Driving Behavior Monitoring System

• US 20150213656A1
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LexisNexis Risk Solutions UK Ltd. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Wunelli Limited (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Stacy, Paul Rowan
• Granted Patent: US 9,905,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

A driving behaviour monitoring system (11) comprising an on-board diagnostics module (3) adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, the on-board diagnostics module comprising a vehicle usage monitor operative to monitor usage of the vehicle and to generate vehicle usage data based on at least one usage characteristic of the vehicle, the system further comprising a controller (5) and a driving behaviour scoring server (9) arranged to be in real-time communication with the controller via a telecommunications network, the on-board diagnostics module further comprising a transceiver operative to transmit the vehicle usage data to the server via the controller, the server comprising a database (12) on which vehicle usage data is stored, the server further comprising a data processor controlled by an algorithm such that the server is operative to generate an alert signal by processing the vehicle usage data generated by the on-board diagnostics module, the alert signal being indicative of a driving behaviour score, and wherein the server is operative to transmit the alert signal from the server to the controller for review by the driver.

Claims

1. A driving behavior monitoring system comprising:

an on-board diagnostics module adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, the on-board diagnostics module comprising;

a vehicle usage monitor operative to monitor usage of the vehicle and to generate vehicle usage data based on at least one usage characteristic of the vehicle;

a controller configured for communication with a driving behavior scoring server, the driving behavior scoring server arranged to be in real-time communication with the controller via a telecommunications network;

the on-board diagnostics module further comprising;

a transceiver operative to transmit the vehicle usage data to the server via the controller, the server comprising a database on which vehicle usage data is stored, the server further comprising a data processor controlled by an algorithm such that the server is operative to generate an alert signal by processing the vehicle usage data generated by the on-board diagnostics module and the road usage data stored on the database, the alert signal being indicative of a driving behavior score, and wherein the server is operative to transmit the alert signal from the server to the controller for review by the driver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server and controller are arranged such that the alert signal is transmitted to the controller such that the driver can review the driving score in real-time.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the on-board diagnostics module comprises a wireless transceiver operative to transmit and/or receive data from the controller wirelessly, the controller being provided on a separate mobile telecommunications device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module and controller are integral, the transceiver of the on-board diagnostics module comprising a mobile telecommunications transceiver operative to enable communication between the controller and the server via a mobile telecommunications network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module comprises a micro processor, a PCB, a flash memory, and a tri-axial accelerometer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module is powered by its own internal battery, or comprises a suitable electrical connection to receive power from the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module may comprise an interface operative to connect with, and receive data from, the vehicle'"'"'s European On Board Diagnostics (EOBD) port.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module is operative to process a time signal and to obtain vehicle usage data at periodic time intervals, the on-board diagnostics module being operative to use the time signal to time stamp the vehicle usage data, and to send time stamped data packets of vehicle usage data to the controller.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module comprises a clock operative to generate its own time signal, or receives a time signal generated from a clock on the controller or the server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board diagnostics module is operative to obtain vehicle usage data selected from one, some or all or more of the following vehicle usage characteristics:

Vehicle ignition-on and ignition-off events;

Bluetooth device connection and disconnection events to/from EOBD port;

Bluetooth power on and off events;

Accelerometer data in three axes x, y and z; and

Other data available from the appropriate vehicle management system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises software or hardware on the mobile telecommunications device or the onboard diagnostics module, as appropriate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a software application downloaded onto the mobile telecommunications device or the onboard diagnostics module.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller also receives positional information from a GPS unit, the controller being operative to combine the positional information with the vehicle usage information from the on-board diagnostics module to form an aggregated vehicle usage data which is transmitted to the server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the GPS unit comprises a GPS unit on the mobile telecommunications device, or comprises a GPS unit provided on the onboard diagnostics module.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises data indicative of the road speed limit, the algorithm processing the vehicle usage data and the road speed limit data to generate the driving behavior score.

16. The system of claim 1 further arranged for use in determining premium adjustments and insurance ratings.

17. The system claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a retro fittable device.

18. An on-board vehicle usage diagnostics module for use with a driving behavior monitoring system, the on-board diagnostics module adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, and a vehicle usage monitor operative to monitor usage of the vehicle and to generate vehicle usage data based on at least one usage characteristic of the vehicle, the on-board diagnostics module further comprising a transceiver operative to transmit the vehicle usage data to a driving behavior scoring server of the driver behavior monitoring system via a controller, the controller and a server being arranged to be in real-time communication with the controller via a telecommunications network, the server comprising a database on which road usage data is stored, the server further comprising a data processor controlled by an algorithm such that the server is operative to generate an alert signal from processing the vehicle usage data generated by the on-board diagnostics module and from the vehicle usage data stored on the database, the alert signal being indicative of a driving behavior score, wherein the server is operative to transmit the alert signal from the server to the controller for review by the driver.

19. A method of monitoring driving behavior comprising:

using an on-board diagnostics module adapted to be mounted in a vehicle to monitor usage of the vehicle;

generating vehicle usage data based on at least one usage characteristic of the vehicle;

transmitting the vehicle usage data to a driving behavior scoring server in real-time communication via a telecommunications network;

providing a database on which road usage data is stored; and

controlling the server by an algorithm such that the server is operative generate an alert signal from processing the vehicle usage data generated by the on-board diagnostics module and from the vehicle usage data stored on the database, the alert signal being indicative of a driving behavior score, wherein the method further comprises the server transmitting the alert signal from the server for review by the driver.

20-22. -22. (canceled)