AUTOMATED DISPENSING OF TRAVEL PATH APPLICANTS

• US 20130110284A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• 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: KADABA, NAGESH
• Granted Patent: US 10,066,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/10 Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 10/007 Mobile apparatus specially adapted for preparing or applying liquid or semi-liquid thawing material or spreading granular material on wintry roads

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for dispensing a travel path applicant. For example, a computing entity can monitor the location of a maintenance vehicle and/or its travel path to dispense travel path applicants accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing a travel path applicant, the method comprising:

electronically collecting telematics data associated with a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a travel path in a geographic area;

electronically determining, based at least in part on the collected telematics data, whether the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds; and

after determining that the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds, automatically adjusting the dispensing of a travel path applicant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting a dispense rate of the travel path applicant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dispense rate of the travel path applicant is increased based on an increased grade of the travel path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting the dispense pattern of the travel path applicant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more thresholds is selected from the group consisting of (a) a grade of the travel path, (b) a curve of the travel path, and (b) a speed of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel path applicant is selected from the group consisting of sand, liquid chemicals, and salt.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

collect telematics data associated with a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a travel path in a geographic area;

determine, based at least in part on the collected telematics data, whether the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds; and

after determining that the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds, automatically adjust the dispensing of a travel path applicant.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting a dispense rate of the travel path applicant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dispense rate of the travel path applicant is increased based on an increased grade of the travel path.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting the dispense pattern of the travel path applicant.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more thresholds is selected from the group consisting of (a) a grade of the travel path, (b) a curve of the travel path, and (b) a speed of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the travel path applicant is selected from the group consisting of sand, liquid chemicals, and salt.

13. A computer program product for dispensing a travel path applicant, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to collect telematics data associated with a vehicle as the vehicle traverses a travel path in a geographic area;

an executable portion configured to determine, based at least in part on the collected telematics data, whether the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds; and

an executable portion configured to, after determining that the travel path traversed by the vehicle in the geographic area satisfies one or more thresholds, automatically adjust the dispensing of a travel path applicant.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting a dispense rate of the travel path applicant.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the dispense rate of the travel path applicant is increased based on an increased grade of the travel path.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein adjusting the dispensing of the travel path applicant comprises adjusting the dispense pattern of the travel path applicant.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more thresholds is selected from the group consisting of (a) a grade of the travel path, (b) a curve of the travel path, and (b) a speed of the vehicle.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the travel path applicant is selected from the group consisting of sand, liquid chemicals, and salt.