VEHICLE FLEET ROUTING SYSTEM

• US 20130096815A1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telogis Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Koschinski, Tino, Morris, Arthur Newth, Dunlop, Mark, Russell, Michael, Beavon, Jeremy, Mason, Ralph James, Hidayat, Ray
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• 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

Abstract

Vehicle management systems and associated processes can incorporate calculations for categorizing locations on a map as within one or more territories based on proximity of the location to predetermined points with in the territories. The systems and processes can also incorporate techniques for estimating total distance required to traverse a route reaching all of a set of predetermined stops, without using a routing algorithm that would provide a usable route for a vehicle, but is less computationally demanding. The systems and processes can also include techniques for incorporating legs of a route that extend through a temporary exclusion zone.

Claims

1. A system for routing vehicles in a vehicle fleet, the system comprising:

a territory weighting module configured to classify at least a first location as within at least one of first and second overlapping territories based on a proximity of the location to first and second predetermined locations within the first and second territories, respectively; and

a routing module configured to generate a route for at least one vehicle in a fleet of vehicles including the first location in the first territory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the territory weighting module is configured to display locations proximate to the first predetermined location in a first color and locations proximate to the second return location in a second color that is different from the first color.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the territory weighting module is configured to display locations between the first and second predetermined locations in a third color that is different from the first and second colors.

4. The system of claim three, wherein the third color is a color resulting from blending the first and second colors.

5. A method for classifying a location as being with in one or more territories, the method comprising:

receiving an identification of a first stop;

receiving an identification of a first predetermined location within a first territory;

receiving an identification of a second predetermined location within a second territory; and

determining whether the first stop is within at least one of the first and second territories based on proximity of the first stop to the first and second predetermined locations.

6. The method according to claim 5, additionally comprising determining that the first stop is more proximate to the first predetermined location and displaying the first stop on a graphical map in a first color.

7. The method according to claim 6, additionally comprising receiving an identification of a second stop and displaying the second stop on the graphical map in a second color that is different from the first color.

8. The method according to claim 7, additionally comprising receiving an identification of a third stop that is approximately equidistant from the first and second predetermined locations and displaying the third stop in the graphical map in a third color that is different from the first and second colors.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the third color is a result of blending the first and second colors.