Method and system for geolocation assisted operations management

• US 20080163231A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breen, Thomas Bernard, Phelan, James Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/646,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163231A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Provided are a method and system for providing a resource to a geolocated asset in need of the resource, comprising providing data of one or more providers of the resource including the location of the providers; determining that the asset needs the resource; locating the asset using the telematics device; correlating the asset location with the resource provider locations to determine a select resource provider; arranging for the asset to rendezvous with the select resource provider; and providing the resource to the asset.

Claims

1. A method of providing a resource to an asset having a geolocating telematics device, the method comprising:

providing data of one or more providers of the resource, the data comprising the location of the providers;

determining that the asset needs the resource;

locating the asset using the telematics device;

correlating the asset location with the resource provider locations to determine a select resource provider;

arranging for the asset to rendezvous with the select resource provider; and

providing the resource to the asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the asset needs the resource comprises:

receiving data from a sensor that senses a parameter of the asset;

comparing the received sensor data with a threshold value; and

determining that the asset needs the resource when the received sensor data crosses the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensed asset parameter is one of the group consisting of:

fluid level, pressure, weight, volume, voltage, current, resistance, physical contact, electrical contact, temperature, vibration, noise, shock, angle, acceleration, and deceleration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the needed resource is one of the group consisting of:

fuel in a tank, air in a tire, coolant in a cooling system, lamp replacement, tire repair, axle repair, and unscheduled maintenance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset'"'"'s need for the resource is time dependent, and the step of determining the asset needs the resource comprises:

storing time dependent resource needs

keeping track of the passage of time; and

determining that the asset needs the resource occurs upon one of;

the occurrence of an event

the lapse of a certain amount of time since a past event; and

the approach within a certain amount of time to future event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the needed resource is one of the group consisting of:

a license issuance, a license renewal, a tag issuance, a tag renewal, a scheduled inspection, and the performance of scheduled maintenance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geolocating telematics device determines the location of the asset using at least one of satellite signals and terrestrial signals of a geolocation system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the asset location with the resource provider occurs by the asset detecting a geofence associated with the resource provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the asset location with the resource provider is performed by a processor at a central station.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the locating the asset step,

notifying a central station of the asset'"'"'s location and that the asset needs a resource.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of arranging for the rendezvous comprises:

determining a preferred rendezvous location; and

directing at least one of the resource and the asset to the preferred rendezvous location.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after the providing the resource step,

confirming to the central station that the asset has received the resource.

13. A system for providing a resource to an asset, the system comprising:

a geolocating telematics device operatively associated with the asset for determining the location of the asset using a geolocating system;

a data storage device for storing data of one or more providers of the resource, the data comprising locations of the providers;

a resource need indicator, for indicating that the asset needs the resource;

a location correlator operatively associated with the telematics device, the data storage device, and the resource need indicator, for receiving the resource need indication and correlating the asset location with the resource provider locations and selecting a preferred resource provider; and

a communication device operatively associated with the location correlator for communicating an instruction to at least one of the asset and the resource provider to rendezvous with the other of the asset and the resource provider so that the asset can be provided with the needed resource.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource need indicator comprises:

a sensor operatively associated with the asset for sensing a parameter of the asset; and

a comparer for comparing the sensor data with a threshold value.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource need indicator comprises:

a time data storage device for storing time-dependent asset information;

a timekeeper operatively associated with the time data storage device; and

a comparer operatively associated with the time data storage device and the timekeeper for comparing at least one of the current time and the time elapsed since a past event with the time-dependent asset information.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a geofence operatively associated with the resource provider for indicating proximity to the resource provider; and

a geofence detector for detecting the geofence when the asset is in the proximity of the resource,

whereby the preferred resource provider is selected.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the correlator is located at a central station, the system further comprising:

a transmitter operatively associated with the asset for sending to the central station a notification that the asset needs a resource and the asset'"'"'s location;

a receiver at the central station for receiving the notification;

a transmitter at the central station for sending an instruction to at least one of the resource provider and the asset to proceed to a preferred rendezvous point to provide the resource to the asset; and

a receiver at at least one of the asset and the preferred resource provider for receiving the instruction.