System and method for tracking and alerting for vehicle speeds

• US 8,918,243 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Connect Development Limited
• Original Assignee: Fleetmatics Ireland Limited (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/664,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/29.3, 701/36, 701/33.4, 701/34.3, 701/409, 701/412, 701/420, 701/430, 701/432, 701/487, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/989
• US Class Current: 701/29.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• 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 computer system and method for storing and processing GPS data for a plurality of vehicles to provide speed reports and alerts for fleets of vehicles, including alerts for speed data. The system and method can provide, for a graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric, wherein the operational metric includes a speed metric.

Claims

1. A computer system including at least one computer processor and computer readable storage medium or media and at least one storage device in which is stored GPS data for a plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

a memory including GPS event database including GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated with a vehicle, and stored over a period of time; and

one or more processors programmed at least to

receive GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated a vehicle;

store in a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, the GPS event data;

analyze the GPS event data to derive a plurality of operational metrics for each vehicle;

provide, for a graphic user interface, an interactive display configured to display a graphic representation of at least one operational metric for each of a plurality of vehicles, including a representation of a speed limit event,

wherein the system is operatively connected to at least one speed database including speed data, and wherein the at least one speed database including speed data comprises a record of a posted speed limit for a route and a record of an average road speed for a route.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

provide, for the graphic user interface, a graphic presentation of the at least one operational metric, wherein the operational metric is selected from the group consisting essentially of;

engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, number of stops, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance;

driver behavior; and

fleet performance, speeding severity, a speeding violation, average vehicle speed, a posted speed limit, a speed threshold, and an average road speed.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

provide, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric, wherein the operational metric includes a speed metric.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

wherein the speed metric includes at least one of average vehicle speed, speeding severity, speeding violation, a posted speed limit, a speed threshold, and average road speed.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to

store, in a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, a record of a route from an origin location to a destination location;

and

record the route for provision to a computer configured to display the route as a map.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

for each vehicle, store in the memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, historical GPS event data for a plurality of operation periods.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

identify, from the analysis, at least one trend for a GPS event history using the GPS event data; and

provide, for a graphic user interface, a representation including a representation of the at least one trend.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

identify a trend for an operational metric, wherein the operational metric is selected from the group consisting essentially of;

engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, number of stops, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance;

driver behavior; and

fleet performance, a posted speed limit, speed threshold, and an average speed for a road.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the trend including operational performance against at least one criterion, the at least one criterion including a criterion selected from at least one of:

a user-configurable criterion;

a criterion derived from GPS event data;

a criterion derived from data other than GPS event data;

a criterion derived from traffic data;

a criterion derived from fueling data;

a criterion derived from industry data; and

a criterion derived from speed limit data.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

compare the GPS event history for at least one vehicle using the GPS event data against speed limit data; and

provide, for a graphic user interface, a graphic representation of the trend, the trend including a trend showing performance against a benchmark derived from the speed limit data.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

analyze the GPS event history for a plurality drivers'"'"' performance for at least one operational metric; and

provide, for the graphic user interface, a representation of the trends for each of the drivers'"'"' performance.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

receive GPS event data for at least one vehicle;

derive speed and location data from the GPS event data;

send an alert if the derived speed exceeds a speed limit criterion for the vehicle'"'"'s location.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

provide, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric.

7. The computer system of cairn 6, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

generate a report based on said historical GPS event data.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

generate at least one report based on said historical GPS event data, the at least one report comprising information including at least one of;

vehicle activity over a predetermined time period;

a speed report;

an idling report;

vehicle operational reports;

employee performance;

driver behavior;

a speed limit report; and

fleet performance.

16. A method comprising, in at least one computer comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium or media:

receiving GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated a vehicle;

storing, for each vehicle, in a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, the GPS event data;

analyzing the GPS event data to derive a plurality of operational metrics for each vehicle; and

providing, for a graphic user interface, an interactive display configured to display a graphic presentation of at least one operational metric for each of a plurality of vehicles, including a representation of a speed limit event,

wherein the system is operatively connected to at least one speed database including speed data, and wherein the at least one speed database including speed data comprises a record of a posted speed limit for a route and a record of an average road speed for a route.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

providing, for the graphic user interface, the graphic presentation of the at least one operational metric, wherein the operational metric is selected from the group consisting essentially of;

engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, number of stops, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance;

driver behavior; and

fleet performance, speeding severity, a speeding violation, average vehicle speed, a posted speed limit, a speed threshold, and an average road speed.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

providing, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric, wherein the operational metric includes a speed metric.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the speed metric includes at least one of average vehicle speed, speeding severity, speeding violation, a posted speed limit, a speed threshold, and average road speed.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method farther comprises:

storing, in a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, a record of a route from an origin location to a destination location; and

recording the route for provision to a computer configured to display the route as a map.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

for each vehicle, storing in a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, historical GPS event data for a plurality of operation periods.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a report based on said GPS historical event data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

generating at least one report based on said historical GPS event data, the at least one report comprising information including at least one of;

vehicle activity over a predetermined time period;

a speed report;

an idling report;

vehicle operational reports;

employee performance;

driver behavior;

a speed limit report; and

fleet performance.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, from the analysis, at least one trend for a GPS event history using the GPS event data; and

providing, for a graphic user interface, a representation including a representation of the at least one trend.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a trend for an operational metric, the operational metric is selected from the group consisting essentially of;

engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, number of stops, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance;

driver behavior; and

fleet performance, a posted speed limit, speed threshold, and an average speed for a road.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

the trend including operational performance against at least one criterion, the at least one criterion including a criterion selected from at least one of;

a user-configurable criterion;

a criterion derived from GPS event data;

a criterion derived from data other than GPS event data;

a criterion derived from traffic data;

a criterion derived from traffic data;

a criterion derived from fueling data;

a criterion derived from industry data; and

a criterion derived from speed limit data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the GPS event history for at least one vehicle using the GPS event data against speed limit data; and

providing, for a graphic user interface, a graphic representation of the trend, the trend including a trend showing performance against a benchmark derived from the speed limit data.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

analyzing the GPS event history for a plurality drivers'"'"' performance for at least one operational metric; and

providing, for the graphic user interface, a representation of the trends fur each of the drivers'"'"' performance.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving GPS event data for at least one vehicle;

deriving speed and location data from the GPS event data; and

sending an alert if the derived speed exceeds a speed limit criterion for the vehicle'"'"'s location.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

providing, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric.