Pre-license development tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10056006-B1
Application number	US-201414522197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a tool for use by drivers and/or coaches throughout the pre-license stage of obtaining a driver's license. A pre-license program may control a computing device to collect drive data while a driver is driving a vehicle. This drive data may be used to detect a drive event. Then, the computing device may present coaching information associated with the detected drive event. The coaching information may provide a passenger, such as a coach or parent, with real-time advice for instructing the driver how to improve his/her driving skills. Moreover, the drive data collected may be used to prepare reports providing feedback to the drivers and coaches. Further, the pre-license program may determine an expected track for a driver to follow to prepare for a driver's license test and may indicate whether the driver is on or off the track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device, comprising an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver, to:
receive a target driver's license test date associated with a driver;
determine, based on the target driver's license test date, a total number of days to prepare for a driver's license test;
communicate with one or more additional computing devices to establish a communicative connection and a reference time;
activate the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to detect first drive data while the driver is driving a vehicle;
receive, through the communicative connection and from the one or more additional computing devices, second drive data;
correlate, based on the reference time, the first drive data and the second drive data to produce final drive data;
analyze the final drive data to determine a skill level of the driver; and
indicate that the driver is on track to reach a target skill level by the target driver's license test date by:
displaying a circle graph that is shaded in a clockwise direction according to the skill level of the driver; and
displaying a marker over a shaded portion of the circle graph, wherein the marker indicates an expected skill level on a current date.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
prompt a user for the target driver's license test date during a registration of the computer-executable instructions.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
divide the total number of days into a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups is associated with a level.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the total number of days is divided according to an algorithm that sets forth percentages of the total number of days to be assigned to the plurality of groups, respectively.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 4 ,
wherein at least two of the percentages are different, and
wherein the total number of days corresponds to a number of days between a date on which the driver receives a driver's permit and the target driver's license test date.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein indicating that the driver is not on track to reach the target skill level by the target driver's license test date comprises displaying a calendar using one color to indicate a projected skill level associated with a present date and another color to indicate an actual skill level associated with the present date.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to indicate that the driver is not on track to reach the target skill level by the target driver's license test date by:
displaying the circle graph; and
displaying a second marker on the circle graph showing a projected skill level at a present date.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
determine skill levels of the driver for a plurality of test skills, respectively; and
display the skill levels of the driver by shading areas associated with the plurality of test skills, respectively.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
present a screen that allows a user to change the plurality of test skills.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
provide tip information to a user of the computing device in response to a selection indicating the driver is starting a drive.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
determine a weakest skill of the driver among a set of skills to be tested during the drive, wherein the tip information comprises information related to improving the weakest skill; and
start a timer to time the drive, wherein the timer is started in response to the selection.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to:
prompt a user of the computing device to provide a score for each of a plurality of test skills to be tested during a drive performed by the driver.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, via an input interface by a computing device comprising the input interface, a display, and an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver, a target test date for a driver to obtain a driver's license;
determining, by the computing device and based on the target test date, a total number of days from a current date to the target test date; and
communicating with one or more additional computing devices to establish a communicative connection and a reference time;
activating the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to detect first drive data while the driver is driving a vehicle;
receiving, through the communicative connection and from the one or more additional computing devices, second drive data;
correlating, based on the reference time, the first drive data and the second drive data to produce final drive data;
analyzing the final drive data to determine a skill level of the driver; and
outputting, on the display and based on the total number of days and the skill level of the driver, an indication of whether the driver is on track to reach a target skill level by the target test date, wherein the indication comprises:
displaying a circle graph that is shaded in a clockwise direction according to the skill level of the driver; and
displaying a marker over a shaded portion of the circle graph, wherein the marker indicates an expected skill level on a current date.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
prior to the outputting, receiving a plurality of scores for a plurality of driving skills, respectively; and
determining, by the computing device and based on the plurality of scores, the skill level of the driver.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
dividing the total number of days into a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of groups is associated with a skill level.

16. An apparatus comprising:
an accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver:
a processor; and
memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a target driver's license test date associated with a driver;
determine, based on the target driver's license test date, a total number of days to prepare for a driver's license test date; and
communicate with one or more additional computing devices to establish a
communicative connection and a reference time;
activate the accelerometer, gyroscope, or global positioning system receiver to
detect first drive data while th

Assignees

• Allstate Insurance Co

Inventors

• Hsu-Hoffman Chienlan
• Gibbs Evan
• Dornadic Alicia
• Madigan Regina
• Zahedi Maryam
• Parsell Taylor

Classifications

• G09B9/052 Primary

  characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance (devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18) · CPC title

• G09B19/167

  Control of land vehicles · CPC title

• G09B9/05

  the view from a vehicle being simulated (G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63F2009/246

  Computer generated or synthesized image · CPC title