System and methods of monitoring driver behavior for vehicular fleet management in a fleet of vehicles using driver-facing imaging device
First Claim
1. A safety system monitoring a steering wheel control condition of an associated vehicle during operation of the associated vehicle by an associated driver, the system comprising:
- an imaging device disposed in the associated vehicle, the imaging device capturing an image of a portion of an interior of the associated vehicle together with an image of a portion of the driver steering the associated vehicle, and generating image data representative of the captured images of the associated driver and the interior of the associated vehicle; and
a control device comprising;
a processor;
an image data input operatively coupled with the processor, the image data input receiving the image data from the imaging device;
a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor, the non-transient memory device storing safe model data comprising a recommended value range of a steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition; and
control logic stored in the non-transient memory device, the control logic being executable by the processor to;
process the image data to determine an operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle;
perform a comparison between the recommended value range of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle; and
determine a state of vehicle operation compliance as a one of;
a steering wheel policy non-compliance state in accordance with a first result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle, wherein the processor generates steering wheel policy non-compliance data in accordance with the first result, ora steering wheel policy compliance state in accordance with a second result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle; and
an output operatively coupled with the processor, the output selectively receiving the steering wheel policy non-compliance data from the processor and generating a steering wheel use policy non-compliance signal representative of the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition being outside of the recommended range of the safe model data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods monitor driver behavior for vehicular fleet management in a fleet of vehicles using driver-facing imaging device. The systems and methods herein relate generally to vehicular fleet management for enhancing safety of the fleet and improving the performance of the fleet drivers, and further relate to monitoring the operation of fleet vehicles using one or more driver-facing imaging devices disposed in the fleet vehicles for recording activities of the fleet drivers and their passengers, storing information relating to the monitored activities, selectively generating warnings related to the monitored activities, and reporting the monitored activities to a central fleet management system for use in enhancing the safety of the vehicles of the fleet and for helping to improve the performance of the fleet drivers.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A safety system monitoring a steering wheel control condition of an associated vehicle during operation of the associated vehicle by an associated driver, the system comprising:
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an imaging device disposed in the associated vehicle, the imaging device capturing an image of a portion of an interior of the associated vehicle together with an image of a portion of the driver steering the associated vehicle, and generating image data representative of the captured images of the associated driver and the interior of the associated vehicle; and a control device comprising; a processor; an image data input operatively coupled with the processor, the image data input receiving the image data from the imaging device; a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor, the non-transient memory device storing safe model data comprising a recommended value range of a steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition; and control logic stored in the non-transient memory device, the control logic being executable by the processor to; process the image data to determine an operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle; perform a comparison between the recommended value range of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle; and determine a state of vehicle operation compliance as a one of; a steering wheel policy non-compliance state in accordance with a first result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle, wherein the processor generates steering wheel policy non-compliance data in accordance with the first result, or a steering wheel policy compliance state in accordance with a second result of the comparison between the recommended value range and the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition of the associated vehicle; and an output operatively coupled with the processor, the output selectively receiving the steering wheel policy non-compliance data from the processor and generating a steering wheel use policy non-compliance signal representative of the operational value of the steering wheel use parameter of the monitored steering wheel control condition being outside of the recommended range of the safe model data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A safety system monitoring a steering wheel use condition of an associated vehicle during operation of the associated vehicle by an associated driver, the system comprising:
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an imaging device disposed in the associated vehicle, the imaging device capturing an image of an interior of the associated vehicle and generating image data representative of the captured image; and a control device comprising; a processor; an image data input operatively coupled with the processor, the image data input receiving the image data from the imaging device; a non-transient memory device operatively coupled with the processor, the non-transient memory device storing safe model data comprising a recommended value range of a steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle; control logic stored in the non-transient memory device, the control logic being executable by the processor to; process the image data to determine an operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle by; inspecting the image data to determine a steering wheel shape representative of a steering wheel of the associated vehicle; and inspecting the image data to determine any discontinuities in the determined steering wheel shape, the any discontinuities being representative of one, both or neither hands of the associated driver holding the steering wheel of the associated vehicle; perform a comparison between the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle and the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle; and determine a state of vehicle operation compliance as a one of; a steering wheel use policy non-compliance state in accordance with a first result of the comparison indicating that the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition is outside of the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter, wherein the control logic is executable by the processor to generate steering wheel use policy non-compliance data in accordance with the determined steering wheel use policy non-compliance state, or a steering wheel use policy compliance state in accordance with a second result of the comparison indicating that the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition is within the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter, wherein the control logic is executable by the processor to generate steering wheel use policy compliance data in accordance with the determined steering wheel use policy compliance state; and an output operatively coupled with the processor, the output receiving the steering wheel use policy compliance or non-compliance data from the processor and selectively generating; a steering wheel use policy non-compliance signal representative of the steering wheel use policy non-compliance data received from the processor, or a steering wheel use policy compliance signal representative of the steering wheel use policy compliance data received from the processor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of monitoring a steering wheel use condition of an associated vehicle during operation of the associated vehicle by an associated driver, the method comprising:
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capturing by an imaging device disposed in the associated vehicle an image of an interior of the associated vehicle and generating image data representative of the captured image; receiving the image data at an image data input of a control device comprising a processor and a non-transient memory device storing control logic and safe model data comprising a recommended value range of a steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle; executing the control logic by the processor to; process the image data to determine an operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle by; inspecting the image data to determine a steering wheel shape representative of a steering wheel of the associated vehicle; and inspecting the image data to determine any discontinuities in the determined steering wheel shape, the any discontinuities being representative of one, both or neither hands of the associated driver holding the steering wheel of the associated vehicle; perform a comparison between the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle and the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition of the associated vehicle; and determine a state of vehicle operation compliance as a one of; a steering wheel use policy non-compliance state in accordance with a first result of the comparison indicating that the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition is outside of the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter, wherein the control logic is executable by the processor to generate steering wheel use policy non-compliance data in accordance with the determined steering wheel use policy non-compliance state, or a steering wheel use policy compliance state in accordance with a second result of the comparison indicating that the operational value of the steering wheel hand placement parameter of the monitored steering wheel use condition is within the recommended value range of the steering wheel hand placement parameter, wherein the control logic is executable by the processor to generate steering wheel use policy compliance data in accordance with the determined steering wheel use policy compliance state; and receiving the steering wheel use policy compliance or non-compliance data from the processor by an output of the control device operatively coupled with the processor, and selectively generating; a steering wheel use policy non-compliance signal representative of the steering wheel use policy non-compliance data received from the processor, or a steering wheel use policy compliance signal representative of the steering wheel use policy compliance data received from the processor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification