System and method for pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer

• US 10,818,106 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2018
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Zula, Daniel P., Molin, Hans M., Cremona, Michael D., Alabi, Adedapo A., Frashure, Timothy J., Hayes, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US16/160,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20200118361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

A system and method for pre-trip inspection of a tractor trailer are provided. The system includes a communications gateway configured for electronic communication with a vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer and a computing device configured for communication with the vehicle control system through the communications gateway. The device is configured to display an instruction to a user to perform a task of the pre-trip inspection and receive an input associated with the task from the user. The input is indicative of an operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer. The device may be further configured to determine whether the operating characteristic meets a predetermined condition. The device is further configured to transmit an instruction to the vehicle control system through the communications gateway when the operating characteristic does not meet the predetermined condition. The instruction establishes a restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer.

Claims

1. A system for pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer, comprising:

a communications gateway configured for electronic communication with a first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer;

a computing device configured for communication with the first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer through the communications gateway, the computing device further configured to

display an instruction to a user to perform a first task of the pre-trip inspection;

receive an input associated with the first task from the user, the input indicative of a first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmit, when the first operating characteristic does not meet a first predetermined condition, a first instruction to the first vehicle control system through the communications gateway, the first instruction establishing a first restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer

wherein the computing device is further configured, in displaying the instruction, to generate a visual overlay for a component of the tractor-trailer and, in receiving the input, to capture an image of the component once the overlay and the component are aligned on a display of the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to determine whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition by identifying a distance between two points on the component in the image and comparing the distance to a predetermined distance.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to determine whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition by identifying a position of a point on the component in the image and comparing the position to a predetermined position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to determine whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition by comparing the image to at least one other image.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured, in receiving the input, to generate an audio recording during operation of the component of the tractor-trailer and to determine whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition by comparing the audio recording to a pre-recorded audio recording.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is configured for communication with a second vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer through the communications gateway and is further configured to

receive an input indicative of a second operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer from the second vehicle control system through the communications gateway;

and,

transmit, when the second operating characteristic does not meet a second predetermined condition, a second instruction to the first vehicle control system through the communications gateway, the second instruction establishing a second restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first restriction comprises a limitation on movement of the tractor-trailer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to display an indication of the first restriction to the user.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the input comprises a vehicle identification number for the tractor-trailer and the first operating characteristic is a presence or an absence of a second vehicle control system on the tractor-trailer.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first vehicle control system comprises a vehicle navigation system and the first restriction comprises a limitation on recommended travel routes by the vehicle navigation system.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to:

monitor a location of the user relative to a location of the tractor-trailer;

determine whether the location meets a second predetermined condition; and

,

transmit, when the location does not meet the second predetermined condition, a second instruction to one of the first vehicle control system and a second vehicle control system through the communications gateway, the second instruction establishing a second restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications gateway is configured to receive a second instruction from another computing device outside of the tractor-trailer and other than the computing device, the second instruction preventing transmission of the first instruction.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to receive another input associated with the first task from the user, the another input indicative of a change in the first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer.

14. A system for pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer, comprising:

a communications gateway configured for electronic communication with a first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer;

a computing device configured for communication with the first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer through the communications gateway, the computing device further configured to

display an instruction to a user to perform a first task of the pre-trip inspection;

receive an input associated with the first task from the user, the input indicative of a first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmit, when the first operating characteristic does not meet a first predetermined condition, a first instruction to the first vehicle control system through the communications gateway, the first instruction establishing a first restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer

wherein the computing device is further configured, in receiving the input, to generate a video recording during operation of a component of the tractor-trailer and to determine whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition by comparing a plurality of frames in the video recording.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon that when executed by a controller implements a pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer, the computer program including code for

displaying an instruction to a user to perform a first task of the pre-trip inspection;

receiving an input associated with the first task from the user, the input indicative of a first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmitting, when the first operating characteristic does not meet a first predetermined condition, a first instruction to a first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer, the first instruction establishing a first restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer

wherein the computer program further includes code for

receiving an input indicative of a second operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer from a second vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmitting, when the second operating characteristic does not meet a second predetermined condition, a second instruction to the first vehicle control system through the communications gateway, the second instruction establishing a second restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the code for displaying the instruction includes code for generating a visual overlay for a component of the tractor-trailer and the code for receiving the input includes code for capturing an image of the component once the overlay and the component are aligned on a display of the computing device.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein the computer program further includes code for determining whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition including code for identifying a distance between two points on the component in the image and comparing the distance to a predetermined distance.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein the computer program further includes code for determining whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition including code for identifying a position of a point on the component in the image and compare the position to a predetermined position.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein the computer program further includes code for determining whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition including code for comparing the image to at least one other image.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the code for receiving the input includes code for generating an audio recording during operation of a component of the tractor-trailer and the computer program further includes code for determining whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition including code for comparing the audio recording to a pre-recorded audio recording.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the code for receiving the input includes code for generating a video recording during operation of a component of the tractor-trailer and the computer program further includes code for determining whether the first operating characteristic meets the first predetermined condition including code for comparing a plurality of frames in the video recording.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the first restriction comprises a limitation on movement of the tractor-trailer.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the computer program further includes code for displaying an indication of the first restriction to the user.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the first vehicle control system comprises a vehicle navigation system and the first restriction comprises a limitation on recommended travel routes by the vehicle navigation system.

25. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon that when executed by a controller implements a pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer, the computer program including code for

displaying an instruction to a user to perform a first task of the pre-trip inspection;

receiving an input associated with the first task from the user, the input indicative of a first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmitting, when the first operating characteristic does not meet a first predetermined condition, a first instruction to a first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer, the first instruction establishing a first restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer

wherein the input comprises a vehicle identification number for the tractor-trailer and the first operating characteristic is a presence or an absence of a second vehicle control system on the tractor-trailer.

26. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon that when executed by a controller implements a pre-trip inspection of a tractor-trailer, the computer program including code for

displaying an instruction to a user to perform a first task of the pre-trip inspection;

receiving an input associated with the first task from the user, the input indicative of a first operating characteristic of the tractor-trailer; and

,

transmitting, when the first operating characteristic does not meet a first predetermined condition, a first instruction to a first vehicle control system of the tractor-trailer, the first instruction establishing a first restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer

wherein the computer program further includes code for;

monitoring a location of the user relative to a location of the tractor-trailer;

determining whether the location meets a second predetermined condition; and

,

transmitting, when the location does not meet the second predetermined condition, a second instruction to one of the first vehicle control system and a second vehicle control system, the second instruction establishing a second restriction on operation of the tractor-trailer.