Mobile asset data management system

• US 7,898,388 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hecker, Yaron, Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Pimentel, Leonard, Ehrman, Kenneth S., Pinzon, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAAWAT, MUSSA A
• Application Number:
  US11/986,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 : Group identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for gathering information from an operator of an asset is provided. The system interfaces with a management computer to provide a list of questions for response by the operator. A wireless infrastructure operates to distribute the list of questions from the management computer to the operator. The wireless infrastructure includes an asset communicator having a wireless communication device for communicating the questions, a processing unit, a storage unit for storing the questions and responses thereto, a display unit for displaying the questions, and input unit for the operator to input such responses. The processing unit is operable to prompt the operator with a first question, receive a response from the operator to the first question, select another question based on the response, and prompt the operator with yet another question.

Claims

1. A method for gathering information from an operator of an asset, said method comprising:

forming a list of questions for response by the operator of the asset;

distributing the list of questions to the asset;

prompting the operator with a first question from the list of questions;

receiving a response from the operator in response to the first question;

based on the response, selecting between a second or third question to prompt the operator; and

prompting the selected second or third question for the operator to respond;

comparing a first environment condition to authorization condition data with an access control device to confirm that specified environmental conditions for a group of approval asset operators to which the operator belongs have been met; and

enabling or disabling at least a portion of the asset for operation by the operator based on the comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing predetermined responses for the operator to select to respond to the first question.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating a notification to someone other than the operator based on the response.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third questions are related in a hierarchical structure.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first question is related to OSHA regulations.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the list of questions to a particular type of asset; and

if the asset is of the particular type, then accessing the list of questions prior to prompting the operator with the first question.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the list of questions to a particular asset; and

storing the list of questions at the particular asset.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning the list of questions to a group of operators.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining a group to which the operator is assigned; and

if the operator is assigned to the same group as the list of questions is assigned, then accessing the list of questions to prompt the operator.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning the list of questions to a condition.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said prompting the operator with the first question is performed in response to the occurrence of the condition that the list of questions is assigned.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein assigning the list of questions comprises selecting a condition from a list of conditions including at least one of the following:

date, time, location, battery voltage, sensed operation of the asset, and impact.

13. A system for gathering information from an operator of an asset, said system comprising:

a management computing system operable to maintain a list of questions for response by the operator of the asset;

a wireless infrastructure in communication with said management computing system and operable to distribute the list of questions to the asset; and

an asset communicator associated with the asset and in wireless communication with said wireless infrastructure, said asset communicator including (i) a wireless communication unit operable to receive the list of questions from said wireless infrastructure, (ii) a processing unit in communication with the wireless communication unit and operable to receive the list of questions from the wireless communication unit, (iii) a storage unit in communication with the processing unit and operable to store the list of questions, (iv) a display unit in communication with the processing unit, and (v) an input interface in communication with the processing unit,

the processing unit further operable to;

prompt the operator with a first question from the list of questions via the display unit;

receive a response from the operator utilizing the input interface in response to the first question;

select either a second or third question to prompt the operator based on the response; and

prompt the selected second or third question on the display unit for the operator;

wherein the processing unit in the asset communicator is configured to;

compare received responses to stored data with an access control device to confirm that the operator is one of a group of permitted asset operators,

compare a first environmental condition to authorization condition data using an access control device to confirm that certain environmental conditions for the group of asset operators to which the operator belongs have been met, and

enabling or disabling at least a portion of the asset for operation by the operator based on the comparison.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said management computing system is further operable to receive and distribute, via said wireless infrastructure to said asset communicator, the predetermined responses for the operator to select to respond to the first question.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further operable to generate and communicate a notification to someone other than the operator via said wireless infrastructure based on the response.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first, second, and third questions are related in a hierarchical structure.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first question is related to OSHA regulations.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said management computing system is further operable to assign the list of questions to a particular type of asset and, if the asset is of the particular type, then said asset communicator is further operable to access the list of questions prior to prompting the operator with the first question.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said management computing system is further operable to assign the list of questions to a particular asset and the processing unit is further operable to store the list of questions in the storage unit.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said management computing system is further operable to assign the list of questions to a group of operators.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the processing unit is further operable to:

determine a group to which the operator is assigned; and

access the list of questions to prompt the operator if the operator is assigned to the same group that the list of questions is assigned.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein said management computing system is further operable to assign the list of questions to be asked upon the occurrence of a condition.