SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA COLLECTION, REPORTING, AND ANALYSIS OF FLEET VEHICLE INFORMATION
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Accused Products
Abstract
Presented is a system and method of providing centralized management and analysis of fleet information. The system includes a centralized fleet information management server accessible via a communications network to thin clients. The communications network may be the Internet, and the thin clients are required to have only a web browser application to fully access the functionality of the server. A portable computing device, such as a Windows CE or Palm compatible device, may be used with an installed application program to conduct on-site, off-line inspections. The portable device includes a local database that may be populated with fleet information downloaded from the fleet information management server. Upon completion of the on-site inspection, the data stored in the local database may be uploaded to the server. The server may be used by thin clients to generate various reports based on the fleet data, including the estimation of operating cost savings.
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Citations
86 Claims
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1-54. -54. (canceled)
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55. A fleet analyzer system determining potential operational cost savings in a fleet tire management program utilizing a web-based information network, comprising:
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a production database which receives, via a distributed communications network, and stores descriptive fleet information concerning at least one tire characteristic of a plurality of tires of a fleet; an information management server comprising data communication circuitry adapted to connect to a distributed communications network and including a plurality of web pages accessible by thin clients to provide said descriptive fleet information, said information management server accessing said production database for the retrieval of said descriptive fleet information; said information management server in conjunction with said production database utilizing an identified tire characteristic parameter to determine a number of tire data point samples possessing the identified tire characteristic parameter;
said information management server utilizing an extrapolation factor to calculate a total number of tires in the fleet likely possessing the identified tire characteristic parameter where the number of tire data point samples is less than all tires in the fleet; and
,said information management server utilizing an operational cost impact factor in conjunction with said total number of tires in the fleet likely possessing the identified tire characteristic parameter to determine a projected operational cost savings to said fleet by making an adjustment to said tires, said information management server generating a report of said projected operational cost savings, said report being stored and available for viewing on-line by said thin clients. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A method of maintaining information concerning the tires of a fleet through a fleet tire inspection, comprising the steps of:
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receiving stored tire inspection data from a portable computing device at a fleet information management server, said portable computing device including a graphical image depicting a wheel and axle configuration of a transportation vehicle for permitting the selection of one wheel of the graphical image and the entering of tire inspection data relating to said wheel, wherein said tire inspection data concerns at least one physical characteristic of a plurality of tires of a fleet; receiving requests at the fleet management server through an internet connection, said requests relating to selected report components including operational cost savings, safety risks, or opportunities to improve tire performance characteristics of a fleet; and responding to said requests by the fleet information management server generating a report using the selected report components including operational cost savings, safety risks, or opportunities to improve tire performance characteristics, wherein said fleet information management server utilizes accumulated performance data to determine operational cost factors relating tire inspection data to potential cost savings or other beneficial changes to operational activities of the fleet.
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- 74. The method of claim 74, further comprising the step of downloading the report from said fleet information management server.
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83. A physical computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
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storing fleet profile information in a local database; displaying a user interface screen having a plurality of data entry fields, wherein said displaying step comprises the step of displaying a user interface screen having a graphical image of a transportation vehicle wheel and axle configuration, each wheel having corresponding data entry fields associated therewith; receiving data input associated with the data entry fields that concerns at least one physical characteristic of a plurality of tires of a fleet; storing the data input in the local database; connecting to a web-based fleet information management server; uploading the data input from the local database to the fleet information management server; and generating an operational cost savings summary report containing at least a portion of the data input from the local database. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86)
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Specification