SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING TELEMATICS DATA TO IMPROVE FLEET MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS

• US 20170278316A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• 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, III, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,192,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 system configured for managing a distributed network of fleet vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of telematics devices with each of the respective telematics devices affixed to a corresponding fleet vehicle, wherein each telematics device is configured to;

monitor a plurality of onboard sensors located on the corresponding fleet vehicle; and

upon detecting one or more trigger events, record telematics data received from one or more of the onboard sensors, wherein the recorded telematics data is indicative of the corresponding vehicle'"'"'s ignition status and the corresponding vehicle'"'"'s engine speed; and

a computer system comprising one or more memory storage areas and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

receive, from each of the plurality of telematics devices, recorded telematics data for each of the fleet vehicles;

segment the recorded telematics data for each of the fleet vehicles into one or more vehicle trips, wherein each vehicle trip is defined by a period of time during which the corresponding vehicle'"'"'s engine is continuously active, and each vehicle trip comprises one or more vehicle trip segments distinguished from other vehicle trip segments occurring within the same vehicle trip based on vehicle activity;

associate at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment; and

determine, based at least in part on the association between the one or more trigger events and the vehicle trip segments, whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria; and

generate a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded telematics data, wherein the graphical user display indicates whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria.

2. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more trigger events comprise at least one of:

a fleet vehicle engine turning on and beginning to idle;

a fleet vehicle engine turning off;

a fleet vehicle speed increasing from zero;

a fleet vehicle speed decreasing to zero;

a seat belt being engaged;

a seat belt being disengaged;

a fleet vehicle door opening;

or a fleet vehicle door closing.

3. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein two temporally adjacent vehicle trip segments are distinguished based on the occurrence of a first trigger event.

4. The fleet management system of claim 3, wherein determining whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria comprises steps for determining whether a second trigger event occurs after the first trigger event.

5. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of telematics devices is configured to monitor a plurality of onboard sensors while the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine is turned off.

6. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the travel analysis criteria is selected from:

an efficiency criteria;

a safety criteria;

or a theft hazard criteria.

7. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein associating at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment comprises associating the at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment selected from the group consisting of:

a start of trip segment;

a during travel segment; and

an end of trip segment.

8. A method for managing a distributed network of fleet vehicles, the method comprising steps for:

monitoring, via a plurality of telematics devices each affixed to a corresponding fleet vehicle, a plurality of onboard sensors located on each corresponding fleet vehicle;

upon detecting one or more trigger events, recording, via at least one of the plurality of telematics devices, telematics data received from one or more of the onboard sensors, wherein the recorded telematics data is indicative of the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s ignition status and the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine speed;

transmitting recorded telematics data from the at least one of the plurality of telematics devices to a central computing system;

segmenting, via the central computing system, the recorded telematics data for each of the fleet vehicles into one or more vehicle trips, wherein each vehicle trip is defined by a period of time during which the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine is continuously active, and each vehicle trip comprises one or more vehicle trip segments distinguished from other vehicle trip segments occurring within the same vehicle trip based on vehicle activity;

associating, via the central computing system, at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment;

determining, via the central computing system and based at least in part on the association between the one or more trigger events and the vehicle trip segments, whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria; and

generating, via the central computing system and a graphical display, a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded telematics data, wherein the graphical user display indicates whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more trigger events comprise at least one of:

a fleet vehicle engine turning on and beginning to idle;

a fleet vehicle engine turning off;

a fleet vehicle speed increasing from zero;

a fleet vehicle speed decreasing to zero;

a seat belt being engaged;

a seat belt being disengaged;

a fleet vehicle door opening;

or a fleet vehicle door closing.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein two temporally adjacent vehicle trip segments are distinguished based on the occurrence of a first trigger event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria comprises steps for determining whether a second trigger event occurs after the first trigger event.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one telematics device is configured to monitor a plurality of onboard sensors while the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine is turned off.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the travel analysis criteria is selected from:

an efficiency criteria;

a safety criteria;

or a theft hazard criteria.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein associating at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment comprises associating the at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment selected from the group consisting of:

a start of trip segment;

a during travel segment; and

an end of trip segment.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive, from a plurality telematics devices, telematics data for each of a plurality of fleet vehicles, wherein the telematics data is recorded by telematics devices each affixed to a corresponding fleet vehicle upon detection of one or more trigger events and the telematics data is indicative of the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s ignition status and the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine speed;

an executable portion configured to segment the recorded telematics data for each of the fleet vehicles into one or more vehicle trips, wherein each vehicle trip is defined by a period of time during which the corresponding fleet vehicle'"'"'s engine is continuously active, and each vehicle trip comprises one or more vehicle trip segments distinguished from other vehicle trip segments occurring within the same vehicle trip based on vehicle activity;

an executable portion configured to associate at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment; and

an executable portion configured to determine, based at least in part on the association between the one or more trigger events and the vehicle trip segments, whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria; and

an executable portion configured to generate a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded telematics data, wherein the graphical user display indicates whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more trigger events comprise at least one of:

a fleet vehicle engine turning on and beginning to idle;

a fleet vehicle engine turning off;

a fleet vehicle speed increasing from zero;

a fleet vehicle speed decreasing to zero;

a seat belt being engaged;

a seat belt being disengaged;

a fleet vehicle door opening;

or a fleet vehicle door closing.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein two temporally adjacent vehicle trip segments are distinguished based on the occurrence of a first trigger event.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein determining whether the one or more trigger events satisfy a predefined travel analysis criteria comprises steps for determining whether a second trigger event occurs after the first trigger event.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the travel analysis criteria is selected from:

an efficiency criteria;

a safety criteria;

or a theft hazard criteria.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein associating at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment comprises associating the at least one of the one or more trigger events with a vehicle trip segment selected from the group consisting of:

a start of trip segment;

a during travel segment; and

an end of trip segment.