TRACKING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120246039A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trucktrax, LLC
• Original Assignee: Trucktrax, LLC
• Inventors: Fain, Steven A., Mansell, Brian E., Whalley, John M., Eugenides, Jan G., Leatham, David M.
• Application Number:
  US13/426,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246039A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A mobile device application and integrated software system for managing a fleet of delivery trucks and drivers, providing automated timekeeping, messaging, ticketing and billing. At the completion of the delivery, electronic tickets including all time and location based billing are conveyed wirelessly to a customer'"'"'s email Inbox. Status, performance, and exceptions to predetermined data are provided using computing devices, such as mobile devices, real time to allow a dispatcher to efficiently and effectively manage the truck fleet.

Claims

1. A mobile device system for automating at least one operation for managing a fleet of delivery trucks and drivers, the system comprising:

a login screen to identify a user of a mobile device to a web application;

a PIN field to prevent unauthorized access to the system; and

a mobile display of performance metrics including hours worked and FMSCA hours of service.

2. The mobile device system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is configured to function as an electronic timecard.

3. A mobile device system that returns an automatic notification of vehicle identification, comprising:

a storage medium including instructions that when executed provides

a user interface display of scheduled vehicle identification;

a user interface display of current vehicle identification;

a drop-down pick list of possible alternative vehicles matching the drivers'"'"' qualifications; and

a user interface display of scheduled vehicle type.

4. A smartphone application user interface that displays a configurable pre-trip safety checklist comprising:

a user interface display of one or more vehicle systems;

an interactive pass/fail checklist of the vehicle systems; and

an automatic notification of checklist failure.

5. The smartphone application of claim 4 wherein the application is configured to cause a mobile device to receive a vehicle identification and electronically link the device to the vehicle.

7. The mobile device application claim 5 wherein the user interface comprises:

an interactive icon that, when pressed, operates turn-by-turn directions from a current location of the mobile device to the scheduled location for a next load; and

an interactive icon that, when pressed, automatically calls a telephone associated with the scheduled location for the next load.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, further comprising software configured to determine that after a breech of a geofence wherein the device has moved from inside of a geozone to outside a geozone, then the Wi-Fi services are turned off.

10. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein software of the mobile device determines if there are pre-defined short wave radio devices installed on the vehicle and assigned to an application comprising:

a routine that turns communication services off if pre-defined devices are not detected;

a routine that turns the short wave radio devices services off if pre-defined devices are detected and the mobile device is outside a delivery unloading geozone; and

a routine that turns the short wave radio devices services on if pre-defined devices are detected and the mobile device is inside a delivery unloading geozone.

6. A mobile device application user interface for displaying a scheduled location of a vehicle'"'"'s next load, the mobile device application comprising:

a user interface display of a location name associated with the scheduled location; and

a user interface display of a location address associated with the scheduled location.

8. A mobile device, comprising:

geozone breech logic for managing one or more communication services on a mobile device to limit battery usage, the geozone breech logic including a routine for determining whether the mobile device is within a pre-defined geozone; and

a storage medium containing a routine that determines whether the mobile device is within a geozone and whether there is a recognized Wi-Fi device to control the components of the mobile device based on the determination of the Wi-Fi hot zone.

11. A smartphone application comprising geofence breech logic to determine whether a breech is an entrance to a delivery geozone, an exit from a delivery geozone, an entrance into an informational geozone, an exit from an informational geozone or inconsequential.

16. The smartphone application of claim 11 wherein the application-determined delivery events are given a relative value based upon the type of capture and are configured to be transmitted to third party dispatching software based, at least in part, on the value.

18. The smartphone application of claim 11 wherein auto-generated billing event times are editable by the user.

12. A smartphone application user interface that displays a delivery manifest for a scheduled delivery, comprising:

a user interface display showing the ticket number of the scheduled delivery;

a user interface display showing the credit type (COD or charge) of the scheduled delivery;

a user interface display showing the scheduled arrival time of the delivery;

a user interface display showing the product ID of the scheduled delivery;

a user interface display showing the product description of the scheduled delivery;

a user interface display showing the ordered quantity of the scheduled delivered product;

a user interface display showing the customer name and delivery address;

an interactive user interface display showing any ticket notes;

a user interface display showing the previous truck for the order; and

a user interface display showing the next truck on the order.

13. The smartphone application of claim 12 wherein the application is configured to receive and store each ticket surcharge logic comprising:

variables and calculations for charging excess truck time; and

applicable sales tax rates.

14. The smartphone application of claim 12 wherein the application is configured to cause a mobile device to receive and store the price of the scheduled delivered product and all possible surcharges.

15. The smartphone application of claim 12 wherein current delivery billing event times are determined by the application.

17. The smartphone application of claim 12 wherein the application is configured to automatically complete any missing event times based upon at least one stored pre-determined criterion.

19. The smartphone application of claim 12, wherein the application is configured to display a header ribbon comprising:

a button that displays the delivery manifest for the user'"'"'s next scheduled delivery;

a button that displays the current manifest'"'"'s scheduled delivery event times;

a button that displays the recommended route for the user to reach the next scheduled delivery location using the device'"'"'s native mapping application;

a button that displays turn-by-turn directions for the user to reach the next scheduled delivery location using the device'"'"'s native navigation application; and

a button that displays two-way text communications.

20. The smartphone application of claim 12 wherein the application is configured to cause a mobile device to receive and store multiple ticket data comprising:

a user interface that automatically selects the current ticket from multiple tickets when the device detects that it is within a loading location geozone and there is one active ticket for the loading location;

an interactive user interface configured to display a filtered list of tickets from multiple tickets when the device detects that it is within a loading location geozone and more than one active ticket corresponds to the loading location;

an interactive user interface that displays multiple tickets and allows the user to select the current ticket;

a user interface that displays the ticket packages including the expected loading location, the truck ID, hauler ID, freight billing information, customer name and number, delivery address including jobsite/plant geozones, product number and description, approximate quantity and delivery information;

a user interface that receives the volume of the payload for the current selected ticket wirelessly using a pre-configured Wi-Fi network; and

an interactive user interface that allows the user to input the volume of the payload for the current selected ticket using a virtual keypad on the device.

21. A mobile device application user interface for presenting information contained in the delivery manifest comprising:

a user interface display of one or more application determined surcharges;

a user interface display of the current delivery billing event times;

a user interface signature capture field is provided; and

an interactive user input field to capture the name of the person accepting the delivery.

22. The mobile device application of claim 21 wherein the delivery manifest is transmitted wirelessly when the device detects that it is within a pre-configured Wi-Fi network.

23. The mobile device application of claim 21 wherein a signature smoothing algorithm is applied to input from the signature capture field comprising:

a user interface display that allows a finger to be used for manual input rather than a stylus.

24. A mobile device application user interface for displaying a location and status of subsequent delivery vehicles to a customer.

25. A mobile device application user interface that manages streaming and control of interactive computer-based training materials.

26. A mobile device application user interface that stores safety-related data for recreating accident information comprising:

a user interface display of land speed the device was traveling prior to a violent event;

a user interface display of the g-forces generated by a sudden stopping or turning event; and

a user interface display of the direction of travel of a device prior to a violent event.