System and method to enhance the utility of vehicle inspection records by including route identification data in each vehicle inspection record

• US 8,972,097 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McQuade, Charles Michael, Brinton, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US13/159,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.6, 701/35, 701/117, 701/31.5, 701/527, 705/305, 705/72, 705/1.1, 707/999.104
• US Class Current: 701/29.6
• 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 handheld, portable device is used to facilitate inspection of vehicles, by generating an electronic vehicle inspection record that can be used by fleet operators to provide evidence of complying with required vehicle inspections. When the vehicle inspection record is generated, route identification data is added to the inspection record. The route identification data defines which of a plurality of predefined routes the vehicle has serviced, or will service, during a time period proximate the inspection of the vehicle. Fleet operators can thus use archived inspection records as evidence of compliance with inspection requirements, and to document what route a vehicle serviced at a particular time.

Claims

1. A method for incorporating route identification (ID) data into a vehicle inspection record, such that analysis of the vehicle inspection record enables a specific route associated with that vehicle inspection record to be identified, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically generating inspection data while performing an inspection of a vehicle using an inspection tool including a non-transitory memory and a processor performing the function of generating an inspection record based on information input into the inspection tool during the inspection; and

(b) incorporating route ID data into the inspection record, the inspection record comprising at least one computer data file stored at least initially in the inspection tool non-transitory memory, the inspection record including the following types of data;

(i) vehicle ID data uniquely identifying the vehicle that was inspected;

(ii) time data identifying when the vehicle was inspected;

(iii) the inspection data generated during the vehicle inspection that was performed; and

(iv) route ID data defining the route serviced by the vehicle at a time period proximate the inspection, the inspection record providing documentation that the inspection was performed, and indicating what route the vehicle serviced during the time period proximate the inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conveying the inspection record to a non-transient memory remote from the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of conveying the inspection record to the remote non-transient memory comprises the step of using a wireless data link that is incorporated into the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of conveying the inspection record to the remote non-transient memory comprises the step of using a wireless data link that is incorporated into a portable data collecting device used to generate the inspection data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote non-transient memory includes a plurality of inspection records for a plurality of different vehicles, and further comprising the step of using a computing device logically coupled to the remote transient memory to search the plurality of inspection records to identify what route a particular vehicle serviced at a particular time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote non-transient memory includes a plurality of inspection records for a plurality of different vehicles, and further comprising the step of using a computing device logically coupled to the remote non-transient memory to search the plurality of inspection records to identify any route associated with an inspection record identifying a mechanical failure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating inspection data while performing the inspection comprises the step of using a portable data collecting device that detects a token disposed proximate a component to be inspected, such that unique token data collected by the portable device provides evidence that an operator was proximate the component during the inspection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of incorporating route ID data into the inspection record comprises the step of using the portable data collecting device to read a token corresponding to the specific route, such that unique token data collected by the portable device provides the route ID data.

9. A system for automatically analyzing a plurality of electronic vehicle inspection records to determine which of a plurality of predefined routes a specific vehicle has serviced during a time period proximate a specific vehicle inspection, the system comprising:

(a) at least one non-transient memory in which are stored;

(i) a plurality of machine instructions; and

(ii) a plurality of electronic vehicle inspection records, each electronic vehicle inspection record comprising vehicle identification (ID) data uniquely identifying the vehicle that was inspected, time data identifying when the vehicle was inspected, inspection data relating to the inspection that was performed, and route ID data defining the predefined route serviced by the vehicle during the time period proximate the inspection; and

(b) a processor, coupled to each non-transient memory, said processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

(i) enabling a user to define at least one parameter from a group of parameters consisting of a specific vehicle, a specific time, and inspection data defining a mechanical fault; and

(ii) automatically search the plurality of electronic inspection records to identify each route ID in the inspection record corresponding to each user defined parameter.

10. A method for automatically analyzing a plurality of vehicle inspection records to determine which of a plurality of predefined routes a specific vehicle has serviced during a time period proximate a specific vehicle inspection, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of electronic inspection records, each electronic inspection record including vehicle identification (ID) data uniquely identifying the vehicle that was inspected, time data identifying when the vehicle was inspected, inspection data relating to the inspection that was performed, route ID data defining the predefined route serviced by the vehicle during the time period proximate the inspection, and driver ID data identifying a driver operating the vehicle during the time period proximate the inspection;

(b) enabling a user to define at least one of the following parameters;

(i) a specific time period proximate an inspection;

(ii) a specific vehicle;

(iii) a specific driver; and

(iv) specific inspection data; and

(c) using a computing device to automatically search the plurality of electronic inspection records to identify each route ID in the inspection record corresponding to each user defined parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the specific inspection data corresponds to a mechanical fault identified in the vehicle inspection, such that the search result identifies each route ID associated with a mechanical fault.

12. A portable data collection device for collecting vehicle inspection data and route identification (ID) data, to generate an inspection record for providing evidence that a plurality of locations were visited during a vehicle inspection, and for providing the identity of a route serviced by the vehicle during a time period proximate the vehicle inspection, the system comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) an output for providing at least one of a visual indication and an audible indication to a user of the portable device;

(c) an operator interface;

(d) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored;

(e) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate any of the plurality of locations, and in response thereto producing a signal indicating that the portable device is proximate to one of the plurality of locations; and

(f) a controller coupled to the display, the memory, the operator interface, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and implementing the functions of;

(i) prompting an operator to input route ID data, the route ID data specifically identifying the route serviced by the vehicle during the time period proximate the vehicle inspection;

(ii) prompting the operator to input vehicle ID data, the vehicle ID data specifically identifying the vehicle that is being inspected;

(iii) generating inspection data in response to the signal produced by the sensor, such that whenever the sensor produces the signal, an identity of a specific one of the plurality of locations that the portable device is proximate to when the signal is produced is added to the inspection data; and

(iii) generating an inspection record including the route ID data, the vehicle ID data, and the inspection data.

13. The portable data collection device of claim 12, wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by a processor, further carry out the function of prompting the user to input driver ID data, and including the driver ID data in the inspection record.

14. A method for automatically determining which of a plurality of predefined routes a vehicle has traveled using inspection records, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating an inspection record in conjunction with an inspection of the vehicle, wherein the inspection record includes;

(i) a route identifier specifying which one of the plurality of predefined routes the vehicle has traversed or will traverse during a time period proximate the inspection of the vehicle;

(ii) a vehicle identifier uniquely identifying the vehicle for which the data is collected;

(iii) a temporal identifier uniquely identifying the time at which the data is collected; and

(iv) vehicle inspection data acquired using a portable data collection device, the vehicle inspection data comprising token data collected by the portable data collection device from a plurality of tokens disposed proximate inspection locations associated with the vehicle, wherein the tokens and the inspection locations are disposed on the vehicle, the token data providing evidence that an operator performing the inspection was proximate the token during the vehicle inspection;

(b) after completing the vehicle inspection, conveying the inspection record to a remote computing device for analysis to determine which one of the plurality of predefined routes the vehicle has traveled;

(c) in response to a user request, automatically analyzing the inspection record to determine along which one of the plurality of predefined routes the vehicle has traveled; and

(d) presenting the identified route to the user.