Automobile monitoring for operation analysis

• US 7,941,258 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toronto-Dominion Bank
• Original Assignee: Strategic Design Federation W Incorporated
• Inventors: Mittelsteadt, John, Crawford, Robert J., Mittelsteadt, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US12/510,471
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/93, 701/117, 340/438, 340/936, 455/456.1, 348/148
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0875 using magnetic data carriers
• 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

Abstract

An automobile monitoring arrangement tracks and records automobile operation for post-use automobile operation analysis and in a manner with default-operation modes that facilitate use by automobile owners/supervisors and by those supervised by the automobile owners/supervisors. In one specific embodiment, a record of automobile-operation data contains periodic recordings of speed and direction of an automobile while it was being driven, as such data is provided by a conventional electronic compass and the automobile'"'"'s electronic speed indicating signal. A processor performs calculations using speed and directional data to calculate acceleration and rate of directional change. Automobile operation data from the recording devices and the calculations performed is compared to stored reference data to determine if the vehicle was abused or driven in an unsafe manner by the operator. The data is output to a display showing automobile operating data and instances where the automobile was abused or driven in an unsafe manner.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a vehicle speed;

identifying a road segment being traversed by the vehicle;

determining an official speed limit on the road segment being traversed;

determining whether the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit; and

activating a camera associated with the vehicle in response to determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed the determined official speed limit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit;

deactivating the camera in response to the determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit; and

notifying at least one of a driver of the vehicle and a vehicle supervisor that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying is performed over the Internet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notifying is performed over a cellular network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle location is determined from a GPS system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an identity of the driver of the vehicle; and

determining whether obtain the vehicle speed based at least in part on the identity of the driver of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed threshold over the determined official speed limit; and

outputting a warning to the driver of the vehicle that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit by greater than the maximum allowable vehicle speed threshold.

8. A system for monitoring operation of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a data recording module configured for obtaining a vehicle speed;

a location module configured for determining a road segment being traversed by the vehicle;

a speed limit module configured for determining an official speed limit on the road segment being traversed by the vehicle;

a camera module associated with the vehicle; and

a processor module configured for;

determining whether the vehicle speed exceeds the official speed limit; and

activating the camera module in response to determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed the determined official speed limit.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a notification module configured for outputting a notification to at least one of a driver of the vehicle and a vehicle supervisor in response to a determination by the processor module that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification module further comprises a wireless antenna.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless antenna is a cellular antenna.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the location module further comprises a GPS receiver.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an identification module configured for determining an identity of the driver of the vehicle; and

a permissions module configured for determining whether to obtain the vehicle speed based at least in part on the identity of the driver of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

the processor module further configured for determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed threshold over the determined official speed limit; and

a notification module configured for outputting a warning to the driver of the vehicle that the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit by greater than the maximum allowable vehicle speed threshold.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the official speed limit is received from a road-map navigator.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for monitoring operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a vehicle speed;

identifying a road segment being traversed by the vehicle;

determining an official speed limit on the road segment being traversed; and

determining whether the vehicle speed exceeds the determined official speed limit; and

activating a camera associated with the vehicle in response to determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed the determined official speed limit.