Dynamic operator behavior analyzer

• US 10,522,054 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Manci, Lewis H., Swift, Philip W., Waltz, Lucas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saint-Vil, Eddy
• Application Number:
  US15/453,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20170178536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 434219, 434 29- 71
• 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: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

Dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior comprises identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having at least one behavior modification action and at least one performance parameter to evaluate the event against. Monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle is carried out for the event. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, event data is recorded that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event. The recorded event data is evaluated against at least one performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event. A vehicle operator score is updated based upon the evaluation and the updated vehicle operator score is communicated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the process comprising:

identifying a vehicle operator that has logged onto an industrial vehicle;

identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle, the metric having a pre-action trigger that defines when the event is predicted to occur, a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action that corresponds to a desired operator behavior in response to the event;

monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle for the event comprising;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs by detecting industrial vehicle conditions that satisfy the pre-action trigger; and

performing the behavior modification action associated with the identified metric, by a processor on the industrial vehicle, upon predicting that the event will occur and before the event actually occurs; and

in response to detecting an occurrence of the event;

performing;

recording event data that characterizes a response of the vehicle operator to the event;

evaluating the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated the desired operator behavior in response to the event;

communicating to the vehicle operator on the industrial vehicle, a feedback based upon the determined vehicle operator behavior in response to the occurrence of the event;

computing a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation; and

linking the computed vehicle operator score with the vehicle operator that had logged onto the industrial vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the behavior modification action to comprise an instruction on the behavior necessary to comply with the event predicted to occur; and

configuring the feedback to represent a corrective action based upon a comparison of the desired operator behavior and the recorded event data representing the actual detected behavior where the evaluation determines that the operator did not demonstrate the desired behavior.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs comprises using localized relative position feedback to provide an opportunity for the vehicle operator to cure an improper behavior before a remote server is informed that the improper behavior occurred.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

detecting industrial vehicle conditions that satisfy the pre-action trigger comprises;

comparing location tracking information collected from a location tracking device on the industrial vehicle against the pre-action trigger.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the behavior modification action based upon how the vehicle operator responded to previous occurrences of the event.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein communicating to the vehicle operator, a feedback comprises:

determining that the vehicle operator demonstrated an inappropriate behavior for the event; and

providing a message that indicates the behavior that was expected in response to the occurrence of the event.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one inculcating rule that determines whether the vehicle operator is in an inculcating mode or a normal mode for the event;

wherein;

the behavior modification action is implemented for the vehicle operator when in the inculcating mode, and wherein the behavior modification action is suppressed when the vehicle operator is in the normal mode for that event.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs comprises receiving information from a remote server that is used alone or in conjunction with local vehicle extracted information to predict that the event will occur.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning a set of virtual rewards including virtual badges to vehicle operators based upon achievements as determined from the vehicle operator score.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the vehicle operator score against a benchmark; and

presenting the benchmarked score to the operator by displaying the benchmarked score on a display of the industrial vehicle.

11. A computer-implemented process for providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the process comprising:

identifying a vehicle operator that has logged onto an industrial vehicle;

identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle, the metric having a pre-action trigger that defines when the event is predicted to occur, a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action, wherein the event is based, at least in part, upon a condition related to the industrial vehicle itself, a condition external to the vehicle, an action of the vehicle operator, or a combination thereof;

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event;

monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle for the event comprising;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs by detecting industrial vehicle conditions that satisfy the pre-action trigger; and

performing the behavior modification action associated with the identified metric, by a processor on the industrial vehicle, upon predicting that the event will occur and before the event actually occurs, where the determination indicates that the operator has not been inculcated to respond to the event; and

in response to detecting an occurrence of the event, performing;

recording event data that characterizes a response of the vehicle operator to the event;

evaluating the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event;

communicating to the vehicle operator, a feedback based upon the determined vehicle operator behavior in response to the occurrence of the event where the determination indicates that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate the appropriate behavior for the event;

computing a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation; and

linking the computed vehicle operator score with the vehicle operator that had logged onto the industrial vehicle.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

performing the behavior modification action comprises performing the behavior modification action for an event attributable to the vehicle operator, including at least one of;

checklist compliance, proper vehicle dismount, time management, and efficiency of operation.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

performing the behavior modification action comprises performing the behavior modification action for an event attributable to an environmental condition including at least one of;

a speed zone, a required vehicle stop zone, a ramp, and a restricted area.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event comprises;

detecting that the vehicle operator has performed the appropriate behavior for the event a predetermined number of times.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one inculcating rule that determines whether the vehicle operator is in a inculcating mode or a normal mode for the event; and

performing the behavior modification action comprises;

performing the behavior modification action when in the inculcating mode, and wherein the behavior modification action is not implemented in response to occurrences of that event when in the normal mode.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 11 further comprising:

assigning, for the metric, inculcating conditions for determining whether the operator has been inculcated to perform the action.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein the behavior modification action comprises providing a message that indicates an expected behavior in response to the occurrence of the event.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein the behavior modification action comprises a coaching instruction that explains a desired behavior for that event.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 11 further comprising:

determining that the vehicle operator has been inculcated for the event; and

determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate the appropriate behavior for the event;

wherein;

performing the behavior modification action comprises providing a warning message that is different from a coaching message that is utilized when the vehicle operator is not inculcated for the event.

20. A system for providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the system comprising:

an output device;

a processor on an industrial vehicle that communicates with the output device and with native electronic components of the industrial vehicle across a vehicle network bus that is local to the industrial vehicle;

wherein the processor is operatively programmed to;

identify a vehicle operator that has logged onto an industrial vehicle;

identify a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle, the metric having a pre-action trigger that defines when the event is predicted to occur, a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action that defines a desired operator behavior in response to the event;

monitor operation of the industrial vehicle for the event by processing code to;

predict that the event will occur before the event actually occurs by detecting industrial vehicle conditions from information obtained across the vehicle network bus that satisfy the pre-action trigger;

perform the behavior modification action associated with the identified metric upon predicting that the event will occur and before the event actually occurs;

perform, in response to detecting an occurrence of the event;

record event data that characterizes a response of the vehicle operator to the event;

evaluate the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event;

communicate to the vehicle operator on the industrial vehicle, a feedback based upon the determined vehicle operator behavior in response to the occurrence of the event;

compute a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation;

link the computed vehicle operator score with the vehicle operator that had logged onto the industrial vehicle; and

communicate via the output device, the updated vehicle operator score.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a location tracking device that mounts to the industrial vehicle, where the location tracking device provides location information to the processor in order to monitor operation of the industrial vehicle for the event.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify the metric that characterizes the event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle based upon receipt of the metric from a remote server computer.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify the metric that characterizes the event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle as at least one of an impact, battery management, industrial vehicle location, load, and industrial vehicle stability.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the output device comprises at least one of an audible device and a haptic device.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the output device comprises a display device.