Method and apparatus for monitoring driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle

• US 10,196,071 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsara, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samsara Networks, Inc. (Samsara, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowson, James Michael, Bicket, John, Dellamaria, Bodecker John
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Isaac G
• Application Number:
  US15/854,522
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 70, 701410
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/12 Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically monitoring driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle, are described. Information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles is received. One or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds are determined based at least in part on a first fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a first portion of a route. The first fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads. The driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is caused to be monitored during the first portion of the route based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds.

Claims

1. A method in a management server device of automatically monitoring driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles;

determining one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a first fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a first portion of a route, wherein the first fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads;

determining data indicative of a first state of the vehicle;

determining based on the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route, causing an electronic device to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle during the first portion of the route based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first message for the driver based on the first fragility indicator, wherein the first message includes a description of a fragility of the load that is to be transported during the first portion of the route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the management server device is part of a fleet management system located in the cloud, and the determining the data indicative of a first state of the vehicle includes:

receiving, from a gateway device located on the vehicle, the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle; and

wherein the causing the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored includes;

transmitting the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds to the gateway device, and

causing the gateway device to monitor the driving behavior of the driver based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds and based on one or more sensor measurements indicating one or more current values of one or more first driving behavior parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a second fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a second portion of the route, wherein the second fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads; and

causing the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored during the second portion of the route based on the one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining data indicative of a second state of the vehicle; and

determining based on the data indicative of the second state of the vehicle that the vehicle has completed the first portion of the route.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles includes the first fragility indicator and the second fragility indicator that is different than the first fragility indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes:

determining one or more first harsh driving event thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds and includes to;

determine whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first harsh driving event threshold from the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first harsh driving event threshold, trigger an alert for a supervisor of the driver of the vehicle indicating that a harsh driving event is detected during the first portion of the route.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes:

determining one or more first warning thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first warning thresholds and includes;

determining whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first warning threshold from the one or more first warning thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first warning threshold, triggering an alert for the driver of the vehicle.

9. A management server device located in the cloud for automatically monitoring driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle, the management server device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to store instructions; and

a processor coupled with the non-transitory computer readable storage medium to process the stored instructions to;

receive information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles,

determine one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a first fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a first portion of a route, wherein the first fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads,

determine data indicative of a first state of the vehicle;

determine based on the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route, cause an electronic device to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle during the first portion of the route based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds.

10. The management server device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

determine a first message for the driver based on the first fragility indicator, wherein the first message includes a description of a fragility of the load that is to be transported during the first portion of the route.

11. The management server device of claim 9, wherein:

to determine the data indicative of a first state of the vehicle includes to;

receive, from a gateway device located on the vehicle, the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle; and

to cause the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored includes to;

transmit the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds to the gateway device, and

cause the gateway device to monitor the driving behavior of the driver based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds and based on one or more sensor measurements indicating one or more current values of one or more first driving behavior parameters.

12. The management server device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

determine one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a second fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a second portion of the route, wherein the second fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads; and

cause the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored during the second portion of the route based on the one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds.

13. The management server device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further to:

determine data indicative of a second state of the vehicle; and

determine based on the data indicative of the second state of the vehicle that the vehicle has completed the first portion of the route.

14. The management server device of claim 12, wherein the information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles includes the first fragility indicator and the second fragility indicator that is different than the first fragility indicator.

15. The management server device of claim 9, wherein to determine the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes to:

determine one or more first harsh driving event thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds and includes to;

determine whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first harsh driving event threshold from the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first harsh driving event threshold, trigger an alert for a supervisor of the driver of the vehicle indicating that a harsh driving event is detected during the first portion of the route.

16. The management server device of claim 9, wherein to determine the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes to:

determine one or more first warning thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first warning thresholds and includes to;

determine whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first warning threshold from the one or more first warning thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first warning threshold, trigger an alert for the driver of the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a processor of a management server device located in the cloud, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles;

determining one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a first fragility indicator of a load to be transported by a vehicle during a first portion of a route, wherein the first fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads;

determining data indicative of a first state of the vehicle;

determining based on the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is to start the first portion of the route, causing an electronic device to monitor the driving behavior of a driver of the vehicle during the first portion of the route based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a first message for the driver based on the first fragility indicator, wherein the first message includes a description of a fragility of the load that is to be transported during the first portion of the route.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the management server device is part of a fleet management system located in the cloud, and the determining the data indicative of a first state of the vehicle includes:

receiving, from a gateway device located on the vehicle, the data indicative of the first state of the vehicle; and

wherein causing the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored includes;

transmitting the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds to the gateway device, and

causing the gateway device to monitor the driving behavior of the driver based on the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds and based on one or more sensor measurements indicating one or more current values of one or more first driving behavior parameters.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds based at least in part on a second fragility indicator of a load to be transported by the vehicle during a second portion of the route, wherein the second fragility indicator is determined at least in part based on the information pertaining to the one or more loads; and

causing the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle to be monitored during the second portion of the route based on the one or more second driving behavior parameter thresholds.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining data indicative of a second state of the vehicle; and

determining based on the data indicative of the second state of the vehicle that the vehicle has completed the first portion of the route.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the information pertaining to one or more loads to be transported by vehicles includes the first fragility indicator and the second fragility indicator that is different than the first fragility indicator.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes:

determining one or more first harsh driving event thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds and includes to;

determine whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first harsh driving event threshold from the one or more first harsh driving event thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first harsh driving event threshold, trigger an alert for a supervisor of the driver of the vehicle indicating that a harsh driving event is detected during the first portion of the route.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining the one or more first driving behavior parameter thresholds includes:

determining one or more first warning thresholds for the first portion of the route; and

wherein to monitor the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is performed at least in part based on the one or more first warning thresholds and includes;

determining whether a current value of a first driving behavior parameter is greater than a first warning threshold from the one or more first warning thresholds, and

responsive to determining that the current value of the first driving behavior parameter is greater than the first warning threshold, triggering an alert for the driver of the vehicle.