Integration of real-time field data in chemical delivery vehicle operations

• US 8,386,283 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Hand, Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US12/727,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/7.11, 705/7.42
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method and system for integration of real-time field data in chemical delivery vehicle operations is disclosed. Initially, information for a plurality of regions designated for chemical delivery is received at a command center, each of the plurality of regions having a defined boundary. Real-time and forecast environmental conditions are utilized in conjunction with prior and real-time field data to rank each of the plurality of regions. One or more chemical delivery vehicles are automatically selected and dispatched to one or more of the plurality of regions. When the one or more chemical delivery vehicles are within the defined boundary of one of the plurality of regions for chemical delivery, region specific chemical delivery procedures incorporating real-time environmental conditions are automatically calculated and initiated.

Claims

1. A method for integration of real-time field data in chemical spraying vehicle operations, said method comprising:

receiving information for a plurality of regions designated for chemical spraying at a command center, each of the plurality of regions having a defined boundary;

utilizing real-time and forecast environmental conditions in conjunction with prior and real-time field data to rank each of the plurality of regions;

automatically selecting and dispatching one or more chemical spraying vehicles to one or more of the plurality of regions; and

automatically calculating and initiating a region specific chemical spraying procedure when the one or more chemical spraying vehicles are within the defined boundary of one of the plurality of regions for chemical spraying, the calculating incorporating real-time environmental conditions into the chemical spraying vehicles procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said confirming of said chemical payload further comprises:

automatically authorizing one or more of said chemical spraying vehicles to obtain a load of said chemical.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a wireless connection between said command center and the one or more selected chemical spraying vehicles to confirm a chemical payload of the one or more selected chemical spraying vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a wireless connection between said command center and the one or more chemical spraying vehicles to automatically dispatch said one or more chemical spraying vehicles to said regions for chemical spraying.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing said real-time and said forecast weather conditions to automatically determine if one or more of said regions is within a pre-determined chemical spraying weather requirement envelope.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said field data is selected from the group of prior and real-time region data consisting of:

information from field technicians, information provided by general public, image recognition, text recognition, news media monitoring, social-media data mining, and laboratory data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically dispatching said one or more chemical spraying vehicles comprise:

providing directions to one or more of said plurality of regions; and

providing in region route navigation information and automatic chemical spraying start and stop command coordinates.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically calculating and initiating chemical spraying procedures further comprises:

utilizing said actual and forecast environmental conditions, said prior and real-time field data and characteristics of said chemical spraying vehicle to generate said region specific chemical spraying procedure.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically updating and re-assessing said actual and forecast environmental conditions for each of said regions;

automatically updating and re-assessing said prior and real-time field data for each of said plurality of regions; and

automatically providing a real-time update to said region route navigation information including automatic chemical spraying start and stop commands to said one or more chemical spraying vehicles.

10. A real-time data collection and field agent controlling system comprising:

a geographic information system (GIS) database comprising previously collected and real-time insect problem data for a plurality of insect control organizations;

a real-time field data assessor communicatively coupled with said GIS database, said real-time field data assessor comprising;

a periodic GIS database reviewer; and

a potential insect problem early identifier and location establisher; and

a real-time field agent controller communicatively coupled with the real-time field data accessor, said real-time field agent controller comprising;

a potential insect problem early identifier receiver;

a field agent location database that has field agent location information comprising locations, routes and schedules stored thereon;

a field agent re-tasker comprising;

a task priority generator;

a field agent contact module; and

a field agent schedule modifying module for modifying a field agent'"'"'s schedule to include the inspection of the location of said potential insect problem and the task priority.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the real-time field agent controller selects the field agent schedule for modifying based on a field agent'"'"'s schedule route that passes closest to the potential insect problem location.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the real-time field agent controller selects the field agent schedule for modifying based on a field agent'"'"'s present location task priority.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein if the task priority generator tasks the potential insect problem as a high priority, the field agent schedule modifying module will modify a plurality of field agents schedules to include the inspection of the location of said potential insect problem and the task priority.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the GIS database comprising polygon outlines of the geo-locations and data on the types of insects for which said insect control organization is responsible as well as contact information and rules for forwarding incoming data for each said insect control organization.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the GIS database includes data from the group consisting of:

a specimen collection, a specimen test result, a direct telephone report, a direct media report, a direct medical report and an indirect report.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said specimen collection is selected from the collection group consisting of:

trapping, water testing, larvaciding, and dead animal pickup.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said direct media report comprises a picture, text message, email or letter stored in the database.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said direct medical report is selected from the group consisting of:

medical facilities, clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, fire departments and police departments.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said indirect report is a social-media data mining module that scans and collects data from social networking internet sites suggesting insect problems or insect borne diseases.

20. An automated chemical spraying system comprising:

a plurality of regions needing chemical spraying;

a real-time field data assessor communicatively coupled with a geographic information system (GIS) database, said real-time field data assessor comprising;

a periodic GIS database reviewer; and

a potential insect problem early identifier and location establisher;

a chemical spraying vehicle selector communicatively coupled with said GIS database to select the appropriate chemical spraying vehicle for said plurality of regions needing chemical spraying;

a real-time region prioritizer for prioritizing the plurality of regions needing chemical Spraying,

a route generator comprising a spraying route for a chemical spraying vehicle;

a real-time controller communicatively coupled with said route generator and said chemical spraying vehicle, said real-time controller comprising;

an approximately real-time chemical spraying vehicle monitor for vehicle information consisting of;

location information, correct chemical validation, vehicle speed, deviations in route, fuel consumption, mileage information, idle time reports, safe driver score cards, mobile worker optimization score cards, driver time sheets, off-hour usage, unauthorized usage, stop reports, speeding alerts, spraying on events and spraying off events; and

a graphic user interface (GUI) comprising;

an interactive visual representation of the information from the chemical spraying vehicle monitor;

a spray zone plume analyzer based on chemical spraying vehicle sprayer settings and weather conditions; and

an overlay of a map of the region for real-time human monitoring.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the GIS database comprises:

previously collected and real-time collected insect problem data for a plurality of insect control organizations; and

environmental information from the group consisting of past weather data, present weather data, forecast weather data, chemical spraying vehicle characteristics, previous chemical spraying deployment route(s), previous chemical spraying deployment result(s) and no chemical spraying zone(s).