System and Method for Monitoring and Updating Speed-By-Street Data

• US 20110267205A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Follmer, Todd, Maynard, Ed, Ord, Dave, Russon, Verlin, Eyre, Richard, McClellan, Scott, Catten, Jonathan C., Capps, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/936
• 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 identifying speeding violations, comprising determining a current speed and a current location of a vehicle, determining a posted speed limit for the current location from a speed-by-street database, comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the posted speed limit, and evaluating whether the current speed exceeds the posted speed limit. Errors are identified in the speed-by-street database by storing a plurality of speeding violation records, wherein the speeding violation records each include a speeding event location; analyzing the speeding violation records to identify one or more speeding event locations having multiple speeding violations; comparing a posted speed limit at the one or more speeding event locations having multiple speeding violations to corresponding speed limit data in the speed-by-street database; and identifying one or more speed limit entries in the speed-by-street database that do not match the posted speed limit.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for identifying speeding violations, comprising:

first determining a location of a vehicle on a first predetermined schedule;

second determining a speed of the vehicle on the first predetermined schedule based upon and on-board diagnostic system;

third determining a posted speed limit for the location from a speed-by-street database;

evaluating whether the speed of the vehicle at the location exceeds a threshold, the threshold being based on at least the posted speed limit for the location;

providing a warning within the vehicle based on at least the results of the evaluating; and

transmitting to a remote monitoring system, on a second predetermined schedule, collected driver performance data, including at least the speed of the vehicle and the result of the evaluating.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting a speeding violation notice to the remote monitoring system remote from the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the speeding violation notice is transmitted via a wireless link to a monitoring system server.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the speeding violation notice comprises the location and the speed of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the speeding violation notice is sent only if the speed exceeds the posted speed limit plus an additional predetermined amount.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing a speeding violation record at the monitoring system remote from the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

modifying a performance of an engine of the vehicle, if the speed exceeds the posted speed limit by the threshold.

28. A vehicle monitoring base station, comprising:

a data communication interface operable to receive information from a monitored vehicle on a first predetermined schedule, the information including at least driver performance data, the driver performance data including least a speed of the vehicle and a location of the vehicle;

a database that associates vehicle speed limitation information with geographical information; and

a processor operable to;

query the database using the received location to determine a threshold speed,

use the received speed and location to determine whether the monitored vehicle has surpassed the threshold speed,

perform an action if it is determined that the monitored vehicle has surpassed the threshold speed; and

convert the driver performance data into a. user readable report that contains at least the speed and location of the vehicle.

29. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 28, wherein the data communication interface is wireless.

30. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 28, wherein each event received by the data communication interface further includes a vehicle identifier.

31. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 28, wherein the database associates speed limits with streets.

32. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 28, wherein the database associates speed limits with geographical areas.

43. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 28, further comprising, between the querying and the using:

determine current road conditions for the received location; and

adjust the threshold speed based on the current road conditions.

44. The vehicle monitoring base station of claim 43, wherein the current road condition for the location includes at least a speed of the road.

33. A vehicle speed monitoring device, comprising:

an interface for receiving information from one or more input devices; and

a processor operable to determine a speed and location of a vehicle using the received information, to determine a threshold speed corresponding to the determined location of the vehicle, to perform an action if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the determined threshold speed, and to convert the information into a user readable report that contains at least the speed and the location of the vehicle.

34. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 33, wherein the one or more input devices includes a geo-location device.

35. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 33, wherein the one or more input devices includes an on-board diagnostic system.

36. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 33, further comprising an output device.

37. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 36, wherein the output device includes a display.

38. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 36, wherein the output device includes a speaker.

39. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 36, wherein the output device is a data communication interface.

40. The vehicle speed monitoring device of claim 36, wherein the action performed by the processor if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the determined threshold speed is to transmit an event using the output device.

45. The device of claim 33, further comprising the processor being configured to determine current road conditions for the received location and adjust the threshold speed based on the current road conditions before considering whether the vehicle exceeds the threshold speed.

46. The station of claim 45, wherein the current road conditions for the location includes at least a speed of the road.