Systems and Methods for Utilizing Telematics Data To Improve Fleet Management Operations

• US 20100088163A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark J., Olsen, John A. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/34 of conditions of vehicle components, e.g. of windows, door locks or gear selectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a fleet management system is provided for capturing, storing, and analyzing telematics data to improve fleet management operations. The fleet management system may be used, for example, by a shipping entity (e.g., a common carrier) to capture telematics data from a plurality of vehicle sensors located on various delivery vehicles and to analyze the captured telematics data. In particular, various embodiments of the fleet management system are configured to analyze engine idle data in relation to other telematics data in order to identify inefficiencies, safety hazards, and theft hazards in a driver'"'"'s delivery process. The fleet management system may also be configured to assess various aspects of vehicle performance, such as vehicle travel delays and vehicle speeds. These analytical capabilities allow the fleet management system to assist fleet managing entities, or other entities, in analyzing driver performance, reducing fuel and maintenance costs, and improving route planning.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas; and

one or more processors;

wherein said fleet management computer system is configured to;

(i) receive telematics data from one or more vehicle sensors associated with a vehicle, said telematics data comprising engine idle data relating to the engine idle time of said vehicle;

(ii) associate said telematics data with a particular segment of a vehicle trip; and

(iii) execute a step selected from a group consisting of;

(a) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential inefficient operation by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential inefficient operation by said driver, generating an alert indicating said potential inefficient operation;

(b) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential safety hazard created by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential safety hazard created by said driver, generating an alert indicating said potential safety hazard; and

(c) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential theft hazard created by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential theft hazard created by said driver, generating an alert indicating said potential theft hazard.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said computer system further comprises a user interface;

said step of generating an alert indicating a potential inefficient operation comprises displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential inefficient operation.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said computer system further comprises a user interface;

said step of generating an alert indicating a potential safety hazard comprises displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential safety hazard.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said computer system further comprises a user interface;

said step of generating an alert indicating a potential theft hazard comprises displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential theft hazard.

5. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said particular segment is selected from a group consisting of:

a beginning of trip segment;

a during travel segment; and

an end of trip segment.

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said telematics data further comprises seat belt data indicating the status of a seat belt in said vehicle; and

said step (a) comprises determining, based on said telematics data, whether a driver of said vehicle fastened or unfastened a driver'"'"'s side seat belt of said vehicle while said vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said telematics data further comprises seat belt data indicating the status of a seat belt in said vehicle; and

said step (b) comprises determining, based on said telematics data, whether a driver of said vehicle fastened or unfastened a driver'"'"'s side seat belt of said vehicle while said vehicle was at speed.

8. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said telematics data further comprises door data indicating the status of a door of said vehicle;

said step (a) comprises determining, based on said telematics data, whether said door was opened or closed while said vehicle was idling.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said telematics data further comprises door data indicating the status of a door of said vehicle;

said step (c) comprises determining, based on said telematics data, whether said door was opened or closed while said vehicle was idling.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said engine idle data comprises data indicating engine idle events that define engine idle segments; and

said step (a) comprises identifying, based on said telematics data, engine idle segments caused by travel delays.

11. The fleet management computer system of claim 10, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining, based on said identified engine idle segments caused by travel delays, an amount of engine idle time caused by travel delays for said vehicle for a particular portion of said vehicle trip; and

determining, based on said telematics data and said amount of engine idle time caused by travel delays, the corrected speed of said vehicle for said particular portion of said vehicle trip.

12. The fleet management computer system of claim 11, wherein said corrected speed is an average speed of said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip less travel delays.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining, based on said telematics data, the total amount of engine idle time for said vehicle during a particular portion of said vehicle trip;

determining, based on said engine idle segments caused by travel delays, an amount of engine idle time caused by travel delays for said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip; and

determining, based on said total amount of engine idle time and said amount of engine idle time caused by travel delays, a corrected amount of engine idle time for said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip, wherein said corrected amount of engine idle time is the total amount of engine idle time for said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip exclusive of engine idle time caused by travel delays;

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining a target amount of engine idle time for a vehicle operated within said particular portion of said vehicle trip; and

comparing said target amount of engine idle time to said corrected amount of engine idle time.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining, based on said telematics data, a total amount of engine running time for said vehicle during a particular portion of said vehicle trip;

determining, based on said engine idle segments caused by travel delays, an amount of engine idle time caused by travel delays for said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip; and

determining, based on said total amount of engine running time and said engine idle time caused by travel delays, a corrected engine idle time percentage for said vehicle during said particular portion of said vehicle trip, wherein said corrected engine idle time percentage is the percentage of engine running time during said portion of said vehicle trip that said vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling exclusive of engine idle time caused by travel delays;

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining a target engine idle time percentage for a vehicle operated within said particular portion of said vehicle trip;

comparing said target engine idle time percentage to said corrected engine idle time percentage.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said step (a) comprises;

determining, based on said telematics data, the speed of said vehicle for a particular portion of said vehicle trip.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining a target speed for a vehicle for a particular portion of said vehicle trip;

comparing said target speed to said speed of said vehicle.

19. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said step (a) comprises;

determining, based on said telematics data, a total amount of engine idle time for said vehicle during a particular portion of said vehicle trip;

wherein said particular portion of said vehicle trip comprises;

the entire vehicle trip;

a portion of said vehicle trip occurring during one of said particular segments of said vehicle trip;

a portion of said vehicle trip occurring within a geofenced area;

a portion of said vehicle trip occurring between two geographic points;

or

a portion of said vehicle trip occurring during a particular time period.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining a target amount of engine idle time for a vehicle for said particular portion of said vehicle trip;

comparing said target amount of engine idle time to said total amount of engine idle time.

21. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said step (a) comprises;

determining, based on said telematics data, the engine idle time percentage for said vehicle during a particular portion of said vehicle trip;

wherein;

said engine idle time percentage is the percentage of engine running time during which the engine of said vehicle is idling.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein:

said step (a) further comprises;

determining a target engine idle time percentage for a vehicle for said particular portion of said vehicle trip;

comparing said target engine idle time percentage to said engine idle time percentage.

23. A fleet management system comprising:

(a) a fleet of vehicles having;

one or more vehicle sensors; and

at least one telematics device;

(b) at least one computer network;

(c) one or more central servers; and

(d) a user interface;

wherein said telematics device is configured to;

receive telematics data from said one or more vehicle sensors, wherein said telematics data comprises data relating to the engine idle time of said fleet of vehicles;

associate said telematics data with contextual data; and

transmit said telematics data over said network to said central server;

wherein said one or more central servers are configured to;

(i) receive telematics data from said telematics device;

(ii) execute the steps of;

(a) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential inefficient operation by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential inefficient operation by said driver, displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential inefficient operation;

(b) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential safety hazard created by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential safety hazard created by said driver, displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential safety hazard;

or

(c) determining whether said telematics data indicates a potential theft hazard created by a driver of said vehicle and, in response to determining that said telematics data indicates a potential theft hazard created by said driver, displaying via said user interface data indicating said potential theft hazard.

24. The fleet management system of claim 23, further comprising:

(d) a portable data acquisition device;

wherein said telematics device is further configured to;

transmit said telematics data over said network to said portable data acquisition device;

wherein said portable data acquisition device is configured to;

receive telematics data from said telematics device; and

transmit said telematics data over said network to said central server; and

wherein said one or more central server is further configured to;

receive telematics data from said portable data acquisition device.

25. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said particular segment is selected from a group consisting of:

a beginning of trip segment;

a during travel segment; and

an end of trip segment.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said one or more central servers are further configured to execute the step of associating said telematics data with a particular segment of a vehicle trip.