WO2008046667A1

WO2008046667A1 - System and method for providing customized self learning or entertainment materials adapted to travellers

Info

Publication number: WO2008046667A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/054292
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ossama Emam; Dimitri Kanevsky
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corporation; Compagnie Ibm France
Priority date: 2006-10-16
Filing date: 2007-05-03
Publication date: 2008-04-24

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of education and more specifically to a method, system and computer programs for providing customized self learning and/or entertainment materials adapted to travel environments and more particularly adapted to road traffic and physical and mental conditions of car drivers. The method to be executed in a vehicle for providing customized content to a traveller, comprises the steps of: determining a route and characteristics of said route; determining external conditions along the route; determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route; adapting and sequencing content depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route; providing to the traveller the adapted and sequenced content along the route.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED SELF LEARNING OR ENTERTAINMENT MATERIALS ADAPTED TO TRAVELLERS

Field of the invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of education and more specifically to a method, system and computer programs for providing customized self learning and/or entertainment materials adapted to travel environments and more particularly adapted to road traffic and physical and mental conditions of car drivers.

Background of the invention

People are often using tapes/CDs in their cars to learn a particular subject (e.g. language) or to read some stories. Most of the time, these materials are not adapted to the duration of the travel. Drivers or passengers generally interrupt their learning course or story when they leave the car. This makes a learning course less efficient. There is a real need to provide a solution to adapt learning courses or taking books to travellers situation.

US patent application US20050221268 Charr et al. entitled "Self-service system for education" discloses an adaptive system for enabling providers to customize educational objects and support services in order to maximize user engagement. The system is a self-service system for education for providers that includes a learning environment with interfaces for stakeholders, metrics for measuring the level of user engagement, and a customizable service configured to maximize user engagement. The system may operate in many domains, such as higher education, retail, government, test preparation and certification services, negotiations, and others. More particularly this invention discloses a method for adapting presentations depending on attention, interest, tiredness etc... of students. The learning materials can be presented in different forms depending on the capacity of students to understand the course. For example, if a student is tired then the learning materials can be presented in a simplified form which requires less attention. This invention also suggests other adaptation learning methods depending on the context associated with the user. However, none of these learning methods relates to a travelling context where the available time during which the driver (or passenger) can learn varies.

Summary of the invention

The present invention discloses a system and method for automatically adapting learning materials according to the driver's (or passenger) situation. This is particularly useful for people who spend a significant amount of their time travelling or driving cars.

The present invention is directed to a method, system and computer program as defined in the independent claims. There is provided a method to be executed in a vehicle for providing customized content to a traveller. The method comprises the steps of:

• determining a route and characteristics of said route;

• determining external conditions along the route;

• determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route; • adapting and sequencing content depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route;

• providing to the traveller the adapted and sequenced content along the route.

Further embodiments of the invention are provided in the appended dependent claims.

This invention has many advantages as will be explained further below.

The foregoing, together with other objects, features, and advantages of this invention can be better appreciated with reference to the following specification, claims and drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

The new and inventive features believed characteristics of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative detailed embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a logic view of different components part of the learning/entertainment system according to the present invention.

• Figure 2 is a logic view of the different information systems used by the traffic manager according to the present invention.

• Figure 3 is the Workload Representational Surface of the workload manager according to the present invention.

• Figure 4 is a logic view of the different information systems used by the learning/entertainment system according to the present invention.

• Figure 5 shows the steps of the method according to the present invention.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

Principle of the invention

The present invention discloses a method, system and computer program for dynamically providing to a driver/passenger of a car (or more generally to a traveller) learning or entertainment materials according to traffic conditions and travel plans. The learning system according to the present invention has the capacity to transform itself into different kind of presentations. A summarization system, an audio processing system, biometrics sensors, external traffic sensors and a traffic manager can also be used to adapt the present system to external conditions. An advantage of the present invention is that people who spend a significant amount of time travelling or driving, can advantageously use this time to learn or to listen to stories or music. The learning system according to the present invention can adapt the course of the lesson or lecture depending on the route and traffic conditions and the driver's capacity to assimilate the information (personal condition of the driver). For example, the learning system can :

• select summaries, • play an audio section faster, or

• select a specific chapter.

Let us suppose that the learning system knows that the driver will travel 15 minutes (between his home and work). If the driver requests the learning system to teach him/her French language, the learning system will choose a few new words in French and will play several examples including these words. The number of words and examples is chosen so that this special course will not exceed 15 minutes.

On the another hand, if the learning system knows that a driver will spend one hour on the road, the learning system will decide to teach the driver complex grammatical rules that require longer time and more practice (just enough for one hour). The learning system will present a course so that the driver's distraction and tiredness is minimized. For instance, the learning system can make pauses if the driver is busy (e.g. presses brakes etc.).

In a particular embodiment, the learning system can be informed about traffic lights and can adapt the course to these traffic lights. For instance, the learning system can prepare a quiz when the driver stops at a red traffic light.

Similarly, an entertainment system can tell stories that can be adapted to the route and to the traffic conditions. For example, the entertainment system according to the present invention can read a short story which does not exceeds 15 minutes or a a novel during one hour depending on the expected duration of the travel.

Learning System Figure 1 is a logic view of the Learning System (LS) according to the present invention. The Learning System (LS) 100 receives:

• audio materials 101 ,

• a traffic situation and travel plans 102, and

• data from the car Workload Manager 103. The Learning System delivers in output leaning materials adapted to the driver/passenger and adapted to the expected route and to the traffic conditions. Traffic Manager 102

Figure 2 shows the various systems and information that are used with the Traffic Manager 102 according to the present invention.

The main function of the Traffic Manager is to determine the travel characteristics such as the travel route, the travel duration and the traffic lights. The Route Planner 200 receives:

• the driver's input such as destination and driver's preferences (small roads or high ways) 201 ,

• the updated position of the vehicle through the GPS (Global Positioning System) 202, • the navigation maps 203, and

• the driver travel history 204.

The Route Planner delivers in output information about the travel characteristics (the travel plans) 205 (travel route, travel duration, traffic lights, ...).

The Route Planner 200 is connected to External Sensors 206 reflecting the traffic. The Route Planner delivers in output the traffic situation 207.

The Route Planner 200 uses some particular techniques to estimate the time which is necessary for a car to travel through certain routes. The Route Planner can also determine for instance when the car will reach traffic lights located along the route. The Route Planner can use the routing decision module described in US patent 6,724,320 Basson et al. entitled "System and method for controlling a traffic light" which discloses a system and method for controlling at least one traffic light. The routing decision module selects a street route between the vehicle and the destination, and determines an indication of traffic flow on the street route, and an indication of the number and status of traffic lights along the street route. The system further comprises: • a global positioning system for determining a location of the vehicle; and

• means for communicating the position to the routing decision module.

The Route Planner 200 can make use of US patent 6,919,866 Kanevsky et al. entitled "Vehicular navigation system" which discloses a vehicular navigation system which utilizes an optical arrangement installed in eyeglasses or on the vehicle window or windshield so as to impart improved guiding directions to the vehicle. It describes how a positioning system like the GPS (Global Positioning System) can be correlated with external objects located on a driver planned route and with a navigation map located in a car.

The Route Planner 200 can also make use of US patent application 2001/0001848 Oshizawa et al., entitled "Vehicle Navigation System Providing Traffic Advisories Based on Traffic Information and Learned Route". This US patent discloses an on-board automobile navigation system provides advisory information to the driver based on real-time traffic information and a learned commute route. The system empirically determines a commute route based on historical travel data of the vehicle. The system further receives real-time traffic information via a wireless link. The real-time traffic information may include information relating to traffic accidents, construction, and other traffic problems and the locations of such problems. At power up, the system automatically determines whether the present day and time are within a previously defined commute time window and, if so, prompts the driver to accept or decline a previously defined commute destination. The system automatically receives the real-time traffic information and compares the location information associated with any traffic problems to the commute route. If the system determines that the location of a traffic problem falls on or near the commute route, then the system outputs an appropriate notification to the user and, if possible, computes an alternative route.

The Route Planner 200 can also take advantage of US European patent EP 0 594 495 Marichalar et al., entitled "Driving aid method and device by reception and processing of traffic information" . This European patent discloses a method for assistance with driving for a motor vehicle, based on receiving road information by a radio channel, as well interpretation of it in real time by the driver, characterised, on the one hand, in that the latter simultaneously monitors the choice of a route or of a predefined geographical area and listens to or consults information relating to this route or to this area, and, on the other hand, in that he continuously controls the interpretation, simultaneous or otherwise, of other modes of communication and the corresponding use of common reproduction units.

Car Workload Manager 103 A Workload Manager 103 is described in the publication entitled " Safety Driver Manager" Kanevsky et al. - IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA - SPECOM'2004: 9th Conference, Speech and Computer, St. Petersburg, Russia, September 20-22, 2004, ISCA Archive (http://www.isca-speech.org/archive). This publication addresses some aspects of voice user interface in cars, as a mechanism to increase driver safety.

In the present invention, an object of the Workload Manager 103 is to determine a moment-to-moment analysis of the user's cognitive workload. The Workload Manager • collects data about user conditions,

• monitors local and remote events, and

• prioritizes the delivery of messages.

There is rapid growth in the use of sensor technology in the cars. These sensors :

• allow the monitoring of driver actions (e.g. application of brakes, changing lanes), • provide information about local events (e.g. heavy rain), and

• provide information about driver characteristics (e.g. speaking speed, eyelid status).

Multiples information or events may be disturb the driver (e.g. phone rings, radio, music, e-mail etc.). There is also many actions that a driver can perform in a car by means of voice control systems. The relationship between a driver and a car should be consistent with the information reported from sensors. The Workload Manager must be designed in a way it can correlate sensor information and information (for instance distracting information) delivered to the driver. This can be represented as a "Workload Representational Surface (as shown in Figure 3).

• One axis of the surface represents stress on the vehicle which can be measured using the external sensors input of the traffic conditions and local events (e.g. heavy rain), and • Another orthogonally distinct axis, represents stress on the driver which can be measured using the internal sensors input of the driver actions (e.g. application of brakes, changing lanes), and driver characterstics (e.g. speaking speed, eyelid status).

Values on each axis can be defined between zero to one. A maximum load (beyond which there is an "overload") is represented by the position where there is both a maximum vehicle stress and a maximum driver stress.

Biometric Sensors

Biometric Sensors are used to measure the driver's attention (personal condition of the learner, such as degree of tiredness). An example of a biometric sensor is the image monitor described in US patent 6,792 339 Basson et al. entitled "Artificial passenger with condition sensors" which discloses a situation controller for a vehicle. The situation controller includes a processing device and an image monitor coupled to the processing device, for monitoring images associated with one or more items within the vehicle. The situation controller also includes a device for communicating a message relating to the one or more monitored items wherein the content of the message is determined by the processing device based at least in part on the one or more monitored items. Additionally, a controller coupled to the processing device, for controlling at least one function of the vehicle in response to the one or more monitored items within the vehicle, is included.

The present invention can make use of US patent application US 2003/0097047 entitled "Personalized Driver Stress Prediction Using Geographical Database" Woltermann et al., which discloses a system installed in a motor vehicle for inferring a vehicle operator's stress level from body sensors and from environmental data related to the position and operation of the vehicle. The system functions in a training phase using machine learning techniques to derive a model of an individual operators stress reaction to the environment in which the vehicle is operated and, using the results of this training phase, the system is subsequently used to predict stress levels to be expected when certain traffic conditions are imminent based on a projection of the driver's physiolocial state. The result of this prediction of stress level for the individual driver is used to control or warn the driver with respect to operation and scheduling of attention diverting devices such as cellular phones.

Event Manager The Workload Manager 103 is closely related to the Event Manager 104. The Event Manager detects events and, based on the occurrence of specific events, triggers specific actions and/or make decisions about potential actions.

The Event Manager uses a set of rules for starting and stopping the interactions with the driver (or interventions). It controls the interruption of dialogues between the driver and the car dashboard. For instance, the Event Manager can interrupt a conversation to deliver an urgent message about traffic conditions on the route.

The Even Manager can use the driver's answers and/or data from the Workload Manager 103 to compute for instance how often the driver has correctly answered and the average delay in the answers etc. ... The Event Manager determines the driver's alertness, based on his/her answers and on information provided by the Workload Manager. It takes decisions based on whether or not the driver needs additional stimuli and determines what type of stimuli must be provided (e.g. verbal stimuli via speech applications or physical stimuli such as a bright light, loud noise, etc.).

The Even Manager can also suggest to the driver to stop for rest. The Even Manager permits the use and testing of different statistical models for interpreting the driver's answers and its physical and intellectual condition.

Adapted Leaning Materials 105

The Learning System 100 provides in output the adapted learning materials 105.

Course Planner 106 The Course Planner 106 keeps track of the status of progress of the materials delivered to the driver to prevent repetition or loss of any part of the materials and also to smooth the transition between delivered parts of the materials (e.g. repeat a meaningful segment of an interrupted delivered part of the materials).

Systems used with the Learning System Figure 4 shows the various systems and information that are used with the

Learning/Entertainment System 100 according to the present invention. The system includes the following components:

• A Learning System Manager 400 evaluates data provided by the Traffic Manager component 102 and the Workload Manager 103 and communicates this data to the Course Planner 106.

The Course Planner 106 splits educational materials into segments. Each segment is defined according to a specific intensity and particular characteristics. The Course Planner determines how much attention and time a driver can give to the materials contained in each segment depending on the intensity and characteristics of the segment but also on the traffic conditions (e.g. the segment can be labelled to indicate that it is best being delivered during vehicle stops at a traffic light or when road is straight and speed is fixed).

After having received from the Course Planner 105 these segments, the Learning System Manager 400 decides which methods to use to adapt educational materials contained in each segment. For this, the Learning System Manager 400 uses the services of the Indexing component 403. These adaptation methods can include tools that are described below. These tools either transform educational materials dynamically in real time or use pre-stored variants of the educational materials.

• Summarization tools extract summaries from audio materials 401.

• A system for playing tapes or CDs at different speeds 402 without compromising the audio quality (e.g. playing an audio tape/CD faster and using a speech enhancement technique to provide the same audio quality for speeded-up speech).

• Simplification tools 404 transform learning materials into a simplified form if the driver cannot pay full attention to a presentation at this moment.

• Video Transformation tools 405 display video images (that are related to the learning materials being delivered) to the driver when his/her car is stopped.

Method for adapting learning/entertainment materials

Figure 5 shows the different steps of the method according to the present invention. The method comprises the following steps:

• Step 500 : the traffic manager 102 checks if the driver has explicitly defined his/her route.

• Step 501 : if the driver has explicitly defined his/her route, then the traffic manager 102 tries to estimate the traffic on this route and the characteristics of this route.

• Step 502 : If the driver has not explicitly defined a route, then the traffic manager 102 finds from the driver's history what is the driver's route. Then the system estimates the traffic on this route.

• Step 503 : Once the traffic on the route is estimated, then the workload manager 103 tries to predict the driver's physical and mental conditions along the route (using the driver's profile and history on how the traffic influences the driver's physical and mental conditions - e.g. receptiveness, attention, concentration, tiredness ...).

• Step 504 : The driver's physical and mental conditions along the route are predicted. • Step 505 : If the driver's physical and intellectual conditions along the route cannot be predicted, the driver's physical and mental conditions are detected/measured using previously described Biometric Sensors.

• Step 506 : the learning system through the course planner 106 determines how the educational/entertainment materials must be adapted to the route, to estimated traffic, to external conditions and to the predicted or measured driver's physical and mental conditions.

• Step 507 : the learning system 100 checks if educational/entertainment materials corresponding to the route, to the estimated traffic, to the external conditions and to the driver's conditions already exists.

• Step 508 : if such educational/entertainment materials already exist, the system preferably uses these materials.

• Step 509 : if not such educational/entertainment materials exist, the system dynamically adapts the educational/entertainment materials using the previously described transformation tools :

• Summarization tools 401 to extract summaries from audio materials;

• Tools to play tapes or CDs at different speeds 402 without compromising the audio quality;

• Simplification tools 404 to transform educational/entertainment materials into a simplified form;

• Video Transformation tools 405 to display images to the driver when he/she stops his/her car.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit, and scope of the invention.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A method to be executed in a vehicle for providing customized content to a traveller, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining a route and characteristics of said route;

• determining external conditions along the route;

• determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route;

• adapting and sequencing content depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route; • providing to the traveller the adapted and sequenced content along the route.

2. The method according to the preceding claim wherein said step of determining a route, comprises the step of :

• identifying a route from data provided by the traveller.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of determining a route, comprises the step of:

• determining a route based on routes previously taken by the traveller.

4. The method according to the preceding claim wherein said step of determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route, comprises the step of:

• predicting the traveller's physical and/or mental conditions based on a predefined traveller's profile and based on the characteristics of the route and on an estimated traffic along said route.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said step of determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route, comprises the step of: • measuring along the route the traveller's physical and/or mental conditions by means of one or a plurality of biometric sensors.

6 The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said step of determining external conditions on said route, comprises the step of :

• estimating traffic conditions on said route.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said step of determining external conditions on said route, comprises the step of :

• measuring external conditions and/or detecting external events.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said content comprises learning and/or entertainment materials.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said content comprises audio and/or video materials.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of adapting and sequencing information depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller, comprises the steps of:

• retrieving portions of pre-stored content already adapted to the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the step of adapting and sequencing content depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller, comprises the step of :

• adapting and sequencing the form of the content depending on the characteristics of the route, on the external conditions and on the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller in order to optimize a level of receptiveness of the traveller to the provided content.

12. the method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the steps of determining external conditions along the route, determining physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route, adapting and sequencing content depending on the characteristics of the route, the external conditions and the physical and/or mental conditions of the traveller along the route, are executed in real time.

13. A system comprising means adapted for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 when said computer program is executed on a computer system.