Systems and Methods for Tracking Device Control and Report

• US 20120130636A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: On Board Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: On Board Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Westerlage, Kenneth R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/517
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• 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

Systems and methods for systems and method for tracking device control and reporting are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location. The method also includes receiving second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location and a distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location. The method further includes determining based on the second location information, an actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location. The method also includes determining, based on the first location information and the second location information, an expected distance between the first location and the second location and comparing the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location;

receiving second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location and a distance traveled by the vehicle;

determining, with a processor, based on the second location information, an actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location;

determining, with the processor, based on the first location information and the second location information, an expected distance between the first location and the second location;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing, with the processor, the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the expected distance of the trip comprises a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving third location information from the vehicle tracking device, the third location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a third location;

and

wherein determining the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location comprises determining a distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the third location and a distance traveled from the third location to the second location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, for each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, storing a category identifier associated with each respective location;

and

wherein determining an expected distance between the first location and the second location comprises determining an expected distance between the first location and the second location based on the category identifier associated with the third location.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining an expected distance between the first location and the second location comprises determining a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating, with a control device, vehicle tracking with the vehicle tracking device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on the comparison of the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance, determining a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the second location.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a maintenance schedule associated with the vehicle, based at least in part on the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, based at least in part on the first location information and the second location information, a report indicating the actual distance traveled and the expected distance traveled by the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location and the second location.

12. A method, comprising:

storing a plurality of location information, each of the location information associated with a location;

for each of the stored plurality of location information, storing a category identifier associated with the respective location information;

receiving first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location;

receiving second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location;

receiving third location information from the vehicle tracking device, the third location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a third location;

comparing, with a processor, the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information to the stored plurality of location information;

based on the comparison, determining, with the processor, a category identifier associated with each of the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the category identifier is selected from a group including business and personal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an expected distance traveled by the vehicle between the first location and the third location, wherein the determination is based on at least in part on;

the category identifier associated with each of the first location, the second location, and the third location; and

the first location information, second location, and the third location information; and

determining, based on the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information, an actual distance traveled from the first location to the third location;

comparing the expected distance traveled to the actual distance traveled; and

wherein determining, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount comprises determining, based on the comparison, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location, the second location, and the third location from a control device associated with the vehicle.

17. A system comprising:

a vehicle tracking device operable to;

transmit first location information indicating at least a location of a vehicle at a first location;

transmit second location information indicating at least a location of a vehicle at a second location;

a processor operable to;

receive the first location information and the second location information;

determine based on the second location information, an actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location;

determine, based on the first location information and the second location information, an expected distance between the first location and the second location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to compare the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the expected distance of the trip comprises a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the vehicle tracking device is further operable to transmit third location information indicating at least a location of the vehicle at a third location;

and

wherein the processor is operable to determine the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location by determining a distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the third location and a distance traveled from the third location to the second location.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a memory operable to store, for each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a category identifier associated with each respective location; and

wherein the processor is operable to determine an expected distance between the first location and the second location by determining an expected distance between the first location and the second location based on the category identifier associated with the third location.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is operable to determine an expected distance between the first location and the second location by determining a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising a control device operable to initiate vehicle tracking with the vehicle tracking device.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to determine, based on the comparison of the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the second location.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to determine, based at least in part on the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location, a maintenance schedule associated with the vehicle.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to generate, based at least in part on the first location information and the second location information, a report indicating the actual distance traveled and the expected distance traveled by the vehicle.

27. The system of claim 17, further comprising a control device operable to transmit a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location and the second location.

28. A system comprising:

a memory operable to;

store a plurality of location information, each of the location information associated with a location; and

for each of the stored plurality of location information, store a category identifier associated with the respective location information;

a tracking device operable to;

transmit first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location;

transmit second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location; and

transmit third location information from the vehicle tracking device, the third location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a third location; and

a processor operable to;

receive the first location information, the second location information, and the second location information from the vehicle tracking device;

compare the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information to the stored plurality of location information; and

based on the comparison, determine a category identifier associated with each of the first location, the second location information, and the third location information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further operable to determine, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the category identifier is selected from a group including business and personal.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine an expected distance traveled by the vehicle between the first location and the third location, wherein the determination is based on at least in part on;

the category identifier associated with each of the first location, the second location, and the third location; and

the first location information, second location, and the third location information; and

determine, based on the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information, an actual distance traveled from the first location to the third location;

compare the expected distance traveled to the actual distance traveled; and

wherein the processor is operable to determine, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount by determining, based on the comparison, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising a control device operable to transmit a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location, the second location, and the third location.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with logic, the logic operable, when executed on a processor, to:

receive first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location;

receive second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location and a distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location;

determine based on the second location information, an actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location; and

determine, based on the first location information and the second location information, an expected distance between the first location and the second location.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to compare the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the expected distance of the trip comprises a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive third location information from the vehicle tracking device, the third location information indicating at least a location of the vehicle at a third location; and

wherein the logic is operable to determine the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location by determining a distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the third location and a distance traveled from the third location to the second location.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the logic is further operable to for each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, store a category identifier associated with each respective location;

and

wherein the logic is operable to determine an expected distance between the first location and the second location by determining an expected distance between the first location and the second location based on the category identifier associated with the third location.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the logic is operable to determine an expected distance between the first location and the second location by determining a shortest route from the first location to the second location.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to receive, from a control device, an instruction initiating vehicle track with the vehicle tracking device.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to determine, based on the comparison of the actual distance traveled by the vehicle to the expected distance, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the second location.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to determine, based at least in part on the actual distance traveled by the vehicle from the first location to the second location, a maintenance schedule associated with the vehicle.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to generate, based at least in part on the first location information and the second location information, a report indicating the actual distance traveled and the expected distance traveled by the vehicle.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the logic is further operable to receive, from a control device, a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location and the second location.

44. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with logic, the logic operable, when executed on a processor, to:

store a plurality of location information, each of the location information associated with a location;

for each of the stored plurality of location information, store a category identifier associated with the respective location information;

receive first location information from a vehicle tracking device associated with a vehicle, the first location information indicating a location of a vehicle at a first location;

receive second location information from the vehicle tracking device, the second location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a second location;

receive third location information from the vehicle tracking device, the third location information indicating a location of the vehicle at a third location;

compare the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information to the stored plurality of location information;

based on the comparison, determine a category identifier associated with each of the first location, the second location information, and the third location information.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 44, wherein the logic is further operable to determine, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the category identifier is selected from a group including business and personal.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the logic is further operable to:

determine an expected distance traveled by the vehicle between the first location and the third location, wherein the determination is based on at least in part on;

the category identifier associated with each of the first location, the second location, and the third location; and

the first location information, second location, and the third location information; and

determine, based on the first location information, the second location information, and the third location information, an actual distance traveled from the first location to the third location;

compare the expected distance traveled to the actual distance traveled; and

wherein the logic is operable to determine, based on the category identifier of each of the first location, the second location, and the third location, a compensation amount by determining, based on the comparison, a compensation amount for the travel from the first location to the third location.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 46, wherein the logic is further operable to receive a category identifier associated with at least one of the first location, the second location, and the third location from a control device associated with the vehicle.