input interface, a display, and an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver, a target test date for a driver to obtain a driver'"'"'s license;

determining, by the computing device and based on the target test date, a total number of days from a current date to the target test date; and

communicating with one or more additional computing devices to establish a communicative connection and a reference time;

activating the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to detect first drive data while the driver is driving a vehicle;

receiving, through the communicative connection and from the one or more additional computing devices, second drive data;

correlating, based on the reference time, the first drive data and the second drive data to produce final drive data;

analyzing the final drive data to determine a skill level of the driver; and

outputting, on the display and based on the total number of days and the skill level of the driver, an indication of whether the driver is on track to reach a target skill level by the target test date, wherein the indication comprises;

displaying a circle graph that is shaded in a clockwise direction according to the skill level of the driver; and

displaying a marker over a shaded portion of the circle graph, wherein the marker indicates an expected skill level on a current date.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to the outputting, receiving a plurality of scores for a plurality of driving skills, respectively; and

determining, by the computing device and based on the plurality of scores, the skill level of the driver.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

dividing the total number of days into a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups is associated with a skill level.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive a target driver'"'"'s license test date associated with a driver;

determine, based on the target driver'"'"'s license test date, a total number of days to prepare for a driver'"'"'s license test date; and

communicate with one or more additional computing devices to establish a

communicative connection and a reference time;

activate the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to

detect first drive data while the driver is driving a vehicle;

receive, through the communicative connection and from the one or more additional computing devices, second drive data;

correlate, based on the reference time, the first drive data and the second drive data to produce final drive data;

analyze the final drive data to determine a skill level of the driver;

indicate that the driver is on track to reach a target skill level by the target driver'"'"'s license test date by;

displaying a circle graph that is shaded in a clockwise direction according to the skill level of the driver; and

displaying a marker over a shaded portion of the circle graph, wherein the marker indicates an expected skill level on a current date.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

prompt a user for the target driver'"'"'s license test date during a registration of the computer-executable instructions.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

divide the total number of days into a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups is associated with a level.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the total number of days is divided according to an algorithm that sets forth percentages of the total number of days to be assigned to the plurality of groups, respectively.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least two of the percentages are different, and wherein the total number of days corresponds to a number of days between a date on which the driver receives a driver'"'"'s permit and the target driver'"'"'s license test date.