Electronic driver logging system and method

• US 8,442,508 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J J Keller & Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: J J Keller & Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Harter, Thomas C., Kuphal, Michael K., Naundorf, Paul A., Thome, Randel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US12/027,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20080188217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4143, 455418-420, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system for logging performance of a driver operating a vehicle that has a vehicle information system from which least one vehicle operating parameter may be obtained. The vehicle operating parameter collected through the vehicle information system and operator information collected from a portable device are wirelessly communicated to a remote host through a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A logging system for a commercial motor vehicle (“

CMV”

) operated by a driver, the logging system comprising;

a non-portable base unit including a processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to be located in the CMV, to be connected to a controller monitoring at least one operating parameter of the CMV, and to receive and store the at least one operating parameter from the controller in the non-transitory computer-readable medium;

a portable device configured to be coupled to the base unit, to receive identifying information from the driver, to receive the at least one operating parameter from the base unit stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium of the base unit, to determine compliance data based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the at least one operating parameter, and wirelessly transmit signals based on the compliance data, the portable device having a display and, configured to generate a graphical user interface on the display;

features to prompt the driver for the identifying information and trip information, features to display a current status of the CMV based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the trip information, to list a plurality of logs based, at least in part, on the received operating parameter, the identifying information, and the trip information, and to list at least one log unavailable in the portable device; and

a remote host configured to wirelessly receive the signals based on the compliance data, the identifying information, and the trip information from the portable device and to wirelessly manage the portable device based, at least in part, on the received signals;

the base unit storing the at least one operating parameter when the portable device is decoupled from the base unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a computer, a personal-digital-assistant (“

PDA”

), and a smart phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is wirelessly coupled to the base unit via at least one of a personal area network connection and a cellular connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the trip information includes at least one of a tractor identification, trailer number, shipment information, and location code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is further configured to list at least one of a log date, driver type, time zone, rule set, and distance traveled by the CMV on the display.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the compliance data includes an hour-of-service log of the driver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to selectively download the at least one log unavailable in the portable device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is further configured to generate the graphical user interface to prompt the driver for a new destination location when the CMV reaches a destination based, at least in part, on information from the controller and the base unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote host is further configured to generate an alert for noncompliant performance of the driver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a controller-area-network bus couples the base unit to the controller.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote host is configured to wirelessly transmit signals indicative of a type of operating parameter to be monitored by the base unit.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote host is configured to wirelessly communicate with the portable device via the Internet.

13. A system for logging performance of a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle (“

CMV”

), the system comprising;

a non-portable base unit including non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to be mounted in the CMV to receive at least one operating parameter from the CMV, and to store the at least one operating parameter in the non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

a portable device configured to be coupled to the base unit, to receive identifying information from the driver, to receive the at least one operating parameter stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium from the base unit, to determine compliance data based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the at least one operating parameter, and to wirelessly transmit signals based on the compliance data;

the portable device having a display and configured to generate a graphical user interface on the display, to prompt the driver for the identifying information and trip information, to display a current status of the CMV based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the trip information, to list a plurality of logs based, at least in part, on the received operating parameter, the identifying information and the trip information, and to list at least one log unavailable in the portable device;

the base unit storing the at least one operating parameter when the portable device is decoupled from the base unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a computer, a personal-digital-assistant (“

PDA”

), and a smart phone.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device is wirelessly coupled to the base unit with at least one of a wireless personal area network connection and a cellular connection.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the trip information includes at least one of a tractor identification, trailer number, shipment information, and location code.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device is further configured to generate the graphical user interface to list at least one of a log date, driver type, time zone, rule set, and distance traveled by the CMV.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the compliance data includes an hour-of-service log of the driver.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device is configured to selectively download the at least one log unavailable in the portable device.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to prompt the driver for a new destination location when the CMV reaches a destination based, at least in part, on information from the base unit.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device is further configured to generate an alert for noncompliant performance of the driver.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable device is configured to wirelessly transmit the signals via the Internet.

23. A method for logging performance of a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle (“

CMV”

), the method comprising;

receiving identifying information and trip information from the driver at a portable device, the portable device including a display and configured to generate a graphical user interface on the display to prompt the driver for the identifying information and the trip information and to display a current status of the CMV based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the trip information;

verifying the identifying information from the driver at the portable device;

receiving at least one operating parameter of the CMV at the portable device through a non-portable base unit coupled to the portable device after the identifying information has been verified, the base unit including a processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to be located in the CMV, to be connected to a controller monitoring the at least one operating parameter of the CMV, and to receive and store the at least one operating parameter in the non-transitory computer-readable medium when the portable device is decoupled from the base unit;

determining compliance data based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the at least one operating parameter at the portable device;

wirelessly transmitting compliance signals indicative of the compliance data from the portable device;

wirelessly receiving the compliance signals at a remote host from the portable device;

generating managing signals based on the received signals at the remote host;

wirelessly transmitting the managing signals from the remote host to the portable device;

wirelessly receiving the managing signals at the portable device; and

managing performance of the driver and the CMV based on the received managing signals by listing on the graphical user interface a plurality of logs based, at least in part, on the at least one operating parameter, the identifying information, and the trip information and listing on the graphical user interface at least one log unavailable in the portable device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a computer, a personal-digital-assistant (“

PDA”

), and a smart phone.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

prompting the driver for the identifying information and trip information;

displaying a current status of the CMV based, at least in part, on the identifying information and the trip information;

listing a plurality of logs based, at least in part, on the received operating parameters, the identifying information, and the trip information; and

listing at least one log unavailable in the portable device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the trip information includes at least one of a tractor identification, trailer number, shipment information, and location code.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising selectively downloading the least one log unavailable in the portable device.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising wirelessly coupling the portable device to the vehicle with at least one of a wireless personal area network connection and a cellular connection.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising listing at least one of a log date, driver type, time zone, rule set, and distance traveled by the CMV.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the compliance data includes hours-of-services of the driver.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising prompting the driver for a new destination location when the CMV reaches a destination based, at least in part, on data received from the controller and the base unit.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote host is configured to wirelessly communicate with the portable device via the Internet.