Method for monitoring and reporting vehicular mileage

• US 6,115,655 A
• Filed: 01/27/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computracker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Computracker Corporation
• Inventors: Keith, W. Curtis, Evans, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/014,483
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/213, 701/211
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A navigational system and a computer-based datalogger are used to store data on the distances traveled by and places visited by a monitored vehicle. The datalogger includes a clock and an on-board memory that can store time-stamped records of the latitude and longitude of places visited by the vehicle. In some such systems the vehicle operator can assign a label or a location classification to selected places that he or she visits. Additionally, in some versions of the system an administrator can use a central computer located at the vehicle'"'"'s home base to assign labels to locations where the vehicle is expected to make a stop. The central computer generates a map-like graphical output that displays a point corresponding to each of the places visited. This display may also show the time spent at each place visited during an operational period.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a distance traveled in a trip of a first type by a vehicle having a fixed base, the vehicle carrying monitoring equipment comprising a navigational receiver for receiving a location datum at each of a plurality of times and means of storing a plurality of location records, each record comprising one of the location data and the time at which it was received, in a log file, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) driving the vehicle away from the fixed base;

(b) storing in the log file, responsive to respective manual inputs provided by an operator of the vehicle, a plurality of time-stamped waypoint records, each waypoint record indicative of a terminus of one of the trips of the first type;

(c) returning the vehicle to the fixed base and communicating the records from the log file to a base computer;

(d) calculating from the communicated log file records, by means of an algorithm carried out by the base computer, a sequence of locations visited at which the vehicle stopped for longer than a predetermined minimum interval and a corresponding sequence of trip distances between sequential ones of the locations visited;

(e) labeling, as a trip of the first type, each trip extending between two sequential locations at which waypoint records were entered, or between one location at which a waypoint record was entered and the fixed base.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps after step (e) of:

(f) storing the labeled trips of the first type in a vehicle history file;

(g) driving the vehicle from the fixed base a second time;

(h) stopping at one of the locations at which one of the waypoint records was previously generated;

(i) returning the vehicle to the fixed base and communicating to the base computer those log file records generated after the vehicle drove from the fixed base the second time;

(j) calculating from those log file records, by means of the algorithm carried out by the base computer, a second sequence of locations at which the vehicle stopped for longer than the predetermined minimum interval and a corresponding second sequence of trip distances between sequential ones of the stops

(k) retrieving, from the vehicle history file, the set of locations at which a waypoint had been designated on the prior trip;

(l) repeating step e).

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps, after step (e) of:

(f) labeling, as a trip of a second type, each trip not labeled as a trip of the first type;

(f) generating, by means of a second algorithm carried out by the base computer, a graphic representation of the sequence of locations visited, the graphical representation depicting each of the trips of the first type in a first graphical fashion, the graphical representation depicting all trips of the second type in a second graphical representation.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first graphical representation comprises a line having a first color and the second graphical representation comprises a line having a second color.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (d) the algorithm also generates a visit-time file comprising the time greater than the predetermined interval that the vehicle was at each of the waypoints.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises storing, in the log file, textual data generated by the input means.

7. A method of measuring a duration of a visit to one of a plurality of predetermined locations previously visited by a vehicle having a fixed base, the vehicle carrying monitoring equipment comprising a navigational receiver receiving a location datum at each of a plurality of times and means for storing a plurality of location records, each record comprising one of the location data and the time at which it was received, in a log file, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a vehicle history file comprising a plurality of records, each vehicle history file record comprising a datum representative of a respective one of the predetermined locations;

(b) driving the vehicle from the fixed base to the one of the predetermined locations and remaining at the one of the predetermined locations for longer than a predetermined interval;

(c) returning the vehicle to the fixed base and communicating the records from the log file to a base computer;

(d) calculating as the duration of the visit, from the communicated log file records, by means of an algorithm carried out by the base computer, the time greater than the predetermined interval at which the vehicle remained at the one of the predetermined locations.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the monitoring equipment comprises manual input means operable by an operator of the vehicle, step (b) of the method further comprising an actuation of the manual input means by the operator during the longer than the predetermined interval.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising the additional steps, after step (d) of:

(e) repeating steps (b) through (d) and thereby obtaining a second time longer than the predetermined interval at which the vehicle remained at the one of the predetermined locations;

(f) adding the second time longer than the predetermined interval at which the vehicle remained at the one of the predetermined locations to the first time longer than the predetermined interval at which the vehicle remained at the one of the predetermined locations.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising an additional step (b1), intermediate (a) and (c) of:

(b1) driving the vehicle to an unknown location that is not one of the predetermined locations and remaining at the unknown location for longer than the predetermined interval;

the method further comprising additional steps (d1) and (d2) subsequent to step (c) of

(d1) calculating as a duration of a visit to the unknown location, from the communicated log file records, by means of the algorithm carried out by the base computer, the time greater than the predetermined interval at which the vehicle remained at the unknown location;

(d2) storing the duration of the visit to the unknown location in a memory associated with the base computer.