Vehicle tracking, communication and fleet management system
First Claim
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1. A vehicle monitoring system that monitors the state of a plurality of vehicles, said system comprising:
- at least one mobile data unit that generates automatic status information corresponding to a delivery vehicle, wherein the automatic status information includes position information and delivery state information;
a delivery state database that store the automatic status information generated by the mobile data unit;
wherein the mobile data unit includes a controller, a GPS receiver coupled to the controller, and at least one vehicle condition sensor coupled to the controller, and said controller generates the automatic status information based on signals received from the GPS receiver and the vehicle condition sensor;
wherein the controller determines the delivery state information based on the signal received from the vehicle condition sensor; and
wherein the vehicle condition sensor generates a mixing barrel status signal indicative of a charge operation condition and a discharge operation condition of a mixing barrel, and wherein the controller determines a Begin Pour delivery state and an End Pour delivery state based on the mixing barrel status signal.
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Abstract
A vehicle fleet management information system for identification of location and direction of movement of each vehicle in the fleet in real-time and automatic communication directly with management offices to report its location and heading, and status of predetermined events in which the vehicle may be engaged. One example is a cement delivery truck which monitors location, speed and status information such as start pour, pouring, end pour, wash and leave job, and automatically transmits this information with a management office without requiring affirmative action by the vehicle operator.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A vehicle monitoring system that monitors the state of a plurality of vehicles, said system comprising:
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at least one mobile data unit that generates automatic status information corresponding to a delivery vehicle, wherein the automatic status information includes position information and delivery state information;
a delivery state database that store the automatic status information generated by the mobile data unit;
wherein the mobile data unit includes a controller, a GPS receiver coupled to the controller, and at least one vehicle condition sensor coupled to the controller, and said controller generates the automatic status information based on signals received from the GPS receiver and the vehicle condition sensor;
wherein the controller determines the delivery state information based on the signal received from the vehicle condition sensor; and
wherein the vehicle condition sensor generates a mixing barrel status signal indicative of a charge operation condition and a discharge operation condition of a mixing barrel, and wherein the controller determines a Begin Pour delivery state and an End Pour delivery state based on the mixing barrel status signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of providing automatic status information for a plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein the automatic status information includes position information and delivery state information, said method comprising:
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determining position information corresponding to each of the delivery vehicles using a GPS data;
determining delivery state information corresponding to each of the delivery vehicles using at least one vehicle condition sensor provided on each of the delivery vehicles;
transmitting the position information and delivery state information to a delivery state database via a wireless transmission network; and
defining a plurality of delivery states corresponding to a delivery cycle, wherein the delivery state information comprises the delivery states;
wherein the validity of a current delivery state is determined based on whether a prerequisite deliver state has occurred; and
wherein the delivery states include a Begin Pour delivery state and an End Pour delivery state associated with the delivery of ready-mix concrete.
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23. A system for tracking the state of a plurality of vehicles, said system comprising:
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a mobile unit to generate information regarding status of a delivery vehicle among said plurality of vehicles, including current position and delivery state of said delivery vehicle;
a delivery state database that stores the generated status information;
said mobile unit coupled for GPS reception, with one or more sensors adapted to supply vehicle event information thereto;
to enable the mobile unit to determine delivery state of the delivery vehicle and to generate said status information therefrom;
said vehicle event information indicative of plural delivery states in a sequence of events in which said delivery vehicle may engage, and said mobile unit responsive thereto to determine beginning and ending delivery states in a subset of said sequence of events. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of providing automatic status information, including position information and delivery state information, for a plurality of ready-mix concrete delivery vehicles, said method comprising:
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determining position information corresponding to each of the delivery vehicles using GPS data;
determining delivery state information corresponding to each of the delivery vehicles using at least one vehicle status sensor provided on each of the delivery vehicles;
transmitting the position information and delivery state information to a delivery state database via a wireless transmission network; and
defining a plurality of delivery states, including a Begin Pour delivery state and an End Pour delivery state, corresponding to a delivery sequence for ready mix concrete, said delivery states corresponding to respective delivery state information;
wherein the validity of a current delivery state is determined at least in part according to whether a preceding delivery state in said sequence has occurred.
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45. A system for automated reporting of status of a ready mix concrete or other slurry material mixer truck, including state of events related to the usage, function, operation, location, delivery, systems or cargo of the truck, to a management office for system users including dispatchers and managers using a wireless network, the automated reporting system comprising, on board the truck:
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a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals and for determining position information, a plurality of sensors for automatically detecting or measuring the current status of parameters corresponding to various selected ones of said events, and computer apparatus for receiving inputs from the GPS receiver and said plurality of sensors indicative of the respective detected or measured status of parameters of selected events of interest, and for determining therefrom and transmitting to the management office over the wireless network, the state of the selected events of interest and location information in the form of digital data. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification