Fleet operations quality management system

• US 20080077290A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appareo Systems LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Appareo Systems LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohlsen, Tyler Chris, Schubert, Seth Jamin, Weinmann, Robert Vincent, Halvorson, Jacob Andrew, Batcheller, Barry Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• 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: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• 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 low-cost fleet operations quality management system for use with one or more vehicles which includes a data recording unit and separate memory subsystem mounted on each vehicle, a remotely located data collection station to collect, store and pre-process data from multiple vehicles, a centralized data storage and retrieval system designed to accept and assimilate recorded trip data, a web application designed to provide access to and analysis of the recorded trip data, and a graphical software application that can be used to view the recreated trip in a realistic simulated environment.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring vehicle behavior, comprising the steps of:

operating a vehicle over a period of time and that defines a trip;

executing a first storing step comprising storing raw sensor data on a separate remote data storage system mounted on said vehicle, wherein said raw sensor data relates to said trip;

executing a first transmitting step comprising transmitting said raw sensor data on said trip to a data processing device that is located off-vehicle, wherein said first transmitting step in relation to said trip is executed some time after said first storing step has been terminated;

transforming said raw sensor data on said trip into a trip file, wherein said trip file is indicative of a behavior of said vehicle during said trip, and wherein said transforming step is executed by said data processing device after said first transmitting step;

executing a second transmitting step comprising transmitting said trip file from said data processing device to a server, wherein said data processing device and said server are at different locations;

comparing said trip file with a corresponding trip profile stored on said server to identify each deviation in said trip file, wherein said comparing step is executed by said server, and wherein each said deviation is each instance where said trip file fails to comply with said trip profile;

executing a third transmitting step comprising transmitting deviation information on each said deviation to a first location; and

displaying said deviation information on at least some of said deviations at said first location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sensing at least some of said raw sensor data with a remote data recording unit mounted on said vehicle and comprising a processor and a plurality of sensors within a common housing, wherein said plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of accelerometers, a plurality of gyroscopes, and a GPS module; and

executing a fourth transmitting step comprising transmitting said raw sensor data from said remote data recording unit to said remote data storage system for said storing step, wherein an entirety of said fourth transmitting step is executed before initiating said first transmitting step.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said remote data recording unit further comprises a first memory within said housing, wherein said method further comprises the steps of executing a second storing step comprising storing said raw sensor data in said first memory, and retaining said raw sensor data in said first memory at least until a completion of said comparing step.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said processor is a low-end processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first transmitting step comprises a wireless transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote data storage system comprises a portable memory device, and wherein said first transmitting step comprises removing said portable memory device from said remote data storage system, transporting said portable memory device to said data processing device, and operatively interconnecting said portable memory device with said data processing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming step comprises using sensor fusion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming step comprises deriving a first operational parameter using each of first and second techniques and combining an outcome of said first and second techniques.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step comprises using a web application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a three-dimensional representation of said trip file at said first location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of configuring said trip file using a remote access station at said first location and prior to said comparing step.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating said operating step, said first storing step, said first transmitting step, said transforming step, said transmitting said trip file step, said comparing step, said transmitting deviation information step, and said displaying said deviation information step for an entire vehicle fleet that comprises a plurality of said vehicles.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein said sensing step further comprises acquiring an additional amount of said raw sensor data from at least one additional data capturing subsystem.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one additional data capturing subsystem is a video capture subsystem.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one additional data capturing subsystem is a voice recording subsystem.

13. A vehicle behavior monitoring system, comprising:

a remote data recording unit mountable to a vehicle, wherein said remote data recording unit is configured to acquire raw sensor data relating to a trip by the vehicle and to store said raw sensor data at an on-vehicle storage location;

a data processing device located off-vehicle and configured to receive said raw sensor data from said on-vehicle storage location, and further configured to transform said raw sensor data into a trip file;

a server in communication with said data processing device, configured to receive said trip file from said data processing device, and further configured to identify each deviation in said trip file, wherein each said deviation is an instance where said trip file fails to comply with a trip profile stored on said server, and wherein said data processing device and said server are at different locations; and

a remote access station in communication with said server, wherein a listing of each said deviation in said trip file may be viewed at said remote access station.

14. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, wherein said remote data recording unit comprises a processor and a plurality of sensors disposed within a common housing, wherein said plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of accelerometers, a plurality of gyroscopes, and a GPS module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said processor is a low-end processor.

16. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 14, wherein said data recording unit further comprises a first memory within said housing.

17. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a removable memory device in communication with said remote data recording unit, wherein said removable memory device is further operatively interconnectable with said data processing device.

18. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a computer network, wherein said data processing device communicates with said server over said computer network, and wherein said remote access station communicates with said server over said computer network.

19. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a web application, wherein said remote access station communicates with said server through said web application.

20. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a remote data storage system mountable to the vehicle and operatively interconnectable with said remote data recording unit to receive said raw sensor data from said remote data recording unit.

25. The vehicle behavior monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising an additional data capturing subsystem, wherein said additional data capturing subsystem communicates with said remote data recording unit and provides additional trip data not available from said remote data recording unit.

21. A vehicle behavior monitoring system, comprising:

a plurality of vehicles;

a plurality of remote data recording units, wherein each said remote data recording unit is mounted to a separate said vehicle of said plurality of vehicles, and wherein each said remote data recording unit is configured to acquire raw sensor data relating to a trip of its corresponding said vehicle and to store said raw sensor data at an on-vehicle storage location;

a data processing device configured to receive said raw sensor data from said on-vehicle storage location of each said vehicle, and further configured to transform said raw sensor data of each said trip into a separate trip file, wherein said data processing device is located off-vehicle in relation to each of said plurality of vehicles; and

a remote access station, wherein a listing of each deviation associated with each said trip file may be viewed at said remote access station, wherein each said deviation is an instance where said trip file fails to comply with a corresponding trip profile.