System And Method For Providing Feedback To A Vehicle Driver

• US 20150175067A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Software ULC (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Software ULC (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: KERR, Andrew Henry Leitch, KEAVENY, Ian, HINDS, Sebastien James
• Granted Patent: US 9,783,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling

Abstract

A method and system for providing feedback to a vehicle driver are provided. Metrics are collected for a vehicle being operated. The metrics are categorized into one of a set of discrete performance categories. Sensory feedback is presented to a driver of the vehicle corresponding to the one discrete performance category.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time feedback to a vehicle driver, comprising:

obtaining a set of metrics for a vehicle;

categorizing said metrics into one of a set of discrete performance categories; and

presenting sensory feedback to a vehicle driver corresponding to said one discrete performance category, as the vehicle is being operated by the vehicle driver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each metric has two discrete performance categories, acceptable and unacceptable, and wherein categorizing comprises determining, for each of the set of metrics, whether they are acceptable or unnacceptable.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein presenting sensory feedback comprises providing feedback if, and as soon as, any of the metrics are categorized as unacceptable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensory feedback is a light cluster mounted in view of the driver, comprising a red light that is illuminated when any of the metrics are categorized as unacceptable.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of metrics comprise longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration and jerkiness.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting further comprises:

obtaining a set of historical metrics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of discrete performance categories are defined using the historical metrics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensory feedback is a light cluster mounted in view of the driver, comprising a red light, an amber light and a green light, one of which is illuminated based on the result of the categorizing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the historical metrics comprise historical vehicle metrics and historical driver metrics.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the discrete performance categories are:

better than historical vehicle average, close to historical vehicle average and worse than historical vehicle average.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein better than historical vehicle average corresponds to the green light, close to historical vehicle average corresponds to the amber light and worse than historical vehicle average corresponds to the red light.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the discrete performance categories are:

better than historical driver average, close to historical driver average and worse than historical driver average.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein better than historical driver average corresponds to the green light, close to historical driver average corresponds to the amber light and worse than historical driver average corresponds to the red light.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the collecting and presenting occur as the vehicle is being operated on a known route and the historical metrics were obtained on the known route.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting further comprises:

obtaining a set of historical incidents for a route the driver is driving and a set of historical incidents for the driver where each incident comprises an incident location where the incident occurred.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the presenting sensory feedback comprises:

determining if an incident occurred at a location on the route the driver is driving, before the driver has arrived at the location; and

presenting sensory feedback to a vehicle driver corresponding to said one discrete performance category, as the vehicle is approaching the location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the presenting sensory feedback comprises:

determining if any incident in the set of historical incidents for the driver may occur at a future location on the route; and

presenting sensory feedback to a vehicle driver corresponding to said one discrete performance category, as the vehicle is approaching the future location.