System and method for a driving simulator on a mobile device

• US 10,475,350 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Nepomuceno, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullington, Robert P
• Application Number:
  US15/095,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 434 69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method facilitates a driving simulator on a mobile device. A driver may input data related to the desired simulation. A simulation may be determined based on the received data. The simulation may include a particular vehicle, road, driving condition, etc. The determined simulation may then be transmitted to a client devices. The client device may then render the simulation and collect driving data during the simulation. The collected driving data may be received and analyzed to determine a driving competency score.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a driving simulation to assess driving competency, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computer network, one or more parameter inputs corresponding to features to be rendered during a driving simulation, the one or more parameter inputs comprising a driver identification and one or more of a vehicle, a location, a lighting condition, or a weather condition to be rendered during the driving simulation;

receiving, via the computer network from sensors implemented in a driver'"'"'s vehicle, an assessment of a driving ability;

determining, based on the assessment of the driving ability, an area of driving ability that needs improvement;

storing the area of driving ability that needs improvement in a driver'"'"'s profile in a database, the driver'"'"'s profile corresponding to the driver identification;

configuring, by one or more processors, the driving simulation based on the one or more parameter inputs and the area of driving ability that needs improvement, wherein one or more user controls of a simulated vehicle of the driving simulation are based on the one or more parameter inputs;

transmitting, via the computer network, the driving simulation for execution on a client device;

receiving, via the computer network, a video recorded during the driving simulation, wherein the video is recorded via a camera on the client device, and wherein the video captures a user throughout the driving simulation;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the video to determine driving simulation data, wherein the driving simulation data comprises one or more of head movements, eye movements, arm movements, body movements, reaction to elements of the driving simulation, or controls operated by the user during the driving simulation;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the driving simulation data to determine a driving competency score, wherein the driving competency score is a measure of a driving performance of the user during execution of the driving simulation; and

presenting, via the client device, a driving tutorial if the driving competency score is below a threshold value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the client device is one or more of a smartphone or a tablet.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle can be any one of a right-hand-drive car, a left-hand-drive car, a motorcycle, a truck, a van or a bus.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented method for providing the driving simulation is provided by a driver'"'"'s licensing agency and wherein the driving competency score is used to determine if the user is allowed to qualify for an on-road driving test.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the driving competency score comprises determining one of a letter grade, a percentage score, a passing grade, a failing grade, or a numeric score.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

providing displays and controls corresponding to the vehicle of the one or more parameter inputs.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

illustrating the driving simulation to correspond to a real-world location based on the location of the one or more parameter inputs.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

importing map data from a remote source; and

illustrating the driving simulation based on the map data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are specially configured to collect data corresponding to a use of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

6. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a database;

sensors configured in a driver'"'"'s vehicle;

a client device including a camera, an accelerometer, and a touchscreen display; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive one or more parameter inputs corresponding to features to be rendered during a driving simulation, the one or more parameter inputs comprising a driver identification and one or more of a vehicle, a location, a lighting condition, or a weather condition to be rendered during the driving simulation;

receive, from the sensors implemented in the driver'"'"'s vehicle, an assessment of a driving ability;

determine, based on the assessment of the driving ability, an area of driving ability that needs improvement;

store the area of driving ability that needs improvement in a driver'"'"'s profile in the database, the driver'"'"'s profile corresponding to the driver identification;

configure the driving simulation based on the one or more parameter inputs and the area of driving ability that needs improvement, wherein one or more user controls of a simulated vehicle of the driving simulation are based on the one or more parameter inputs;

execute, via the client device, the driving simulation;

record, via the client device, a video that captures the user throughout the driving simulation;

analyze the video to determine driving simulation data corresponding to the user during the driving simulation, wherein the driving simulation data comprises one or more of head movements, eye movements, arm movements, body movements, reaction to elements of the driving simulation, or controls operated during the driving simulation;

analyze the driving simulation data to determine a driving competency score, wherein the driving competency score is a measure of a driving performance of the user during execution of the driving simulation; and

present, via the client device, a driving tutorial if the driving competency score is below a threshold value.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the client device is one or more of a smartphone or a tablet.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensors are specially configured to collect data corresponding to a use of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

providing displays and controls corresponding to the vehicle of the one or more parameter inputs.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

illustrating the driving simulation to correspond to a real-world location based on the location of the one or more parameter inputs.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein configuring the driving simulation further comprises:

importing map data from a remote source; and

illustrating the driving simulation based on the map data.