Vehicle activity information system

• US 9,633,576 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Heil Company (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliance Wireless Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Reed, James Darrick
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, XUAN MARIAN
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bullington, Robert P
• Application Number:
  US14/105,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20140170602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 434 62
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

The disclosed apparatus, system, and method serve to modify a driver'"'"'s behavior, reduce accident costs, and generate more revenue from a company vehicle. Risky behavior that often leads to accidents, personal injury, property damage, and loss of a driver'"'"'s livelihood is highlighted in the disclosed system. By focusing on a driver'"'"'s unsafe actions, the disclosed system teaches a driver to correct unsafe driving behaviors. An employer or insurance company, for example, can access all data captured before, during, and after the accident or event to assist with finding fault. The disclosed vehicle activity information system is fully configurable at all times during installation of the system and during use thereof. A plurality of integrated cameras provides constant video surveillance of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, thus working simultaneously to capture a driver'"'"'s actions in the vehicle information activity system.

Claims

1. A vehicle activity information system, comprising:

a vehicle activity information unit comprising an accelerometer, a compass, a temperature sensor, a real time clock, a GPS module, a system processor, a forward view camera, a cabin camera, a cab microphone, a speaker, and an internal WIFI module housed in an enclosure;

at least one external camera unit;

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor; and

a non-transitory computer-usable tangible storage device storing computer program code, said computer program code comprising program instructions executable by said processor, said program instructions comprising;

program instructions to collect driver and vehicular information from said vehicle activity information unit and said at least one external camera unit;

program instructions to analyze said collected vehicular and driver information;

program instructions for processing said analyzed vehicular and driver information in a first path, said first path comprising;

categorizing said driver and vehicular information; and

communicating the driver and vehicular information and coaching suggestions according to said driver and vehicular information to a user;

program instructions for processing said analyzed driver and vehicular information in a second path, said second path comprising;

reviewing said analyzed driver and vehicular information to identify areas of driver behavior; and

scoring said identified areas of driver behavior.

2. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle and driver information comprise at least one of:

event details, observations, driver detail, sharing, download video, unsafe driving, stopping, speeding, driver behavior, collisions, equipment, scoring, map, location, coaching session, revise scoring, save coaching, no action, and fuel monitoring.

3. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 further comprising:

program instructions to review said score of said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information, wherein said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information is reviewed by a supervisor of a driver; and

program instructions to educate a driver based on said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information.

4. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 further comprising program instructions to automatically trigger collection of said vehicular and driver information from said vehicle activity information unit and said at least one external camera unit, wherein a trigger comprises at least one of said vehicle running a red light, tailgating another vehicle or being tailgated by another vehicle, speeding as determined by a current speed limit based on a certain location as gathered by said system, g-force, manual operation, and said vehicle speeding at a predetermined rate.

5. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 further comprising program instructions to collect vehicular and driver data from a smartphone, tablet, or a plurality of integrated cameras, wherein said plurality of integrated cameras provide continuous video surveillance of an interior and an exterior of a vehicle, wherein said program instructions further provide video clips of varying lengths, varying number video channels, and variable bit rate to optimize storage of said video surveillance.

6. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 further comprising:

program instructions to provide off-board storage, post analytics, report generation, and a user interface associated with said user retrieval of said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information;

program instructions to create a report based on tracked vehicular and driver information parameters, wherein said report includes at least one of;

driving trends, accident hot spots, risky driving behavior of said driver, vehicle route, and site performance; and

program instructions to remotely access said collected vehicular and driver information and said parameters.

7. The vehicle activity information system of claim 1 further comprising:

program instructions to automatically and wirelessly upload collected vehicular and driver information to said processor;

program instructions to create a geofence for a fleet group; and

program instructions to email notification of an event related to said geofence to at least one person or entity.

8. A vehicle activity information method, comprising:

collecting driver and vehicular information with a vehicle activity information unit comprising an accelerometer, a compass, a temperature sensor, a real time clock, a GPS module, a system processor, a forward view camera, a cabin camera, a cab microphone, a speaker, and an internal WIFI module housed in an enclosure; and

at least one external camera unit;

analyzing said collected vehicular and driver information;

processing said analyzed vehicular and driver information in a first path, said first path comprising;

categorizing said driver and vehicular information; and

communicating said driver and vehicular information and coaching suggestions according to said driver and vehicular information to a user;

processing said analyzed driver and vehicular information in a second path, said second path comprising;

reviewing said analyzed driver and vehicular information to identify areas of driver behavior; and

scoring said identified areas of driver behavior.

9. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 wherein said vehicle and driver information comprises at least one of:

event details, observations, driver detail, sharing, download video, unsafe driving, stopping, speeding, driver behavior, collisions, equipment, scoring, map, location, coaching session, revise scoring, save coaching, no action, and fuel monitoring.

10. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 further comprising:

reviewing said score and said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information, wherein said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information is reviewed by a supervisor of a driver; and

educating a driver based on said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information.

11. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 further comprising automatically triggering collection of said vehicular and driver information from said vehicle activity information unit and said at least one external camera unit, wherein a trigger comprises at least one of said vehicle running a red light, tailgating another vehicle or being tailgated by another vehicle, speeding as determined by a current speed limit based on a certain location as gathered by said system, g-force, manual operation, and said vehicle speeding at a predetermined rate.

12. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 further comprising collecting vehicular and driver data from a smartphone, tablet, or a plurality of integrated cameras, wherein said plurality of integrated cameras provide continuous video surveillance of an interior and an exterior of a vehicle, wherein said program instructions further provide video clips of varying lengths, varying number video channels, and variable bit rate to optimize storage of said video surveillance.

13. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 further comprising:

providing off-board storage, post analytics, report generation, and a user interface associated with said user retrieval of said collected and said analyzed vehicular and driver information;

creating a report based on tracked vehicular and driver information parameters, wherein said report includes at least one of;

driving trends, accident hot spots, risky driving behavior of said driver, vehicle route, and site performance; and

remotely accessing said collected vehicular and driver information and said parameters.

14. The vehicle activity information method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically and wirelessly uploading collected vehicular and driver information to said processor;

creating a geofence for a fleet group; and

emailing a notification of an event related to said geofence to at least one person or entity.