Method and system for logging vehicle behaviour
Methods and systems for logging driving information associated with a vehicle when driven are disclosed. In one aspect, a mobile telecommunications device is provided that is adapted for installation to a vehicle and configured to log driving information associated with the vehicle when driven. The mobile device is arranged to register the start of a driving period during which the mobile device is installed to the vehicle and the vehicle is being driven by a driver. The mobile device is also arranged to process sensor data during the driving period to derive driving information associated with how the vehicle is driven. The mobile device is also arranged to store a selection of the driving information to a memory.
1. A mobile telecommunications device configured to log driving information associated with a vehicle, the mobile telecommunications device comprising:
a sensor set comprising an image sensor, an audio sensor, an accelerometer or a positioning module, or a combination thereof;
a user interface;
a processor and;
a memory;
the mobile telecommunications device being configured to:
determine, based on at least one of the inputs received by the user interface and sensor data from the device's sensor set, a start of a driving period during which the mobile device is removably attached to the vehicle and the vehicle is in use;
process the sensor data from the sensor set during the driving period to derive driving information associated with how the vehicle is driven; and
store a selection of the driving information to the memory;
wherein the driving information is derived without data from the vehicle sensors, and the mobile telecommunications device is further configured to:
interface with an external device, the external device having access to external driving information associated with a condition of the vehicle; and,
to receive at least a portion of the external driving information from the external device.
2. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device is controlled by a downloaded application to control the mobile device to detect occurrence of a predetermined event and in response take at least one predetermined action.
3. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 2 , wherein predetermined action is storing driving information associated with that event to the memory.
4. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 2 , wherein predetermined action is storing driving information captured at a higher sampling rate than when an event is not detected.
5. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 2 , wherein predetermined action is transmitting driving information via a wireless telecommunication module of the mobile telecommunication device to a remote system.
6. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined action comprises providing feedback to a user to indicate that an event has been detected, the mobile telecommunications device being configured to receive a user interaction to confirm or deny whether the detected event has actually occurred following said feedback.
7. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 6 , wherein the feedback comprises notifying a user that a further action has been scheduled, and will be taken within a predetermined period, the mobile telecommunications device being further configured to receive a user interaction to confirm or deny whether the further scheduled action should be taken within a predetermined period.
8. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined action comprises communicating to a remote system that an event has been detected, the mobile telecommunications device being further configured to receive from the remote system a request to transmit to the remote system selected portions of the driving information associated with the detected event.
9. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the memory comprises:
a long term memory for persistently storing driving information and a short term memory for transiently storing driving information, wherein the short term memory receives driving information at a higher update rate than the long term memory, the mobile telecommunications device being further configured to:
write driving information to the short term memory at a predetermined update rate during the driving period in a predetermined sequence; and,
overwrite the driving information previously written to the short term memory in accordance with the predetermined sequence.
10. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 9 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device is controlled by the downloaded application to control the mobile device to detect an occurrence of a predetermined event and in response transfer data from the short term memory to the long term memory.
11. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device is controlled by the downloaded application to control the mobile device to process the driving information to generate a driving score associated with a particular driver.
12. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the device is controlled by the downloaded application to manage voice-calls incoming to the mobile telecommunications device during a driving period.
13. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the device is controlled by the downloaded application to enable a hands-free mode of operation on detection of the driving period.
14. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 13 , wherein the hands-free mode of operation comprises enabling voice-activated commands on the mobile device.
15. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the device is controlled by the downloaded application to detect the occurrence of a predetermined event of significance, such as a crash, and in response to store driving information associated with that event to the memory.
16. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the device is controlled by the downloaded application to detect the occurrence of a predetermined event of significance, such as a crash, and in response to transmit driving information associated with that event via the wireless telecommunication module to a remote data-logging system.
17. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one predetermined action comprises providing the user with options to control the mobile device to take further actions.
18. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device utilizes its own power supply.
19. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device is a smartphone.
20. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , further arranged to interface with the external device wirelessly.
21. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the process step comprises determination of at least one of: vehicle acceleration events and vehicle braking events.
22. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 21 , wherein the process step comprises determination of vehicle swerving events and the determination of such events occurs when data from the sensor set accords with preset parameters.
23. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the process step comprises determination of both vehicle acceleration events and vehicle braking events.
24. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 23 , wherein the process step comprises the determination of vehicle swerving events and the determination of such events occurs when data from the sensor set accords with preset parameters.
25. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device further comprises a proximity sensor and the instructions, upon execution by the processor, enable the mobile telecommunications device to detect the proximity of the mobile telecommunications device to the vehicle.
26. A mobile telecommunications device configured to log driving information associated with a vehicle, the mobile telecommunications device comprising:
a sensor set comprising an image sensor, an audio sensor, an accelerometer or a positioning module, or a combination thereof;
a user interface;
a processor; and
a memory;
the mobile telecommunications device being configured to:
determine, based on at least one of the inputs received by the user interface and sensor data from the device's sensor set, a start of a driving period during which the mobile device is removably affixed to the vehicle and the vehicle is in use;
process the sensor data from the sensor set during the driving period to derive driving information associated with how the vehicle is driven; and
store a selection of the driving information to the memory;
wherein the driving information is derived without data from the vehicle sensors, and the mobile telecommunications device is further configured to:
interface with an external device, the external device having access to external driving information associated with a condition of the vehicle; and
to receive at least a portion of the external driving information from the external device.
27. A mobile telecommunications device configured to log driving information associated with a vehicle, the mobile telecommunications device comprising:
a sensor set comprising an image sensor, an audio sensor, an accelerometer or a positioning module, or a combination thereof;
a user interface;
a processor and;
a memory;
the mobile telecommunications device being configured to:
determine, based on at least one of the inputs received by the user interface and sensor data from the device's sensor set, a start of a driving period during which the mobile device is removably affixed to the vehicle and the vehicle is in use;
process the sensor data from the sensor set during the driving period to derive driving information associated with how the vehicle is driven, the processing involving the use of a neural network on the mobile telecommunications device to determine whether the driving information represents an acceptable or unacceptable driving pattern; and,
store a selection of the driving information to the memory;
wherein the driving information is derived without data from the vehicle sensors, and the mobile telecommunications device is further configured to:
interface with an external device, the external device having access to external driving information associated with a condition of the vehicle; and
to receive at least a portion of the external driving information from the external device.