EP4091125A1

EP4091125A1 - Automated road testing method

Info

Publication number: EP4091125A1
Application number: EP20913184.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mohamed Hamed BEBARS
Original assignee: Roads And Transport Authority
Current assignee: Roads And Transport Authority
Priority date: 2020-01-16
Filing date: 2020-01-16
Publication date: 2022-11-23
Also published as: EP4091125A4; WO2021144611A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an automated road testing method including collecting, from a monitoring arrangement that is fitted to a vehicle, data relating to the activity of a driver that is being tested on the road for purposes of obtaining a driver's licence; collecting, from the monitoring arrangement that is fitted to the vehicle or positioned relative to the vehicle, data relating to the activity of the vehicle that is being driven by and/or is about to be driven by the driver; computing a score of the collected data; comparing the computed score to a predefined/standard score that is related to the collected data; and when the computed score does not match the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a negative result indicating that the driver failed the road test or task associated with the test, or when the computed score matches the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a positive result indicating that the driver passed the road test or task associated with the test. The invention also relates to an automated road testing system.

Description

AUTOMATED ROAD TESTING METHOD

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention is in the field of road testing methods and systems for road testing a driver for purposes of certifying a driver to obtain a driver’s licence.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The Licensing Agency of the Roads and Transport Authority was established by royal decree in April 2008. The Agency was established to better respond to the increasing demand for licensing services and to transform the management of drivers and vehicle licensing services within the Emirate of Dubai.

Key focus areas of the Agency are to improve driver performance and improve vehicle safety as critical areas to reduce road crashes and road related deaths and injuries within the Emirate. The Agency also has a key focus area on improved delivery of licensing services to the Dubai community.

Broadly, the Agency is responsible for the licensing of drivers and vehicles in Dubai. The Agency also provides licensing services for transport and car rental companies and provides an on-road vehicle monitoring and enforcement capability.

Typically, in order to enable the Agency to ensure that drivers are well qualified to drive in the Emirates, the Agency is required to issue a driving permit/license to those drivers that pass the necessary driving tests under the evaluation of an examiner. Once the examiner evaluating the driver has completed the instruction sheet which has multiple test boxes which the examiner is arranged to manually select to indicate whether the driver has passed the various tasks associated with the test, the examiner would be required to forward the instruction sheet containing the details of the driver to a processing centre which will process the results on the instruction sheet and accordingly generate a profile of the certified driver on a traffic system of the Agency and accordingly generate and issue a driver’s license card to the driver.

It is clear that the old-fashioned way of allowing the examiner to evaluate the driver during the road test is prone to errors and examiners can easily get bribed by driver’s who are unable to drive or unable to complete all of the tasks associated with the test.

The present invention seeks to address the aforementioned problem(s).

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an automated road testing method including: collecting, from a monitoring arrangement that is fitted to a vehicle, data relating to the activity of a driver that is being tested for purposes of obtaining a driver’s licence; collecting, from the monitoring arrangement that is fitted to the vehicle or positioned relative to the vehicle, data relating to the activity of the vehicle that is being driven by and/or is about to be driven by the driver; computing a score of the collected data; comparing the computed score to a predefined/standard score that is related to the collected data; and when the computed score does not match the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a negative result indicating that the driver failed the driving test or task associated with the test, or when the computed score matches the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a positive result indicating that the driver passed the driving test or task associated with the test.

In an embodiment, the monitoring arrangement may comprise a telematics device that is arranged to monitor the geographic position of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings; and monitor the speed of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings.

In an embodiment, the monitoring arrangement may comprise video cameras, typically 360 degree video cameras, for capturing videos of the exterior of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings (including lanes of the road, road signs, etc); and monitoring the interior of the vehicle including activity of the driver during and prior to the driving of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the step of computing the score of the collected data may include analysing the collected data by means of predetermined algorithms to determine a score value of the collected data.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an automated road testing system including: a processor and a memory connected to the processor, the memory containing instructions which are arranged to collect, from a monitoring arrangement that is fitted to a vehicle, data relating to the activity of a driver that is tested for purposes of obtaining a driver’s licence; collect, from the monitoring arrangement that is fitted to the vehicle or positioned relative to the vehicle, data relating to the activity of the vehicle that is being driven by and/or is about to be driven by the driver; compute a score of the collected data; compare the computed score to a predefined score that is related to the collected data; and when the computed score does not match the predefined score, outputting at least a negative result indicating that the driver failed the driving test or when the computed score matches the predefined score, outputting at least a positive result indicating that the driver passed the driving test.

In an embodiment, the system may comprise a monitoring arrangement comprising a telematics device that is arranged to monitor the geographic position of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings; and monitor the speed of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings.

In an embodiment, the monitoring arrangement may comprise video cameras for capturing videos of the exterior of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings (including lanes of the road, road signs, etc); and monitoring the interior of the vehicle including activity of the driver during and prior to the driving of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the step of causing the processor to compute the score of the collected data may include the causing of the processor to analyse the collected data by means of predetermined algorithms to determine a score value of the collected data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention will become fully apparent from following the description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. Undertaking that this drawing depicts only a typical embodiment of the invention and are therefore, not to be considered limiting its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specific and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a network of a driver’s licence testing system in accordance with the invention; and

Figures 2 to 27 show various algorithms used by the system in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the invention may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly exclude herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the invention - such alternative structures, configurations, methods, devices and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts of features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present invention even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly, stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention.

As shown in Figure 1 , there is provided a network 12 including a vehicle 14 incorporating components of the driver’s road testing system 15 in accordance with the invention, and a remote server 10 of the driver’s road testing system 15. A communications network 11 enables components of the driver’s road testing system 15 which are fitted to the vehicle 14 to communicate with each other with the remote server 10 via internet communication protocol.

The vehicle 14 may be a car, motorcycle, truck or any other recognized vehicle which a driver needs certification for in order to be permitted to drive the vehicle on public roads. The vehicle 14 is fitted with a monitoring arrangement 16 of the driver’s testing system 15. The monitoring arrangement 16 includes video cameras 18 which are arranged to take videos of the exterior and external surroundings of the vehicle 14 as well as the interior of the vehicle 14, typically to monitor the activity of the driver prior to and during the test.

The monitoring arrangement 16 further includes an advanced driver’s assistance system (ADAS) 20 as is known in the art. The ADAS 20 includes features such as a Blind Spot monitor which is arranged to monitor blind spots and warn the driver of the blind spots. In use, the video cameras 18 which are arranged to monitor the driver’s activity (i.e. behaviour of the driver) would typically take a video of the driver, and accordingly send the video to the remote server 10 for processing (e.g. analysis). The blind spot monitor of the ADAS 20 would also transmit, to the server, data relating to the blind spot warning(s) sent to the driver, and typically the server 10 would compare, by means of an algorithm, as will be described below, the received video and data obtained from ADAS 20 to determine whether the driver checked the blind spot prior to changing lanes, and accordingly compute a score based on the comparison, which score would be compared to a standard score for blind spots. The standard score for blind spots is stored in a database (not shown). Typically, when the computed score does not match with the standard score, the driver is deemed to have failed the task of checking blind spots. Similar, when the computed score matches the standard score, the driver would be deemed to have passed the task of checking blind spots.

The ADAS 20 includes a lane change monitoring feature for monitoring the vehicle when changing lanes. The data and number of times the driver changes lanes is transmitted to the server 10 for processing. At the same time, the video cameras which monitor the driver’s activity in the vehicle will monitor whether the driver performed pre-requisite checks prior to changing lanes. The captured video of the driver will be transmitted to the server 10 which will assess the video to check whether the driver performed pre requisite checks prior to changing lanes and compute a score, the score will be compared to a standard score for lane changes, and when the score matches the driver will be deemed to have passed the task of changing lanes, and vice versa.

The ADAS 20 includes a driver’s monitoring system, as is known in the art, which is arranged to detect eye movement of the driver during driving. The data relating to the eye movement of the driver will be processed by the server 10 to compute a score which is compared to a suitable standard score to determine whether the driver has passed or failed the task of implementing necessary eye movements during driving.

The monitoring arrangement 16 may include a telematics device 22 which may be arranged to measure the speed of the vehicle 14, determine the GPS location of the vehicle. In addition, the ADAS 20 may comprise a traffic sign recognition system that is arranged to detect speed traffic signs and other generic traffic signs. The data from the telematics device 22 and ADAS 20 is collected by the server 10 for computing a score, using the predefined algorithm, which score is compared against a standard score for speed and abidance to road traffic signs to determine whether or not the driver passed the task related to abiding to the rules of the road.

It will be appreciated that the monitoring arrangement may comprise of other features, including gear monitoring, tire pressure monitoring, door monitoring, and other monitoring features which are arranged to monitor various functions/components of the vehicle 14. The data collected from the monitoring arrangement 16 is collected by the server 10 to compute various scores and compare said scores to corresponding standard scores to determine whether or not the driver passed various tasks.

Typically, prior to the driver being tested on the road, the driver would undergo theory lessons pertaining to driving on the road and be tested on a yard that is affiliated with a testing station. Thereafter, the driver, typically using a user device (not shown) uploaded with software application of the system 15, would select the date on which they would like to get tested on the road, select the type of vehicle they would like to get tested in so as to obtain a licence for that type of vehicle. The information regarding the date of the test and vehicle type, including the picture of the driver (which may already be registered on the system 15) and other personal information of the driver, would be reported to the system 15 and transmitted to a user device (not shown) of the examiner. On the date of the road test, the examiner will validate the details of the customer on the examiner’s user device (not shown), and the driver will be tested on the road using the components of the system 15 as described above.

The server 10 is arranged to collect all of the scores which have been matched to the standard scores, and accordingly determines whether or not the driver has passed the driver’s test. The data related to the driver passing or failing the road test is communicated with a central traffic management server 24 to indicate the status of the driver (i.e. whether the driver passed or failed the driver’s test). In the event that the driver passes the test, the central traffic management server 24 will arrange to have a driver’s license card printed and issued to the driver.

By way of example, as shown in Figure 2, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether or not the driver is driving too fast when approaching an intersection 100, the monitoring arrangement 16 will detect when the vehicle is approaching an intersection or junction 102, the server 10 receives the vehicle speed information from the monitoring arrangement 16 and determines whether vehicle approach time is less than the threshold approach time 104, and if so, the server 10 generates an output 106 indicating that the vehicle approached the junction at a high speed and accordingly the server 10 computes a score. In this case, the threshold approach time is defined as the optimum time calculated by the server 10 using the distance and speed information for a vehicle to reach the junction or intersection at ideal conditions; and the vehicle approach time is defined as the actual time taken by the vehicle to reach the junction or intersection.

As shown in Figure 3, which shows an an algorithm for detecting whether or not the driver is breaking hard 200, the monitoring arrangement 16 will detect the vehicle speed 202; determine of pedestrian collosion warning [WHAT IS MEANT BY THIS?] is greater than the threshold 204, if so, the server 10 checks whether the forward collision warning [WHAT IS MEANT BY THIS?] is greater than the threshold 206. If so, the server 10 checks whether the accelerometer deceleration rate is greater than hard breaking threshold 208. If so, the server 10 generates an output 210 and computes a score that is to be used for grading the driver.

As shown in Figure 4, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether or not the driver is driving too slow when approaching an intersection with another vehicle in front of the learner driver’s vehicle 300, the monitoring arrangement 16 will detect when the vehicle is approaching an intersection or junction 302, the server 10 receives the vehicle speed information from the monitoring arrangement 16 and determines whether distance of the vehicle in front of the vehicle driven by the driver is greater than a predefined threshold 304. If so, the server 10 determines whether the vehicle approach time is greater than the threshold approach time 306, and if so, the server 10 generates an output 308 indicating that the vehicle approached the junction or the vehicle ahead of it at a slow speed and accordingly the server 10 computes a score. In this case, the front vehicle threshold is the optimum distance which the learner driver must ensure to keep at all time from a vehicle in front. The threshold approach time is the optimum time calculated by the server 10 using distance and speed information for a vehicle to reach the junction or intersection at ideal conditions; and the vehicle approach time is the actual time taken by the vehicle to reach the junction or intersection.

As shown in Figure 5, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver failed to stop at a stop sign 400. In this instance, the monitoring arrangement 16 will collect the GPS data of the vehicle and compare to map data (not shown) that corresponds to the road on which the vehicle is travelling 402. The server 10 will then check the travel speed of the vehicle as well as the buffer distance of the vehicle 404. If the vehicle speed and buffer distance, which is defined as the optimum distance that needs to be maintained by the learner driver approaching the stop sign, are greater or equal to a predefined threshold, the server 10 will generate an output 406 and compute a score for the learner.

As shown in Figure 6, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver failed to give way to pedestrians 500. In this instance, the monitoring arrangement 16 will check the vehicle speed and parameters related to a pedestrian collosion warning (PCW). If the speed is greater than zero and the PCW is greater than a predefined threshold 502, the server 10 generates an output 504 and computes a score for the learner driver.

As shown in Figure 7, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver failed to close the doors of the car prior to taking off with the vehicle 600. The server 10 will detect the status of the doors as either zero, which indicates that the doors are closed, or 1 which indicates that the doors are open or not fully closed 602. The server 10 will proceed to check the status of the gear, and check whether the gear is on neutral or park 604. The server 10 will proceed to check whether there has been any movement of the accelerometer 606. The server 10 will also check the speed of the vehicle 608 and thereafter generate an output 610 and compute a score for the learner driver.

As shown in Figure 8, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver and/or passenger has fastened the seat belt prior to taking off and during the road test 700. The server 10 will detect the status of the seat belts as either been put on or not put on 702. The server 10 will proceed to check the status of the gear, and check whether the gear is on neutral or park 704. The server 10 will proceed to check whether there has been any movement of the accelerometer 706. The server 10 will also check the speed of the vehicle 708 and thereafter generate an output 710 and compute a score for the learner driver.

As shown in Figure 9, which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver is unable to switch on the car 800. The server 10 will detect the status of the ignition as either being switched on or off 802. The server 10 will detect whether the vehicle that is about to get driven is automatic 804 or manual 806. Thereafter, the server 10 will detect the status of the gear and RPMs of the engine as the learner driver attempts to switch on the car 808. When the RPM is zero and the status of the gear is not on park mode or neutral, the server 10 generates an output and computes a score for the learner driver 810.

As shown in Figure 10, which shows an algorithm for detecting the number of moves the learner driver makes when attempting to park 900. The server 10 detects when the vehicle enters a parking bay 902. The system 15 also detects the configuration of the gear to check whether the gear is on neutral or park mode 904. If so, the system checks the vehicle speed and whether the ignition of the vehicle is on 906. The server 10 accoirdingly checks when the gear is changed 908, and checks the number of times the gear is changed 910. If the gear is changed more than a predefined number of times, for example four times 912, then the server 10generates an output and computes a score for the learner driver 914.

As shown in Figure 11 , which shows an algorithm for detecting whether the driver puts on a signal when leaving the parking bay 1000. The server 10 detects when the driver is about to leave the parking bay 1002 and checks the whether the gear is not on park or neutral mode and also checks the speed of the vehicle 1004. If the gear is not on park mode, and the speed is greater than zero, the server 10 detects the angle of movement of the vehicle 1006 and also detects whether the indicator of the vehicle is switched off 1008. If so, the server 10 proceeds to generate an output and computes a score for the leaner driver 1010.

The angle of movement is detected by sensors (not shown) of the monitoring arrangement 16 which are arranged to detect the angle in which the vehicle moves as the vehicle is being parked. As shown in Figure 12, whether the driver requires more than a predefined number, such as four, moves to exit a parking bay 1100. The server 10 detects when the vehicle is about to exit the parking bay 1102, and detects whether the gear is on neutral or park mode 1104. The server 10 proceeds to check if the vehicle speed is greater than a predefined number, such as 15km/h and also checks if the ignition is switched on 1106. The server 10 then proceeds to check if the gear is changed 1108 and counts the number of times the gear is changes 1110. If the number of times the gear is changed is greater than a predefined number, for example 4, 1112 the server 10 generates an output and computes a score for the learner driver 1114.

As shown in Figure 13, there is provided an algorithm for detecting when the driver is driving too slow on the road 1200. The server 10 checks whether the PCW distance is greater than a threshold 1202. If so, the server 10 determines whether the FCW is greater than a predefined threshold 1204. The server 10 then proceeds to detect whether the vehicle speed is lower than the road speed as derived from the map data (not shown) 1206. If the vehicle speed is lower than the road speed, the server 10 generates an output and computes a score for the learner driver 1208.

As shown in Figures 14 to 27, there are shown other algorithms 1300 - 2900 that are used by the server 10 to generate various outputs and scores for the learner driver.

In use, the driver being tested on the road will undergo theoretical training as explained above, and upon arriving at the testing station he/she will be tested in the yard of the test station prior to being tested on the road. Once the yard tests have been completed, the examiner will initiate the test, typically by engaging a start test icon (not shown) which will be displayed on the examiner’s device (not shown). Upon engaging the start test icon (not shown), the monitoring arrangement 16 will be initiated to monitor the behaviour of the driver during the road test. There may be a display unit (not shown) inside the vehicle that will display a route that driver should take for purposes of the road test. The monitoring arrangement 16 will accordingly report the behaviour of the driver, throughout the duration of the road test, to the server 10, and the server 10 will compute, in accordance with a predefined algorithms as shown in Figures 2 to 27, the relevant scores to determine whether the driver has passed the road test. At the end of the road test, the devices (not shown) associated with the examiner and/or driver may receive notifications including the test scores and an indication on whether the driver passed the road test. In the event that the driver has passed the road test, the central traffic management server 24 will arrange to have a driver’s license card printed and issued to the driver, as mentioned above.

The driver’s road testing system 15 hereby provides a new way of analysing drivers behaviours during road testing and issuing drivers’ licenses in an automated, paperless, seamless manner.

Claims

1. An automated road testing method including: collecting, from a monitoring arrangement that is fitted to a vehicle, data relating to the activity of a driver that is being tested on the road for purposes of obtaining a driver’s licence; collecting, from the monitoring arrangement that is fitted to the vehicle or positioned relative to the vehicle, data relating to the activity of the vehicle that is being driven by and/or is about to be driven by the driver; computing a score of the collected data; comparing the computed score to a predefined/standard score that is related to the collected data; and when the computed score does not match the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a negative result indicating that the driver failed the road test or task associated with the test, or when the computed score matches the predefined/standard score, outputting at least a positive result indicating that the driver passed the road test or task associated with the test.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring arrangement comprises a telematics device that is arranged to monitor the geographic position of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings; and monitor the speed of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring arrangement comprises video cameras for capturing videos of the exterior of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings including lanes of the road, road signs; and monitoring the interior of the vehicle including activity of the driver during and prior to the driving of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing the score of the collected data may include analysing the collected data by means of predetermined algorithms to determine a score value of the collected data.

5. An automated road testing system including: a processor and a memory connected to the processor, the memory containing instructions which are arranged to collect, from a monitoring arrangement that is fitted to a vehicle, data relating to the activity of a driver that is tested on the road for purposes of obtaining a driver’s licence; collect, from the monitoring arrangement that is fitted to the vehicle or positioned relative to the vehicle, data relating to the activity of the vehicle that is being driven by and/or is about to be driven by the driver; compute a score of the collected data; compare the computed score to a predefined score that is related to the collected data; and when the computed score does not match the predefined score, outputting at least a negative result indicating that the driver failed the driving test or when the computed score matches the predefined score, outputting at least a positive result indicating that the driver passed the driving test.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the monitoring arrangement comprises a telematics device that is arranged to monitor the geographic position of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings; and monitor the speed of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring arrangement comprises video cameras for capturing videos of the exterior of the vehicle in relation to its surroundings including lanes of the road, and road signs; and monitoring the interior of the vehicle including activity of the driver during and prior to the driving of the vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the step of causing the processor to compute the score of the collected data includes the causing of the processor to analyse the collected data by means of predetermined algorithms to determine a score value of the collected data.