SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECORDING VEHICLE EVENTS AND FOR GENERATING REPORTS CORRESPONDING TO THE RECORDED VEHICLE EVENTS BASED ON DRIVER STATUS

• US 20110063099A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Watkins, Scott Alan, Miller, Thomas Lee, Bennie, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for recording events in a vehicle based on driver status of a driver is provided. The apparatus comprises a vehicle interface device. The device is configured to receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver. The device is further configured to receive at least one vehicle event signal corresponding to vehicle events in response to the driver status signal indicating that the driver is the secondary driver and to store the at least one vehicle event signal to record the vehicle events. The device is further configured to generate a report indicating the recorded vehicle events for transmission to at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording events in a vehicle based on driver status of a driver, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle interface device configured to;

receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver;

receive at least one vehicle event signal corresponding to vehicle events in response to the driver status signal indicating that the driver is the secondary driver;

store the at least one vehicle event signal to record the vehicle events;

receive a distance signal corresponding to the distance traveled by the secondary driver; and

generate a report including the recorded vehicle events for transmission to at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver in response to determining that the distance signal corresponds to a predetermined distance value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle interface device is further configured to visually transmit at least a portion of the report therefrom to the at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle interface device is further configured to electronically store the report therein for transmission to a portable storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle interface device includes at least one user interface electronically coupled thereto for enabling the primary driver to deactivate the operation of storing the at least one vehicle event signal to record the vehicle events for the secondary driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the report includes at least one vehicle event usage profile.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the vehicle interface device is configured to compare the at least one vehicle event usage profile against pre-defined usage criteria to assess driving behaviors for the secondary driver and to issue an award.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the vehicle interface device includes at least one user interface electronically coupled thereto for enabling the secondary driver to redeem the award at the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the vehicle interface device is configured to transmit the report to an auxiliary protocol interface module (APIM) for wirelessly transmitting the report to an award center to compare the at least one vehicle event usage profile against pre-defined usage criteria to assess driving behaviors for the secondary driver and to issue an award for redemption by the secondary driver.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes a driver performance profile which is a value corresponding to the secondary driver'"'"'s ability to avoid potential collision events.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes a driver belt usage profile which is a value corresponding to an amount of time the secondary driver is buckled with a seatbelt while the vehicle travels above a predetermined speed value.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes a passenger belt usage profile which is a value corresponding to an amount of time one or more passengers with the secondary driver is buckled with a seatbelt while the vehicle travels above a predetermined speed value.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes a speed profile which is a value corresponding to an amount of time the secondary driver drives the vehicle within a low speed range, a medium speed range, and a high speed range.

13. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes an occupant communication device usage profile which is a value corresponding to an amount of time the secondary driver is using an occupant communication device while driving the vehicle above a predetermined speed value.

14. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes an occupant communication device pair profile which is a value corresponding to an amount of time the secondary driver has electrically coupled an occupant communication device to a module within the vehicle to enable hands-free operation of the occupant communication device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle event signal includes at least one potential collision signal that is indicative of potential collision events between the vehicle and an object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the vehicle interface device is further configured to trigger at least one timer having a predefined time value in response to receiving the at least one potential collision signal to assess the number of potential collision events.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the vehicle interface device is further configured to record a single occurrence of the potential collision event in response to detecting that the predefined time value has expired irrespective of the number of potential collision signals received while the timer is running prior to the expiration of the predefined time value.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle interface device includes at least one user interface electronically coupled thereto for enabling one of the primary driver and the secondary driver to command the vehicle interface device to provide at least one of current statistics related to the recorded events and summary statistics which provides historical driving performance data for the secondary driver if the value of the distance signal is less than the predetermined distance value.

19. An apparatus for recording events in a vehicle based on driver status of a driver, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle interface device configured to;

receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver;

receive at least one potential collision event signal corresponding to potential collision events that occur between the vehicle and an object in response to the driver status signal indicating that the driver is the secondary driver;

trigger at least one timer having a predefined time value in response to receiving the at least one potential collision event signal;

record a single occurrence of the potential collision event in response to detecting that the predefined time value has expired irrespective of the number of potential collision event signals received while the timer is running prior to the expiration of the predefined time value; and

generate a report indicating the number of recorded potential collision events for transmission to at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver.

20. An apparatus for recording events in a vehicle based on driver status of a driver, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle interface device configured to;

receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver;

receive at least one vehicle event signal corresponding to vehicle events in response to the driver status signal indicating that the driver is the secondary driver;

store the at least one vehicle event signal to determine at least one vehicle event usage profile for the secondary driver; and

generate a report that includes the least one vehicle event usage profile for transmission to at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver, the at least one vehicle event usage profile includes at least one of belt usage profile and an occupant communication device usage profile.