Transportation dispatch and delivery tracking system
First Claim
1. An integrated vehicle dispatch system, comprising:
- a management device for automatically managing selection and assignment of said vehicles;
a coordination device for coordinating scheduling of vehicle pickups and deliveries based upon said selections by said management device, said coordination device comprising a confirmation device that provides acknowledgements of assignments on a per vehicle basis; and
a communication device for providing information to said integrated vehicle dispatch system such that said vehicles are efficiently utilized.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated vehicle dispatch system that performs the management, coordination and communication functions for dispatching vehicles. The system include a plurality of microcomputers interconnected via a "BITBUS" network, such that a fully redundant capability is provided. Each of the workstations control text and or graphics monitors. Information in the graphics monitors are based upon a digitized map base, such as the U.S. Census Bureau GBF file or "DIME File" of the vehicle delivery areas, such that vehicle pickup, deliveries, minimum path routes and vehicles delivery zones are displayed in an icon-based format. The software of the system calculates minimum travel time based upon a tree-node decision algorithm that matches street distances, and travel times to real traffic conditions. Candidate vehicles for pickups and deliveries are selected upon a user-defined set of factors that include time, speed, vehicle characteristics and distance factors. The software also includes a fully integrated third party billing and business operations accounting package that enables fully automated dispatch system operation.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. An integrated vehicle dispatch system, comprising:
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a management device for automatically managing selection and assignment of said vehicles; a coordination device for coordinating scheduling of vehicle pickups and deliveries based upon said selections by said management device, said coordination device comprising a confirmation device that provides acknowledgements of assignments on a per vehicle basis; and a communication device for providing information to said integrated vehicle dispatch system such that said vehicles are efficiently utilized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An integrated vehicle dispatch system, comprising:
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a searching device for finding information relating to a dispatch order received by said vehicle dispatch system; an accounting device for selecting automated account reflected information for a received transaction; a candidate selection device for selecting an appropriate vehicle for said received transactions; an assignment device for automatically assigning said candidate vehicle to said received transaction; a monitoring device for following progress of said vehicle through said assigned transaction; an updating device for automatically updating information relating to said assigned transactions based upon actual vehicle location; and a reporting device for reporting vehicle progress on a graphic map display.
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40. An integrated dispatch computer system, comprising:
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an order entry workstation comprising a plurality of microcomputers connected via a "BITBUS" network to one another and via modem to an input line; a dispatcher workstation comprising a plurality of microcomputers having text and graphics screens associated with each computer, wherein each of said microcomputers is connected via a "BITBUS" network to each other and to said order entry workstation; a mobile digital data microcomputer connected to said dispatch workstation by said "BITBUS" and to a radio transceiver in order that information received by said dispatch workstation is sent by said transceiver to a plurality of vehicles; and a mobile vehicle microcomputer connected to a transceiver such that information received by said mobile digital data device is displayed to a driver of a mobile vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification