Generating a numerical ranking of driver performance based on a plurality of metrics

• US 7,769,499 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brinton, Brett, McQuade, Charles Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US11/675,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 701/35, 701/29, 701/52, 701/207, 702/182, 705/1, 705/4, 705/400, 705/7, 705/11, 705/32, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

Sensors on a vehicle are used to sense different data corresponding to a plurality of metrics, which are related to a performance of driver while operating the vehicle. Values are determined for the metrics that are thus collected. These values are added together and the resulting total is normalized to produce a driver performance value or performance ranking. The metrics that are collected can include, for example, idle time data, acceleration and deceleration data, times that a speed limit is exceeded, and other metrics of interest to an owner of the vehicle for evaluating driver performance. A weighting factor can be applied to any metric considered of greater importance. The driver performance value can be displayed in real-time to the driver to provide an immediate feedback of performance, or the collected metrics can be transmitted to a remote location for determination of driver performance rankings at a later time.

Claims

1. A method of producing a numerical ranking indicative of a performance of a driver based on a plurality of metrics corresponding to the driver'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) while the driver is operating the vehicle, automatically collecting data used to calculate the plurality of metrics, each of the plurality of metrics corresponding to the performance of the driver while operating the vehicle, the plurality of metrics including at least an idle time metric and a route deviation metric, where the route deviation metric is based on determining if the driver has deviated from a predefined route while operating the vehicle;

(b) for each of the plurality of metrics, automatically determining a numerical value for the metric;

(c) automatically combining the numerical values for the plurality of metrics to achieve a numerical performance value;

(d) automatically normalizing the numerical performance value to achieve the numerical ranking indicative of the performance of the driver; and

(e) displaying the numerical ranking in real-time to the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of normalizing the numerical performance value comprises the step of normalizing the numerical performance value based on a length of time the driver has operated the vehicle while the plurality of metrics are being collected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of normalizing the numerical performance value comprises the step of normalizing the numerical performance value based on a distance over which the driver has operated the vehicle while the plurality of metrics are being collected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the driver has deviated from the predefined route comprises the steps of:

(a) providing predefined route data comprising geographical coordinates for a route that the driver is to follow while driving the vehicle;

(b) automatically collecting geographical coordinate data indicative of a location of the vehicle, while the driver is operating the vehicle; and

(c) determining if the driver has deviated from the predefined route by comparing the collected geographical coordinate data with the predefined route data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metrics further comprise a speed metric that indicates if the driver has exceeded the speed limit, the speed limit metric being determined by performing the steps of:

(a) providing a baseline speed limit value for a type of road driven by the driver with the vehicle;

(b) automatically collecting vehicle speed data while the driver is operating the vehicle on the type of road; and

(c) determining if the driver has deviated from the baseline speed limit value by comparing the collected vehicle speed data with the baseline speed limit value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metrics further comprise a speed metric that indicates if the driver has exceeded the speed limit, the speed metric being determined by performing the steps of:

(a) providing predefined route data comprising geographical coordinates and speed limits associated with each geographical coordinate for a route driven by the driver while driving the vehicle;

(b) automatically collecting geographical coordinate data and vehicle speed data while the driver is operating the vehicle; and

(c) determining if the driver has violated the speed limit by comparing the collected geographical coordinate data and vehicle speed data collected with the predefined route data and the speed limits associated with the geographical coordinates of the route.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of automatically determining a numerical value for each metric collected, automatically combining the numerical values for each metric to achieve the numerical performance value, and automatically normalizing the numerical performance value to achieve the numerical ranking of the driver'"'"'s performance are executed by a computing device that is at the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conveying the plurality of metrics to a remote computing device for execution of the steps of automatically assigning the numerical value for each metric collected, automatically combining the numerical values for each metric to achieve the numerical performance value, and automatically normalizing the numerical performance value to achieve the numerical ranking of the driver'"'"'s performance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of conveying the plurality of metrics to the remote computing device comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting the plurality of metrics to the remote computing device in real-time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of conveying the plurality of metrics to the remote computing device comprises the step of conveying the plurality of metrics to the remote computing device after the driver has parked the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically determining a numerical value for the plurality of metrics comprises the step of determining if a weighting factor is to be applied to any of the plurality of metrics, and if so, applying the weighting factor to the metric before combining the numerical values to achieve the numerical performance value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically collecting the data that can be used to calculate the plurality of metrics comprises the steps of:

(a) automatically collecting a plurality of positional data points, each positional data point comprising a geographical position of the vehicle at a specific point in time; and

(b) using the plurality of positional data points to automatically calculate the plurality of metrics.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of automatically collecting the plurality of positional data points comprises the step of automatically collecting the plurality of positional data points whenever an ignition switch in the vehicle is on.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of using the plurality of positional data points to calculate the plurality of metrics comprises

using the plurality of positional data points to automatically calculate an idle time metric.

15. A memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for carrying out the following steps:

(a) while a driver is operating a vehicle, automatically collecting data corresponding to the performance of the driver, the data including at least an idle time metric and a route deviation metric, where the route deviation metric is based on determining if the driver has deviated from a predefined route while operating the vehicle;

(b)for each metric, automatically determining a numerical value for the metric;

(c) automatically combining the numerical values for each metric to achieve a numerical performance value;

(d) automatically normalizing the numerical performance value to achieve the numerical ranking indicative of the performance of the driver; and

(e) displaying the numerical ranking in real-time to the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle.

16. A system for producing a numerical ranking indicative of a performance of a driver based on a plurality of metrics corresponding to an operation of a vehicle by a driver, comprising:

(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored;

(b) a data link for importing at least one of the plurality of metrics determined while the driver is operating the vehicle, and data collected while the driver is operating the vehicle, where such data are to be used to calculate the plurality of metrics, wherein the plurality of metrics include an idle time metric and a route deviation metric, where the route deviation metric is based on determining if the driver has deviated from a predefined route while operating the vehicle; and

(c) a processor, coupled to the memory and to the data link, said processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

(i) where the data link imports data that are to be used to calculate the plurality of metrics, automatically calculating the plurality of metrics from the data;

(ii) for each metric that is calculated or imported, automatically determining a numerical value for the metric;

(iii) automatically combining the numerical values for the plurality of metrics to determine a numerical performance value;

(iv) normalizing the numerical performance value to determine the numerical ranking indicative of the performance of the driver; and

(v) displaying the numerical ranking in real-time to the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle.

17. A method of using a plurality of positional data points to produce a numerical ranking indicative of a performance of a driver, each positional data point comprising a geographical position of the vehicle at a specific point in time, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically collecting the plurality of positional data points while the driver is operating the vehicle;

(b) using the plurality of positional data points to automatically calculate a plurality of metrics, each of the plurality of metrics corresponding to the performance of the driver while operating the vehicle, where the calculations are performed at the vehicle and the plurality of metrics include at least an idle time metric and a route deviation metric, where the route deviation metric is based on determining if the driver has deviated from a predefined route while operating the vehicle;

(c) for each metric calculated, automatically determining a numerical value for the metric, where the determinations of the numerical value for each metric are performed at the vehicle;

(d) automatically combining the numerical values for the plurality of metrics to determine a numerical performance value, where the determination of the numerical performance value is performed at the vehicle;

(e) automatically normalizing the numerical performance value to achieve the numerical ranking indicative of the performance of the driver, where the determination of the numerical ranking is performed at the vehicle; and

(f) displaying the numerical ranking to the driver in real-time while the driver is operating the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of automatically collecting the plurality of positional data points comprises the step of automatically collecting the plurality of positional data points whenever an ignition switch in the vehicle is turned on.