MONITORING THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES

• US 20090099720A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mordechai Elgali
• Original Assignee: Mordechai Elgali
• Inventors: ELGALI, Mordechai
• Application Number:
  US11/872,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

A system for monitoring the operation and maintenance of vehicles. The system comprises a plurality of sensors attached to various vehicle modules that need to be monitored. The sensors are operatively connected to a control module, which in turn is operatively connected to a scheduler and to a communication module. Upon operation, the sensors present the control module with indicators relating the current operation of various modules of a vehicle. The scheduler presents the control module with user-defined schedule of operation and maintenance of said vehicle. The control module performs a matching between the schedule and the sensor indicators and alerts the user via the communication module of any mismatch between the indicators relating the current operation of various modules of a vehicle and said user-defined schedule of operation and maintenance of said vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the operation and maintenance of vehicles, said system comprising:

a plurality of sensors attached to vehicle modules and operatively connected to

a control module;

operatively connected to

a scheduler; and

a communication module operatively connected to said control module;

wherein the sensors present the control module with indicators relating the current operation of various modules of a vehicle;

and wherein the scheduler presents the control module with user-defined schedule of operation and maintenance of said vehicle;

and wherein the control module alerts the user via the communication module of any mismatch between the indicators relating the current operation of various modules of a vehicle and said user-defined schedule of operation and maintenance of said vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are of at least one of the following:

micro-switch, proximity sensor, volume sensor, movement sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module delivers the alert to the user over a user interface module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is at least one of the following:

the driver, the maintenance officer, the operation officer, the safety inspector.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface module is at least one of the following:

a personal computer, a mobile phone, a dedicated hardware module, a portable device accessory.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the communication module delivers the alert over at least one of the following means:

a cellular network, wireless network, the Internet, wired network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user defined operation schedule comprises the required actions of a specific vehicle that have to be performed in conjunction with a timetable in order to comply with a project requirements.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user defined maintenance schedule comprises the required actions of a specific vehicle that have to be performed in conjunction with a timetable in order to comply with the maintenance requirements.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the alert is in at least one of the following forms:

SMS, GPRS, RSS feed, beeper alert, email.

10. The system of claim 3 wherein the control module is further configured to accumulate the alert data from each and every vehicle and is further configured to enable a user, upon identification, to retrieve alert data relevant to specific vehicles.

11. A method for monitoring the operation and maintenance of vehicles, said system comprising the steps of:

setting an operation and maintenance schedule for at least one vehicle;

detecting actions in relation to operation and maintenance of said vehicle;

alerting a user in case of a mismatch between said schedule and detected actions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the setting an operation and maintenance schedule for at least one vehicle is performed automatically by deriving the schedule from the main computers system of the vehicles operation company.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting actions in relation to operation and maintenance of said vehicle is derived from operation and lack thereof id vehicle modules that are required for vehicle operation and maintenance.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein alerting a user in case of a mismatch between said schedule and detected actions is performed via at least one of the following means:

a cellular network, a wired network, a wireless network, the Internet.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of generating reports regarding the operation and maintenance of said vehicles.

16. A system for monitoring the operation and maintenance of vehicles, said system comprising:

means for setting an operation and maintenance schedule for at least one vehicle;

means for detecting actions in relation to operation and maintenance of said vehicle;

means for alerting a user in case of a mismatch between said schedule and detected actions.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for setting an operation and maintenance schedule for at least one vehicle is operated automatically by driving the schedule from the main computers system of the vehicles operation company.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for detecting actions in relation to operation and maintenance of said vehicle is derived from operation and lack thereof of vehicle modules that are required for vehicle operation and maintenance.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein alerting a user in case of a mismatch between said schedule and detected actions is performed via at least one of the following means:

a cellular network, a wired network, a wireless network, the Internet.