Driver risk assessment system and method employing selectively automatic event scoring

• US 8,849,501 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Bryon, Ellegaard, Peter, Gilles, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/691,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/119, 701/300, 701/408, 701/400, 701/33.4, 701/29.1, 701/37.7, 701/33.9, 340/139, 340/439, 340/425.5, 340/438, 705/1.1, 705/7.28, 707/758, 707/E17.014, 707/754
• US Class Current: 701/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

A Driver Risk Assessment System and Method Employing Selectively Automatic Event Scoring. The system and method provides robust and reliable event scoring and reporting, while also optimizing data transmission bandwidth. The system includes onboard vehicular driving event detectors that record data related to detected driving events, selectively store or transfer data related to said detected driving events. If elected, the onboard vehicular system will score a detected driving event, compare the local score to historical values previously stored within the onboard system, and upload selective data or data types to a remote server or user if the system concludes that a serious driving event has occurred. The system may further respond to independent user requests by transferring select data to said user at a variety of locations and formats.

Claims

1. A system for reducing risk in driving, comprising:

at least one event capture device associated with a vehicle, said event capture device or devices detecting data related to the physical condition of said vehicle;

at least one event detector device coupled with the vehicle and configured to communicate with said event capture device or devices and to determine, responsive to event scoring criteria, whether or not data captured by said event capture devices represents a driving event;

an event scoring module attached to or otherwise physically associated with said event detector device for generating an event score for the detected driving event based at least in part upon data from said event capture device or devices; and

an event data management module attached to or otherwise associated with said event detector device for selectively uploading data associated with the detected driving event from said event capture devices to a remote computer device, wherein data associated with the detected driving event is selected for uploading based at least in part on a determination that the event score generated for the driving event meets a predetermined criteria.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a comparing subsystem for comparing said generated event score with a group of previously stored event scores, and to responsively upload said data if said comparison so dictates.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising:

said at least one said event capture device generating selectively uploaded data associated with said vehicle physical condition, and also generating regularly uploaded data associated with said vehicle physical condition; and

said event data management module uploads said selectively uploaded data responsive to said event score.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising:

at least one said event capture device generating said selectively uploaded data associated with said vehicle physical condition; and

at least another said event capture device generating said regularly uploaded data associated with said vehicle physical condition.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said event data management module uploads said selectively uploaded data responsive to a comparison between said generated event score and a set of representative event scores stored in a local data repository associated with said comparison subsystem.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said event score is based only upon said regularly uploaded data.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said selectively uploaded data is selected from the group of audio data video data and telemetry data.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said regularly uploaded data comprises vehicle velocity, vehicle acceleration, vehicle spatial orientation, vehicle metadata and vehicle location.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a raw data filter for filtering data captured by said event capture devices prior to said determination of whether or not said data represents a driving event.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria indicates at least one stationary or moving occurrence at the vehicle that includes an automobile accident, reckless driving, and rough driving.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said event data management module is further responsive to a remote request from a remote user.

12. A method for reducing risk in driving, comprising:

detecting data related to the physical condition of a vehicle using at least one event capture device associated with said vehicle;

communicating from an event detector device coupled to the vehicle with said at least one event capture device;

determining, using said event detector device, responsive to event scoring criteria whether or not data captured by said at least one event capture device represents a driving event;

generating, using an event scoring module attached to or otherwise physically associated with said event detector device, an event score for the detected driving event based at least in part upon data from said at least one event capture device; and

selectively uploading data associated with the detected driving event, using an event data management module attached to or otherwise associated with said event detector device, from said at least one event capture device to a remote computer device, wherein data associated with the detected driving event is selected for uploading based at least in part on a determination that the event score generated for the driving event meets a predetermined criteria.