Dynamic window vehicle tracking method

• US 20050154626A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Transx Limited (Canadian National Railway Company)
• Original Assignee: Transx Limited (Canadian National Railway Company)
• Inventors: Jones, Mike
• Application Number:
  US10/753,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154626A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Described herein is a shipment schedule tracking system which locates, tracks and estimates the arrival time of a shipment to its destination based on a plurality of factors. If this projected arrival time differs from the expected arrival time by a variable threshold value which is determined by the distance remaining to the destination, an alert is forwarded to the dispatch office so that appropriate steps can be taken.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the schedule of a shipping vehicle, said shipping vehicle having a shipment delivery time at a destination, said system comprising:

a shipment terminal within the shipping vehicle, said shipment terminal comprising;

an input device for entering data;

an output device for displaying alerts;

a locator for determining a current location of the shipping vehicle; and

a compiler for determining estimated time of arrival at the destination based on the current location;

a dispatch terminal arranged to compare the shipment delivery time, the estimated delivery time and the distance from the current location to the destination and determine if the shipment will be late; and

a communications link connecting the dispatch terminal and the shipment terminal for communication therebetween.

2. A method of determining if a shipment on a shipping vehicle will be delayed comprising:

providing a shipment delivery time for a shipment at a destination;

determining the current position of the shipment;

calculating the distance between the current position and the destination;

determining a dynamic window of acceptable location for the shipment based on the scheduled location of the shipment and the distance to the destination; and

notifying a dispatch office if the current position of the shipment is outside said window.