Vehicle independent employee/driver tracking and reporting

• US 9,881,272 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Connect Development Limited
• Original Assignee: Fleetmatics Ireland Limited (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Peter, Erlenbach, Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ODEH, NADEEM N
• Application Number:
  US14/027,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 701 324, 705 738
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• 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 computer system and method for storing and processing GPS data for a plurality of drivers and vehicles to provide activity reports for fleets of driver and vehicles.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, configured to;

receive Global Positioning System (GPS) event data transmitted from each GPS device, of a plurality of GPS devices, over a period of time,

each GPS device, of the plurality of GPS devices, being associated with a corresponding vehicle, of a plurality of vehicles, and

each GPS event data including location information for a vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, associated with each GPS device;

store the GPS event data, received from the plurality of GPS devices, in the memory;

associate information identifying each driver, of a plurality of drivers, with information identifying one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

provide a graphic user interface that includes at least one user-selectable filtering category for generating a report based on the GPS event data in the memory,

the at least one user-selectable filtering category including a group filter category with a plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups including information identifying two or more drivers of the plurality of drivers;

provide driver activity information for each driver of the plurality of drivers,

the driver activity information being derived from the GPS event data;

generate, in response to a selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups and based on the GPS event data, one or more driver activity reports that include information associated with;

each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

scores and rankings, associated with a plurality of operational metrics, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

the rankings being based on a comparison of the scores, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, with scores of the plurality of drivers other than the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each vehicle assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, and

each indirectly-associated driver that is assigned to at least one of the vehicles assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each indirectly-associated driver not being included in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups;

provide, via the graphic user interface, the one or more driver activity reports;

determine whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy a goal, associated with the plurality of operational metrics, based on the one or more driver activity reports and the GPS event data; and

provide information indicating whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy the goal.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the information identifying each driver is associated with information identifying one of the plurality of vehicles for a period of time.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the group filter category further includes a plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups,

each of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups including information identifying two or more vehicles, of the plurality of vehicles, and

the at least one processor being further configured to:

generate, in response to a selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups, and via the graphic user interface, one or more vehicle activity reports that include information associated with;

each of the vehicles in the one of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups, and

each driver assigned to each of the vehicles in the one of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups; and

provide the one or more vehicle activity reports via the graphic user interface.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the one or more vehicle activity reports further include information associated with each indirectly-associated vehicle that is assigned to at least one of the drivers assigned to each of the vehicles in the one of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups,

each indirectly-associated vehicle not being included in the one of the plurality of user-selectable vehicle groups.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the group filter category further includes a plurality of user-selectable combination groups,

each of the plurality user-selectable combination groups comprising information identifying one or more vehicles of the plurality of vehicles and information identifying one or more drivers of the plurality of drivers, and

the at least one processor being further configured to:

generate, in response to a selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable combination groups and based on the GPS event data, one or more combination activity reports that include information associated with;

each of the one or more vehicles and each of the one or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable combination groups; and

provide the one or more combination activity reports via the graphic user interface.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the one or more combination activity reports further include information associated with:

each indirectly-associated vehicle that is assigned to at least one of the one or more drivers assigned to the one or more vehicles in the one of the plurality of user-selectable combination groups, and

each indirectly-associated driver that is assigned to at least one of the one or more vehicles assigned to the one or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable combination groups,

each indirectly-associated vehicle and each indirectly-associated driver not being included in the one of the plurality of user-selectable combination groups.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each GPS device, of the plurality of GPS devices, is associated with a corresponding driver, of the plurality of drivers, based on an input received from a driver identification device.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the driver identification device is one of:

a Driver Keyfob,

a Driver Assignment Module,

a Driver Mobile Application,

a Third Party Integrations, or

a GPS device not included in the plurality of GPS devices.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate a data structure that associates information identifying one of the plurality of drivers, and information identifying one or more of the plurality of vehicles and associates information identifying one of the plurality of vehicles and information identifying one or more of the plurality of drivers; and

store the data structure in the memory.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the data structure is a lookup table.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide, via the graphic user interface, at least one of the plurality of operational metrics for one or more of the plurality of drivers.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide, via the graphic user interface, an interactive display that displays a graphic representation of the at least one of the plurality of operational metrics for the one or more of the plurality of drivers.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide, via the graphic user interface, an alert when the at least one of the plurality of operational metrics satisfies at least one predetermined criterion.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

store, in the memory, a record of a route from an origin location to a destination location; and

provide the record of the route to a device that displays the route as a map.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

store, in the memory, historical GPS event data for one or more of the plurality of vehicles for a plurality of operation periods.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate at least one historical report based on the historical GPS event data,

the at least one historical report comprising information associated with at least one of;

activity of a particular driver, of the plurality of drivers, over a predetermined time period;

a speed report associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

an idling report associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

operational reports associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

a behavior associated with the particular driver;

a speed limit report associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

or

performance report associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

identify at least one trend for the GPS event data based on the historical GPS event data; and

provide, via the graphic user interface, a representation of the at least one trend.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

identify a trend for one of the plurality of operational metrics,

the one of the plurality of operational metrics being associated with information indicating one of;

an engine on/off associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles,

vehicle mileage associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles,

idling associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles,

a number of stops associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles,

a speed associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles, or

a speed threshold associated with the one or more of the plurality of vehicles.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

compare the historical GPS event data and the GPS event data, for at least one of the plurality of drivers, with at least one criterion; and

provide, via the graphic user interface, a graphic representation indicating a result of the comparison of the historical GPS event data and the GPS event data with the at least one criterion.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

analyze the historical GPS event data for the plurality of drivers and based on at least one of the plurality of operational metrics; and

provide, via the graphic user interface, a graphic representation based on analyzing the historical GPS event data.

21. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate an interactive display that displays a visual representation of the driver activity information during a time period.

22. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, Global Positioning System (GPS) event data transmitted from each GPS device, of a plurality of GPS devices, over a period of time,

each GPS device, of the plurality of GPS devices, being associated with a corresponding vehicle, of a plurality of vehicles, and

each GPS event data including location information for a vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, associated with each GPS device;

storing, by the device, the GPS event data, received from the plurality of GPS devices, in a memory;

associating, by the device, information identifying each driver, of a plurality of drivers, with information identifying one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

providing, by the device, a graphic user interface that includes at least one user-selectable filtering category for generating a report based on the GPS event data in the memory,

the at least one user-selectable filtering category including a group filter category with a plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups including information identifying two or more drivers of the plurality of drivers;

providing, by the device, driver activity information for each driver of the plurality of drivers,

the driver activity information being derived from the GPS event data;

generating, by the device, in response to a selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, and based on the GPS event data, one or more driver activity reports that include information associated with;

each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

scores and rankings, associated with a plurality of operational metrics, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

the rankings being based on a comparison of the scores, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, with scores of the plurality of drivers other than the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each vehicle assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, and

each indirectly-associated driver that is assigned to at least one of the vehicles assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each indirectly-associated driver not being included in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups;

providing, by the device and via the graphic user interface, the one or more driver activity reports;

determining, by the device, whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy a goal, associated with the plurality of operational metrics, based on the one or more driver activity reports and the GPS event data; and

providing, by the device, information indicating whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy the goal.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive Global Positioning System (GPS) event data transmitted from each GPS device, of a plurality of GPS devices, over a period of time,

each GPS device, of the plurality of GPS devices, being associated with a corresponding vehicle, of a plurality of vehicles, and

each GPS event data including location information for a vehicle, of the plurality of vehicles, associated with each GPS device;

store the GPS event data, received from the plurality of GPS devices, in a memory;

associate information identifying each driver, of a plurality of drivers, with information identifying one or more of the plurality of vehicles;

provide a graphic user interface that includes at least one user-selectable filtering category for generating a report based on the GPS event data in the memory,

the at least one user-selectable filtering category including a group filter category with a plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups including information identifying two or more drivers of the plurality of drivers;

provide driver activity information for each driver of the plurality of drivers,

the driver activity information being derived from the GPS event data;

generate, in response to a selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups and based on the GPS event data, one or more driver activity reports that include information associated with;

each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

scores and rankings, associated with a plurality of operational metrics, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

the rankings being based on a comparison of the scores, for each of the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, with scores of the plurality of drivers other than the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each vehicle assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups, and

each indirectly-associated driver that is assigned to at least one of the vehicles assigned to the two or more drivers in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups,

each indirectly-associated driver not being included in the one of the plurality of user-selectable driver groups;

provide, via the graphic user interface, the one or more driver activity reports;

determine whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy a goal, associated with the plurality of operational metrics, based on the one or more driver activity reports and the GPS event data; and

provide information indicating whether the plurality of vehicles satisfy the goal.