VIRTUAL TRAINER FOR IN VEHICLE DRIVER COACHING AND TO COLLECT METRICS TO IMPROVE DRIVER PERFORMANCE

• US 20180130369A1
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McQuade, Charles Michael, King, Michael Charles
• Granted Patent: US 10,565,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 the stations being mobile
• 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 method of providing visual feedback to a driver based on data collected during vehicle operation. A processor at the vehicle analyzes vehicle data, and determines when predetermined threshold values have been reached for particular parameters. Whenever such a threshold is reached, an audible indication is provided to the driver, indicating that the baseline has been exceeded. Certain parameters have at least two threshold values. When a first threshold value is reached, an alert is presented to the driver, but no data is recorded or reported. When a second threshold value is reached, another alert is presented to the driver, and data is recorded for reporting to a driver manager or supervisor. This approach provides a driver warning, that if they correct the triggering behavior, their supervisor is never notified of that behavior. However, if the behavior escalates, and the second threshold is breached, the behavior is recorded.

Claims

1. A system to train a driver during operation of a vehicle, the system comprising:

(a) an interface to at least one vehicle data generating component that generates time-indexed vehicle data when the vehicle is operating;

(b) a display to locally present on a first portion of the display a map relevant to a present geographic location of the vehicle and to further present concurrently on a second portion of the display driver feedback information during vehicle operation; and

(c) at least one processor logically coupled to the display, the at least one processor configured to evaluate driver performance by;

(i) automatically analyzing the time-indexed vehicle data to determine if any of the time-indexed vehicle data has crossed a first predefined threshold, and if so automatically directing presentation on the second portion of the display driver feedback information indicating the first predefined threshold has been crossed and refraining from reporting that the first predefined threshold has been crossed to any remote entity; and

(ii) automatically analyzing additional time-indexed vehicle data to determine if any of the additional time-indexed vehicle data crosses a second predefined threshold, and if so automatically directing presentation on the second portion of the display driver feedback information indicating the second predefined threshold has been crossed and using a wireless data link to automatically report to a remote computing device that the second predefined threshold has been crossed; and

(d) a local input mechanism to accept a driver entered explanation for any second predefined threshold crossing that was reported to the remote computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is part of a first computing device, and the display is part of an accessory display that includes an RFID card reader enabling drivers to uniquely identify themselves.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is part of a first computing device, and the display is part of a second computing device including a screen and a navigation application that automatically employs a first portion of the screen to present a map to the driver, and automatically employs a second portion of the screen to present the information indicating the first or second baseline has been crossed.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an accessory device for use in the vehicle to provide the driver feedback information, the accessory device including;

(a) a housing;

(b) a data port for importing driver entered data;

(c) the display upon which the driver feedback information can be presented; and

(d) an RFID card reader enabling the driver to use an RFID card to input unique identification information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the accessory device includes a graphical element on the housing indicating where the driver should present the RFID card to be read.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

automatically determining if the driver identified during log in has any custom baseline definitions, and if so utilizing those custom baseline definitions in place of default baselines in (b) and (d) of claim 1.

6. A method of producing a performance metric indicative of a performance of a driver based on at least one metric corresponding to the driver'"'"'s operation of a vehicle, and sharing that metric with the driver during driving, comprising:

(a) automatically collecting first vehicle data for evaluation of the driver'"'"'s performance while the vehicle is operating, the first vehicle data including at least two of idle data, acceleration data, speed data, braking data, vehicle location data, and length of time data;

(b) using a computing device to automatically analyze the first vehicle data and determine if a driver has crossed any one of a plurality of first baselines, each of the plurality of first baselines associated with a different type of the collected first vehicle data;

(c) for each first baseline that is crossed, automatically displaying on a local display one of a plurality of first events associated with the respective first baseline that was crossed, each associated first event indicating which of the plurality of first baselines has been crossed, and refraining from reporting any first event to any remote entity;

(d) automatically collecting second vehicle data while the vehicle is operating, the second vehicle data including data of a type corresponding to at least one first baseline that was crossed;

(e) using the computing device to automatically analyze the second vehicle data and determine if a driver has crossed any one of a plurality of second baselines, each of the plurality of second baselines associated with one of the different types of vehicle data, and further using the computing device to determine if the length of time data indicates that any one of the plurality of first baselines has remained crossed for longer than an associated predetermined time limit;

(f) for each second baseline that is crossed, automatically displaying on the local display one of a plurality of second events associated with either the respective second baseline that was crossed or the respective first baseline that has remained crossed for longer than its associated predetermined time limit, each associated second event indicating which of the plurality of second baselines has been crossed or which of the first baselines has remained crossed, and automatically using a wireless data link to report any second event to a remote computing device;

(g) accepting, via an input mechanism in the vehicle, a driver explanation for any second event that was reported to the remote computing device; and

(h) automatically reporting each entered explanation to the remote computing device using the wireless data link.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

automatically prompting the driver to log in at vehicle start up.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

enabling a driver to log in using a device having an associated RFID circuit.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

(a) automatically determining if the driver has any metrics for which at least one of the first and second baselines were crossed during a prior driving session; and

if so;

(b) automatically displaying to the driver on the local display at least one such metric whose baseline was crossed in the prior driving session.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein automatically displaying to the driver on the local display at least one such metric whose baseline was crossed in the prior driving session comprises:

displaying the metric whose baseline was crossed most often during the prior driving session.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

enabling a remote user to selectively redefine at least one of the first and second baselines.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein (b) and (d) are implemented using a first computing device, and (c) and (e) are implemented using an accessory display logically coupled to the first computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the accessory display includes an RFID reader usable by the driver for self-identification before driving.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein (c) and (e) are implemented using a mobile computing device including a screen and a navigation application that automatically employs a first portion of the screen to present a map to the driver, and automatically employs a second portion of the screen to present the information indicating the first or second baseline has been crossed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the screen is not a primary portion that is not obscurable by the first portion of the screen.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the screen is configured to present a specific driver behavior metric as a goal for improvement in a current driving session.

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(h) receiving from the remote computing device via the wireless data link an updated specific metric associated with a second type of vehicle data different from the first type of vehicle data, an updated first baseline value, and an updated second baseline value; and

(i) performing (a)-(g) using the updated specific metric, the updated first baseline value, and the updated second baseline value in place of the specific metric, the first baseline, and the second baseline, respectively.

19. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon to carry out a method, the method comprising:

(a) automatically collecting vehicle data associated with a driver'"'"'s performance while the driver is operating a vehicle, the vehicle data including idle data, acceleration data, speed data, braking data, vehicle location data, and length of time data;

(b) automatically analyzing the vehicle data to determine if a driver has crossed any one of a plurality of first baselines, each of the plurality of first baselines associated with a different specific metric;

(c) for each first baseline that is crossed, automatically locally displaying one of a plurality of first events associated with the respective first baseline that was crossed, each associated first event indicating which of the plurality of first baselines has been crossed, and refraining from reporting any first event driver information to any remote entity;

(d) automatically analyzing the vehicle data to determine if a driver has crossed any one of a plurality of second baselines, each of the plurality of second baselines associated with one of the different specific metrics, and further using the computing device to determine if the length of time data indicates that any one of the plurality of first baselines has remained crossed for longer than an associated predetermined time limit;

(e) for each second baseline that is crossed, automatically locally displaying one of a plurality of second events associated with either the respective second baseline that was crossed or the respective first baseline that has remained crossed for longer than its associated predetermined time limit, each associated second event indicating which of the plurality of second baselines has been crossed or which of the first baselines has remained crossed, and automatically using a wireless data link to report any second event to a remote computing device;

(f) providing an input mechanism in the vehicle via which the driver can enter an explanation for any second event that was reported to the remote computing device; and

(g) automatically reporting each entered explanation to the remote computing device using the wireless data link.