Driver training

• US 10,255,821 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Long Driver LLC
• Original Assignee: Life Long Driver LLC
• Inventors: Harkness, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Jerry-Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/991,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20180277011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching 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

A driver training system for presenting a user of the system with simultaneous representation of a driving environment directed to four active visual zones comprising a driver'"'"'s forward view, rear mirror view, and respective left and right side mirror views; for displaying a traffic hazard one of the four active visual zones; receiving an input from a user of the driving simulator identifying a location in one of the four active visual zones; determining if the location corresponds to the traffic hazard; and determining a response time between the display of the traffic hazard and the receipt of the input from the user.

Claims

1. A driving simulator for assessing and improving driving skills comprising:

a computerized audio/visual device programmed to;

display an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver'"'"'s-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver'"'"'s forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver'"'"'s forward view includes a combined representation of a driver'"'"'s side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger'"'"'s window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver'"'"'s forward view;

display a traffic hazard in one of the four active visual zones;

receive an input from a user of the driving simulator identifying a location in one of the four active visual zones;

determine if the location corresponds to the traffic hazard; and

determine a response time between the display of the traffic hazard and the receipt of the input from the user.

2. The driving simulator of claim 1 wherein the computerized audio/visual device is programmed to:

record the response time;

create a database for storing the response time; and

analyze the response time to develop a diagnostic assessment of impairments in visual cognition, visual memory, or visual recall abilities.

3. The driving-simulator of claim 1 wherein the interactive driving simulation is presented using digital frame based technology.

4. The driving-simulator of claim 1 wherein the forward view provides a view of at least about 180 degrees.

5. The driving-simulator of claim 1 wherein the computerized audio/visual device is programmed to assess visual search skills, visual memory, and visual recall.

6. A computerized audio/visual driving simulator method for assessing and improving driving skills comprising:

displaying an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver'"'"'s-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver'"'"'s forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver'"'"'s forward view includes a combined representation of a driver'"'"'s side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger'"'"'s window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver'"'"'s forward view;

displaying a traffic hazard in one of the four active visual zones;

receiving an input from a user of the driving simulator identifying a location in one of the four active visual zones;

determining if the location corresponds to the traffic hazard; and

determining a response time between the display of the traffic hazard and the receipt of the input from the user.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

recording the response time;

creating a database for storing the response time;

storing the response time; and

analyzing the response time to develop a diagnostic assessment of impairments in the visual cognition, visual memory, and/or visual recall abilities.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive driving simulation is presented using digital frame based technology.

9. The method of claim 6 comprising assessing visual search skills, visual memory, and visual recall using the response and response time.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the forward view provides a view of at least about 180 degrees.

11. A computer-implemented method for assessing and improving driving skills of a driver comprising:

displaying an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver'"'"'s-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver'"'"'s forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver'"'"'s forward view includes a combined representation of a driver'"'"'s side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger'"'"'s window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver'"'"'s forward view;

displaying a traffic hazard in one of the four active visual zones;

receiving an input from a user of the driving simulator identifying a location in one of the four active visual zones;

determining if the location corresponds to the traffic hazard; and

determining a response time between the display of the traffic hazard and the receipt of the input from the user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

recording whether the driver'"'"'s identification was correct and the driver'"'"'s response time;

creating a database for storing whether the driver'"'"'s identification was correct and the driver'"'"'s response time;

storing whether the driver'"'"'s identification was correct and the driver'"'"'s response time; and

analyzing whether the driver'"'"'s identification was correct and the driver'"'"'s response time to develop a diagnostic assessment of impairments in the visual cognition, visual memory, and visual recall abilities of the driver.