SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING TURNS MADE BY A VEHICLE

• US 20180025555A1
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• 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 10,055,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• 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 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a systems and methods for assessing turns made by one or more vehicles. According to various embodiments, the system is configured to identify, based telematics data captured from the vehicles, turns executed by the vehicle during a particular time period. The system is further configured to analyze the identified turns to determine and display various turn segment attributes to a user in order to provide an indication of turns having an abnormal or excessive duration and/or to provide overall efficiency-indicative information relating to the vehicle turns.

Claims

1. A system for assessing turns made by at least one vehicle, said 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, from one or more vehicle telematics devices located on the at least one vehicle, vehicle telematics data indicative of a historical travel path of the vehicle during one or more historical time periods, wherein the vehicle telematics data comprises a plurality of telematics data points collected during the one or more historical time periods, each telematics data point comprising data indicative of a vehicle heading at a particular location along the historical travel path of the vehicle and a time the data point is generated;

identify, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, one or more turns executed by the vehicle during the one or more historical time periods, the one or more turns each comprising instances in which the vehicle executes a turn in order to change from (i) traveling in a first direction to (ii) traveling in a second direction, wherein the one or more turns are each identified as comprising a change in vehicle heading between successive telematics data points of the plurality of telematics data points exceeding a predefined threshold heading value;

determine for each identified turn a turn segment comprising;

a beginning turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring before the successive telematics data points;

an ending turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring after the successive telematics data points; and

one or more turn segment attributes selected from;

the time elapsed between the beginning turn point and ending turn point, wherein the time elapsed defines the duration of the turn segment; and

a turn type indicating where the identified turn segment occurs by;

 

identifying, based at least in part on a telematics data point corresponding to the identified turn segment, a location of the turn segment;

 

comparing the location of the turn segment against map data to identify one or more roads located at the location of the turn segment; and

 

determining, based at least in part on the one or more roads at the location of the turn segment, a turn type for the turn segment;

receive a user request for analysis of turns corresponding to one or more identified turn types;

identify, based at least in part on telematics data corresponding to each turn segment, those turn segments identified as one of the identified turn types; and

generate, based on said identified turn segments, a graphical display comprising a map illustrating the location of the identified turn segments and displaying one or more of the turn segment attributes of said identified turn segments.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the beginning turn point is associated with a time and vehicle location at which the vehicle began executing a respective turn and the ending turn point is associated with a time and vehicle location at which the vehicle completed executing the respective turn.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processors are configured to determine for each turn segment the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment, and to store each turn segment in association with data indicating the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said processors are configured to determine the direction of each turn segment and classify each turn segment as representing a right turn, left turn, or turn-around turn accordingly.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said processors are configured to identify, among the turn segments, outlier turn segments having a duration exceeding a threshold duration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphical display comprises a list of one or more of said identified turn segments.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said list of one or more of said identified turn segments includes data indicating one or more turn segment attributes selected from the group consisting of:

turn segment duration, turn segment type, turn segment location, and turn segment chronological number.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said list of one or more of said identified turn segments is sorted according to turn segment duration.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said list of one or more of said identified turn segments is sorted chronologically in order of turn segment occurrence.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processors are configured to identify those of said identified turn segments representing left turns and wherein said list of one or more of said identified turn segments comprises only said identified turn segments representing left turns and is sorted according to the duration of said identified turn segments representing left turns.

11. A method for assessing turns made by at least one vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, from one or more vehicle telematics devices located on the at least one vehicle, vehicle telematics data indicative of a historical travel path of the vehicle during one or more historical time periods, wherein the vehicle telematics data comprises a plurality of telematics data points collected during the one or more historical time periods, each telematics data point comprising data indicative of a vehicle heading at a particular location along the historical travel path of the vehicle and a time the data point is generated;

identifying, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, one or more turns executed by the vehicle during the one or more historical time periods, the one or more turns each comprising instances in which the vehicle executes a turn in order to change from (i) traveling in a first direction to (ii) traveling in a second direction, wherein the one or more turns are each identified as comprising a change in vehicle heading between successive telematics data points of the plurality of telematics data points exceeding a predefined threshold heading value;

determining for each identified turn a turn segment comprising;

a beginning turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring before the successive telematics data points;

an ending turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring after the successive telematics data points; and

one or more turn segment attributes selected from;

the time elapsed between the beginning turn point and ending turn point, wherein the time elapsed defines the duration of the turn segment; and

a turn type indicating where the identified turn segment occurs by;

identifying, based at least in part on a telematics data point corresponding to the identified turn segment, a location of the turn segment;

comparing the location of the turn segment against map data to identify one or more roads located at the location of the turn segment; and

determining, based at least in part on the one or more roads at the location of the turn segment, a turn type for the turn segment;

receiving a user request for analysis of turns corresponding to one or more identified turn types;

identifying, based at least in part on telematics data corresponding to each turn segment, those turn segments identified as one of the identified turn types; and

generate, based on said identified turn segments, a graphical display comprising a map illustrating the location of the identified turn segments and displaying one or more of the turn segment attributes of said identified turn segments.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining for each turn segment the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment, and to store each turn segment in association with data indicating the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the direction of each turn segment and classify each turn segment as representing a right turn, left turn, or turn-around turn accordingly.

14. 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 one or more vehicle telematics devices located on the at least one vehicle, vehicle telematics data indicative of a historical travel path of the vehicle during one or more historical time periods, wherein the vehicle telematics data comprises a plurality of telematics data points collected during the one or more historical time periods, each telematics data point comprising data indicative of a vehicle heading at a particular location along the historical travel path of the vehicle and a time the data point is generated;

an executable portion configured to identify, based at least in part on said vehicle telematics data, one or more turns executed by the vehicle during the one or more historical time periods, the one or more turns each comprising instances in which the vehicle executes a turn in order to change from (i) traveling in a first direction to (ii) traveling in a second direction, wherein the one or more turns are each identified as comprising a change in vehicle heading between successive telematics data points of the plurality of telematics data points exceeding a predefined threshold heading value;

an executable portion configured to determine for each identified turn a turn segment comprising;

a beginning turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring before the successive telematics data points;

an ending turn point comprising a telematics data point occurring after the successive telematics data points; and

one or more turn segment attributes selected from;

the time elapsed between the beginning turn point and ending turn point, wherein the time elapsed defines the duration of the turn segment; and

a turn type indicating where the identified turn segment occurs by;

identifying, based at least in part on a telematics data point corresponding to the identified turn segment, a location of the turn segment;

comparing the location of the turn segment against map data to identify one or more roads located at the location of the turn segment; and

determining, based at least in part on the one or more roads at the location of the turn segment, a turn type for the turn segment;

an executable portion configured to receive a user request for analysis of turns corresponding to one or more identified turn types;

an executable portion configured to identify, based at least in part on telematics data corresponding to each turn segment, those turn segments identified as one of the identified turn types; and

an executable portion configured to generate, based on said identified turn segments, a graphical display comprising a map illustrating the location of the identified turn segments and displaying one or more of the turn segment attributes of said identified turn segments.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to determine for each turn segment the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment, and to store each turn segment in association with data indicating the time of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, the location of the turn segment'"'"'s occurrence, and the duration of the turn segment.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to determine the direction of each turn segment and classify each turn segment as representing a right turn, left turn, or turn-around turn accordingly.