SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING VEHICLE AND VEHICLE OPERATOR EFFICIENCY

• US 20120253888A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.38
• 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 for assessing vehicle efficiency. According to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is configured for receiving and assessing vehicle telematics data in order to determine an idle percentage of engine run time value representing the percentage of the vehicle'"'"'s engine run time during which the vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling during the one or more time periods. In addition, the fleet management computer system may be configured for assessing vehicle telematics data in order to identify segment of engine idle time and generate a graphical display indicating various attributes of the identified idle time segments. The idle time percentage and idle time segments generated by the system can be used to assess the efficiency of vehicles and/or vehicle operators in an associated fleet.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system for assessing vehicle efficiency, 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 processors are, collectively, configured to;

receive vehicle telematics data indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods;

determine, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an engine run time value representing the cumulative time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was running during said one or more time periods;

determine, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an engine idle time value representing the cumulative time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling during said one or more time periods; and

determine, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an idle percentage of engine run time value representing the percentage of said engine run time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling during said one or more time periods.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to execute the step of determining said engine run time value by:

identifying engine-on and engine-off events based on said vehicle telematics data;

identifying segments of engine run time by determining the duration of time between each identified engine-on event and its corresponding engine-off event; and

summing the duration of said identified engine run time segments to determine said engine run time.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to execute the step of determining said engine idle time value by:

identifying segments of engine idle time based on said vehicle telematics data, each of said engine idle segments representing a period of time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling; and

summing the duration of said identified engine idle segments to determine said engine idle time.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 3, wherein said processors are further configured to:

generate a graphical display indicating said idle percentage of engine run time;

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the total number of said identified engine idle segments and indicate said number of engine idle segments in said graphical display;

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the average amount of engine idle time per mile traveled by said at least one vehicle during said one or more time periods and indicate said average engine idle time per mile in said graphical display; and

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, which of said identified engine idle segments has the greatest duration and indicate said greatest engine idle segment duration in said graphical display.

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

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

retrieving certain vehicle telematics data relating to said parameters from one or more data repositories; and

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

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 5, 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 drivers;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 5, wherein said processors are furthered 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 vehicle telematics data relating to selected parameters; and

an indication of said idle percentage of engine run time.

8. A fleet management computer system for assessing vehicle efficiency, 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 processors are, collectively, configured to;

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

identify segments of engine idle time based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, each of said engine idle segments representing a period of time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine is idling; and

generate a graphical display indicating one or more attributes of said engine idle segments.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said processors are further configured to determine each engine idle segment'"'"'s time of occurrence and duration;

and

wherein said graphical display indicates each engine idle segment'"'"'s time of occurrence and duration.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, wherein said graphical display comprises a graphical user interface configured for sorting said engine idle segments according to time of occurrence and duration in response to user input.

11. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said processors are further configured to identify, for each of said engine idle segments, a type of activity segment during which the respective engine idle segment occurred.

12. The fleet management computer system of claim 11, wherein said graphical display comprises a graphical user interface configured to indicate the activity segment during which each engine idle segment occurred and sort said engine idle segments according to activity segment in response to user input.

13. The fleet management computer system of claim 11, wherein said type of activity segment is selected from the group consisting of:

start of trip segments, travel segments, and end of trip segments.

14. The fleet management computer system of claim 11, wherein said processors are further configured to:

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the number of engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type and indicate in said graphical display said number of engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type;

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the cumulative duration of engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type and indicate in said graphical user interface said cumulative duration of said engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type;

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the average duration of engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type and indicate in said graphical user interface said average duration of engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type; and

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, which of said engine idle segments occurring during each activity segment type has the greatest duration and indicating said greatest engine idle segment duration for each activity segment type in said graphical display.

15. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said processors are further configured to:

determine, based on said vehicle telematics data, the location where each identified engine idle segment occurred; and

wherein said graphical display includes a map showing the location of one or more of said engine idle segments.

16. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, wherein said processors are further configured to identify a vehicle operator associated with each of said engine idle segments.

17. The fleet management computer system of claim 16, wherein said graphical display indicates one or more engine idle segments grouped according to their respective vehicle operators.

18. The fleet management computer system of claim 16, wherein said processors are further configured to determine, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, one or more efficiency statistics for each of said vehicle operators;

and

wherein said graphical display indicates said efficiency statistics for said vehicle operators.

19. The fleet management computer system of claim 18, wherein said one or more efficiency statistics comprise one or more statistics selected from the group consisting of:

total idle time;

idle percentage of engine runtime;

maximum engine idle event; and

total idle time per mile traveled.

20. The fleet management computer system of claim 18, wherein said one or more efficiency statistics comprise one or more statistics selected from the group consisting of:

total idle time occurring during start of trip segments;

total idle time occurring during travel segments;

idle time per start of trip segment event; and

idle time per end of trip segment event.

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

receiving vehicle telematics data indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for at least one vehicle during one or more time periods;

determining, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an engine run time value representing the cumulative time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was running during said one or more time periods;

determining, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an engine idle time value representing the cumulative time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling during said one or more time periods; and

determining, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, an idle percentage of engine run time value representing the percentage of said engine run time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine was idling during said one or more time periods.

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

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

identifying segments of engine idle time based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, each of said engine idle segments representing a period of time during which said at least one vehicle'"'"'s engine is idling; and

generating a graphical display indicating one or more attributes of said engine idle segments.