SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORECASTING TRAVEL DELAYS

• US 20150206356A1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• 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 9,613,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 forecasting travel delays within a geographic area. According to various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is configured to assess operational data, including vehicle telematics data. In various embodiments, the fleet management computer system is further configured to determine, based on the operational data, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance within the geographic area, such as the average amount of idle time second per mile of travel with the geographic area.

Claims

1. A fleet management computer system for forecasting travel delays during a predetermined time period, the 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 operational data comprising 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;

determine, based at least in part on said operational data, the distance traveled by said vehicle during said one or more time periods;

identify, based at least in part on said operational data, one or more travel delay segments occurring during said one or more time periods;

determine, based at least in part on said operational data, the duration of said identified travel delay segments; and

determine, based at least in part on said distance traveled and said duration of said travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

2. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while said vehicle was traveling.

3. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

4. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

5. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to identify said travel delay segments by:

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

identifying, based at least in part on said operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of said travel segments and designating said identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.

6. The fleet management computer system of claim 5, wherein said processors are further configured to determine, based at least in part on said operational data, the average duration of said start of trip segments and the average duration of said end of trip segments.

7. The fleet management computer system of claim 6, wherein said processors are further configured to:

receive user input data indicating a number of vehicle start and stop events and a distance traveled value; and

determine a total planned idle time value based at least in part on said number of vehicle start events, said average duration of said start of trip segments, said number of vehicle stop events, said average duration of end of trip segments, said distance traveled value, and said average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

8. The fleet management computer system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to receive said operational data by retrieving certain operational data relating to said one or more time periods.

9. The fleet management computer system of claim 8, 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.

10. The fleet management computer system of claim 9, 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 geographical areas;

one or more specific vehicle operators;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving operational data comprising 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;

determining, based at least in part on said operational data, the distance traveled by said vehicle during said one or more time periods;

identifying, based at least in part on said operational data, one or more travel delay segments occurring during said one or more time periods;

determining, based at least in part on said operational data, the duration of said identified travel delay segments; and

determining, based at least in part on said distance traveled and said duration of said travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while said vehicle was traveling.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, additionally comprising computer executable instructions for identifying said travel delay segments by:

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

identifying, based at least in part on said operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of said travel segments and designating said identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising computer executable instructions for determining, based at least in part on said operational data, the average duration of said start of trip segments and the average duration of said end of trip segments.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving user input data indicating a number of vehicle start and stop events and a distance traveled value; and

determining a total planned idle time value based at least in part on said number of vehicle start events, said average duration of said start of trip segments, said number of vehicle stop events, said average duration of end of trip segments, said distance traveled value, and said average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising executable instructions for receiving said operational data by retrieving certain operational data relating to said one or more time periods.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising executable instructions for receiving 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.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, 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 geographical areas;

one or more specific vehicle operators;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.

21. A method for forecasting travel delays within a geographic area, the method comprising steps for:

receiving operational data comprising 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;

determining, based on said operational data, the distance traveled by said vehicle during said one or more time periods;

identifying, based on said operational data, one or more travel delay segments occurring during said one or more time periods;

determining, based on said operational data, the duration of said identified travel delay segments; and

determining, based on said distance traveled and said duration of said travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while said vehicle was traveling.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising steps for identifying said travel delay segments by:

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

identifying, based at least in part on said operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of said travel segments and designating said identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising steps for determining, based at least in part on said operational data, the average duration of said start of trip segments and the average duration of said end of trip segments.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising steps for:

receiving user input data indicating a number of vehicle start and stop events and a distance traveled value; and

determining a total planned idle time value based on said number of vehicle start events, said average duration of said start of trip segments, said number of vehicle stop events, said average duration of end of trip segments, said distance traveled value, and said average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance during said one or more time periods.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising steps for receiving said operational data by retrieving certain operational data relating to said one or more time periods.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising steps for receiving 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.

30. The method of claim 29, 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 geographical areas;

one or more specific vehicle operators;

one or more specific vehicles; and

one or more locations.