Methods and apparatuses to provide geofence-based reportable estimates

• US 10,339,724 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, George
• Application Number:
  US13/472,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11, 705 735, 705330-336, 705412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• 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 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for estimating taxes. In one embodiment, the location of a vehicle can be monitored by a variety of computing entities. By using the vehicle'"'"'s location, it can be determined when the vehicle enters and/or exits defined geofences. After a determination that the vehicle has entered or exited a defined geofenced area, telematics data can be collected and used to estimate taxes, such as road use taxes and fuel use taxes.

Claims

1. A method for recording telematics data for a vehicle based one or more geofences and updating an electronic map, the method comprising:

receiving, at a monitoring server, an indication, via a vehicle sensor, of an initiation of an ignition of the vehicle;

detecting, by a fuel sensor positioned within a fuel tank of the vehicle, a first fuel amount, wherein the fuel sensor sends the first fuel amount to the monitoring server to store as a first electronic record in a database of the monitoring server;

automatically monitoring, by a global positioning system located within the vehicle, location of the vehicle, as the vehicle travels at least one travel path;

wherein the global positioning system sensor determines when the vehicle enters or exits one or more geofenced areas during one or more time periods and the one or more geofenced areas are stored in the databased of the monitoring system;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has entered a first geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on first geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the fuel sensor, second fuel data indicating a second fuel amount, of the fuel tank of the vehicle, to be stored as a second electronic record in the database of the monitoring server, the first geofenced area comprising a non-public traversable area;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited the first geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on second geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the fuel sensor, third fuel data indicating a third fuel amount, of the fuel tank of the vehicle, to be stored as a third electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has entered a second geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on third geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the fuel sensor, fourth fuel data indicating a fourth fuel amount, of the fuel tank of the vehicle, to be stored as a fourth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server, the second geofenced area comprising a public traversable area;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited a second geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on fourth geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the fuel sensor, fifth fuel data indicating a fifth fuel amount of the fuel tank of the vehicle, to be stored as a fifth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

receiving, at the monitoring server, an indication, via the vehicle sensor, of a termination of the ignition of the vehicle;

detecting, by the fuel sensor, sixth fuel data indicating a sixth fuel amount, of the fuel tank of the vehicle, to be stored as a sixth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

providing, by the fuel sensor, the first fuel data, the second fuel data, the third fuel data, the fourth fuel data, the fifth fuel data, and the sixth fuel data to the monitoring server for processing;

determining, by the monitoring server, a non-public traversed area amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle while operated (a) during the one or more time periods and (b) within the first geofenced area, wherein the non-public traversed area amount of fuel is determined based on the second and the third fuel data;

determining, by the monitoring server, a public traversed area amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle while operated within (a) the one or more time periods, and (b) the second geofenced area, wherein the public traversed area amount of fuel is determined based on the fourth and the fifth fuel data;

determining, by the monitoring server, a total amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the one or more time period based on the non-public traversed area amount of fuel and the public traversed area amount of fuel;

determining, by the monitoring server, a reportable amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the one or more time periods, wherein determining the reportable amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during the one or more time periods comprises (a) excluding the non-public traversed area amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle within the first geofenced area from the total amount of fuel and (b) including the public traversed area amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle within the second geofenced area with the total amount of fuel;

generating, by the monitoring server, a trip record for display via a display device, wherein the trip record includes at least the total amount of fuel, the reportable amount of fuel and a total distanced traveled in the first geofenced area and the second geofenced area;

determining, by the monitoring server, that the at least one travel path traveled by the vehicle is not plotted, or is incorrectly plotted, in a previously generated electronic map of a geographic area comprising the first geofenced area and the second geofenced area based on travel path detected by the global positioning system sensor of the vehicle; and

plotting, by the monitoring server, the at least one travel path and corresponding geolocations associated with the travel path, in the geographic area, to update and save the electronic map in the monitoring server for display via the display device.

2. A method for recording telematics data for a vehicle based one or more geofences and updating an electronic map, the method comprising:

receiving, at a monitoring server, an indication, via a vehicle sensor, of an initiation of an ignition of the vehicle;

detecting, by a global positioning system sensor positioned within the vehicle, a first distance data, wherein the global positioning system sensor sends the first distance data to the monitoring server to store as a first electronic record in a database of the monitoring server;

automatically monitoring, by a global positioning system, location of the vehicle, based on location data detected by the global positioning system sensor, as the vehicle travels at least one travel path;

wherein the global positioning system sensor determines when the vehicle enters or exits one or more geofenced areas during one or more time periods and the one or more geofenced areas are stored in the databased of the monitoring system;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has entered a first geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on first geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the global positioning system sensor, second distance data indicating a detected number of miles traveled by the vehicle within the first geofenced area, to be stored as a second electronic record in the database of the monitoring server, the first geofenced area comprising a non-public traversable area;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited the first geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on second geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the global positioning system sensor, third distance data, indicating a detected number of miles traveled by the vehicle upon exiting the first geofenced area, to be stored as a third electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has entered a second geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on third geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the global positioning system sensor, fourth distance data, indicating a detected number of miles traveled by the vehicle within the second geofenced area, to be stored as a fourth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server, the second geofenced area comprising a public traversable area;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited a second geofenced area of the one or more geofenced areas based at least in part on fourth geo-coordinates detected by the global positioning system sensor during the one or more time periods, automatically detecting, by the global positioning system sensor, fifth distance data, indicating a detected number of miles traveled by the vehicle upon exiting the second geofenced area, to be stored as a fifth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

receiving, at the monitoring server, an indication, via the vehicle sensor, of a termination of the ignition of the vehicle;

detecting, by the global positioning system sensor, sixth distance data, indicating a detected number of miles traveled by the vehicle upon the termination of the ignition, to be stored as a sixth electronic record in the database of the monitoring server;

providing, by the global positioning system sensor, the first distance data, the second distance data, the third distance data, the fourth distance data, the fifth distance data, and the sixth distance data to the monitoring server for processing;

determining, by the monitoring server, a non-public traversed area distance traversed by the vehicle while operated (a) during the one or more time periods and (b) within the first geofenced area, wherein the non-public traversed area distance traversed is determined based on the second and the third distance data;

determining, by the monitoring server, a public traversed area distance traversed by the vehicle while operated within (a) the one or more time periods, and (b) the second geofenced area, wherein the public traversed area distance traversed is determined based on the fourth and the fifth distance data;

determining, by the monitoring server, a total distance traversed by the vehicle during the one or more time period based on the non-public traversed area distance traversed and the public traversed area distance traversed;

determining, by the monitoring server, a reportable distance traversed by the vehicle during the one or more time periods, wherein determining the reportable distance traversed by the vehicle during the one or more time periods comprises (a) excluding the non-public traversed area distance traversed by the vehicle within the first geofenced area from the total distance traversed and (b) including the public traversed area distance traversed by the vehicle within the second geofenced area in the total distance traversed;

generating, by the monitoring server, a trip record for display via a display device, wherein the trip record includes at least a total amount of fuel consumed, the reportable distance traversed and a total distanced traveled in the first geofenced area and the second geofenced area;

determining, by the monitoring server, that the at least one travel path traveled by the vehicle is not plotted, or is incorrectly plotted, in a previously generated electronic map of a geographic area comprising the first geofenced area and the second geofenced area based on travel path detected by the global positioning system sensor of the vehicle; and

plotting, by the monitoring server, the at least one travel path and corresponding geolocations associated with the travel path, in the geographic area, to update and save the electronic map in the monitoring server for display via the display device.