Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring driver and vehicle behavior

• US 8,700,255 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Joseph, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/575,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20100087984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/34.4, 701/33.2, 235/376, 342/357.09, 342/147, 434/66
• US Class Current: 701/34.4
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

Systems, devices, and techniques for remotely tracking vehicle and driver behavior. Embodiments may include an on-board vehicle monitoring device, comprising an interface device and a gateway device. The interface device may include receiving information from a diagnostic system of a vehicle. The gateway device may collect a set of vehicle operating data corresponding to a driver or vehicle behavior. The set of vehicle operating data may comprise at least some of the information from the diagnostic system of the vehicle. A host computer may have instructions for compiling driver behavior data, based at least in part on analysis of received vehicle operating data. The instructions may also include instructions for providing a user interface; and instructions for causing the user interface to display, for a user, information corresponding to the compiled driver behavior data.

Claims

1. A system for remotely tracking vehicle and driver behavior, the system comprising:

an on-board vehicle monitoring device of a vehicle, comprising an interface device, a proximity sensor communicatively coupled with the on-board vehicle monitoring device, and a gateway device, wherein

the interface device collects information from a diagnostic system of the vehicle,

the gateway device collects a set of vehicle operating data corresponding to a driver or vehicle behavior, the set of vehicle operating data comprising at least some of the information from the diagnostic system of the vehicle, and transmits at least a portion of the set of vehicle operating data to a host-computer system via a wireless network; and

the proximity sensor detects a presence of a physical object within a specified distance in front and to a side of the vehicle, provides the on-board vehicle monitoring device information regarding the physical object within the predetermined distance of the vehicle to determine a direction from which the physical object enters a path of the vehicle, and provides the on-board vehicle monitoring device an instruction to transmit a particular window of operating data of the vehicle based on movement of the physical object detected by the proximity sensor; and

the host-computer system, comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions to control operation of the host computer system, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving the at least a portion of the set of vehicle operating data;

instructions for compiling driver behavior data, based at least in part on analysis of the received vehicle operating data;

instructions for providing a user interface; and

instructions for causing the user interface to display, for a user, information corresponding to the compiled driver behavior data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board vehicle monitoring device further comprises a speed and acceleration sensing device and the gateway device is configured to transmit speed and acceleration information to the host-computer system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the speed and acceleration sensing device comprises a global navigation satellite system (“

GNSS”

) receiver.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the speed and acceleration sensing device comprises an accelerometer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board vehicle monitoring device also receives information from a global navigation satellite system (“

GNSS”

) receiver, and information from the GNSS receiver comprises at least some of the vehicle operating data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface device is configured to receive information from the diagnostic system of the vehicle that a “

hard brake”

event has occurred.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, upon a “

hard brake”

event occurring, the on-board vehicle monitoring device is triggered to store a window of vehicle operating data for a first period of time prior to and including the “

hard brake”

event.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the window of vehicle operating data that includes a second period of time following the “

hard brake”

event.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the window of vehicle operating data is transmitted to the host computer system from the on-board vehicle monitoring device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface device is configured to receive information from the diagnostic system of the vehicle that a vehicle fault has occurred.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-board vehicle monitoring device is further configured to determine and transmit location data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is web based, thereby allowing for remote access to vehicle and driver behavior information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computer system further comprises a database configured to store vehicle and driver behavior from the plurality of on-board vehicle monitoring devices.

14. A method for tracking vehicle and driver behavior, the method comprising:

receiving, at an on-board vehicle monitoring device (OBVMD) from a proximity sensor, a trigger to initiate transmission of a particular window of vehicle operating data based on movement detected by the proximity sensor of a particular vehicle other than a vehicle associated with the OBVMD;

querying, via a user interface device that is stored on a computer-readable storage medium of a host computer system, a diagnostic system of the vehicle associated with the OBVMD for vehicle operating information;

receiving, at the user interface device, the vehicle operating information from the diagnostic system of the vehicle,

transmitting, via a wireless network, from the OBVMD to the host computer system, a set of vehicle operating data;

receiving, via the wireless network, at the host computer system, the set of vehicle operating data;

compiling, at the host computer system, the receiving vehicle operating data;

storing, at the host computer system, the compiled vehicle operating data;

providing a user interface; and

displaying, at the user interface, information corresponding to the compiled vehicle operating data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the trigger condition is a “

hard brake”

event.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of vehicle operating data includes coordinates capable of being used to determine a physical location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of vehicle operating data includes a subset of data corresponding to each of the following:

miles per gallon,

driving time,

ignition cycles, and

distance traveled.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of vehicle operating data includes data gathered during a first period of time preceding the trigger, a second period of time including the trigger, and a third period of time following the trigger.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer-readable program comprising a set of instructions for directing operation of a computer system, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for transmitting a trigger from a proximity sensor of a first vehicle to a first on-board vehicle monitoring device of the first vehicle to query a first diagnostic system for a first set of vehicle operating data based on movement detected by the proximity sensor of a particular vehicle other than the first vehicle;

instructions for receiving the first set of vehicle operating data from the first on-board vehicle monitoring device;

instructions for receiving a second set of vehicle operating data from a second on-board vehicle monitoring device of a second vehicle;

instructions for compiling statistics on a driver'"'"'s behavior, based at least in part on the first set of vehicle operating data and the second set of vehicle operating data from the first and second on-board vehicle monitoring device;

instructions for providing a user interface; and

instructions for causing the user interface to display, for a user, information corresponding to the compiled statistics on the driver'"'"'s behavior.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

instructions for creating a driver report, wherein the driver report contains information compiled from the first set of vehicle operating data and the second set of vehicle operating data, and each set of vehicle operating data pertains to a same driver; and

instructions for displaying the driver report to a user.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each set of vehicle operating data pertains to a different vehicle.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

instructions for comparing at least a portion of the compiled information against a set of benchmark values.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

instructions for creating a brake summary report from at least the first set of vehicle operating data and the second set of vehicle operating data, wherein the brake summary report comprises a number of braking events and a number of braking miles; and

instructions for displaying the brake summary report to a user.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

instructions for creating a trip summary report, wherein the trip summary report includes the starting location of a trip, the ending location of the trip, and the duration of the trip; and

instructions for displaying the trip summary report to a user.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein vehicle activity that qualifies as the trip is defined by the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions further comprises:

instructions for creating a fuel usage report, wherein the fuel usage report includes information regarding;

miles per gallon and ignition cycles; and

instructions for displaying the fuel usage report to a user.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first set of vehicle operating data comprises a first subset of data and a second subset of data, the first subset of data comprising information gathered prior to a trigger event, and the second subset comprising information gathered after the trigger event.