DYNAMIC OPERATOR BEHAVIOR ANALYZER

• US 20170178536A1
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Manci, Lewis H., Swift, Philip W., Waltz, Lucas B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,522,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

Dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior comprises identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having at least one behavior modification action and at least one performance parameter to evaluate the event against. Monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle is carried out for the event. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, event data is recorded that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event. The recorded event data is evaluated against at least one performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event. A vehicle operator score is updated based upon the evaluation and the updated vehicle operator score is communicated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the method comprising:

identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action;

monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle for the event comprising;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs; and

performing the behavior modification action upon predicting that the event will occur; and

performing in response to detecting an occurrence of the event;

recording event data that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event;

evaluating the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event; and

updating a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation,

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the behavior modification action to comprise an instruction on the behavior necessary to comply with the event predicted to occur.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one pre-action trigger that defines how to predict that the event will occur, wherein;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs comprises comparing information obtained by monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle against at least one pre-action trigger to predict whether the event is about to occur.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 3, wherein:

comparing information obtained by monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle against at least one pre-action trigger comprises;

comparing location tracking information collected from a location tracking device on the industrial vehicle against at least one pre-action trigger.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the behavior modification action based upon how the vehicle operator responded to previous occurrences of the event.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the vehicle operator demonstrated an inappropriate behavior for the event; and

providing a message that indicates the behavior that was expected in response to the occurrence of the event.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one inculcating rule that determines whether the vehicle operator is in a inculcating mode or a normal mode for the event;

wherein;

the behavior modification action is implemented for the vehicle operator when in the inculcating mode, and wherein the behavior modification action is suppressed when the vehicle operator is in the normal mode for that event.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein:

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs comprises receiving information from a remote server that is used alone or in conjunction with local vehicle extracted information to predict that the event will occur.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning a set of virtual rewards including virtual badges to vehicle operators based upon achievements as determined from the vehicle operator score.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the vehicle operator score against a benchmark; and

presenting the benchmarked score to the operator by displaying the benchmarked score on a display of the industrial vehicle.

11. A computer-implemented process for providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the method comprising:

identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action;

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event;

monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle for the event;

performing in response to detecting an occurrence of the event;

recording event data that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event;

evaluating the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event; and

updating a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation; and

performing the behavior modification action in response to at least one of determining that the operator has not been inculcated to respond to the event, and determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate the appropriate behavior for the event.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

performing the behavior modification action comprises performing the behavior modification action retrospectively of the occurrence of the event.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

performing the behavior modification action comprises performing the behavior modification action prospectively of the occurrence of the event by predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event comprises;

detecting that the vehicle operator has performed the appropriate behavior for the event a predetermined number of times.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one inculcating rule that determines whether the vehicle operator is in a inculcating mode or a normal mode for the event; and

performing the behavior modification action comprises;

performing the behavior modification action when in the inculcating mode, and wherein the behavior modification action is not implemented when in the normal mode for occurrences of that event.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 11 further comprising:

assigning for the metric, inculcating conditions that define the parameters for determining whether the operator has been inculcated to perform the action.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein the behavior modification action comprises providing a message that indicates an expected behavior in response to the occurrence of the event.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 11, wherein the behavior modification action comprises a coaching instruction that explains a desired behavior for that event.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 11 further comprising:

determining that the vehicle operator has been inculcated for the event; and

determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate the appropriate behavior for the event;

wherein;

performing the behavior modification action comprises providing a warning message that is different from a coaching message that is utilized when the vehicle operator is not inculcated for the event.

20. A system or providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the system comprising:

an output device;

a processor on an industrial vehicle that communicates with the output device and with native electronic components of the industrial vehicle across a vehicle network bus that is local to the industrial vehicle;

wherein the processor is operatively programmed to;

identify a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle, the metric having a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action;

determine whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event;

monitor operation of the industrial vehicle for the event by obtaining vehicle operational information obtained across the vehicle network bus;

perform in response to detecting an occurrence of the event;

record event data that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event;

evaluate the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event; and

update a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation; and

communicating the updated vehicle operator score; and

perform the behavior modification action by communicating a message to the output device in response to at least one of determining that the operator has not been inculcated to respond to the event, and determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate the appropriate behavior for the event.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle based upon receipt of the metric from a remote server computer.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of the industrial vehicle as at least one of an impact, battery management, industrial vehicle location, load, and industrial vehicle stability.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the output device comprises at least one of an audible device and a haptic device.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the output device comprises a display device.

21. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a location tracking device that mounts to the industrial vehicle, where the location tracking device provides location information to the processor in order to monitor operation of the industrial vehicle for the event.