System and methods for monitoring driver distraction

• US 10,160,463 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DistracTech LLC
• Original Assignee: DistracTech LLC
• Inventors: Weaver, David Howard, Cosenza, Curtis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/814,939
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 340436, 340439, 34053911, 340540, 4554141, 455418, 4554221
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/04 using counting means or digital clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to a method that includes determining that a user of a computer-based device is interacting with a screen of the computer-based device while driving a vehicle. The screen is configured to display a user interface including one or more selectable displayed application pages. Each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages displays one or more visual elements. The method also includes displaying a timer, as a persistent overlay, on at least a portion of each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages. The timer is indicative of a time duration of the user'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving. Further, at least one of the visual elements, overlaid by the timer, remains viewable and accessible by the user of the computer-based device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring driver distraction executed by a processor comprising:

determining, by using one or more sensors, that a driver, of a computer-based device, is interacting with a screen of the computer-based device while driving a vehicle, wherein the screen is configured to display a user interface including one or more selectable displayed application pages, each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages displaying one or more visual elements; and

displaying a timer by the processor, as a persistent overlay, on at least a portion of each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages, the timer being indicative of a time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving, wherein at least one of the visual elements, overlaid by the timer, remains viewable and accessible by the driver of the computer-based device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting and hiding the timer upon determining at least one of the following:

the vehicle has stopped moving; and

the driver has stopped interacting with the screen for a predefined time duration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting driver data to one or more remote servers, wherein the driver data is indicative of at least the time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprises generating an audio alert on determining that the driver is interacting with the screen while driving.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying a display size of the timer based on the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprises adjusting a display transparency of the timer based on the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving time signals from a timing circuit at varying time intervals; and

changing the timer displayed on the user interface based on the received time signals, wherein the time intervals are varied based on the duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a magnetometer and GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity, sensor, barometer, ambient light sensor, microphone, multiple cameras, temperature, wifi, Bluetooth, a camera, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a touch sensitive layer or a position sensor.

9. A method for monitoring driver distraction comprising:

providing an application for installation on a computer-based device including a screen and a processor, wherein the screen is configured to display a user interface including one or more selectable displayed application pages, each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages displaying one or more visual elements, and wherein the application includes computer-readable instructions, which upon execution, cause the processor to;

determine, by using one or more sensors, that a driver, of the computer-based device, is interacting with the screen while driving a vehicle; and

display a timer, as a persistent overlay, on at least a portion of each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages, the timer being indicative of a time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving, wherein at least one of the visual elements, overlaid by the timer, remains viewable and accessible by the driver of the computer-based device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions, upon execution, further cause the processor to:

reset and hide the timer upon determining at least one of the following;

the vehicle has stopped moving; and

the driver is not interacting with the screen for a predefined time duration.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions, upon execution, further cause the processor to:

transmit driver data to one or more remote servers, wherein the driver data is indicative of at least the time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions, upon execution, further cause the processor to:

generate an audio alert on determining that the driver is interacting with the screen while driving.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions, upon execution, further cause the processor to:

vary a display size of the timer based on the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions upon execution, further cause the processor to:

adjust a display transparency of the timer based on the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

15. A computer-based device for monitoring driver distraction comprising:

a screen configured to display a user interface including one or more selectable displayed application pages, each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages displaying one or more visual elements;

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to;

determine, by using one or more sensors, that a driver, of the computer-based device, is interacting with the screen while driving a vehicle; and

display a timer, as a persistent overlay, on at least a portion of each of the one or more selectable displayed application pages, the timer being indicative of a time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving, wherein at least one of the visual elements, overlaid by the timer, remains viewable and accessible by the driver of the computer-based device.

16. The computer-based device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

reset and hide the timer upon determining at least one of the following;

the vehicle has stopped moving; and

the driver is not interacting with the screen for a predefined time duration.

17. The computer-based device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit driver data to one or more remote servers, wherein the driver data is at least indicative of the time duration of the driver'"'"'s interaction with the screen while driving.

18. The computer-based device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

vary a display size of the timer based the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

19. The computer-based device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

adjust a display transparency of the timer based the one or more visual elements displayed on the user interface.

20. The computer-based device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate an audio alert on determining that the driver is interacting with the screen while driving.