System and method for monitoring vehicle parameters and driver behavior

• US 20080262670A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: McClellan, Scott, Follmer, Todd, Capps, Eric, Maynard, Ed, Ord, Dave, Russon, Verlin, Eyre, Richard, Lawrence, Steve, Vo, Vihn, Litzinger, Jason, Watkins, Carleton, Larson, Gib
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

System and method for monitoring the operation of a vehicle, comprising a housing having an accelerometer unit, and a global positioning system (GPS) unit, wherein the housing is adapted to be mounted in a window of the vehicle, and wherein the system is adapted to be powered by an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the operation of a vehicle, comprising:

a housing comprising;

an accelerometer unit; and

a global positioning system (GPS) unit;

wherein the housing is adapted to be mounted in a window of the vehicle, and wherein the system is adapted to be powered by an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is self-orienting.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted on a windshield of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker on the housing for broadcasting messages to a user.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone on the housing for receiving speech from a user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a one-touch emergency button on the housing for alerting a remote location when a user or the vehicle is experiencing an emergency.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a screen for displaying text or iconic messages to a user.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a keypad for providing user input to the system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more LED lights on the housing for providing status information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the LED lights provide status information associated with one or more of a system operation, a power status, a communications status, a GPS lock, and a driving violation.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the accelerometer unit, wherein the processor is adapted to run a self-orienting application.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer unit comprises a three-axis accelerometer for measuring lateral, longitudinal and vertical accelerations.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted so that a GPS antenna has an unobstructed exposure to the sky.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with a base station; and

a antenna coupled to the communication unit.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication unit provides one or more communications from the group consisting of:

satellite communications;

cellular communications;

WiFi communications; and

RF communications.

17. A vehicle monitoring system, comprising:

an accelerometer unit capable of monitoring an operation of the vehicle; and

a vehicle operation evaluation unit adapted to receive inputs from the accelerometer unit and to compare the operation of the vehicle to predetermined vehicle operation parameters, wherein a driver is notified is the operation of the vehicle exceeds a threshold of one or more of the predetermined vehicle operation parameters;

wherein the vehicle monitoring system is powered by an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the system is adapted to be mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the system is adapted to be mounted on a windshield of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the vehicle operation evaluation unit evaluates operations selected from one or more the group consisting of:

hard turns;

hard braking;

hard vertical;

excessive acceleration;

hours of service (HOS);

speeding;

failure to use seatbelt;

failure to use headlights; and

failure to use turn signal.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the driver is notified that the threshold of one or more of the predetermined vehicle operation parameters has been exceeded using an output selected from the group consisting of:

a warning light;

a warning text or iconic message;

an audible message;

or

an audible tone.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) unit; and

an antenna coupled to the GPS unit.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the system is mounted so that the antenna coupled to the GPS system has an unobstructed exposure to the sky.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein, after installation, the system performs a self-orienting process.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the self-orienting process identifies a vertical orientation of the vehicle and a centerline orientation of the vehicle.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the self-orienting process runs periodically to update the orientation of the system.

27. A vehicle monitoring system adapted to be mounted on a windshield of a vehicle and to be powered via an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle monitoring system monitors operations of the vehicle and provides alerts to a vehicle driver when the operations exceed predetermined thresholds of acceptable driving.

28. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a wireless communication module; and

a GPS module;

wherein the vehicle monitoring system transmits data associated with operations of the vehicle.

29. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 28, further comprising:

a housing holding the wireless communications module and the GPS module.

30. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 29, wherein the housing is mounted on a windshield of the vehicle.

31. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 29, wherein the housing is mounted on a dashboard of the vehicle.

32. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 29, further comprising:

one or more antennas positioned on the housing.

33. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 28, wherein the system is powered via an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

34. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 28, wherein the wireless communication module provides at least one of the communications selected from the group consisting of:

satellite communications;

cellular communications;

WiFi communications; and

RF communications.