SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING OPERATIONAL DELAYS BASED ON OPERATIONAL DATA

• US 20120253867A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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.
• Application Number:
  US13/435,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/06 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a fleet management computer system configured for assessing operational delays. According to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system may be configured for assessing service data in order to identify delay code segments representing an occurrence indicated by a vehicle operator as delaying a delivery-related activity. In certain embodiments, the fleet management computer system may be configured for generating a graphical representation of such delay code segments. In addition, various embodiments of the fleet management computer system may be configured for comparing planning data and operational data to identify off-course portions of a travel path of a vehicle that do not follow a predefined planned route.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system for assessing operational delays, said fleet management computer system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more memory storage areas;

wherein said one or more processors are, collectively, configured to;

receive service data, said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during one or more time periods;

identify delay code segments based on said service data, each of said delay code segments representing an occurrence indicated by said vehicle operator as delaying a delivery-related activity during a certain period of time; and

generate a graphical display indicating said identified delay code segments.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to identify one or more delay code attributes for each of said identified delay code segments;

and

wherein said graphical display indicates said delay code attributes for each identified delay code segment.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a description of said occurrence represented by an identified delay code segment.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 3, wherein said processors are configured to determine said description for an identified delay code segment by identifying a predefined occurrence description based on said service data.

5. The fleet management computer system of claim 4, wherein said predefined occurrence descriptions comprise:

a predefined lunch description indicating that an associated delay code segment represents a period of time during which the vehicle operator was taking a lunch break; and

a predefined traffic description indicating that an associated delay code segment represents a period of time during the vehicle operator was delayed due to unanticipated traffic.

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a duration of an identified delay code segment.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 6, wherein said one or more delay code attributes further comprise a start time and an end time of an identified delay code segment;

and

wherein said processors are configured to determine said duration of each identified delay code segment by calculating the time elapsed between a respective segment'"'"'s start time and end time.

8. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise an identification of said vehicle operator generating an identified delay code segment.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a location where an identified delay code segment was generated.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, wherein said graphical display comprises a graphical user interface including an interactive geographical map, and wherein said processors are further configured for indicating said location of one or more of said identified delay code segments on said map.

11. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said graphical display comprises a graphical user interface configured for sorting said identified delay code segments based on one or more of said attributes selected by a user.

12. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to receive said operational data by:

receiving user input requesting retrieval of operational data relating to one or more user parameters;

retrieving certain operational data relating to said parameters from one or more data storage areas; and

loading said certain operational data to said one or more memory storage areas.

13. The fleet management computer system of claim 12, wherein said processors are further configured for generating a graphical user interface comprising one or more menus configured to enable a user to select said one or more user parameters and request retrieval of operational data relating to selected parameters;

wherein said one or more user parameters comprise one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of;

one or more time periods;

one or more specific vehicle operators;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.

14. The fleet management computer system of claim 2, wherein said processors are further configured for:

identifying abnormal delay code segments indicating potentially unauthorized vehicle operator behavior, wherein said processors are configured to identify said abnormal delay code segments by identifying delay codes segments having one or more of said delay code attributes that meet one or more predefined abnormality criteria; and

indicating said identified abnormal delay code segments in said graphical display.

15. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a duration of an identified delay code segment;

and

wherein said abnormality criteria comprise a delay code duration that is within a predefined percentage of the highest delay code durations for said identified delay code segments.

16. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a (i) predefined occurrence description of an identified delay code segment determined by said processors based on said service data and (ii) a duration of an identified delay code segment;

and

wherein said abnormality criteria comprise a delay code duration that exceeds a predefined duration limit associated with a respective delay code'"'"'s predefined occurrence description.

17. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a location where an identified delay code segment was generated;

wherein said graphical display comprises a graphical user interface including an interactive geographical map; and

wherein said processors are further configured to indicate the location of said abnormal delay code segments on said map.

18. The fleet management computer system of claim 17, wherein said processors are further configured to identify, based on said operational data, at least one predefined delivery route associated with said service data;

and

wherein said abnormality criteria comprise a delay code segment generated at a location more than a predefined distance from said predefined delivery route.

19. The fleet management computer system of claim 14, wherein said operational data further comprises vehicle telematics data indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics;

wherein said processors are further configured to segment said operational data into a plurality of activity segments, said activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity, and identify non-travel time to stop activity segments;

wherein said one or more delay code attributes comprise a start time and an end time of an identified delay code segment; and

wherein said abnormality criteria comprise a delay code segment having a start time occurring proximate the end of a non-travel time to stop segment and a delay code segment having an end time occurring proximate the beginning of a non-travel time to stop segment.

20. A fleet management computer system for identifying unplanned vehicle travel, said fleet management computer system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more memory storage areas;

wherein said one or more processors are, collectively, configured to;

receive planning data and operational data, said planning data comprising data configured for use in planning and executing one or more delivery-related activities, and said operational data comprising vehicle telematics data indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods;

compare said planning data and operational data and identify, based on said comparison, off-course portions of a travel path of said vehicle during said one or more time periods that do not follow a predefined planned route for said vehicle; and

generate a graphical display including a geographical map indicating said off-course portions of said vehicle'"'"'s travel path.

21. The fleet management computer system of claim 20, wherein said processors are configured to compare said planning data and operational data and identify said off-course portions of said vehicle'"'"'s travel path by:

identifying, based on said planning data, said predefined planned route of said vehicle;

identifying, based on said operational data, said travel path of said vehicle during said one or more time periods; and

comparing said predefined planned route to said travel path and determining the portions of said travel path that do not follow said predefined planned route.

22. The fleet management computer system of claim 21, wherein said geographical map further indicates said travel path and said predefined planned route.

23. The fleet management computer system of claim 21, wherein said operational data further comprises service data, said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during said one or more time periods;

wherein said processors are further configured for;

segmenting said operational data into a plurality of activity segments, said activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity; and

providing a chronological indication of said activity segments in said graphical display; and

wherein said graphical display comprises an interactive graphical user interface configured to enable a user to select a point in time on said chronological indication of said activity segments and, in response, indicate the position of said vehicle on said map at the time selected by said user.

24. The fleet management computer system of claim 21, wherein said operational data further comprises service data, said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during said one or more time periods;

and

wherein said processors are further configured for;

identifying delay code segments based on said service data, each of said delay code segments representing an occurrence indicated by said vehicle operator as delaying delivery-related activity during a certain period of time;

identifying, among said delay code segments, abnormal delay code segments generated at a point in time when said vehicle was positioned off of said predefined planned route; and

indicating one or more of said abnormal delay code segments in said graphical display.

25. The fleet management computer system of claim 24, wherein said graphical display comprises an interactive graphical user interface configured to enable a user to select one or more of said abnormal delay code segments and, in response, indicate the position of said vehicle on said map at the time said user-selected abnormal delay code occurred.

26. The fleet management computer system of claim 20, wherein said predefined planned route for said vehicle is a predefined planned delivery route.

27. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving service data, said service data being indicative of one or more service dynamics for at least one vehicle operator during one or more time periods;

identifying delay code segments based on said service data, each of said delay code segments representing an occurrence indicated by said vehicle operator as delaying a delivery-related activity during a certain period of time; and

generating a graphical display indicating said identified delay code segments.

28. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving planning data and operational data, said planning data comprising data configured for use in planning and executing one or more delivery-related activities, and said operational data comprising vehicle telematics data indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods;

comparing said planning data and operational data and identifying, based on said comparison, off-course portions of a travel path of said vehicle during said one or more time periods that do not follow a predefined planned route for said vehicle; and

generating a graphical display including a geographical map indicating said off-course portions of said vehicle'"'"'s travel path.