SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING VEHICLE HANDLING

• US 20120253587A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• 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: G07C 5/06 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• 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 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a fleet management computer system configured for assessing vehicle backing According to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is configured to assess operational data associated with one or more vehicles and identify vehicle backing events occurring during a particular time period. In various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is also configured to determine one or more backing characteristics for the identified backing events and generate a graphical display providing backing information indicative of the backing characteristics.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system for assessing vehicle backing, said fleet management computer system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more memory storage areas;

wherein said one or more processors are, collectively, configured to;

receive operational data comprising vehicle telematics data, said vehicle telematics data being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for one or more vehicles operated by one or more vehicle operators during one or more time periods;

identify, for each of said vehicles, one or more vehicle backing events occurring during said one or more time periods based on said operational data;

determine, for each of said identified backing events, one or more backing characteristics of said backing event based on said operational data; and

generate a graphical display providing backing information indicative of said one or more backing characteristics for said identified backing events.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said backing information comprises a total number of backing events attributable to said one or more vehicles and said one or more vehicle operators during said one or more time periods.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said backing information comprises an average number of backing events per vehicle operator during said one or more time periods.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said one or more backing characteristics comprise the distance traveled by a respective vehicle during an identified backing event.

5. The fleet management computer system of claim 4, wherein said backing information comprises a total backing distance for said backing events attributable to said one or more vehicles and said one or more vehicle operators during said one or more time periods.

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 4, wherein said backing information comprises an average backing distance for said backing events attributable to said one or more vehicles and said one or more vehicle operators during said one or more time periods.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said one or more backing characteristics comprise the duration of an identified backing event.

8. The fleet management computer system of claim 6, wherein said backing information comprises a total duration of said backing events attributable to said one or more vehicles and said one or more vehicle operators during said one or more time periods.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are further configured to identify, for each of said identified backing events, an associated vehicle operator, wherein said one or more backing characteristics are attributable to said vehicle operator.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, wherein said backing information comprises a total number of backing events attributable to each identified vehicle operator.

11. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, wherein said backing information comprises a total backing distance for backing events attributable to each identified vehicle operator.

12. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, wherein said processors are further configured for sorting said vehicle operators based on one or more values provided in said backing information.

13. The fleet management computer system of claim 12, wherein said processors said values provided in said backing information comprise a number of vehicle stops attributable to a respective vehicle operator.

14. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said one or more backing characteristics comprise the location of a respective backing event;

and

wherein said graphical display includes a geographical map indicating the location of one or more of said identified backing events.

15. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to receive said operational data by:

receiving user input requesting retrieval of operational data relating to one or more user parameters;

retrieving certain operational data relating to said parameters from one or more data storage areas; and

loading said certain operational data to said one or more memory storage areas.

16. The fleet management computer system of claim 18, wherein said one or more user parameters comprise one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of:

one or more time periods;

one or more specific vehicle operators;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.

17. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving operational data comprising vehicle telematics data, said vehicle telematics data being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for one or more vehicles operated by one or more vehicle operators during one or more time periods;

identifying, for each of said vehicles, one or more vehicle backing events occurring during said one or more time periods based on said operational data;

determining, for each of said identified backing events, one or more backing characteristics of said backing event based on said operational data; and

generating a graphical display providing backing information indicative of said one or more backing characteristics for said identified backing events.