Geospatial data based assessment of driver behavior

• US 10,255,824 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spireon Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spireon Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pearlman, Richard Frank, Walsh, Sean Michael, Schantz, Daris Amon, Gertz, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebersman, Bruce I
• Application Number:
  US13/941,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130302757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,096 Days
• Field of Search: 705 36 R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method of geospatial data based assessment driver behavior to improve driver safety and efficiency is disclosed. A method of a server device may comprise determining that a telemetry data is associated with a vehicle communicatively coupled with the server device and comparing the telemetry data with a driver objective data. A variance between the telemetry data and the driver objective data may then be determined. A performance score may be generated upon comparison of the variance to a threshold limit and/or the driver objective data. The performance score may be published along with other performance scores of other drivers in other vehicles also communicatively coupled with the server device to a reporting dashboard module. Elements of game theory may be implemented to create a team driving challenge and/or a driver performance program to generate the performance score to improve driver safety and efficiency for commercial fleets.

Claims

1. A method for assessing behavior of a driver of a first vehicle in which a GPS tracking module is installed, the method comprising:

(a) a GPS tracking module in the first vehicle collecting vehicle telemetry data comprising vehicle position data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle deceleration data, and vehicle engine idling data;

(b) transmitting the vehicle telemetry data from the GPS tracking module in the first vehicle via a wireless communication network;

(c) receiving the vehicle telemetry data at a server device on which driver objective data resides, the driver objective data comprising speed limit data, route plan data, engine idling duration data, maximum rate of acceleration data, and maximum rate of deceleration data;

(d) the server device determining that the received vehicle telemetry data is associated with the first vehicle;

(e) a processor of the server device making one or more comparisons of the vehicle telemetry data to the driver objective data, comprising;

(e1) the processor of the server device executing instructions to compare the vehicle velocity data to the speed limit data to determine a variance between a velocity of the first vehicle and a posted speed limit at a location of the first vehicle;

(e2) the processor of the server device executing instructions to compare the vehicle position data to the route plan data, thereby determining whether and by how much the geospatial location of the first vehicle has varied from a predetermined route plan;

(e3) the processor of the server device executing instructions to compare the vehicle engine idling data to the engine idling duration data to determine a variance between an engine idling time of the first vehicle and a predetermined engine idling time;

(e4) the processor of the server device executing instructions to compare the vehicle acceleration data to the maximum rate of acceleration data to determine a variance between an acceleration of the first vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of acceleration; and

(e5) the processor of the server device executing instructions to compare the vehicle deceleration data to the maximum rate of deceleration data to determine a variance between a deceleration of the first vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of deceleration;

(f) the processor of the server device determining whether one or more of the variances between the vehicle telemetry data and the driver objective data determined in step (e) are beyond one or more threshold limits for the one or more variances, and for each of the one or more variances that is beyond its corresponding threshold limit, determining a percentage of total time of operation of the first vehicle during which the variance is beyond its threshold limit;

(g) the processor of the server device generating a performance score based on the percentages of the total time of operation of the first vehicle during which the one or more variances are beyond the corresponding threshold limits;

(h) communicating the performance score via the wireless communication network to a user interface screen that is viewable by the driver of the first vehicle; and

(i) displaying the performance score in a dashboard module on the user interface screen for viewing by the driver of the first vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first vehicle is in a fleet of vehicles, the method further comprising:

(j) communicating performance scores generated for other drivers in the fleet of vehicles via the wireless communication network to the user interface screen; and

(k) the user interface screen displaying the performance scores of the other drivers for viewing by the driver of the first vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface screen is disposed in the first vehicle.

4. A system for assessing behavior of drivers of vehicles in a fleet of vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of GPS tracking modules comprising at least one GPS tracking module installed in each vehicle of the fleet, the plurality of GPS tracking modules operable to collect vehicle telemetry data indicative of operational characteristics of vehicles in the fleet of vehicles in which the plurality of GPS tracking modules are installed, the vehicle telemetry data comprising vehicle position data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle deceleration data, and vehicle engine idling data, the plurality of GPS tracking modules further operable to transmit the vehicle telemetry data via a communication network;

a central server device for receiving the vehicle telemetry data from the communication network and determining associations between the vehicle telemetry data and the plurality of GPS tracking modules from which the vehicle telemetry data were transmitted, the central server device comprising;

a storage device for storing driver objective data that comprises speed limit data, route plan data, engine idling duration data, maximum rate of acceleration data, and maximum rate of deceleration data;

at least one processor that makes one or more comparisons of the vehicle telemetry data to the driver objective data, comprising;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle velocity data to the speed limit data to determine a variance between a velocity of the vehicle and a posted speed limit at a location of the vehicle;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle position data to the route plan data to determine whether and by how much the geospatial location of the vehicle has varied from a predetermined route plan;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle engine idling data to the engine idling duration data to determine a variance between an engine idling time of the vehicle and a predetermined engine idling time;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle acceleration data to the maximum rate of acceleration data to determine a variance between an acceleration of the vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of acceleration; and

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle deceleration data to the maximum rate of deceleration data to determine a variance between a deceleration of the vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of deceleration,

the at least one processor operable to determine whether one or more of the variances between the vehicle telemetry data and the driver objective data are beyond one or more threshold limits for the one or more variances, and for each of the one or more variances that is beyond its corresponding threshold limit, determining a percentage of total time of operation of the vehicle during which the variance is beyond its threshold limit;

the at least one processor further operable to generate an individual performance score for each of the plurality of vehicles based on percentages of the total time of operation of each vehicle during which the variances are beyond the corresponding threshold limits,

the central server device operable to communicate the individual performance score for each of the plurality of vehicles via the communication network; and

a plurality of user interface screens deployed throughout the fleet of vehicles for displaying the individual performance scores in a dashboard module on the user interface screens, each user interface screen viewable by an associated one of the drivers in the fleet of vehicles.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each of the user interface screens displays the individual performance scores.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein each of the user interface screens is disposed in a corresponding one of the vehicles in the fleet of vehicles.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the drivers of the vehicles in the fleet are assigned to teams of drivers, and the at least one processor is further operable to generate a team performance score for each team of drivers by combining the individual performance scores of the drivers in the team.

8. A system for assessing behavior of drivers of vehicles in a fleet of vehicles, wherein the drivers of the vehicles in the fleet are assigned to teams of drivers, the system comprising:

a plurality of GPS tracking modules comprising at least one GPS tracking module installed in each vehicle of the fleet, the plurality of GPS tracking modules operable to collect vehicle telemetry data indicative of operational characteristics of vehicles in the fleet of vehicles in which the plurality of GPS tracking modules are installed, the vehicle telemetry data comprising vehicle position data, vehicle velocity data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle deceleration data, and vehicle engine idling data, the plurality of GPS tracking modules further operable to transmit the vehicle telemetry data via a communication network;

a central server device for receiving the vehicle telemetry data from the communication network and determining associations between the vehicle telemetry data and the plurality of GPS tracking modules from which the vehicle telemetry data were transmitted, the central server device comprising;

a storage device for storing driver objective data that comprises speed limit data, route plan data, engine idling duration data, maximum rate of acceleration data, and maximum rate of deceleration data;

at least one processor that makes one or more comparisons of the vehicle telemetry data to the driver objective data, comprising;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle velocity data to the speed limit data to determine a variance between a velocity of the vehicle and a posted speed limit at a location of the vehicle;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle position data to the route plan data to determine whether and by how much the geospatial location of the vehicle has varied from a predetermined route plan;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle engine idling data to the engine idling duration data to determine a variance between an engine idling time of the vehicle and a predetermined engine idling time;

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle acceleration data to the maximum rate of acceleration data to determine a variance between an acceleration of the vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of acceleration; and

the processor executing instructions to compare the vehicle deceleration data to the maximum rate of deceleration data to determine a variance between a deceleration of the vehicle and a predetermined maximum rate of deceleration,

the at least one processor operable to determine whether one or more of the variances between the vehicle telemetry data and the driver objective data are beyond one or more threshold limits for the one or more variances, and for each of the one or more variances that is beyond its corresponding threshold limit, determining a percentage of total time of operation of the vehicle during which the variance is beyond its threshold limit,

the at least one processor further operable to generate an individual performance score for each of the plurality of vehicles based on percentages of the total time of operation of each vehicle during which the variances are beyond the corresponding threshold limits,

the at least one processor further operable to generate a team performance score for each team of drivers based on the individual performance scores of the drivers in the team, and

the central server device operable to communicate the individual performance score for each of the plurality of vehicles and the team performance score via the communication network; and

a plurality of user interface screens deployed throughout the fleet of vehicles for displaying one or more of the individual performance scores and the team performance score, each user interface screen viewable by an associated one of the drivers in the fleet of vehicles.