Online Method for Training Vehicle Drivers and Determining Hazard Detection Proficiency

• US 20170169719A1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• 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 Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 10,810,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

a system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts, the system comprising: an Internet device that presents to an Internet user a visual presentation of a continuous drive through a driving environment comprising at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents to the Internet user at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard; an Internet device that records user viewing locations within the visual presentation, the user viewing locations corresponding to locations within the visual presentation that are viewed by the user during the visual presentation of the continuous drive; a computer analytics device comprising an algorithm that compares the recorded user viewing locations with defined locations of hazards within the visual presentation of the continuous drive, and determines a hazard detection proficiency of the user based at least on the comparison; a computer memory device comprising at least one minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria corresponding to an insurance discount; and a computer analytics device that compares the determined hazard detection proficiency of the user with the minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria and determines whether to award the insurance discount to the user.

Claims

1. A method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards, the method comprising:

visually presenting to a driver a continuous drive through a driving environment comprised of at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard;

recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive;

calculating a hazard detection proficiency for the driver by evaluating whether the driver looked at particular hazards during the visual presentation of the continuous drive;

using GPS and accelerometers associated with an internet-connected device to document the locations and driving conditions of actual drives;

comparing the driver'"'"'s calculated hazard detection proficiency to data sensed during actual drives; and

determining an available insurance premium discount based at least in part on (a) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to proficiency criterion and (b) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to the sensed data.

2. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visually presenting comprises presenting a plurality of hazard modules in a sequential order the first time the continuous drive is visually presented to the driver, and presenting the plurality of hazard modules in a different sequential order the second time the continuous drive is visually presented to the driver.

3. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visually presenting comprises presenting at least one driving environment selected from:

neighborhood, beyond your neighborhood, downtown, and highway.

4. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises detecting mouse clicks within target boxes, wherein the target boxes coincide with the hazards in the visual presentation.

5. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises detecting driver eye fixation on hazards in the visual presentation.

6. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises recording whether the driver timely looks to detect a hazard sufficiently in advance of a point of impact.

7. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency comprises evaluating whether the driver has detected a minimum percentage of the total number of hazards in the visual presentation.

8. The method for training vehicle drivers to detect hazards as claimed in claim 1, further comprising reviewing the continuous drive comprising:

replaying the visual presentation;

indicating hazards that the driver detected during the replay of the visual presentation; and

indicating hazards that the driver failed to detect during the replay of the visual presentation.

9. A method for determining an insurance premium based at least in part of a vehicle driver'"'"'s proficiency at detecting hazards, the method comprising:

visually presenting at least one driving module that comprises at least one hazard;

recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards during the visual presentation;

determining a hazard detection proficiency for the driver by evaluating whether the driver looked at hazards during the visual presentation; and

using GPS and accelerometers associated with an internet-connected device to document the locations and driving conditions of actual drives;

comparing the driver'"'"'s calculated hazard detection proficiency to data sensed during actual drives; and

determining an available insurance premium discount based at least in part on (a) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to proficiency criterion and (b) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to the sensed data.

10. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the visually presenting comprises a continuous drive through a driving environment comprised of at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard.

11. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the visually presenting comprises presenting at least one driving environment selected from:

neighborhood, beyond your neighborhood, downtown, and highway.

12. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the recording where within the visual presentation the driver looks to detect hazards comprises recording whether the driver timely looks to detect a hazard sufficiently in advance of a point of impact.

13. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency comprises evaluating whether the driver has detected a minimum percentage of the total number of hazards in the visual presentation.

14. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the visually presenting comprises at least two continuous drives each through different driving environments, wherein the determining the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency comprises determining whether the driver has detected a minimum percentage of hazards in each of the at least two continuous drives.

15. The method for determining an insurance premium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the calculating comprises multiplying a total insurance discount by the percent of correctly detected hazards.

16. A system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts, the system comprising:

an Internet device that presents to an Internet user a visual presentation of a continuous drive through a driving environment comprising at least two hazard modules, wherein each hazard module presents to the Internet user at least one driving scenario that comprises at least one hazard;

an Internet device that records user viewing locations within the visual presentation, the user viewing locations corresponding to locations within the visual presentation that are viewed by the user during the visual presentation of the continuous drive;

GPS and accelerometers associated with an internet-connected device to document the locations and driving conditions of actual drives;

a computer analytics device comprising an algorithm that compares the recorded user viewing locations with defined locations of hazards within the visual presentation of the continuous drive, and determines a hazard detection proficiency of the user based at least on the comparison;

the computer analytics device further comprising an algorithm that compares the driver'"'"'s calculated hazard detection proficiency to data sensed during actual drives, and

a computer memory device comprising at least one minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria corresponding to an insurance discount; and

the computer analytics device further comprising an algorithm that determines an available insurance premium discount based at least in part on (a) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to proficiency criterion and (b) the comparison of the driver'"'"'s hazard detection proficiency to the sensed data.

17. The system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts as claimed in claim 16, wherein the visual presentation is of a continuous driver through at least one driving environment selected from:

neighborhood, beyond your neighborhood, downtown, and highway.

18. The system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria comprises a minimum percentage of the total number of hazards in the visual presentation.

19. The system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts as claimed in claim 16, wherein the visual presentation comprises at least two continuous drives each through different driving environments, wherein the at least one minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria comprises a minimum percentage of hazards detected in each of the at least two continuous drives.

20. The system for determining vehicle driver hazard detection proficiency and calculating insurance discounts as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria comprises one detected hazard and the comparison of the determined hazard detection proficiency of the user with the minimum hazard detection proficiency criteria comprises multiplying a total insurance discount by the percent of detected hazards.