|
(11) | EP 3 007 148 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Displaying speeding penalties on a mobile computing device |
| (57) The present invention will be described with reference to a mobile application called
MAXS, the Dutch speed limit App to be launched by Innovactory International B.V. on
the 10th October 2014. MAXS is a mobile application, available for iOS and Android
devices., that reports back visually and/or audibly the current speed and the speed
limit of any stretch of road, while providing feedback when speeding and displaying
the potential penalty in real-time |
Background Art
[0001] The present invention relates to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). More specifically, it relates to an application installed on a mobile computing device, such as a Smartphone and/or other emerging smart device categories (especially in-car) and more particularly an application that reports back visually and/or audibly the potential speeding fines - in real-time - when someone is driving faster than the allowed speed limit.
[0002] Radar speed signs and driver feedback signs are well known and are used to improve road safety. These apparatus have proven to positively influence driver behavior by showing the driver its current speed and drawing attention to local limits. It's based on the feedback loop theory: when a driver is presented with information about their speed they tend to take notice and improve.
[0003] Many GPS devices or speedometer applications display the driver's current speed and sometimes also the speed limit. GPS devices are positional speedometers, and the calculated speed is a combination of movement per unit time and computing the Doppler shift in the pseudo range signals from the satellites.
[0004] Financial penalties combined with 'endorsements' of penalty points leading to a loss of a driver's license are strong incentive for drivers to slow down and obey the local speed limit.
[0005] Therefore, since placing Radar speed signs everywhere is not a scalable solution there is a need for a mechanism to display the driver's current speed combined with the penalties when driving faster than the speed limit. This way the driver is continuously incentivized to obey the speed limit. The platform for this feedback mechanism should be in the form of a speed limit application that runs on a Smartphone and/or other emerging smart device.
Summary of invention
[0006] The present invention will be described with reference to a mobile application called MAXS, the Dutch speed limit App to be launched by Innovactory International B.V. on the 10th October 2014. MAXS is a mobile application, available for iOS and Android devices., that reports back visually and/or audibly the current speed and the speed limit of any stretch of road, while providing feedback when speeding and displaying the potential penalty in real-time.
[0007] The present invention monitors and reports current driving speed and the speed limit of the road someone is driving on. Referring firstly to Figure 1, this is shown on a screen of a speed limit application that displays the current speed a car is driving (top circle) and the maximum allowed speed (bottom circle) on that specific road.
[0008] As can be seen in Figure 2 the invention provides feedback to the user when he is driving faster than the allowed speed limit. This is done by adding a visual cue, in this example, as an icon of a speed camera that animates while the user is speeding, signaling to the user that he is being monitored by the government through speed cameras or other devices.
[0009] The present invention calculates the potential fine using relevant features like: the current speed driven by the driver, the maximum allowed speed for the specific road segment and the applying speed fine legislation. The potential fine is real-time reported visually and/or audibly with e.g. a visual element. In Figure 2 this is shown as a potential speeding fine of 10 EUR in the icon of a speed camera.
[0010] The present invention updates in real-time the potential speeding fine when any of the relevant features like: the current speed driven by the driver, the maximum allowed speed for the specific road segment and the applying speed fine legislation changes while the car is driving on the road. The result being that reports back visually and/or audibly to the user. An example of this is shown in Figure 3 where the changed actual speed (of 150 km/h) and the calculated speeding fine are updated to 150 EUR and a visually and/or audible reported to the user.
[0011] The present invention provides visual and audible cues to the user to create more awareness of the local maximum allow speed and potential speeding fine.
- As outline in Figure 3 for example the visual element displaying the speeding fine is moving (as depictured with the arrows) along a certain axis to indicate an increase or decrease of the speeding fine. This movement is creating more awareness for the user.
- Next to that the contrast and/or color of the background also changes and animates to call for the attention of the user of the potential fine risk.
- An audible sound is played to attract the attention of the user.
- The value of the actual speed, maximum allowed speed and/or speeding fine are audibly pronounced to the user.
Brief description of drawings
[0012] A specific description of the invention will now be described by way of example of a speed limit application, with reference to the following drawings:
Figure 1 is a view of a speed limit application screen seen by a driver that is obeying the speed limit,
Figure 2 is a view of a speed limit application where a driver is not obeying to the allowed speed limit and a penalty amount is displayed (as an example 10 EUR),
Figure 3 shows the visual cue that signals the driver he's driving faster than the speed limit. An animating element (in this example a speed camera) attracts the attention of the driver.
1. An application (1) installed on mobile computing device, such as a smartphone and/or
other emerging smart device categories (especially in-car) and more particularly an
application that shows the current speed and the speed limit of the specific road
stretch the driver is driving on providing feedback when over speeding and specifically
reports this back visually and/or audibly the potential speeding fines in real-time
to the user.
2. An application (1) according to claim 1 that determines the current driving speed
and reports this back visually and/or audibly this to the user.
3. An application (1) according to claim 1 that determines the maximum allowed speed
limit of the road someone is currently driving on and reports this back visually and/or
audibly to the user.
4. An application (1) according to claim 1 that determines the applying speed fine legislation
of the road someone is currently driving on.
5. An application (1) according to either claim 2, claim 3 and claim 4 that determines
if a potential fine occurs and if so calculates the value of the fine using relevant
information of the current speed driven by the driver, the maximum allowed speed for
the specific road segment and the applying speed fine legislation.
6. An application (2) according to claim 5 that reports back in real-time visually and/or
audibly the potential speeding fine that is based on the in claim 5 described information
elements.
7. An application (3) according to claim 6 that provides visual and audible cues to the
user to create more awareness of the potential speeding fine.