System for performing driver and vehicle analysis and alerting

• US 10,204,460 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Eric Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whalen, Michael F
• Application Number:
  US15/200,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for collecting vehicle data from a vehicle engine computer of a vehicle and a plurality of sensors disposed about the vehicle and generating feedbacks for a driver of the vehicle using at least the vehicle data. One or more validation checks may be performed before the feedbacks are provided to the driver.

Claims

1. A system for processing fleet vehicle information and generating feedbacks for drivers of vehicles using at least the fleet vehicle information, the system comprising:

a first vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle fleet, each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles comprising an in-vehicle device, a vehicle engine computer, and an in-vehicle accelerometer, wherein the in-vehicle devices are capable to communicate with respective vehicle engine computers of the plurality of vehicles in the vehicle fleet to access in-vehicle engine data and the in-vehicle device capable to communicate directly with a respective in-vehicle accelerometer; and

a vehicle management system comprising;

a memory device configured to store a first feedback threshold, a location data quality threshold, a channel quality threshold, and an operation data quality threshold; and

a processor comprising digital logic circuitry in communication with the memory device, the processor being configured to;

receive, via a computer network, vehicle data indicative of operations of the plurality of vehicles in the vehicle fleet from the in-vehicle devices while the plurality of vehicles travels on a network of streets in a geographic region, the vehicle data being obtained from the vehicle engine computers of the plurality of vehicles and the in-vehicle accelerometer, which are wired or wireless sensors coupled to a respective vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle data usable to determine a first operation value indicative of a condition and a driver behavior of the first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles while the first vehicle travels on the network of streets;

compare the first operation value to the first feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the first operation value satisfies the first feedback threshold, perform a first validation check at least by;

determining whether a location data quality of location data denoting a location of the first vehicle satisfies the location data quality threshold;

determining whether a channel quality of a first communication channel through which the processor and the first vehicle communicate satisfies the channel quality threshold; and

determining whether an operation value quality of the first operation value satisfies the operation data quality threshold,

in response to determining that the first validation check is passed, generate a first feedback comprising a coaching for a first driver of the first vehicle to improve a driving performance and transmit, via the first communication channel, the first feedback in real-time to a first device disposed in the first vehicle for presentation to the first driver while the first vehicle travels on the network of streets; and

in response to determining that the first validation check is failed, not generate the first feedback or not transmit the first feedback to the first device, wherein the first validation check is failed at least when one or more of;

the location data quality does not satisfy the location data quality threshold, the channel quality does not satisfy the channel quality threshold, and the operation value quality does not satisfy the operation data quality threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data is usable to determine a second operation value indicative of a condition of a second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets, and the processor is configured to:

compare the second operation value to a second feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the second operation value satisfies the second feedback threshold, perform a second validation check;

in response to determining that the second validation check is passed, generate a second feedback for a second driver of the second vehicle and transmit, via a second communication channel, the second feedback in real-time to a second device disposed in the second vehicle for presentation to the second driver while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets; and

in response to determining that the second validation check is failed, not generate the second feedback or not transmit the second feedback to the second device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

perform the first validation check further at least by;

determining whether a road condition of one or more roads of the network of streets on which the first vehicle is traveling satisfies a road condition threshold, and

determining whether an atmospheric condition of an environment around the first vehicle satisfies an atmospheric condition threshold,

wherein the first validation check is failed at least when one or more of;

the road condition does not satisfy the road condition threshold and the atmospheric condition does not satisfy the atmospheric condition threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data is usable to determine a second operation value indicative of a different condition of the first vehicle than the condition while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets, and the processor is configured to:

compare the second operation value to a second feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the second operation value satisfies the second feedback threshold, perform a second validation check;

in response to determining that the second validation check is passed, generate a second feedback for the first driver and transmit, via the first communication channel, the second feedback in real-time to the second device for presentation to the first driver together with the first feedback.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first feedback provides information to the first driver that the first vehicle is experiencing a negative vehicle health condition, and the second feedback provides information to the first driver that the first vehicle is located within a restricted area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a confidence associated with the first feedback from a degree to which one or more of;

the location data quality satisfies the location data quality threshold, the channel quality satisfies the channel quality threshold, and the operation value quality satisfies the operation data quality threshold; and

transmit, via the first communication channel, the confidence in real-time to the first device for presentation to the first driver together with the first feedback.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data, the first communication channel comprises a cellular communications network, and the operation value quality is indicative of a reliability of the first operation value or an accuracy of the first operation value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first operation value comprises a speed of the first vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the first operation value from at least a first value of the vehicle data and a second value of the vehicle data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data comprises the first operation value.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first feedback provides information to the first driver regarding one or more of an acceleration of the first vehicle by the first driver, a braking of the first vehicle by the first driver, and a speeding of the first vehicle by the first driver.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the first feedback, the first device is configured to provide to the first driver an audible alert responsive to the first feedback.

13. A method for processing fleet vehicle information and generating feedbacks for drivers of vehicles using a system comprising a first vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle fleet, each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles comprising an in-vehicle device, a vehicle engine computer, and an in-vehicle accelerometer, wherein the in-vehicle devices are capable to communicate with respective vehicle engine computers of the plurality of vehicles in the vehicle fleet to access in-vehicle engine data and the in-vehicle device capable to communicate directly with a respective in-vehicle accelerometer;

and a vehicle management system, the method comprising;

under controller of a processor comprising digital logic circuitry;

accessing vehicle data by an in-vehicle device through vehicle engine computers and in-vehicle accelerometer;

receiving, via a computer network, the vehicle data indicative of operations of a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle fleet while the plurality of vehicles travels on a network of streets in a geographic region, the vehicle data being obtained from the vehicle engine computers of the plurality of vehicles and the in-vehicle accelerometer, which are wired or wireless sensors coupled to the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle data usable to determine a first operation value indicative of a condition and driver behavior of a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles while the first vehicle travels on the network of streets;

comparing the first operation value to a first feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the first operation value satisfies the first feedback threshold, performing a first validation check at least by;

determining whether a location data quality of location data denoting a location of the first vehicle satisfies a location data quality threshold;

determining whether a channel quality of a first communication channel through which the processor and the first vehicle communicate satisfies a channel quality threshold; and

determining whether an operation value quality of the first operation value satisfies an operation data quality threshold;

in response to determining that the first validation check is passed, generating a first feedback comprising coaching for a first driver of the first vehicle to improve a driving performance and transmitting, via the first communication channel, the first feedback in real-time to a first device disposed in the first vehicle for presentation to the first driver while the first vehicle travels on the network of streets; and

in response to determining that the first validation check is failed, not generating the first feedback or not transmitting the first feedback to the first device,

wherein the first validation check is failed at least when one or more of;

the location data quality does not satisfy the location data quality threshold, the channel quality does not satisfy the channel quality threshold, and the operation value quality does not satisfy the operation data quality threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle data is usable to determine a second operation value indicative of a condition of a second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets, and further comprising:

comparing the second operation value to a second feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the second operation value satisfies the second feedback threshold, performing a second validation check;

in response to determining that the second validation check is passed, generating a second feedback for a second driver of the second vehicle and transmitting, via a second communication channel, the second feedback in real-time to a second device disposed in the second vehicle for presentation to the second driver while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets; and

in response to determining that the second validation check is failed, not generating the second feedback or not transmitting the second feedback to the second device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle data is usable to determine a second operation value indicative of a different condition of the first vehicle than the condition while the second vehicle travels on the network of streets, and further comprising:

comparing the second operation value to a second feedback threshold;

in response to determining that the second operation value satisfies the second feedback threshold, performing a second validation check;

in response to determining that the second validation check is passed, generating a second feedback for the first driver and transmitting, via the first communication channel, the second feedback in real-time to the second device for presentation to the first driver together with the first feedback.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first feedback provides information to the first driver that the first vehicle is experiencing a negative vehicle health condition, and the second feedback provides information to the first driver that the first vehicle is located within a restricted area.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a confidence associated with the first feedback from a degree to which one or more of;

the location data quality satisfies the location data quality threshold, the channel quality satisfies the channel quality threshold, and the operation value quality satisfies the operation data quality threshold; and

transmitting, via the first communication channel, the confidence in real-time to the first device for presentation to the first driver together with the first feedback.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the location data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data, the first communication channel comprises a cellular communications network, and the operation value quality is indicative of a reliability of the first operation value or an accuracy of the first operation value.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first operation value comprises a speed of the first vehicle.