Processing geographic position data associated with fleet vehicles

• US 9,466,156 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Getchius, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISMAIL, MAHMOUD S
• Application Number:
  US14/101,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/519, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or 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: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• 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 device may receive multiple position data records. Each of the multiple position data records may identify a geographic position of a vehicle at a particular time. The device may determine, based on the multiple position data records: a first set of time periods during which the vehicle is in motion, and a second set of time periods during which the vehicle is not in motion; determine, based on behavior analysis data, a first type of motion associated with the first set of time periods and a second type of stop associated with the second set of time periods to form behavior metrics; and output the behavior metrics.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a plurality of data records,

each of the plurality of data records identifying a geographic position of a vehicle at a particular time;

receiving, by the device, location information regarding geographic locations of one or more job sites;

determining, by the device and based on the plurality of data records, a set of time periods during which the vehicle is not in motion;

receiving, by the device and from a data collection device connected to an on-board vehicle diagnostics system, information regarding a geographic position of the vehicle during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion;

comparing the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, to the location information regarding the geographic locations of the one or more job sites;

classifying the particular time period as a job-related stop when the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is within a particular distance of a geographic location of a particular job site, of the one or more job sites, as determined based on the comparing, and

classifying the particular time period as a non-job-related stop when the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is not within a particular distance of a geographic location of a particular job site, of the one or more job sites, as determined based on the comparing; and

outputting, by the device, information indicating the classification of the particular period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the plurality of data records, a set of time periods during which the vehicle is in motion;

determining a first speed of the vehicle during one of the one or more time periods during which the vehicle is in motion;

determining a second speed of the vehicle during the one of the one or more time periods in which the vehicle is in motion;

determining a risk score based on a variation between the first speed and the second speed, the risk score indicating whether the vehicle is being driven in a safe manner; and

outputting the risk score.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of time that the vehicle was stopped, during the particular time period,

wherein classifying the stop as a job-related stop or a non-job-related stop is further based on the amount of time that the vehicle was stopped during the particular time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a measure of efficiency based on a measure of distance that the vehicle was in motion,

a number of times that the vehicle was stopped at job locations, and

a number of times that the vehicle was stopped at non-job-locations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a measure of productivity based on a measure of distance that the vehicle was in motion towards a job location and an amount of time that the vehicle was stopped at a job location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a first device,

wherein outputting the information, indicating the classification of the particular period of time, includes:

outputting the information to a second device to cause the second device to display the information as part of a report, a graph, a chart, or a map.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular distance is a first distance, the method further comprising:

receiving location information regarding geographic locations of one or more non job sites,

wherein classifying the particular time period as a non-job-related stop is further based on determining that the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is within a second distance of at least one non-job site, of the one or more non-job sites.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time of day, that corresponds to the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion,

wherein classifying the particular time period as a non-job-related stop is further based on determining that the determined time of day corresponds to a time of day during which non-job-related stops are more likely to occur.

7. A system comprising:

a server device configured to;

receive a plurality of data records,

each of the plurality of data records identifying a geographic position of a vehicle at a particular time;

receive, from a data collection device connected to an on-board vehicle diagnostics system, location information regarding geographic locations of one or more job sites;

determine, based on the plurality of data records, a set of time periods during which the vehicle is not in motion;

compare a geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, to the location information regarding the geographic locations of the one or more job sites;

classify the particular time period as a job-related stop when the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is within a particular distance of a geographic location of a particular job site, of the one or more job sites, and

classify the particular time period as a non-job-related stop when the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is not within a particular distance of a geographic location of a particular job site, of the one or more job sites; and

output information indicating the classification of the particular period of time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is further to:

determine, based on the plurality of data records, a set of time periods during which the vehicle is in motion;

determine a first speed of the vehicle during one of the one or more time periods during which the vehicle is in motion;

determine a second speed of the vehicle during the one of the one or more time periods in which the vehicle is in motion;

determine a risk score based on a variation between the first speed and the second speed, the risk score indicating whether the vehicle is being driven in a safe manner; and

output the risk score.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is further to:

determine an amount of time that the vehicle was stopped, during the particular time period,

wherein classifying the stop as a job-related stop or a non-job-related stop is further based on the amount of time that the vehicle was stopped during the particular time period.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is further to:

determine a measure of efficiency based on a measure of distance that the vehicle was in motion,

a number of times that the vehicle was stopped at job locations, and

a number of times that vehicle was stopped at non-job locations.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is a first device,

wherein when outputting the information, indicating the classification of the particular period of time, the first device is further to output the behavior metrics to a second device to cause the second device to display the information as part of a report, a graph, a chart, or a map.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular distance is a first distance, wherein the device is further to:

receive location information regarding geographic locations of one or more non job sites,

wherein classifying the particular time period as a non-job-related stop is further based on determining that the geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, is within a second distance of at least one non-job site, of the one or more non-job sites.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is further to:

determine a time of day, that corresponds to the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion,

wherein classifying the particular time period as a non-job-related stop is further based on determining that the determined time of day corresponds to a time of day during which non-job-related stops are more likely to occur.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a data collection device connected to an on-board vehicle diagnostics system, a plurality of position data records,

each of the plurality of position data records identifying a geographic position of a vehicle at a particular time;

determine, based on the plurality of position data records, a set of time periods during which the vehicle is in motion;

identify, based on behavior analysis data, information identifying a first speed associated with a route traveled by the vehicle during one of the one or more time periods in which the vehicle is in motion;

determine a second speed corresponding to a speed the vehicle during the one of the one or more time periods in which the vehicle is in motion;

determine a measure of risk based on a variation between the first speed and the second speed; and

output information regarding the measure of risk.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the behavior analysis data includes information identifying a speed limit or a complexity of the route.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the set of time periods during which the vehicle is in motion is a first set of time periods, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive location information regarding geographic locations of one or more job sites;

determine, based on the plurality of position data records and the location information regarding the geographic locations of the one or more job sites, a second set of time periods during which the vehicle is not in motion;

determine, based on the plurality of position data records and the location information regarding the geographic locations of the one or more job sites, whether a particular time period, of the second set of time periods, should be classified as a job-related stop or a non-job-related stop, the determining including;

comparing a geographic position of the vehicle, during the particular time period during which the vehicle is not in motion, to the location information regarding the geographic locations of the one or more job sites; and

output information indicating the classification of the particular period of time.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the classification is further based on an amount of time that the vehicle was stopped at a non-job location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the variation between the first speed and the second speed exceeds a threshold variation,

wherein the determined measure of risk is based on whether the variation, between the first speed and the second speed, exceeds the threshold variation.