U.S. patent application number 17/179108 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-10 for system and method for use of pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring vehicle status or operator driving behavior.
The applicant listed for this patent is Scope Technologies Holdings Limited. Invention is credited to Gil Fuchs, Friedl Jacobs, Samuel Lavie, Johann Van Den Bergh.
Application Number | 20210173891 17/179108 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005407388 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210173891 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lavie; Samuel ; et
al. |
June 10, 2021 |
System and Method for Use of Pattern Recognition in Assessing or
Monitoring Vehicle Status or Operator Driving Behavior
Abstract
A system and method which uses pattern recognition in assessing
or monitoring a vehicle status and/or an operator's driving
behavior. A vehicle, for use by an operator or driver, can be
equipped with a data collection and assessment system. The system
can comprise one or more data collection devices, e.g.,
accelerometers, which can be used to capture data and information,
or otherwise measure vehicle actions. A pattern recognition module
is configured with one or more defined operating patterns, each of
which operating patterns reflects either a known change in vehicle
status corresponding to, e.g., when a passenger has embarked or
disembarked the vehicle, or a known vehicle operating or driving
behavior. Information collected as events describing a current
vehicle status or a current driving behavior can be compared with
the known operating patterns.
Inventors: |
Lavie; Samuel;
(Johannesburg, ZA) ; Jacobs; Friedl;
(Johannesburg, ZA) ; Fuchs; Gil; (Nes Tziona,
IL) ; Van Den Bergh; Johann; (Johannesburg,
ZA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Scope Technologies Holdings Limited |
Tortola |
|
VG |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005407388 |
Appl. No.: |
17/179108 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16724931 |
Dec 23, 2019 |
10929500 |
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17179108 |
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15809425 |
Nov 10, 2017 |
10546042 |
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16724931 |
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13679722 |
Nov 16, 2012 |
9824064 |
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15809425 |
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61578511 |
Dec 21, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C 5/0808 20130101;
G06F 17/00 20130101; G07C 5/008 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/00 20190101
G06F017/00; G07C 5/08 20060101 G07C005/08; G07C 5/00 20060101
G07C005/00 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented, in-vehicle system for determining status
of a stationary vehicle, comprising: a three perpendicular
component accelerometer located in the vehicle and configured to
generate vehicle acceleration data representing changes in
acceleration acting on the stationary vehicle; a memory containing
predefined acceleration patterns representing motion of the vehicle
responsive to accelerations acting on the vehicle, including
accelerations acting on the vehicle while stationary; and a
microprocessor programmed to receive said vehicle acceleration data
from the accelerometer and to compare, using pattern recognition,
the predefined acceleration patterns to the vehicle acceleration
data and, upon finding one or more pattern matches, to make a
determination of stationary vehicle status corresponding to the
matched acceleration pattern.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said predefined vehicle
acceleration patterns stored in memory for accelerations acting on
the stationary vehicle comprise patterns representing motion of the
vehicle responsive to vehicle occupant entry and exit events.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said predefined vehicle
acceleration patterns representing motion of the vehicle responsive
to vehicle occupant entry and exit events are acceleration patterns
correlated to opening and closing of vehicle doors.
4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a telecommunications
device in communication with the microprocessor wherein, in the
event of an emergency, a number of vehicle entry and exit events is
automatically communicated to a rescue or emergency service.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said predefined vehicle
acceleration patterns stored in memory for accelerations acting on
the stationary vehicle comprise acceleration patterns correlated to
vehicle accidents.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein: said system is further
configured to determine vehicle operator driving actions; and said
predefined vehicle acceleration patterns stored in memory further
include patterns representing operator-based driving actions with
respect to a moving vehicle, and said microprocessor is further
programmed, using said pattern recognition and, upon finding one or
more pattern matches to patterns representing operator-based
driving actions, to make a determination of operator driving
actions.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the predefined acceleration
patterns are specific to one or more of an individual operator and
a type of vehicle.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said memory and
microprocessor are located within the vehicle.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory and microprocessor
are located remotely from the vehicle and communicate remotely with
the vehicle to receive said vehicle acceleration data.
10. A method of using pattern recognition in a
computer-implemented, in-vehicle system for determining status of a
stationary vehicle, comprising: measuring vehicle acceleration
responsive to externally applied force acting on the vehicle,
including acceleration responsive to externally applied force
acting on the stationary vehicle, along three perpendicular axes
using an accelerometer located in the vehicle; storing, in a
computer memory, predefined vehicle acceleration patterns
representing motion of the vehicle responsive to accelerations
acting on the vehicle, including accelerations acting on the
vehicle while stationary; and using a microprocessor programmed
with pattern recognition instructions, comparing the predefined
acceleration patterns, with the measured vehicle accelerations and
determining a number of vehicle entry and exit events at any given
time.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said predefined patterns stored
in memory for accelerations acting on the stationary vehicle
comprise patterns representing motion of the vehicle responsive to
vehicle occupant entry and exit events.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predefined vehicle
acceleration patterns representing motion of the vehicle responsive
to vehicle occupant entry and exit events further comprise
acceleration patterns correlated to opening and closing of vehicle
doors.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
automatically communicating the number of vehicle entry and exit
events to a rescue or emergency service in the event of an
emergency using a telecommunications device in communication with
the microprocessor.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein said predefined patterns stored
in memory for accelerations acting on the stationary vehicle
comprise acceleration patterns correlated to vehicle accidents.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein: said method further determines
vehicle operator driving actions; and said predefined vehicle
acceleration patterns comprise patterns representing operator-based
driving actions with respect to a moving vehicle, and said
comparing further comprises determining an operator driving
behavior based on one or more pattern matches of said measured
vehicle accelerations to said predefined vehicle acceleration
patterns representing operator-based driving actions.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle acceleration
patterns are specific to one or more of an individual operator and
a type of vehicle.
17. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating the
measured vehicle acceleration to said microprocessor.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said memory and microprocessor
are located remotely from the vehicle and communicate remotely with
the vehicle to receive said measured vehicle acceleration.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of said memory and
microprocessor is located on board the vehicle.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional
patent application Ser. No. 16/724,931, filed on Dec. 23, 2019, and
entitled "System and Method for Use of Pattern Recognition in
Assessing or Monitoring Vehicle Status or Operator Driving
Behavior", which application is a continuation of U.S.
Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 15/809,425, filed Nov.
10, 2017, and entitled "System and Method for Use of Pattern
Recognition in Assessing or Monitoring Vehicle Status or Operator
Driving Behavior" (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,546,042); which application
is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser.
No. 13/679,722, filed Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "System and Method
for Use of Pattern Recognition in Assessing or Monitoring Vehicle
Status or Operator Driving Behavior" (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,824,064);
which application claims the benefit of priority of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/578,511, filed Dec. 21,
2011, and titled "System and Method for Use of Pattern Recognition
in Assessing or Monitoring Vehicle Status or Operator Driving
Behavior". Each of these applications is incorporated by reference
herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the invention are generally related to
telematics and related technologies as may be used in vehicle
monitoring and other applications, and are particularly related to
a system and method for use of pattern recognition in assessing or
monitoring a current status of a vehicle, such as determining when
an operator or a passenger has embarked or disembarked the vehicle,
and/or an operator's driving behavior.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Telematics generally refers to the integration of
telecommunications and informatics, and is often described in the
context of sending and receiving information about moving objects
by means of telecommunication devices. A well-known use of
telematics is in regard to vehicles, and with control of moving
vehicles, such as haulage trucks. devices such as Global
Positioning Systems (GPS) can be used to provide additional
information beyond that provided by the vehicle itself. Telematics
are of particular use in industries such as fleet management, which
might also include tracking the location and operation of ships,
trains, and planes.
[0004] Information about vehicle usage also has a bearing on
factors such as insurance. Heavily-used vehicles are on the road
more often, and this type of information is useful for the
insurance industry. However telematics information such as that
provided by GPS is largely macro in nature, and does not
necessarily reflect the micro-conditions of day-to-day driving. As
such, conventional telematics information is generally less
pertinent for monitoring casual vehicle users, and is typically not
intended for providing information of particular interest to
insurers, such as the number of passengers in a vehicle at the time
of an accident. These are the general areas that embodiments of the
invention are intended to address.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0005] Disclosed herein is a system and method which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status and/or an
operator's driving behavior. A vehicle, for use by an operator or
driver, can be equipped with a data collection and assessment
system. The system can comprise one or more data collection
devices, e.g., accelerometers, which can be used to capture data
and information, or otherwise measure vehicle actions. A data
communication module enables communication of the collected data
and information, such as through the use of telematics, to one or
more other systems, which can be local or onboard to the vehicle,
or a remote system. A pattern recognition module is configured with
one or more defined operating patterns, each of which operating
patterns reflects either a known change in vehicle status
corresponding to, e.g., when a passenger has embarked or
disembarked the vehicle, or a known vehicle operating or driving
behavior. Information collected as events describing a current
vehicle status or a current driving behavior can be compared with
the known operating patterns. In accordance with an embodiment, the
information can then be used locally or communicated to an operator
assessment and monitoring system or service, which can provide
additional functionality, such as ensuring a driver's compliance
with employment or other mandated driving requirements, or
assessing a driver's suitability for insurance reasons, including,
e.g., taking into account a driver's reaction to variations in the
road, cornering, and other driving situations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings
show aspects of one or more embodiments of the invention. However,
it should be understood that the present invention is not limited
to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the
drawings, wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a system which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an
embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an
embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a system which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, as it may be used with a vehicle and
driver, in accordance with another embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an
embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 6 shows an illustration of examples of data to be used
with pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle
status or an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an
embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a method of using pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Disclosed herein is a system and method which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring events describing a current
vehicle status, such as determining when an operator or a passenger
has embarked or disembarked the vehicle, and/or events describing
an operator's current driving behavior. The information can be used
locally or communicated to an operator assessment and monitoring
system or service, which can provide additional functionality, such
as ensuring a driver's compliance with employment or other mandated
driving requirements, or assessing a driver's suitability for
insurance reasons, including, e.g., taking into account a driver's
reaction to variations in the road, cornering, and other driving
situations.
[0015] Although many of the illustrations provided herein describe
embodiments using vehicles and accelerometers, it will be evident
that the systems and techniques described herein can be used with
operator-controlled devices other than vehicles, such as trains and
ships, and with other types of data-collection devices.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a system which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment. As
shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment, a vehicle 102,
for use by an operator or driver 100, can be equipped with a data
collection and assessment system 104. The system can comprise one
or more data collection devices 106 (e.g., accelerometers or other
measurement devices 110) that can be used to capture data and
information, or otherwise measure vehicle actions. A data
collection module 112 collects the data or information from the
data collection devices, while a data communication module 112
enables communication of the collected data and information, such
as through the use of telematics, to one or more other systems.
[0017] A pattern recognition module 118 is configured with one or
more defined operating patterns 120, each of which operating
patterns reflects either a known change in vehicle status
corresponding to, e.g. when a passenger has embarked or disembarked
the vehicle, or a known vehicle operating or driving behavior. For
example, when an operator embarks a vehicle on the driver's side,
the vehicle responds in a physically-measurable manner (e.g., by
moving downwards momentarily or tilting to one side). When a
passenger then embarks the same vehicle, perhaps from an opposite
side or through the rear doors, the vehicle responds in a
physically-measurable manner, albeit with a different pattern. Each
discernible pattern or set of events reflects a known change in the
vehicle status. A sequence of patterns can reflect, as in the above
example, that the vehicle, or its vehicle status, now likely
includes both the operator and the passenger. Similar
physically-measurable patterns can reflect when the operator or
passenger leaves or disembarks a vehicle.
[0018] A vehicle also responds in a physically-measurable manner to
operator-based driving actions, e.g. by the operator turning the
vehicle sharply at a corner. This enables the system to associate
other events and patterns with an operator's driving behavior.
[0019] Sequences of patterns can be used to reflect changes both in
the vehicle status and in the operator's driving behavior over a
period of time, say from the time an operator embarks the vehicle,
through a series of driving maneuvers, up until the time of a later
accident.
[0020] In accordance with an embodiment, an operator assessment and
monitoring module 122 includes information about one or more
vehicle operators, including for each operator an identifier (ID)
124 and additional data or information 126 describing that operator
and/or their typical operating characteristics. An operator
feedback module 128 can be used to provide immediate or local
feedback to the operator depending on their current vehicle status
and/or operator driving behavior.
[0021] Any resultant information, pattern matching, or driver
feedback can also be remotely communicated to an external operator
assessment and monitoring system or service 132, which can provide
additional functionality, such as ensuring a driver's compliance
with employment or other mandated driving requirements, or
assessing a driver's suitability for insurance reasons.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, depending on the particular implementation, a
selection of the components of the system can be provided onboard
or locally to the vehicle, while others of the components can be
provided elsewhere separately or remotely from the vehicle, or by a
third-party. For example, in accordance with an embodiment, the
vehicle 140 can include a collection and assessment system 142 that
comprises one or more data collection devices 144, a data
collection module 146, a data communication module 148, and an
operator feedback module 152. An external operator assessment and
monitoring system or service 160, which in this example is provided
separately from the vehicle, can include a pattern recognition
module 162 configured with one or more defined operating patterns
163, and an operator assessment and monitoring module 164 that
includes information about one or more vehicle operators, including
for each operator an operator ID 166 and additional data or
information 166.
[0023] Different arrangements of modules/components can be provided
in accordance with different embodiments to suit particular
implementations. In some embodiments, the pattern recognition
module can be provided onboard or locally to the vehicle, to
provide immediate or local feedback to the operator depending on a
current status of their vehicle and/or their current driving
behavior, without a need for an external system or service. For
example, a system including local feedback might determine that too
many passengers have embarked the vehicle for preferred safe
driving, and communicate this information to the operator prior to
them starting the vehicle.
[0024] As further shown in FIG. 2, the information collected
describing a current vehicle/operator status or driving pattern can
be compared 170 with known operating patterns, and the results of
the comparison used in providing operator feedback and/or updating
operator profile data and/or providing other services such as
assessment or monitoring of operator behavior 180.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, depending on the particular implementation, the
system can be used to assess and monitor a plurality of vehicles or
their operators. In accordance with an embodiment, each vehicle
200, 210 comprises a data collection and assessment system 202, 212
that comprises one or more data collection devices 204, 214 (e.g.,
accelerometers), and a data collection module 206, 216. An external
operator assessment and monitoring system or service 220 that
includes a pattern recognition module 222 further comprises an
operator assessment and monitoring module 224 that includes
information about a plurality of vehicle operators, including for
each operator an identifier (ID) 226, 228, 230 and additional data
or information 232, 234, 236 describing that operator or their
operating characteristics.
[0026] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a system which uses pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, as it may be used with a vehicle and
driver, in accordance with another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4,
while a vehicle 250 is used, and as events happen or as time passes
T1 (252), T2 (254), T3 (256), current vehicle/operator data is
communicated to a data collection and assessment system 260 (which
as described above can be provided onboard to the vehicle or
remotely via telematics). The information can then be used by or
communicated to an operator assessment and monitoring system or
service 262, which can provide additional functionality, such as
ensuring a driver's compliance with employment or other mandated
driving requirements, or assessing a driver's suitability for
insurance reasons, including, e.g., taking into account a driver's
reaction to variations in the road 264, cornering, and other
driving situations.
[0027] FIG. 5 shows another illustration of a system which uses
pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or
an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, in accordance with an embodiment the vehicle
270 can be equipped with a data collection and assessment system
272, including a data collection module 276, data communication
module 278, and accelerometers 280 as data collection devices 274,
or similar devices used to measure changes in acceleration or
direction of a vehicle. Information can be collected from a
plurality of (in the illustrated example) X 282, Y 284, and Z 286
axis-measuring accelerometers, and collectively used to provide a
current vehicle/operator data 290. The pattern recognition module
300 can be configured with one or more defined operating patterns
302, 304, 306, each of which reflects a known vehicle/operator
status or driving pattern based on accelerometer data. The
information provided regarding current vehicle/operator
accelerometer-based-data can be compared with the known
accelerometer-based operating patterns, and the results of the
comparison used providing of operator feedback and/or updating of
operator profile data and/or other services such as assessment or
monitoring of operator behavior.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows an illustration of examples of data to be used
with pattern recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle
status or an operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an
embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment
wherein the data collection and assessment system utilize
accelerometers, or similar devices used to measure changes in
acceleration or direction of a vehicle, information can be
collected from a plurality of X, Y, and Z axis-measuring
accelerometers (320, 322, 324), and collectively used to provide a
current vehicle/operating data 326. For example, as described
above, when an operator or passenger embarks or disembarks a
vehicle on the driver's side, the vehicle responds in a
physically-measurable manner. In accordance with an embodiment, the
accelerometers can detect the minor accelerations in the vehicle
when a person enters the car and closes the door, takes a corner or
brakes sharply, or drives in a manner considered unsafe. The
information collected describing a current vehicle/operator status
or driving pattern can be compared with known operating patterns,
and the results of the comparison used in providing operator
feedback and/or updating operator profile data and/or providing
other services such as assessment or monitoring of operator
behavior 328.
[0029] As further shown in FIG. 6, each of the graphs 320, 322, 342
can show accelerations in the X, Y, and Z axes respectively for a
stationary vehicle. Each time a passenger enter/exits the vehicle
and the engine is on, the system registers a low amplitude up and
down motion hovering around value 128+-2 units for a non-event
average, followed by a minor perturbation simultaneous in all three
axes where the amplitude jumps above the "normal" amplitude. The
system can recognize these up and down characteristics as a known
pattern.
[0030] In accordance with an embodiment, further discernment can
include, e.g. recognizing minor variations in the pattern to
determine the vehicle being pushed to the left, representative of
an entry on the right side; or the vehicle being pushed forward and
to the right, representative of an entry to the left-rear side.
Information such as this can be used to ensure a driver's
compliance with employment or other mandated driving requirements,
or assessing a driver's suitability for insurance reasons,
including, e.g. preventing insurance fraud, detecting patterns and
then using occurrences of said patterns when they occur, to say
with some level of confidence (a confidence coefficient) that an
event of certain type occurred, which is particularly useful for
post-accident investigations.
[0031] FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a method of using pattern
recognition in assessing or monitoring a vehicle status or an
operator's driving behavior, in accordance with an embodiment. As
shown in FIG. 7, at step 350, one or more known operating patterns
are defined for use by the pattern recognition module. At step 352,
while the vehicle is being used, current vehicle operating data is
collected via data collection devices (e.g. accelerometers), for
one or more operators. At step 254, the current vehicle/operator
data is compared with operating patterns using pattern recognition
module, to assess or monitor current operator. At step 356, the
system provides operator feedback and/or updates of operator
profile data and/or provides other services such as assessment or
monitoring of operator behavior.
[0032] In accordance with various embodiments, the above-described
systems and methods can be employed in a variety of use cases. For
example, the system can be used in conjunction with an automatic
rescue or emergency dispatch system, wherein information about the
number of passengers in a vehicle can be automatically communicated
to a central rescue or emergency service. As another example, the
system can be used in conjunction with systems for parental or
otherwise tracking the habits of younger drivers, e.g. to ensure
that the number of passengers within a vehicle is kept within
certain predefined limits, or for vehicle insurance purposes.
[0033] The present invention may be conveniently implemented using
one or more conventional general purpose or specialized digital
computers or microprocessors programmed according to the teachings
of the present disclosure. Appropriate software coding can readily
be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the
present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the
software art.
[0034] In some embodiments, the present invention includes a
computer program product which is a non-transitory storage medium
(media) having instructions stored thereon/in which can be used to
program a computer to perform any of the processes of the present
invention. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to,
any type of disk including floppy disks, optical discs, DVD,
CO-ROMs, microdrive, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs,
EEPROMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, flash memory devices, magnetic or optical
cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), or any type of
media or device suitable for storing instructions and/or data.
[0035] The foregoing description of the present invention has been
provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is
not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the
precise forms disclosed. The embodiments were chosen and described
in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its
practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art
to understand the invention for various embodiments and with
various modifications that are suited to the particular use
contemplated. For example, although many of the illustrations
provided herein describe embodiments using vehicles and
accelerometers, it will be evident that the systems and techniques
described herein can be used with operator-controlled devices other
than vehicles, such as trains and ships, and with other types of
data collection devices. It is intended that the scope of the
invention be defined by the following claims and their
equivalence.
[0036] The foregoing has been a detailed description of
illustrative embodiments of the invention. It is noted that in the
present specification and claims appended hereto, conjunctive
language such as is used in the phrases "at least one of X, Y and
Z" and "one or more of X, Y, and Z," unless specifically stated or
indicated otherwise, shall be taken to mean that each item in the
conjunctive list can be present in any number exclusive of every
other item in the list or in any number in combination with any or
all other item(s) in the conjunctive list, each of which may also
be present in any number. Applying this general rule, the
conjunctive phrases in the foregoing examples in which the
conjunctive list consists of X, Y, and Z shall each encompass: one
or more of X; one or more of Y; one or more of Z; one or more of X
and one or more of Y; one or more of Y and one or more of Z; one or
more of X and one or more of Z; and one or more of X, one or more
of Y and one or more of Z.
[0037] Various modifications and additions can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Features of
each of the various embodiments described above may be combined
with features of other described embodiments as appropriate in
order to provide a multiplicity of feature combinations in
associated new embodiments. Furthermore, while the foregoing
describes a number of separate embodiments, what has been described
herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles
of the present invention. Additionally, although particular methods
herein may be illustrated and/or described as being performed in a
specific order, the ordering is highly variable within ordinary
skill to achieve aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly,
this description is meant to be taken only by way of example, and
not to otherwise limit the scope of this invention.
[0038] Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed above and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by
those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and
additions may be made to that which is specifically disclosed
herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *