Vehicle data logging systems

• US 20060089789A1
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Derrick Arthur Bishop
• Original Assignee: Derrick Arthur Bishop
• Inventors: Bishop, Derrick Arthur
• Application Number:
  US10/502,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089789A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• 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

A data logging system for recording data on the usage of a vehicle operating from a station includes a responder (10) for location near a gateway (56) of the station, and a data logger (20) for location in the vehicle; the responder (10) including a vehicle detector (11) for detecting movement of a vehicle, and a transmitter (12) to transmit an identification signal (13) identifying the responder (10); the data logger (20) including a receiver (21) for receiving the identification signal, and a memory (22) to record responder identification data. The vehicle detector (10) may be a magnetometer to detect changes in magnetic field strength as a vehicle moves nearby. The data logger (20) may include a compass (41) to provide an indication of direction of travel and a vehicle operation sensor (47) or vehicle occupant sensor.

Claims

1. A data logging system for recording data relating to the usage of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles operating from one or more stations, the data logging system comprising a responder for location in the vicinity of a gateway Of one of the stations, and one or more data loggers for respective location in or on the vehicles;

wherein the responder comprises

a vehicle detector for detecting movement of a vehicle nearby,

and a transmitter configured to transmit an identification signal identifying the responder following an output from the vehicle detector;

and each of the one or more data loggers comprises

a logger receiver for receiving the identification signal,

and a memory;

and associated with each of the one or more vehicles a device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation and/or a device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied to provide vehicle usage data;

the memory configured to record responder identification data derived from the received identification signal and to record the vehicle usage data.

2. The data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation and/or the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied is part of the respective data logger.

3. The data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation and/or the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied is operably connected to the respective data logger.

4. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to respond to output from the vehicle detector by transmitting the identification signal identifying the responder upon detection of a vehicle movement.

5. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to respond to output from the vehicle detector by transmitting an interrogation signal upon detection of a vehicle movement, and the responder further comprises a receiver for receiving a response to the interrogation signal, the transmitter also configured to respond to output from the receiver by transmitting the identification signal identifying the responder upon receipt of a response to the interrogation signal by the receiver;

and the logger receiver of each of the one or more data loggers is configured to receive the interrogation signal, each of the one or more data loggers further comprising a logger transmitter configured to respond to output from the logger receiver by transmitting a response signal upon receipt of the interrogation signal by the logger receiver.

6. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle detector comprises a magnetometer that is sensitive to changes in the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field.

7. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more data loggers includes a compass which is sensitive to the direction of travel of the respective vehicle for providing an indication of whether the detected vehicle is entering or leaving the station, the indication being recorded with the identification data in the memory.

8. A data logging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the compass comprises a magnetometer.

9. A data logging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transmitter of the responder is configured to transmit a directional code which indicates an approximate bearing at which a vehicle must be travelling to be entering or leaving the station.

10. A data logging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the one or more data loggers is configured to determine, based on the bearing on its compass and the directional code received from the responder, whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station.

12. A data logging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a directional code associated with each responder is recorded in the memory of each of the one or more data loggers, and upon receipt of the identification signal from the responder, the respective data logger is configured to determine, based on the bearing on its compass and the directional code stored in its memory, whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station.

13. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more data loggers includes a real time clock for providing time code signals which are recorded in the memory.

14. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation comprises a vehicle operation detector for providing an indication of whether the vehicle is being operated, the vehicle operation indication being recorded in the memory.

18. A data logging system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vehicle operation detector comprises a magnetometer which is sensitive to changes in magnetic field strengths as the vehicle moves.

20. A data logging system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the magnetometer also functions as a compass which is sensitive to the direction of travel of the respective vehicle for providing an indication of whether the detected vehicle is entering or leaving the station, the indication being recorded with the identification data in the memory.

22. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied comprises a vehicle occupant detector for providing an indication of whether the vehicle is occupied by a driver, the vehicle occupant indication being recorded in the memory.

24. A data logging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the responder is programmable with a delayed start to conserve power and minimise RF traffic.

11. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. A responder for use in a data logging system for recording data relating to the usage of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles operating from a station, comprising:

a magnetometer which is sensitive to changes in the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field for detecting movement of a vehicle nearby; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an identification signal identifying the responder following output from the magnetometer.

26. A responder as claimed in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is configured to respond to output from the vehicle detector by transmitting the identification signal identifying the responder upon detection of a vehicle movement.

27. A responder as claimed in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is configured to respond to output from the vehicle detector by transmitting an interrogation signal upon detection of a vehicle movement, and the responder further comprises a receiver for receiving a response to the interrogation signal, the transmitter also configured to respond to output from the receiver by transmitting the identification signal identifying the responder upon receipt of a response to the interrogation signal by the receiver.

28. A responder as claimed in claim 25, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a directional code which indicates an approximate bearing at which a vehicle must be travelling to be entering or leaving the station.

29. A responder as claimed in claim 25, comprising a housing having a mounting part which is attachable to a support surface, the magnetometer mounted within the housing at an angle which is adjustable relative to the mounting part to maintain the magnetometer in a substantially horizontal configuration.

30. A responder as claimed in claim 25 and comprising a housing having a mounting part which is attachable to a support surface, and further comprising one or more solar cells for charging a storage device which powers the responder, the angle of the solar cell(s) being adjustable relative to the mounting part.

31. A data logger For recording data relating to the usage of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles operating from one or more stations, comprising:

a logger receiver for receiving an identification signal;

a compass which is sensitive to the direction of travel of the vehicle for providing an indication of whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station; and

a memory configured to record identification data derived from the received identification signal and data derived from the indication of whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station.

32. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, wherein the compass comprises a magnetometer.

33. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a directional code from a responder which indicates an approximate bearing at which a vehicle must be travelling to be cntering or leaving the station, and the data logger is configured to determine, based on the bearing on its compass and the directional code received from the responder, whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station.

35. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, wherein a directional code associated with each responder is stored in the memory of the data logger, and upon receipt of the identification signal from the responder the data logger is configured to determine, based on the bearing on its compass and the directional code stored in its memory, whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station.

36. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, including a real time clock for providing time code signals which are recorded in the memory.

37. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, comprising or in combination with a device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation and/or a device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied to provide vehicle usage data, the memory configured to record the vehicle usage data.

38. A data logger as claimed in claim 37, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is in operation comprises a vehicle operation detector for providing an indication of whether the vehicle is being operated, the vehicle operation indication being recorded in the memory.

42. A data logger as claimed in claim 38, wherein the vehicle operation detector comprises a magnetometer which is sensitive to changes in magnetic field strengths as the vehicle moves.

44. A data logger as claimed in claim 42, wherein the magnetometer also functions as a compass which is sensitive to the direction of travel of the respective vehicle for providing an indication of whether the detected vehicle is entering or leaving the station, the indication being recorded with the identification data in the memory.

46. A data logger as claimed in claim 37, wherein the device configured to indicate when the vehicle is occupied comprises a vehicle occupant detector for providing an indication of whether the vehicle is occupied by a driver, the vehicle occupant indication being recorded in the memory.

47. A data logger as claimed in claim 31, comprising a mounting part for mounting in a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle to power the data logger.

48. A data logger as claimed in claim 47, including a mechanical locking mechanism to selectively lock the mounting part in the cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle.

50. A data logger as claimed in claim 47, wherein the data logger comprises a cigarette lighter socket so that another device can draw power from the data logger when it is plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle.

34. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

51. A data logger for recording data relating to the usage of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles operating from one or more stations, comprising:

a housing having a mounting part for receipt in a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle for powering the data logger;

and mounted within the housing a logger receiver for receiving an identification signal and a memory configured to record identification data derived from the received identification signal and the indication of whether the vehicle is entering or leaving the station;

the housing comprising a cigarette lighter socket for receipt of another device requiring power when the data logger is plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle.

52. A data logger as claimed in claim 51, comprising a mechanical locking mechanism to selectively lock the mounting in the cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle.

53. A data logger as claimed in claim 52, wherein the mechanical locking mechanism comprises one or more retractable barbs which are engageable with the interior of the lighter socket of the vehicle.

54. A data logger as claimed in claim 53, wherein the barb(s) is/are pivotally mounted to a mounting member, which is mounted on a rotatable threaded member such that rotation of the threaded member results in movement of the mounting member and thereby movement of the barb(s).

55. A data logger as claimed in claim 54, comprising an adjusting head operably connected to the threaded member, such that rotation of the head results in rotation of the threaded member.

57. A data logger as claimed in claim 51, wherein the angle between the mounting part and the remainder of the housing is adjustable.

56. (canceled)