VIRTUAL TRAINER FOR IN VEHICLE DRIVER COACHING AND TO COLLECT METRICS TO IMPROVE DRIVER PERFORMANCE

• US 20140195310A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: MCQUADE, CHARLES MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/204,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method of providing visual feedback to a driver based on data collected during vehicle operation. A processor at the vehicle analyzes vehicle data, and determines when predetermined threshold values have been reached for particular parameters. Whenever such a threshold is reached, a visual alert is presented to the driver. Certain parameters have at least two threshold values. When a first threshold value is reached, an alert is presented to the driver, but no data is recorded or reported. When a second threshold value is reached, another alert is presented to the driver, and data is recorded for reporting to a driver manager or supervisor. The tiered threshold approach provides a warning to a driver, such that if they correct the behavior triggering the warning, their supervisor is never notified of that behavior. However, if the behavior escalates, and the second threshold is breached, the behavior is recorded.

Claims

1. A method of producing a performance metric indicative of a performance of a driver based on at least one metric corresponding to the driver'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, and sharing that metric with the driver during driving, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically collecting vehicle data that can be used to evaluate the driver'"'"'s performance while the driver is operating the vehicle;

(b) using a computing device to automatically analyze the vehicle data and determine if a driver has exceeded a first baseline for a specific metric;

(c) after the first baseline is exceeded, automatically displaying to the driver information indicating the first baseline has been exceeded;

(d) using the computing device to automatically analyze the vehicle data and determine if a driver has exceeded a second baseline for the specific metric;

(e) after the second baseline is exceeded, automatically displaying to the driver information indicating the second baseline has been exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically using a wireless data link to report to a remote computing device when the driver exceeds the second baseline, but not the first baseline.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically prompting the driver to log in at vehicle start up.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of enabling a driver to log in using an RFID card.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of automatically determining if the driver identified during log in has any custom baseline definitions, and if so utilizing those custom baseline definitions in place of default baselines in steps (b) and (d) of claim 1.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a remote user to selectively redefine at least one of the first and second baselines.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps (b) and (d) are implemented using a first computing device, and steps (c) and (e) are implemented using an accessory display logically coupled to the first computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessory display includes an RFID reader that the driver can use to identify himself with before driving.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (c) and (e) are implemented using a mobile computing device including a screen and a navigation application that automatically employs a first portion of the screen to present a map to the driver, and automatically employs a second portion of the screen to present the information indicating the first or second baseline has been exceeded.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically determining if the driver has any metrics for which at least one of the first and second baselines were exceeded during a prior driving session; and

is so;

(b) automatically displaying to the driver at least one such metric whose baseline was exceeded in the prior driving session.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically displaying to the driver at least one such metric whose baseline was exceeded in the prior driving session comprises the step of displaying the metric whose baseline was exceeded most often during the prior driving session.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein after the driver exceeds the second baseline, further comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically determining if the driver has been allocated a predefined number of events that are to be ignored for a given day; and

if so;

(b) automatically not reporting any events associated with exceeding the second threshold until the allocated number of events has been reached.

13. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for carrying out the steps of claim 1.

14. A system for displaying driver feedback to a driver during operation of a vehicle;

the system comprising;

(a) at least one vehicle data generating component, the at least one vehicle data generating component is configured to generate time indexed vehicle data that can be used to evaluate driver performance;

(b) a display for displaying feedback to the driver during vehicle operation;

(c) at least one processor logically coupled to the display, the at least one processor implementing the functions of

(i) automatically analyzing the vehicle data to determine if any of the vehicle data exceeds a first predefined threshold, and if so automatically displaying to the driver information indicating the first predefined threshold has been exceeded;

(ii) automatically analyzing the vehicle data to determine if any of the vehicle data exceeds a second predefined threshold, and if so automatically displaying to the driver information indicating the second predefined threshold has been exceeded.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a wireless data link logically coupled to the at least one processor, and wherein the at least one processor further implements the function of using the wireless data link to automatically report to a remote computing device that the driver exceeded the second predefined threshold.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is part of a first computing device, and the display is part of an accessory display that includes an RFID card reader enabling drivers to uniquely identify themselves.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is part of a first computing device, and the display is part of a second computing device including a screen and a navigation application that automatically employs a first portion of the screen to present a map to the driver, and automatically employs a second portion of the screen to present the information indicating the first or second baseline has been exceeded.

18. An accessory display for use in a vehicle to provide feedback to a driver during operation of the vehicle, the accessory display comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a data port for importing feedback data;

(c) a screen upon which the driver feedback data can be presented; and

(d) an RFID card reader enabling a driver to use an RFID card to uniquely identify himself.

19. The accessory display of claim 18, further comprising a graphical element on the housing indicating where the driver should present the RFID card to be read.