U.S. patent application number 16/057473 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-06 for system and method for in-vehicle operator training.
The applicant listed for this patent is Vnomics Corp.. Invention is credited to David C. Chauncey, Edward McCarthy.
Application Number | 20180350262 16/057473 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46001716 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180350262 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chauncey; David C. ; et
al. |
December 6, 2018 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IN-VEHICLE OPERATOR TRAINING
Abstract
An on-vehicle system for assessing an operator's efficiency of a
vehicle, include sensors, an audiovisual display device, a
processor and a data storage. The sensors measure or detect
conditions of components of the vehicle, and convert the detected
conditions into analog or digital information. The data storage
stores program instructions, the analog or digital information from
the sensors, and other data. The program instructions, when
executed by the processor, control the on-vehicle system to
determine a state of the vehicle within a vehicle's environment
based on the analog or digital information from the sensors,
determine whether one or more of a predetermined set of behaviors
has occurred based on the determined state of a vehicle, assess
performance of the determined one or more of the predetermined set
of behaviors, and present the operator, via the audiovisual display
device, a feedback based on the assessment.
Inventors: |
Chauncey; David C.;
(Fairport, NY) ; McCarthy; Edward; (Pittsford,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Vnomics Corp. |
Pittsford |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
46001716 |
Appl. No.: |
16/057473 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14523124 |
Oct 24, 2014 |
10062301 |
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16057473 |
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13404897 |
Feb 24, 2012 |
10037711 |
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14523124 |
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61446778 |
Feb 25, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60W 2540/16 20130101;
Y02T 10/84 20130101; B60W 2555/20 20200201; B60W 2530/10 20130101;
G09B 19/167 20130101; B60W 2552/20 20200201; G09B 19/14 20130101;
B60W 40/09 20130101; G07C 5/0841 20130101; G07C 5/0816 20130101;
B60W 2756/10 20200201; B60W 2540/10 20130101; B60W 50/14
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G09B 19/16 20060101
G09B019/16; B60W 50/14 20120101 B60W050/14; G07C 5/08 20060101
G07C005/08; B60W 40/09 20120101 B60W040/09; G09B 19/14 20060101
G09B019/14 |
Claims
1. A method for providing, via an in-vehicle system comprising
sensors, adaptive operator assessment and coaching for an operator
of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining operational
efficiency of the vehicle based on information from the sensors in
a time frame; determining that one or more of predetermined
behavior categories has occurred or is occurring; assessing an
operator's performance based on the operational efficiency of the
vehicle in the time frame; incrementally changing an operator
feedback threshold based upon incremental modification of a
plurality of corresponding parameters; and providing output based
on the determined one or more of predetermined behavior categories,
the assessment, and the operator feedback threshold.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining
operational efficiency of the vehicle based on information from the
sensors in first and second time frames within a series of
timeframes; determining a first desired operator behavior for the
first time frame based on vehicle information, sortie information
and the information from the sensors; determining a second desired
operator behavior for the second time frame based on vehicle
information, sortie information and the information from the
sensors, wherein the first desired operator behavior differs from
the second desired operator behavior; and assessing an operator's
performance based on the operational efficiency of the vehicle in
the first time frame and in the second time frame.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination
whether one or more of predetermined behavior categories has
occurred or is occurring is real-time.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined
behavior categories include at least of one of high-idle, excessive
idle, progressive shifting, speeding, hard-braking,
hard-acceleration and unsafe maneuver.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: comparing
the operator's performance with historical operator's
performance.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feedback provided
to the operator includes operator cueing.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: the operator cueing is
ignored by the operator; and an alert is generated and sent to a
remote location.
8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: modifying
the operator feedback threshold based on the result of the
comparison; and providing the feedback to the operator at least
partly based on the modified feedback threshold.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program
instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor,
cause an in-vehicle system, comprising sensors, to perform
operations comprising: determining operational efficiency of the
vehicle based on information from the sensors in a time frame;
determining that one or more of predetermined behavior categories
has occurred or is occurring; assessing an operator's performance
based on the operational efficiency of the vehicle in the time
frame; incrementally changing an operator feedback threshold based
upon incremental modification of a plurality of corresponding
parameters; and providing output based on the determined one or
more of predetermined behavior categories, the assessment, and the
operator feedback threshold.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, further comprising: determining operational efficiency
of the vehicle based on information from the sensors in first and
second time frames within a series of timeframes; determining a
first desired operator behavior for the first time frame based on
vehicle information, sortie information and the information from
the sensors; determining a second desired operator behavior for the
second time frame based on vehicle information, sortie information
and the information from the sensors, wherein the first desired
operator behavior differs from the second desired operator
behavior; and assessing an operator's performance based on the
operational efficiency of the vehicle in the first time frame and
in the second time frame.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the determination whether one or more of
predetermined behavior categories has occurred or is occurring is
real-time.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the predetermined behavior categories include
at least of one of high-idle, excessive idle, progressive shifting,
speeding, hard-braking, hard-acceleration and unsafe maneuver.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, further comprising: comparing the operator's
performance with historical operator's performance.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the feedback provided to the operator includes
operator cueing.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 14, wherein: the operator cueing is ignored by the
operator; and an alert is generated and sent to a remote
location.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: modifying
the_operator feedback threshold based on the result of the
comparison, and providing the feedback to the operator at least
partly based on the modified feedback threshold.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incremental
changes to the operator feedback threshold are predetermined.
18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incremental
changes to the operator feedback threshold are based on a
predetermined training regime.
19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incremental
changes to the operator feedback threshold dynamically based on the
operator assessment.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the incremental changes to the operator
feedback threshold are predetermined.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the incremental changes to the operator
feedback threshold are based on a predetermined training
regime.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according
to claim 9, wherein the incremental changes to the operator
feedback threshold are dynamically based on the operator
assessment.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/523,124, filed Oct. 24, 2014, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/404,897, filed
Feb. 24, 2012, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119 to
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/446,778, filed Feb. 25, 2011,
the contents of these applications being incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety. In addition, U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/446,778 is related to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/420,556, titled System and Method for Measuring
and Reducing Vehicle Fuel Waste, filed on Dec. 7, 2010. The entire
content of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/420556 is
also incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to improving the performance of
vehicle operators.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Research and development toward improving fuel efficiency of
vehicles has focused on vehicle components and systems. While
operator performance might have a profound effect on a vehicle's
fuel efficiency, little emphasis has been placed on improving
operator skills. This is due in part to the complexity of human
behavior, vehicles, loads, and environmental conditions.
SUMMARY
[0004] Systems and methods disclosed herein assess the behaviors of
an operator of a vehicle and dynamically adapt operator coaching to
reduce fuel use, reduce vehicle maintenance cost and unsafe
maneuvers. Exemplary embodiments constantly monitor the operation
of a vehicle to provide real-time assessments of the operator based
on the operator's performance, the vehicle' state, the vehicle's
load and the environment in which the vehicle is operating. The
assessments are used to provide in-vehicle coaching to the operator
that is dynamically customized to the operator based on the
vehicle's situation at that instant of time. The systems and
methods according to exemplary embodiments described below assist
operators to save fuel, reduce wear and tear on the vehicle, and
improve the safety of the operation of the vehicle. In addition,
systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments can be used
to monitor operator's compliance with regulations, e.g., federal
regulations and company regulations. The federal regulations may
include Hours of Service, Drive Time, Speed, Rest Periods and On
Duty Times. The company regulations may include speed threshold,
company PTO (paid time off) limits and company idling
thresholds.
[0005] Some embodiments provide a method that includes determining
the state of the vehicle within the vehicle's environment and
determining whether one or more of a predetermined set of behaviors
has occurred based on the current state of a vehicle, assessing the
performance of the determined behavior, comparing the assessed
performance to historical performance information of the operator,
modifying an operator feedback threshold based on the result of the
comparison, and presenting the operator feedback based on the
feedback threshold.
[0006] Other embodiments provide a computer-readable storage medium
having program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a
processor, cause a system to determine the state of the vehicle
within the vehicle's environment; determine whether one or more of
a predetermined set of behaviors has occurred based on the current
state of a vehicle, assess the performance of the determined
behavior, compare the assessed performance to historical
performance information of the operator, modify an operator
feedback threshold based on the result of the comparison, and
present the operator feedback based on the adjusted feedback
threshold.
[0007] Other embodiments provide an on-vehicle system including a
sensor, an audiovisual display device, a processor and a data
storage device storing program instructions and data. The program
instructions, when executed by the processor, control the system to
determine the state of the vehicle within the vehicle's
environment; determine whether one or more of a predetermined set
of behaviors has occurred based on the current state of a vehicle,
assess the performance of the determined behavior, compare the
assessed performance to historical performance information of the
operator, modify an operator feedback threshold based on the result
of the comparison, and present the operator feedback based on the
adjusted feedback threshold.
[0008] In some of these embodiments, the predetermined set of
behaviors includes running auxiliary equipment, excessive idle,
progressive shifting, speeding, hard-braking, hard-acceleration and
unsafe maneuver.
[0009] In some of these embodiments, the operator feedback
threshold is incrementally changed based on the desired performance
threshold for the behavior. The incremental change may be
determined dynamically or based on a predetermined regimen.
[0010] In some of these embodiments, operator feedback is provided
based on the situation at the current instant of time.
[0011] In some of these embodiments, the assessment and operator
cueing may be performed substantially in real-time.
[0012] In some of these embodiments, the assessment of the behavior
may be normalized based on vehicle's load, route, terrain and/or
profile type.
[0013] In some of these embodiments, information related to the
operator assessment is provided to a supervisor and/or a
back-office system for use in tracking operator performance,
providing training and/or reconfiguring the vehicle.
[0014] In some embodiments, alerts are sent to a supervisor when an
operator repeatedly fails to comply with cueing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary
system;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of the exemplary system;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a flow char illustrating an exemplary coaching
process;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for
determining optimal behavior information; and
[0019] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate exemplary vehicle information
associating a vehicle speed with engine speed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide a system and
a method that assesses the driving behaviors of an operator of a
vehicle and dynamically adapts in-vehicle coaching to reduce fuel
use, maintenance cost and unsafe maneuvers. The vehicle may be any
type of transport having an operator (e.g., a driver or a pilot).
The vehicle may be, for example, a ground vehicle, watercraft,
aircraft or spacecraft that is used to transport passengers, mail
and/or freight. The operator is an individual that controls the
vehicle over an assessment period, In some embodiments, the
assessment period may occur over part or all of a sortie. In terms
of this disclosure a "sortie" is the period between the start of a
trip at an origin location and the end of the trip at a destination
location by a particular vehicle. The specific start and end of the
sortie during the trip may be established based on time, distance,
fuel use, etc.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary vehicle
in which embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may be
implemented. The vehicle may include operator controls 160, a drive
train 170, sensor devices including e.g., the control input sensors
150 and load sensors 156, an audiovisual device 130 and a
communication device 140.
[0022] The operator controls 160 are any components of the vehicle
that receive control inputs from the operator, such as, steering
inputs (e.g., steering wheel, stick, yoke), braking inputs, trim
inputs, throttle inputs and transmission inputs (e.g. gear
selection). The drive train 170 includes vehicle components that
transform fuel into kinetic energy to propel the vehicle. The drive
train 170 may include an engine 172, a transmission 174 and a final
drive 176 (e.g., drive wheels, continuous tracks, propeller, etc.).
Sensors are devices that measure or detect real-world conditions
and convert the detected conditions into analog and/or digital
information that may be stored, retrieved and processed.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle's sensors include control
input sensors 150, vehicle position/motion sensors 152, drive train
sensors 154, load sensors 156 and environment sensors 158. The
control input sensors 150 detect and/or measure changes in the
state of the control input devices. The vehicle motion/position
sensors 152 detect and/or measure the vehicle's position,
orientation, velocity, acceleration and changes in the state
thereof. The drive train sensors 154 include devices that determine
operating parameters of the engine and transmission. For example,
the drive train sensors 154 may detect engine speed (e.g., RPM),
engine power, torque, air flow, fuel flow and temperatures. The
load sensors 156 are devices that determine or receive information
of the weight and/or position of vehicle's current load. The load
information can also include devices that determine tire pressure
and temperature. The environment sensors 158 are one or more
devices that detect or receive information of the environmental
conditions in which the vehicle is operating. Conditions may
include temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, precipitation,
wind speed, wind direction. The operating parameters may include
gear selections, and a rear end ratio. A rear-end ratio set on
vehicles (e.g., trucks) can be changed for load. For example, for a
heavier load, the rear end ratio should be set lower. When the
transmission cannot the changed, the rear end ratio can be changed
according to load.
[0024] The motion/position sensors 152 may include accelerometers
that measure acceleration (translational or angular) and from which
its speed and position in any dimension (linear and angular) can be
derived. Some or all of the motion/position sensors 152 may be
provided by an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is an
electronic device that measures and reports on a vehicle's
velocity, orientation and gravitational forces, using a combination
of accelerometers and gyroscopes without the need for external
references. Additionally, the motion/position sensors 152 may be
provided by a global positioning system (GPS) navigation device.
GPS devices provide latitude, longitude information, altitude and
directional velocity information. The vehicle may also include
speed sensors that detect the speed of the vehicle. Based on the
speed, the sensor may also detect the distance traveled by the
vehicle (e.g., odometer). Additionally or alternatively, wheel
speed sensors may be located on the wheels, the vehicle's
differential, or a pitot tube may measure the velocity of air with
respect to the motion of the vehicle.
[0025] The audiovisual device 130 generates visual and aural cues
that present the operator with feedback and coaching. The
audiovisual device 130 may include a video display, such as a
liquid crystal display, plasma display, cathode ray tube, and the
like. The audiovisual device 130 may include an audio transducer,
such as a speaker. Furthermore, the audiovisual display may include
one or more operator-input devices, such as bezel keys, a touch
screen display, a mouse, a keyboard and/or a microphone for a
voice-recognition unit. Using the audiovisual device 130,
information obtained from the vehicle's sensors may be used to
provide feedback to the operator indicating driving actions that
should have been taken. The audiovisual device 130 also presents
dynamically generated reports of sensor and/or coaching information
to the operator.
[0026] The communication device 140 sends and/or receives
information from the vehicle over one or more communication
channels to other vehicles, a remote supervisor, and/or a remote
server (not shown). The communication device 140 may provide, for
example, information collected by the sensors and reports generated
by the fuel tracking system describing fuel use, fuel wasted,
operator performance and vehicle performance to a back-office
server (not shown).
[0027] The communication device 140 may use wired, fixed wireless,
or mobile wireless information networks that communicate by a
variety of protocols. The networks may comprise any wireless
network, wireline network or a combination of wireless and wireline
networks capable of supporting communication by the vehicle using
ground-based and/or space-based components. The network can be, for
instance, an ad-hoc wireless communications network, a data
network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an integrated
services digital network (ISDN), a local area network (LAN), a wide
area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), all or a
portion of the Internet, and/or other communication systems or
combination of communication systems at one or more locations. The
network can also be connected to another network, contain one or
more other sub-networks, and/or be a sub-network within another
network.
[0028] The controller 110 may be one or more devices that exchange
information with the sensors, the memory device 140, the data
storage device 120, the audiovisual device 130 and/or the
communication device 140. The controller 110 includes a processor
and a memory device 140. The processor may be a general-purpose
processor (e.g., INTEL or IBM), or a specialized, embedded
processor (e.g., ARM). The memory device 140 may be a random access
memory ("RAM"), a read-only memory ("ROM"), a FLASH memory, or the
like. Although the memory device 140 is depicted as a single
medium, the device may comprise additional storage media devices.
In some embodiments, the controller 110 is a stand-alone system
that functions in parallel with other information processing
devices (e.g., a mission computer, engine control unit or cockpit
information unit) operating on the vehicle. In other embodiments,
the functions of the controller 110 may be incorporated within one
or more other information processing devices on the vehicle.
[0029] The controller 110 processes information received from the
sensors to determine the occurrence of predetermined behaviors, and
provides adaptive coaching to the operator using the audiovisual
device 130. In addition, the controller 110 provides reports to the
operator via the audiovisual device 130, or the operator's
supervisor or a back-office server via the communication device
140.
[0030] The data storage device 120 may be one or more devices that
store and retrieve information, including computer-readable program
instructions and data. The data storage device 120 may be, for
instance, a semiconductor, a magnetic or an optical-based
information storage/retrieval device (e.g., flash memory, hard disk
drive, CD-ROM, or flash RAM).
[0031] The controller 110 interface device may be one or more
devices for exchanging information between the host and the devices
on the vehicle. The controller interface device 180 may include
devices operable to perform analog-to-digital conversion,
digital-to-analog conversion, filtering, switching, relaying,
amplification and/or attenuation. Furthermore, the controller
interface device 180 may store the received information for access
by the processor. In some embodiments, the data interface includes
a diagnostic data port, such as a J1708, J1939 and/or OBDII bus
interfaces as described in the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE
International Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice.
[0032] The program instructions executed by the controller 110 may
be recorded on the data storage device 120 and/or the memory device
140. As shown in FIG. 1, the instructions include a recording
module 115, a behavior module 116, a coaching module 117 and a
reporting module 118. The recording module 115 configures the
controller 110 to obtain and store information provided by the
sensors. The behavior module 116 configures the controller 110 to
receive information provided by the recording module 115 and
determine whether one or more predetermined behaviors have
occurred. In order to determine whether one or more predetermined
behaviors have occurred, the behavior module 116 compares the
current practice of the operator with best practices for given
circumstances. The coaching module 117 configures the controller
110 to assess the determined behaviors, adjust cueing thresholds
and generate operator feedback using the audiovisual device 130.
The reporting module may configure the controller 110 to generate
documents including information from the recording module 115, the
behavior module 116 and the coaching module 117. The generated
documents may be stored in the data storage device 120.
[0033] The behavior module 116 may identify both positive and
negative behaviors. Positive behaviors (e.g., successful
progressive shifting) may cause the coaching and reporting modules
to generate reward-oriented events, including positive operator
cues, assessments and indicators of advancement (e.g., rankings,
promotions, rewards). The negative (i.e., wasteful or dangerous)
behaviors may cause the coaching and reporting modules to generate
detrimental events, such as negative operator cues, assessments and
indicators of deficiency (e.g., lower rankings, demotions,
disincentives).
[0034] The data storage device 120 stores information referenced by
the program modules, including vehicle information 121, operator
information, sortie information 122 and behavior information 123.
The vehicle information 121 describes the configuration of the
vehicle, its predetermined thresholds and operating strategies. For
instance, the vehicle information 121 may include a vehicle
identifier, a vehicle type, a make, a model, vehicle options,
vehicle age, defects and maintenance history. In addition, the
vehicle information 121 may store information about the drivetrain,
including: engine type, size, power, power curve, recommended/ideal
idle speed, threshold speeds, optimal engine speed for the gears in
the transmission and/or a map of the recommended/ideal shift
patterns for the transmission. Furthermore, the vehicle information
121 includes information defining how the vehicle should be
operated in different situations (e.g., rules and information
defining different shift strategies).
[0035] The sortie information 122 describes a sortie during which
the operator is assessed and coached. The sortie profile
information may include a sortie type, a sortie description and a
load description. In addition, the sortie information 122 may
identify the sortie's predetermined limitations such as the maximum
allowed speed, maximum distance, maximum time, maximum number of
stops and maximum load weight. The sortie description may also
include a predefined route, waypoints, schedules, maximum speeds
and loads for the sortie.
[0036] Based on the vehicle information 121 and sortie information
122, operator assessments of can be normalized to enhance the
comparability of the result. For instance, assessments of different
operators can be normalized for comparison based on the vehicle
type, route type and/or operating conditions for comparison to
other operators.
[0037] The behavior information 123 includes parameters that
determine whether the operator has performed one of the
predetermined behaviors. The behavior information 123 may store
information against which the behavior module 116 compare sensor
information captured by the recording module 115, including
thresholds, datasets, multidimensional databases and algorithms.
For instance, the behavior module 116 may determine that a behavior
has occurred when the magnitude and duration of an accelerometer
output corresponds to a range included in a lookup table.
[0038] Coaching information is information stored in the data
storage device 120 for reference by the coaching module 117 when
assessing an operator's determined behaviors. The coaching
information may also include thresholds, datasets, multidimensional
databases, and algorithms defining desired and/or optimal behaviors
(e.g., fuel, safety and regulatory compliance). For example, the
coaching information may include engine speed thresholds
corresponding to desired transmission gear-changes. Operator
assessment scores and cueing thresholds may be determined based on
the difference between the engine speed of the operator's
gear-change and the desired engine speed thresholds stored with the
coaching information.
[0039] The data storage device 120 may store logs of information
generated during the sortie, including a sensor log 124 and a
coaching log 125. The sensor log 124 may record information
provided by the sensors in association with a corresponding time
frame. The time frame can be tied back to a location and the
circumstances surrounding an event (e.g., fast steering to go
around a tight curve). The sensor information may, together, define
the state of the driver, the vehicle, the load and the environment
within a particular time frame. A time frame is a block of time
that is one of a series that span the duration of the sortie. The
length of the time and the rate at which the time frames are
recorded may be chosen to provide different levels of detail
regarding the operator's behaviors. The time frame may be, for
example, 1/60th of second, one-second, ten-seconds, etc.
[0040] The coaching log 125 is a record of the operator's behaviors
that occurred during a sortie. As described below, the behavior
module 116 determines whether predetermined behaviors have
occurred. The determined behaviors may be stored in the coaching
log 125 along with associated information, such as the
corresponding sensor information, operator assessment (e.g., a
score or rating) and an associated cost of the behavior, such as
fuel-wasted. The fuel wasted may be determined based on
categorizing the fuel used as described in related U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/420556. For instance, with regard to a
hard-acceleration behavior, the coaching log 125 may include
records describing past occurrences of hard-braking, including the
time of the event, an assessment of the event (e.g., rating, score)
and/or associated sensor information (RPM, gear, acceleration,
velocity and duration).
[0041] The operator is assessed based on the operator's actual
behavior at within a time frame when compared with a desired
behavior determined for that time frame. The desired behavior is
determined by the system based on the current situation, including
the driver's behavior, the state of the vehicle, the vehicle's load
and the environmental conditions. The operator assessment for a
particular time frame may be directly correlated to a cost savings.
For example, an assessment for a time frame may be 3.5 points out
of a possible 4.8 points. The difference, 1.3 points, may be
correlated to a fuel savings. Alternatively or additionally, an
operators assessment may be based a number of events within a
window. For example, the number of hard-braking events within an
hour or within a mile of travel.
[0042] The information in the sensor log 124 and the coaching log
125 may be retrieved by the coaching module 117 to dynamically
determine positive and negative events, and to generate reports of
an operator's performance during a sortie. For example,
automatically or on request, the coaching module 117 may retrieve
one or more datasets from the logs for presentation to the operator
on the audiovisual device 130 or for transmission to a remote
supervisor.
[0043] FIG. 2 is an exemplary functional block diagram illustrating
relationships between the elements of the vehicle illustrated in
FIG. 1, The recording module 115, when executed by the processor,
causes the controller 110 to obtain information from the vehicle's
sensors 210. The sensors 201 may include control input sensors 150,
vehicle motion/position sensors 152, drive train sensors 154, load
sensors 156 and environment sensors 158. As described above, the
sensor information may be recorded over a number of time frames and
each record may be identified to a corresponding one of the time
frames.
[0044] The behavior module 116 causes the controller 110 to obtain
sensor information and determine whether one or more of a number of
predetermined behaviors has occurred or is occurring. The sensor
information may include information of the following: the control
input states (e.g., steering, braking and throttle), the vehicle
state (e.g., positions, velocities and accelerations) and the drive
train state (e.g., engine speed, gear, fuel flow and air flow). The
behavior determination may be based on behavior information 123
stored in the data storage, which may include algorithms, datasets
(e.g., look-up tables) and thresholds. For instance, when the
sensor information indicates that the vehicle has exceeded a
predetermined acceleration value stored in the behavior information
123 for more than a predetermined number of time frames, the
behavior module 116 may determine that the operator has caused an
excessive acceleration to occur.
[0045] The coaching module 117 causes the controller 110 to assess
the operator's behaviors and to dynamically adjust thresholds that
are used to provide positive and negative feedback to the operator.
The coaching module 117 may assess the detected behaviors based on
the coaching information describing desired behavior parameters. An
assessment of a particular behavior may be used to generate a score
for the behavior and/or to modify an overall operator's score for a
sortie. For instance, the coaching module 117 may generate a shift
score that is calculated and displayed to the operator by the
audiovisual device 130 and/or transmitted to the operator's
supervisor via the communication device 140. In some cases, the
behavior information 123 and/or the sortie information 122 may be
used to normalize the operator assessment for comparison to other
operators in a group (e.g., a fleet).
[0046] Using the assessment, the coaching module 117 may
dynamically adjust parameters for determining behaviors, providing
audiovisual cueing and allocating positive/negative results for a
particular operator. In some embodiments, the coaching module 117
determines whether to adjust the parameters based on a comparison
of the operator's detected behaviors with one or more previous
behaviors of the same type. The comparison may be made using the
determined behavior's corresponding sensor information or score. If
the comparison shows the operator's behavior has sufficiently
improved over time and/or a number of occurrences, the coaching
module 117 may incrementally modify the operator's corresponding
parameters for providing cueing or generating positive/negative
events. The incremental changes may be predetermined, based on a
predetermined training regime, or dynamically based on the
assessment.
[0047] For example, in the case of a hard-braking behavior, if the
operator successfully performs the behavior five successive times
without triggering a hard-braking warning by the coaching module
117, the coaching module 117 may modify the operator's thresholds
such that the warning is generated at a lower deceleration rate. In
addition, if the coaching module 117 determines that the operator
successfully performed five braking behaviors sequentially, the
coaching module 117 may modify the operator's corresponding
parameters such that ten braking are required to generate a
subsequent positive event.
[0048] The reporting module may cause the controller 110 to obtain
information from the sensor log 124 and the coaching module 117 to
generate a report of the vehicle's and the operator's performance
during the sortie. The reporting module may dynamically generate
information for presenting sensor, behavior and coaching
information to the operator via the audiovisual device 130. The
reporting module may also generate reports including some or all of
this information and provide the reports to the operator's
supervisor and/or a back office server via the communication device
140.
[0049] The components of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2
are exemplary. Vehicles and systems consistent with this disclosure
are not limited to the components and arrangements shown.
Components may be added, removed, combined and/or rearranged
without departing from the scope of the functions disclosed
herein.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for
providing adaptive operator assessment and coaching. The recording
module 115 determines the vehicle's state based on information from
the sensors. (Step 300) The vehicle's state may include the
following information: power state (e.g., engine on/idle/off, air
conditioning unit on/off, refrigeration unit on/off and auxiliary
equipment on/off), control input state (e.g., throttle position,
transmission selection, steering position and braking position),
position/velocity state (e.g., moving/stationary, position,
velocity, acceleration, pitch, yaw, altitude), drive train state
(e.g. engine speed, wheel speed, fuel flow rate and air flow), load
state (e.g., weight) and environmental states (e.g., temperature,
humidity, pressure, wind speed, wind direction and
precipitation).
[0051] Based on the sensor information, the vehicle information 121
and the sortie information 122, the behavior module 116 determines
desired behavior information 123. (Step 302) The desired behavior
information 123 may include the behavior module's 116 determination
of the most fuel-efficient behavior for the vehicle's sensors at
the current time frame given the sensor information, the vehicle
Information 121 and the sortie information 122. For example, if the
vehicle is stationary, the most fuel-efficient behavior for the
vehicle may be to have the engine idle below a predetermined
threshold speed. If the vehicle is cruising at a substantially
steady speed, the most fuel efficient behavior may be to have the
vehicle's transmission set at a gear that provides lowest amount of
power required to sustain the current speed. The desired optimal
behavior determination may be made in real-time or in near
real-time. For example, the determination of an optimal behavior
for a particular time frame may be determined and as sensor
information is received.
[0052] In addition, the behavior module 116 determines whether one
or more of the predetermined behavior categories has occurred
and/or is occurring. (Step 304) The behavior categories include one
or more undesired or desired behaviors that is tracked, assessed
and reported by the system. The occurrence of a particular behavior
category may be determined when the determined state of the vehicle
in one or more time frames satisfies the parameters of the
behavior. Behavior determination may occur in real-time or in near
real-time such that the behaviors are identified and assessed as
they occur. In addition, the behavior module 116 may predict
operator behaviors, for example, based on the conditions of the
vehicle. Furthermore, once a behavior category is detected, the
behavior module 116 may interpret the behavior category to be
ongoing so long as the sensor information in a substantially
unbroken series of time frames satisfies the behavior's
parameters.
[0053] The predetermined behavior categories may include the
following: running auxiliary equipment, excessive idle, progressive
shifting, speeding, hard-braking, hard-acceleration and unsafe
maneuver. Unsafe maneuver may include cornering too fast, following
too close, and changing lanes too quickly. The parameters
describing these behaviors may be stored, for example, as behavior
information 123 in the data storage device 120.
[0054] "High-idle" occurs when in the vehicle is stationary (e.g.,
based on GPS, speed, INS) and the engine speed is above a
predetermined threshold, such as the high-idle threshold 530 (e.g.,
800 RPM) illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. "Running auxiliary
equipment" refers to running auxiliary equipment, e.g., A/C, of the
vehicle. "High-idle" and "Running auxiliary equipment" are often
associated with each other. "Excessive idle" occurs when vehicle is
stationary, the engine speed is below the high-idle threshold (as
illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 56) but the vehicle has been stationary
for a continuous span of time that is longer than an excessive-idle
time threshold. "Progressive Shifting Lo/High" are behaviors that
occur when the operator selects a new transmission gear and the
engine speed is outside a predetermined efficient range, such as
the peak torque range 525 illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.
"Excessive speeding" occurs when vehicle's speed exceeds a
predetermined top speed threshold, such as the maximum speed
threshold illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. "Hard-acceleration"
occurs when the vehicle accelerates in its direction of travel at
more than a predetermined rate and/or for more than a predetermined
period of time. "Hard-braking" occurs when vehicle decelerates in
its direction of travel at more than a predetermined rate and/or
for more than a predetermined period of time. An "unsafe maneuver"
occurs when the vehicle undergoes accelerations (rotational and/or
linear) that depart from the direction of travel at more than a
predetermined rate. For instance, where the vehicle is a truck, an
unsafe maneuver may be an excessively fast lane change that causes
to truck to accelerate laterally and/or rotationally at greater
than 9.8 meters per second (i.e., 1 G).
[0055] The coaching module 117 assesses the operator's performance
based on the state of the vehicle in a time frame, the desired
behavior for the time frame and/or the determined behavior
categories determined in the time frame. (Step 308) The difference
between the current state of the vehicle and its desired state can
be used to provide one or more measures of the operator's
performance (e.g., a rating or a score). For instance, the coaching
module 117 may compare the magnitude and/or duration of a behavior
with corresponding desired behavior information 123. In one
example, the vehicle's acceleration within a time frame may be
measured by an accelerometer. That acceleration of the vehicle may
be compared against a desired acceleration defined in by a
threshold, a range or a profile. A score may be given to the
operator based on the degree of conformance between the detected
acceleration and the desired acceleration. In another example, the
coaching module 117 may determine difference between the engine
speed in the time frame during which a gear change is detected and
the desired engine speed determined for the gear change based on
the vehicle's current situation (e.g., vehicle state and
environmental state). A score may be assigned to the gear change
behavior based on the difference between the detected and the
desired engine speeds, as well as the amount of time the speed is
above the desired value.
[0056] The disclosed embodiments are not limited to the examples
above and other methods of scoring are known in the art and the
coaching module 117 may use any scoring method appropriate to a
particular behavior or vehicle mode. Furthermore, the operator's
score may be normalized to account for difference in the vehicle
information 121 and/or sortie information 122. For instance, the
coaching module 117 may normalize an operator's score using for the
vehicle's load, route, terrain profile, and vehicle information for
comparison to other operator having different vehicles, loads,
routes, terrains and/or profile types.
[0057] The coaching module 117 compares the behaviors determined by
the behavior module 116 with previous, corresponding behaviors
recorded in, for instance, the coaching log 125. (Step 312) The
comparison may be based on the magnitude and/or the duration of the
detected behavior. Alternatively or additionally, the comparison
may be based on the assessment (e.g., score of the behavior). Using
the behavior comparisons, the coaching module 117 may modify the
cueing thresholds for the operator. (Step 316) If the current
behavior is not an improvement over one or more previous behaviors,
the coaching module 117 may leave the cueing threshold for that
behavior unchanged. If the current behavior is an improvement over
a predetermined number of previous, corresponding behaviors, the
coaching module 117 may adjust the cueing threshold closer to the
desired behavior value. In this way, the cueing is progressively
adapted based on the operator's specific behaviors towards the
desired behaviors.
[0058] The coaching module 117 generates cueing on the audiovisual
display device(s) using the thresholds determined by the coaching
module 117. (Step 320) If it is determined that the cueing is
ignored by the operator, an alert can be generated and sent to a
supervisor in a remote location. (Steps 322 and 323) Furthermore,
the reporting module 118 generates reports based on the
determinations by the coaching module 117. The reports may be one
or more documents including some of all of the information
generated by the recording module 115, determination module and/or
coaching module 117. (Step 324) The reporting module may provide
the report to the operator in the vehicle, a remotely-located
supervisor or a back-office server, via the communication device
140.
[0059] In one example, the controller 110 may provide the operator
with cueing related to progressive shifting. The recording module
115 may obtain information from the sensors indicating that the
vehicle is moving, that the operator has selected a new
transmission gear and the current engine speed (e.g., RPM). Based
on the sensor information and the stored behavior information 123,
the behavior module 116 may determine that a progressive shift
behavior has occurred. This determination may be stored in the
coaching log 125 along with the corresponding sensor
information.
[0060] The coaching module 117 may assess the determined
progressive shift behavior by comparing the sensor information with
corresponding information stored in the coaching information
describing desired ranges for progressive shifting recommended to
maximize the vehicle's fuel economy. The coaching module 117 may
determine an assessment for the gear shift based on the difference
between the engine speed after the operator's gear selection and
the desired engine speed. The coaching module 117 may also take
into account the number of time frames in which the engine speed
exceeds the desired value.
[0061] The coaching module 117 may then determine whether to adjust
the operator's cueing thresholds based on the desired progressive
shift behavior value and the operator's previous shift behaviors
stored in the coaching log 125. Using the stored information and/or
the assessment, the coaching module 117 may modify, dynamically, an
established shift threshold for the particular operator. In the
event the operator shifts below the determined threshold for either
a predetermined number of shifts/predetermined amount of time, the
feedback threshold is changed until it reaches the desired speed
threshold. The coaching module 117 may generate visual and/or aural
feedback based on the determined threshold. Additionally, the
determined score and threshold may be provided to the reporting
module for reporting to the operator, the operator's supervisor or
a back-office.
[0062] In another example, the behavior module 116 may determine
that a hard-braking behavior has occurred based on sensor
information indicating that the vehicle's brake is applied and/or
the rate of the vehicle's deceleration. An assessment of operator's
performance (e.g., score) with regard to the detected behavior may
be determined based on the detected deceleration and coaching
information identifying a deceleration threshold limit. Based on
the operator's determined score, the operator's threshold value may
be dynamically updated. Using the operator's score and/or the
determined threshold, the coaching module 117 may provide visual
and/or aural feedback to the operator via, for example, the
audiovisual device 130. Likewise, the coaching module 117 may
generate and/or update reports based on the foregoing
information.
[0063] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for
determining desired behavior information 123. The behavior module
116 determines the desired state of the vehicle within a particular
time frame based on the state of the vehicle detected by the
sensors and the state of the vehicle's environment. (Step 404) In
determining the desired state of the vehicle, the behavior module
116 may reference the vehicle information 121 and the sortie
information 122 stored in the data storage device 120. According to
one example, the behavior module 116 determines the desired gear
selection for the case where the vehicle is cruising at a
substantially consistent speed. The sortie information 122 can
indicate that the maximum allowed speed at the vehicle's current
location is 55 M.P.H. Furthermore, the power curves for the
vehicle's drive train may indicate that a particular gear (e.g.,
G8) should provide the greatest fuel efficiency for cruising at the
desired speed.
[0064] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary set of vehicle power curves
associating engine speed and vehicle speed for several gear
selections. If the "desired speed" 520 obtained by the behavior
module 116 is 55 M.P.H., FIG. 5A illustrates that four gear
selections G5, G6, G7, G8 can power the vehicle at the desired
speed 520. Based on FIG. 5A, gear selections G1, G2, G3, G4 cannot
power the vehicle at the desired speed 520. Points 505, 510, 515
and 520 indicate the engine speed corresponding to gear selections
G5, G6, G7, G8 for cruising at the desired speed 520. Because the
engine speed for gears G5-G7 is greater than for G8, the fuel flow
should be higher. Accordingly, the behavior module 116 may
determine that gear G8 is the desired gear selection for cruising
at the desired speed 520.
[0065] The behavior module 116 determines modifiers of the desired
state based on the current state of the vehicle and/or the
environment. (Step 408) For instance, gear G8 may be the most
desirable selection for cruising under default conditions. However,
if the position/velocity information indicates that the vehicle is
currently headed uphill, the vehicle is carrying a heavy load
and/or the vehicle is headed into a strong headwind, then
additional power may be required to continue cruising at the given
speed (e.g., 55 MPH). Accordingly, the behavior module 116 may
increase/decrease the desired gear selection to account for the
additional power and/or torque necessary to the maintain the
desired speed.
[0066] Referring back to FIG. 5A, the behavior module 116 may
determine the additional amount of torque is required based on the
detected load of the vehicle. This determination may be based on
algorithms and/or look-up tables the provide a modifier value
(e.g., a multiplier or a addition) to the torque of provided by the
drive train at the default gear selection. For instance, for a
particular load value, the behavior module 116 may determine that
an additional ten percent more torque over that produced by the
default gear selection is required to maintain the desired speed
520. FIG. 5A also illustrates the current speed 535 of the vehicle,
and the max speed 535. Based on the vehicle's power curve and
gearing information, the behavior module 116 may determine that the
additional torque is provided by selecting gear G7 rather the gear
G8. Accordingly, the behavior module 116 may determine that a
desired behavior for the vehicle's current state is gear G8.
[0067] The modified values determined based on the vehicle's
situation are identified as the desired state information for the
vehicle. (Step 412) The engine speed and fuel flow corresponding to
operating in gear G8 at the desired speed 520 would, therefore, be
identified the modified values of the desired state for the time
frame from which the operator's deviations would be measured and
assessed for the purposes of coaching and reporting.
[0068] FIG. 5B illustrates another example of determining a desired
behavior based on the vehicle's power curves. According to the
example in FIG. 5B, the current speed 550 of the vehicle is below
the desired speed 520. Thus, the desired behavior would accelerate
the vehicle to the desired speed 520. For each time frame during
the period of acceleration up to the desired speed 520, the desired
behavior information 123 may be determined and compared to the
actual state of the vehicle.
[0069] FIG. 5B illustrates an time frame in which the "current
speed" 550 of the vehicle may be 35 MPH and the desired speed may
be may be 55 MPH. The sensor information for the current vehicle
state may indicate that the selected gear G7. Thus, in the current
instant, the desired behavior would be to select an gear for
efficiently accelerating the vehicle to the desired speed. Based on
the power map for the drive train stored in the vehicle information
121, the behavior module 116 may determine the desired gear
selection. As shown in FIG. 5B, in this example, the gear G5 would
be the desired gear because it would provide the greatest torque
525 required for accelerating the vehicle in the current situation.
Furthermore, because no other gear selection would provide greater
torque, the behavior module 116 would not identify a modifier based
on, e.g., the state of the vehicle (e.g., load, pitch) or the
environment (e.g., headwind).
[0070] While the examples illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and
discussed above are directed to determining desired behaviors for
the vehicle's speed based on the vehicle's current situation, the
same or similar methods may be applied to various behaviors, such
as acceleration, deceleration, braking and other such maneuvers
controlled by the operator. Furthermore, these examples describe
modifiers that are determined based on load and winds. However, one
or more modifiers can be determined based on other vehicle and
environmental state information recorded by the sensors. Some or
all of the state information can be weighted and/or combined to
provide a single modifier for the determined desired state
information.
[0071] As disclosed herein, embodiments and features can he
implemented through computer hardware and/or software. Other
embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the
embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the steps
of the disclosed methods can be modified in any manner, including
by reordering steps and/or inserting or deleting steps, without
departing from the principles of the invention. It is therefore
intended that the specification and embodiments be considered as
exemplary only.
* * * * *