Online Method for Training Vehicle Drivers and Determining Hazard Detection Proficiency

• US 20130337417A1
• Filed: 08/03/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Nepomuceno, John Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/62
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• 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 method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards, the method having step that include: visually presenting to a driver a continuous drive through a driving environment comprised of at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard; recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive; and determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency by evaluating whether the driver looked at hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive.

Claims

1. A method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards, the method comprising:

visually presenting to a driver a continuous drive through a driving environment comprised of at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard;

recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive; and

determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency by evaluating whether the driver looked at hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive.

2. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visually presenting comprises presenting a plurality of hazard modules in a sequential order the first time the continuous drive is visually presented to the driver, and presenting the plurality of hazard modules in a different sequential order the second time the continuous drive is visually presented to the driver.

3. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visually presenting comprises presenting at least one driving environment selected from:

neighborhood, beyond your neighborhood, downtown, and highway.

4. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises detecting mouse clicks within target boxes, wherein the target boxes coincide with the hazards in the visual presentation.

5. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises detecting driver eye fixation on hazards in the visual presentation.

6. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises recording whether the driver timely looks to detect a hazard sufficiently in advance of a point of impact.

7. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency comprises evaluating whether the driver has detected a minimum percentage of the total number of hazards in the visual presentation.

8. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, further comprising reviewing the continuous drive comprising:

replaying the visual presentation;

indicating hazards that the driver detected during the replay of the visual presentation; and

indicating hazards that the driver failed to detect during the replay of the visual presentation.

9. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visually presenting comprises at least two continuous drives each through different driving environments, wherein the determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency comprises determining whether the driver has detected a minimum percentage of hazards in each of the at least two continuous drives.

10. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

requiring the vehicle driver to use a mouse or other pointing device to click on parts of the scene where he is looking/fixating to identify potential hazards.

11. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

requiring the vehicle driver to directly tap on areas of a screen of a tablet or other computing device where he is looking.

12. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

detecting when the user is looking at his driver side, passenger side, or rear view mirror.

13. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

detecting when the vehicle driver pans to certain areas on the left or right side of the screen, wherein the pan is interpreted as looking over the vehicle driver'"'"'s shoulder left or right, respectively.

14. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

detecting precautionary looks by the vehicle driver to anticipate possible hazards.

15. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises:

recording clicks, hits, panes, and mirror looks.

16. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the vehicle driver quick/hit visual feedback.

17. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

randomly presenting hazard modules in a variety of driving conditions, wherein driving conditions are selected from;

rain, dry, snow, icy, night-time, daylight, windy, and foggy.