Fleet vehicle management systems and methods

• US 10,255,575 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XRS Corporation (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: XRS Corporation (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Warkentin, Colin D., Kalirai, Rakinder, Sekula, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rotaru, Octavian
• Application Number:
  US14/071,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20140058802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Some embodiments of a system for communicating vehicle information can provide equipment for use inside a fleet vehicle to facilitate prompt and efficient transfer of vehicle and driver information. In particular embodiments, the system may include an electronic onboard recorder mountable in a vehicle and a mobile communication device that is configured to wireless communication with the electronic onboard recorder.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an electronic onboard recorder mounted to a vehicle and comprising;

control circuitry configured to detect one or more protocols and to automatically adapt to the detected one or more protocols to communicate with an engine control module of the vehicle to gather vehicle usage data during operation of the vehicle; and

a first short-range wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate the vehicle usage information to a mobile device; and

the mobile device configured to generate hours of service information based on at least some of the vehicle usage information, the mobile device comprising;

a second short-range wireless communication device configured to;

wirelessly receive the vehicle usage information from the electronic onboard recorder when the mobile device is positioned inside the vehicle or when the mobile device is positioned in proximity to the vehicle; and

transfer, in response to a command received by the mobile device, a copy of the hours of service information to the electronic onboard recorder when the mobile device is positioned inside the vehicle or when the mobile device is positioned in proximity to the vehicle;

a computer-readable memory to store at least some of the vehicle usage from the electronic onboard recorder; and

a wireless communication transceiver configured to provide a wireless communication link with a remote system and to transfer at least some of the vehicle usage data to the remote system via the wireless communication link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device further comprises a user interface display configured to display hours of service information, the hours of service information being updated in response to wirelessly receiving the vehicle usage information from the electronic onboard recorder.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the first short-range wireless communication device of the electronic onboard recorder and the second short-range wireless communication of the mobile device include Bluetooth wireless communication device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder further includes a data connection port configured to removably receive a portable storage device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder further includes a data connection port configured to removably receive a data cable of a remote computer device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder comprises a connector to mate with the engine control module of the vehicle, wherein the electronic onboard recorder comprises a memory, different from the computer-readable memory, that stores vehicle data in response to signals from the engine control module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder is configured to simultaneously communicate via multiple protocols of at least one engine control module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder houses one or more accelerometers configured to detect movements of the vehicle, wherein the electronic onboard recorder is configured to transfer data from the one or more accelerometers to the mobile device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic onboard recorder houses a GPS receiver to receive location signals from at least one GPS satellite, wherein the electronic onboard recorder is configured to transfer location signals data from the GPS receiver to the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hours of service information includes identification information for the driver and hours of service information for the driver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the hours of service information for a driver of the vehicle includes at least off duty status, on duty status and driving status.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a short-range wireless communication device configured to;

wirelessly receive vehicle data from an electronic onboard recorder when the mobile device is positioned inside a vehicle or when the mobile device is positioned proximate to the vehicle, wherein the electronic onboard recorder provides a connection to the vehicle for gathering the vehicle data during operation of the vehicle, wherein the electronic onboard recorder is in communication with an engine control module of the vehicle and automatically adapts to one or more detected types of communication protocols employed by the engine control module; and

transmit, to the electronic onboard recorder, a copy of a hours of service information generated by the mobile device, the hours of service information based on at least some of the vehicle usage data;

a computer-readable memory to store at least some of the vehicle data gathered during operation of the vehicle; and

a wireless communication transceiver configured to provide a wireless communication link with a remote system and to transfer at least some of the vehicle data gathered during operation of the vehicle to the remote system via the wireless communication link.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a user interface to display hours of service information, the hours of service information being updated in response to wirelessly receiving vehicle usage information from the electronic onboard recorder.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless communication device includes a Bluetooth wireless communication device.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive accelerometer data produced by one or more accelerometers of the electronic onboard recorder.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive location signals data produced by a GPS receiver in the electronic onboard recorder.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the hours of service information includes identification information for the driver and hours of service information for the driver.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the hours of service information for a driver of the vehicle includes at least off duty status, on duty status and driving status.

19. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, at a mobile device, vehicle usage information from an electronic onboard recorder mounted to a vehicle and having a connection to the vehicle for gathering vehicle data during operation of the vehicle, wherein the electronic onboard recorder is in communication with an engine control module of the vehicle and automatically adapts to one or more detected types of communication protocols employed by the engine control module;

transmitting, to the electronic onboard recorder, a copy of a hours of service information generated by the mobile device, the hours of service information based on at least some of the vehicle usage data;

storing, in a computer-readable memory of the mobile device, at least some of the vehicle data gathered during operation of the vehicle, the vehicle data gathered during operation of the vehicle including hours of service information for a driver of the vehicle; and

transferring, with a wireless communication device of the mobile device, the vehicle usage information from the mobile device to a remote system via a wireless communication link with the remote system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a representation of the hours of service information for the driver of the vehicle on a display device of a user interface of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving, by the mobile device, accelerometer data produced by one or more accelerometers of the electronic onboard recorder.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving, by the mobile device, location signals data produced by a GPS receiver in the electronic onboard recorder.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the hours of service information includes identification information for the driver and hours of service information for the driver.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the hours of service information for a driver of the vehicle includes at least off duty status, on duty status and driving status.