GPS and wireless integrated fleet management system and method

• US 9,519,921 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-Lantis Corporation
• Original Assignee: E-Lantis Corporation
• Inventors: Wei, Hongfeng, Forougi, Sid
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/492,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A fleet management system has a communication and positioning module associated with each fleet vehicle, and a back end monitoring and control system located at a fleet data center in communication with each vehicle. The system monitors each trip automatically and generates time stamps at the start of a trip, a pick up location, a drop off location, and return of the vehicle to a garage at the end of a trip. Vehicle status information is collected and stored along with time stamps. The information is used to generate billing and payroll accounts, and also in monitoring conditions of fleet vehicles and generating alerts as needed. Turn-by-turn route instructions are provided to each vehicle.

Claims

1. A computerized system for managing a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

a vehicle backend control server which comprises an operator console which is adapted to display a map showing the current locations of a plurality of fleet vehicles,

a reservation module which receives a client request for a ride from a pickup location to a drop off location and displays the client request on the operator console,

a vehicle routing module which receives a vehicle dispatch order from said server and determines a route from the location of at least one of said plurality of vehicles to the pickup location; and

a status monitoring module which monitors vehicle mechanical status in real time and traffic status in real time of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles, and

a vehicle communication module which communicates with the at least one of said plurality of vehicles to send the route information to the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and to send a detour around any detected traffic holdup along the route;

at least one processor located in each fleet vehicle, the processor including a touchscreen for displaying a graphical user interface and a speaker, the processor having an antenna to wirelessly receive GPS location data in real time, the GUI displaying the pickup location and drop off location, the speaker being adapted and configured to provide audible instructions corresponding to the route information, and

a wireless communication module located in the at least one of said plurality of vehicles, adapted and configured to provide communication by the antenna between the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and the server in real time; and

a vehicle GPS location and data collection module located in each fleet vehicle which is adapted and configured to monitor and collect current vehicle GPS location data and vehicle mechanical status data in real time and to wirelessly transmit collected vehicle GPS location data and mechanical status data by the antenna to the server in real time.

2. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which communication between the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and the server that the at least one of said plurality of vehicles has reached a scheduled location is automatic based upon GPS location data of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles.

3. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which turn-by-turn instructions are sent to the vehicle processor.

4. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 wherein said server is operated by a first transportation company and further comprising a data exchange platform which provides a client request from said server to another server of an affiliated transportation company which provides transportation services.

5. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which client GPS location is matched to the GPS location of the closest available vehicle in real time and the order is automatically dispatched to the closest available vehicle to the client.

6. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which when the vehicle mechanical status changes, the processor triggers the server to stamp the time and save the GPS location when the change occurred.

7. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 further comprising in each vehicle of said plurality of vehicles a wireless forced engine-off module communicating with the server.

8. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which geo-fencing communication between the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and the server is automatic based upon GPS location data of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles.

9. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which communication between the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and the server that the at least one of said plurality of vehicles has arrived at a pick-up location is automatic based upon GPS location data of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles.

10. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which communication between the at least one of said plurality of vehicles and the server pertaining to changes in the status of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles route are automatic based upon GPS location data of the at least one of said plurality of vehicles.

11. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which said backend control server is a first server of a first transportation company and further comprising a second backend control server of a second transportation company that is an affiliate of the first company, wherein said first server provides GPS information of the client position to said second server.

12. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which said backend control server is a first server of a first transportation company and further comprising a second backend control server of a second transportation company that is an affiliate of the first company, wherein said first server includes geo-fencing boundaries of the second transportation company.

13. The computerized fleet management system of claim 12 in which the first transportation company is in a first country and the second transportation company is in a second country.

14. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 in which said backend control server is a first server of a first affiliate and further comprising a second backend control server of a second affiliate, wherein said first server provides GPS information of the client position to said second server.

15. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 wherein the touch screen is handheld.

16. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 wherein the touch screen is embedded.

17. The computerized fleet management system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fleet vehicles are land vehicles.

18. The computerized fleet management system of claim 17 wherein the land vehicles are automobiles.