Dynamic operator behavior analyzer

• US 9,626,879 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Manci, Lewis H., Swift, Philip W., Waltz, Lucas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIRLEY, KRISTEN NICOLE
• Application Number:
  US14/478,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20150064668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 434 29- 71, 434219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

Dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior comprises identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having at least one behavior modification action and at least one performance parameter to evaluate the event against. Monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle is carried out for the event. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, event data is recorded that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event. The recorded event data is evaluated against at least one performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event. A vehicle operator score is updated based upon the evaluation and the updated vehicle operator score is communicated.

Claims

1. A method of providing dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior, the method comprising:

identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having a performance parameter to evaluate against the event and a behavior modification action;

monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle for the event, comprising;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs; and

performing, based upon predicting that the event will occur;

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event; and

performing the behavior modification action before the event actually occurs based upon the determination that the operator has not been inculcated to respond to the event;

detecting an occurrence of the event, and performing;

recording event data that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event;

evaluating the recorded event data against the performance parameter associated with the metric that characterizes the event to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event;

updating a vehicle operator score based upon the evaluation; and

communicating the updated vehicle operator score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying a behavior modification action; and

monitoring for the event comprises;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs; and

performing the behavior modification action before the event actually occurs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the behavior modification action comprises an instruction on the behavior necessary to comply with the event predicted to occur.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying a pre-action trigger that defines how to predict that the event will occur;

wherein;

predicting that the event will occur before the event actually occurs comprises comparing information obtained by the industrial vehicle against the pre-action trigger to predict whether the event is about to occur.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

comparing information obtained by the industrial vehicle against at least one pre-action trigger comprises;

comparing location tracking information collected from a location tracking device on the industrial vehicle against at least one pre-action trigger.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying a behavior modification action;

and the method further comprises;

performing the behavior modification action upon determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate appropriate behavior for the event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the behavior modification action comprises providing a message that indicates a behavior that was expected in response to the occurrence of the event.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the behavior modification action comprises a coaching instruction that explains how to correct an operator performance in response to the event to achieve a desired behavior for that event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying a behavior modification action;

and the method further comprises;

determining whether the operator has been inculcated to respond to the event; and

performing the behavior modification action upon determining that the vehicle operator did not demonstrate appropriate behavior for the event, based upon the determination that the operator has not been inculcated to respond to the event.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

identifying a metric further comprises;

identifying at least one inculcating rule that determines whether a mode associated with the vehicle operator is in an inculcating mode or a normal mode for the event;

wherein;

the behavior modification action is implemented for the vehicle operator when in the inculcating mode, and wherein the behavior modification action is not implemented when the vehicle operator is in the normal mode for that event.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning a set of virtual rewards including virtual badges to vehicle operators based upon achievements as determined from the vehicle operator score.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of additional metrics that each characterize an action that is implemented on the industrial vehicle, wherein the metric and the plurality of additional metrics collectively define a set of metrics; and

selecting at least one of a priority and a weighting of the set of metrics.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying a metric and identifying a plurality of additional metrics, comprise:

selecting from a list of available metrics that have been pre-defined.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the vehicle operator score against a benchmark to determine a benchmarked score; and

presenting the determined benchmarked score to the operator by displaying the determined benchmarked score on a display of the industrial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning for the metric;

inculcating conditions that define a parameter for determining whether the vehicle operator has been inculcated to perform an action associated with the event.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining an operator identification that identifies the vehicle operator that has logged onto the industrial vehicle.