SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A FLEET MANAGEMENT USER INTERFACE

• US 20120253862A1
• 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 9,799,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• 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 providing a fleet management user interface. According to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is configured for assessing operational data to determine a vehicle travel path and one or more operational characteristics indicated by the operational data. In addition, according to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is configured for generating a graphical user interface that includes an evaluation results display showing the operational characteristics and a geographical map showing the vehicle travel path.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system for providing a fleet management user interface, 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 and service data, said vehicle telematics data being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods, and said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during said one or more time periods;

determine, based on said operational data, a vehicle travel path traveled by said vehicle during said one or more time periods;

determine, based on said operational data, one or more operational characteristics of said vehicle dynamics and said service dynamics for said one or more time periods; and

generate a graphical user interface comprising;

at least one evaluation results display indicating one or more of said operational characteristics; and

at least one geographical map showing at least a portion of said vehicle travel path.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said graphical map includes a vehicle position indicator configured for indicating the position of said at least one vehicle at any point during said one or more time periods;

and

wherein said graphical user interface is configured for positioning said vehicle position indicator in said graphical map such that the position of said vehicle position indicator corresponds with a historical time selected by a user.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface includes a user-movable scroll bar configured to enable a user to select said historical time.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface includes a data field configured to enable a user to select said historical time by entering a time value into said data field.

5. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select said historical time by selecting a user-selectable operational characteristic displayed in said evaluation results display, said user-selectable operational characteristics being associated with a particular historical time.

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 5, wherein said user-selectable operational characteristics comprise:

a particular delivery stop;

a particular delay code; and

a particular engine idle segment.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said operational characteristics comprise activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity;

wherein said one or more processors are configured for displaying said activity segments in said evaluation results display as a Gantt chart; and

wherein said Gantt chart includes a user-movable scroll bar configured to enable a user to select said historical time in relation to said Gantt chart.

8. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said processors are further configured for animating the movement of said vehicle position indicator along said vehicle path based on said operational data.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said vehicle position indicator includes activity indicia indicating a type of activity occurring during said user-selected historical time, said activity indicia being configured to change during said animation to correspond with changes in said vehicle'"'"'s activity.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said vehicle position indicator further indicates said vehicle'"'"'s direction of travel.

11. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select an area of said geographical map;

and

wherein said processors are configured to, in response to said user selection of said area of said geographical map, determine one or more area operational characteristics related to said user-selected area and display said area operational characteristics in said evaluation results display.

12. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to select one or more areas of said geographical map and define each of said selected areas as a unique work area;

and

wherein said processors are configured to determine one or more work area operational characteristics related to each of said work areas and display said work area operational characteristics in said evaluation results display.

13. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises a plurality of user-selectable evaluation option tabs, each of said evaluation option tabs being associated with a certain evaluation of said operational data for determining a certain set of operational characteristics based on said operational data;

wherein said operational characteristics determined by said one or more processors comprise each of said certain set of operational characteristics associated with said evaluation option tabs; and

wherein said one or more processors are configured to, in response to user selection of one of said evaluation option tabs, display said certain set of operational characteristics associated with said user-selected evaluation option tab in said evaluation results display.

17. 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.

14. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said graphical user interface is configured to enable a user to toggle between said evaluation option tabs.

15. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of evaluation option tabs is associated with an evaluation for determining operational characteristics selected from the group consisting of:

delivery performance statistics for one or more vehicle operators;

a graphical representations of one or more vehicle and vehicle operator activities;

stop information for one or more vehicle operators;

delay code information for one or more vehicle operators;

efficiency statistics for one or more vehicles and vehicle operators;

time statistics for one or more vehicle operators;

time and distance information for a user-selected portion of a vehicle travel path;

efficiency statistics based on engine idle time relating to one or more vehicle operators; and

dispatch profile statistics for one or more vehicle operators.

16. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of evaluation option tabs comprise:

a first group of evaluation option tabs for determining operational characteristics relating to a user-selected vehicle operator; and

a second group of evaluation option tabs for determining operational characteristics relating to a plurality of vehicle operators associated with a user-selected location.

18. 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.

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

receiving operational data comprising vehicle telematics data and service data, said vehicle telematics data being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods, and said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during said one or more time periods;

determining, based on said operational data, a vehicle travel path traveled by said vehicle during said one or more time periods;

determining, based on said operational data, one or more operational characteristics of said vehicle dynamics and said service dynamics for said one or more time periods; and

generating a graphical user interface comprising;

at least one evaluation results display indicating one or more of said operational characteristics; and

at least one geographical map showing at least a portion of said vehicle travel path.