State Machine Controlled Driver Compliance Application

• US 20150170434A1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: J J Keller & Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: J J Keller & Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Harter, Tom C., Kuphal, Michael K., Thome, Randel J., Lightner, Bruce D.
• Application Number:
  US14/550,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20150170434A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/04 Vehicle stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity
• 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 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A base unit installed in a vehicle including a vehicle communication module for communicating with a controller, the controller monitoring at least one operating parameter of the vehicle. The base unit also includes a transceiver and a processor configured to receive the at least one operating parameter of the vehicle from the vehicle communication module. The processor is further configured to process the at least one operating parameter to detect an event using a state machine including a plurality of states, wherein the event is used for driver compliance logging. The transceiver is configured to transmit the event to at least one external device.

Claims

1. A base unit installed in a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle communication module for communicating with a controller, the controller monitoring at least one operating parameter of the vehicle,

a transceiver;

a processor configured to

receive the at least one operating parameter of the vehicle from the vehicle communication module, and

process the at least one operating parameter to detect an event using a state machine including a plurality of states, wherein the event is used for driver compliance logging; and

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the event to at least one external device.

2. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one external device includes a mobile communication device.

3. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one external device includes a server.

4. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of states includes a) an “

ignition on”

state, b) an “

ignition off”

state, c) a “

stop”

state, d) a “

move”

state, e) a “

drive on”

state, and f) a “

drive off”

state.

5. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect the event based on a transition between each of the plurality of states.

6. The base unit of claim 1, wherein driver compliance logging includes an hour-of-service log.

7. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the processor detects a transition between each of the plurality of states by comparing the at least one operating parameter to a predetermined threshold.

8. The base unit of claim 7, wherein the predetermined threshold includes at least one of the group of a “

drive-on”

threshold and a “

drive-off”

threshold.

9. The base unit of claim 8, wherein the “

drive-on”

threshold is based on an odometer value and wherein the “

drive-off”

threshold is based on a time period.

10. A method of determining compliance data based, at least in part, on at least one operating parameter of a vehicle and identification information associated with a driver of the vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, at least one operating parameter of the vehicle,

detecting, by the processor, at least one event based on the at least one operating parameter of the vehicle using a state machine including a plurality of states;

receiving identifying information for the driver associated with the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, compliance logging based, at least in part, on the detected event and the identifying information;

transmitting information based on the detected event to an external device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the information includes transmitting the information to a mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the information includes transmitting the information to a remote server.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of states includes at least one of the group of an “

ignition off”

state, an “

ignition on”

state, a “

stop”

state, a “

move”

state, a “

drive on”

state, and a “

drive off”

state.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting, by the processor, at least one event based on the at least one operating parameter of the vehicle includes detecting, by the processor, a transition from a first of the plurality of states to a second of the plurality of states.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting, by the processor, a transition from a first of the plurality of states to a second of the plurality of states includes comparing, by the processor, the at least one operating parameter to at least one of the group of a “

drive-on”

threshold and a “

drive-off”

threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the “

drive-on”

threshold and the “

drive-off”

threshold are based on at least one of the group of an odometer value and a time period.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining, by the processor, compliance logging based, at least in part, on the detected event and the identifying information includes determining, by the processor, an hour-of-service log associated with the driver.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining, by the processor, an hour-of-service log associated with the driver includes detecting, by the processor, a sequence of events.