Vehicle management system

• US 8,131,456 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mahalingaiah, Pradeep, Udipi, Ranga
• Primary Examiner(s): Arthur Jeanglaude, Gertrude
• Application Number:
  US12/236,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20100073124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 701/117, 340/438, 340/439, 340/457.4, 340/426.24, 340/459, 340/539.24
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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

A system for controlling a fleet of vehicles includes a plurality of detection units and a control unit. Each detection unit is configured to at least facilitate obtaining information as to a respective vehicle of the fleet. The control unit is coupled to the plurality of detection units, and is configured to at least facilitate providing one or more recommendations for one or more of the vehicles based at least in part on the information.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a fleet of vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of detection units, each detection unit configured to at least facilitate obtaining vehicle information as to a respective vehicle of the fleet; and

a control unit coupled to the plurality of detection units and configured to at least facilitate providing one or more recommendations for a particular vehicle of the fleet, the one or more recommendations for the particular vehicle based on the vehicle information for the particular vehicle and upon additional vehicle information for one or more other vehicles in the fleet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each the plurality of detection units are configured to at least facilitate obtaining the vehicle information as to one of the vehicles of the fleet in real time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is also coupled to a geographic database of geographic data and is configured to at least facilitate providing the recommendation for the particular vehicle based on the vehicle information for that particular vehicle, the additional vehicle information for one or more other vehicles in the fleet, and the geographic data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the detection unit of each respective vehicle in the fleet comprises;

a sensor configured to at least facilitate obtaining the vehicle information regarding the respective vehicle; and

a transmitter coupled to the sensor and configured to at least facilitate transmitting a signal to the control unit based at least in part thereon; and

the control unit comprises;

a control receiver coupled to the plurality of vehicle transmitters and configured to at least facilitate obtaining the signals therefrom;

a memory storing an operational history database of data pertaining to an operational history of each of the vehicles of the fleet of vehicles; and

a processor coupled to the control receiver and the memory, the processor configured to at least facilitate provide the one or more recommendations based at least in part on the signals and the operational history of one or more other vehicles in the fleet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to provide a maintenance recommendation for the particular vehicle based at least in part on a current symptom of the particular vehicle and a symptom of one or more of the other vehicles of the fleet.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of vehicle receivers coupled to the control unit and configured to receive one or more of the recommendations therefrom pertaining to a respective one of the vehicles of the fleet; and

a plurality of vehicle displays coupled to the plurality of vehicle receivers, each vehicle display coupled to the vehicle receiver corresponding to a particular one of the vehicles of the fleet and configured to display a notification to one or more users of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more recommendations pertaining to the particular vehicle.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to provide a recommended route for the particular vehicle based at least in part on a portion of the geographic data pertaining to the particular vehicle and a condition encountered by one or more of the other vehicles in the fleet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommendations for the particular vehicle is based at least in part on a symptom of one or more other vehicles in the fleet.

9. A method for controlling a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

obtaining vehicle information as to a particular vehicle in the fleet;

obtaining additional information as to additional vehicles in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle information and the additional information to a control unit via a wireless network; and

providing one or more recommendations for the particular vehicle based at least in part on the vehicle information and the additional information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of obtaining the vehicle information as to the particular vehicle in the fleet comprises the step of obtaining the vehicle information as to the particular vehicle in the fleet in real time.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining geographic data from a geographic database; and

providing the recommendation for the particular vehicle based on the vehicle information for that particular vehicle, the additional vehicle information for one or more other vehicles in the fleet, and the geographic data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of providing one or more recommendations comprises the step of providing a maintenance recommendation for the particular vehicle based at least in part on a current symptom of the particular vehicle and a symptom of one or more of the other vehicles of the fleet.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

providing a recommended route for the particular vehicle based at least in part on a portion of the geographic data pertaining to the particular vehicle and a condition encountered by one or more of the other vehicles in the fleet.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

providing the one or more recommendations for the particular vehicle based on a symptom of the particular vehicle and an operational history of one or more other vehicles in the fleet.

15. A program product for controlling a fleet of vehicles, the program product comprising:

a program configured to at least facilitate;

obtaining vehicle information as to a particular vehicle in the fleet;

obtaining additional information as to additional vehicles in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle information and the additional information to a control unit via a wireless network; and

providing one or more recommendations for the vehicle based at least in part on the vehicle information and the additional information; and

a computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the program.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:

monitoring emission values for the vehicles in the fleet; and

providing real-time recommendations for limiting emissions based on the monitored emission values.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate:

obtaining data from a geographic database; and

providing the recommendation for the particular vehicle based on the vehicle information for that particular vehicle, the additional vehicle information for one or more other vehicles in the fleet, and the geographic data.

18. The program product of claim 15, wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate providing a maintenance recommendation for the vehicle based at least in part on a current symptom of the particular vehicle and a symptom of one or more of the other vehicles of the fleet.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate providing a recommended route for the particular vehicle based at least in part on a portion of the geographic data pertaining to the particular vehicle and a condition encountered by one or more of the other vehicles in the fleet.

20. The program product of claim 15, wherein the program is further configured to at least facilitate providing the one or more recommendations for the particular vehicle based on a symptom of the particular vehicle and an operational history of one or more other vehicles in the fleet.