Automobile monitoring for operation analysis

• US 6,865,457 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toronto-Dominion Bank
• Original Assignee: John Mittelsteadt, Lisa Mittelsteadt, Robert J. Crawford
• Inventors: Mittelsteadt, John, Crawford, Robert J., Mittelsteadt, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/412,498
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/29, 701/70, 701/119, 701/117, 701/93, 701/213, 340/936, 340/905, 340/995.18, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0875 using magnetic data carriers
• 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

Abstract

An automobile monitoring arrangement tracks and records automobile operation for post-use automobile operation-analysis. In one specific embodiment, a record of automobile-operation data contains periodic recordings of speed and direction of an automobile while it was being driven, as such data is provided by a conventional electronic compass and the automobile'"'"'s electronic speed indicating signal. A processor performs calculations using speed and directional data to calculate acceleration and rate of directional change. Automobile operation data from the recording devices and the calculations performed is compared to stored reference data to determine if the vehicle was abused or driven in an unsafe manner by the operator. The data is output to a display showing automobile operating data and instances where the automobile was abused or driven in an unsafe manner.

Claims

1. An automobile monitoring arrangement for recording and subsequent monitoring of an operation of an automobile comprising:

means for providing and recording, in real time as the automobile is moving, driver-related automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction parameters;

means for providing an recording supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction threshold parameters;

means for using the driver-related automobile-operation data and the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data to determine unacceptable automobile operation and to provide therefrom displayable data that is a function of at least the direction threshold parameters and the driver-related direction parameters; and

means for outputting the displayable data for automobile operation analysis.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the displayable data includes data that represents the driver-related automobile-operation data and the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the displayable data includes data that represents the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the displayable data includes data that represents a difference between the driver-related automobile-operation data and the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for providing a supervisory code and using supervisory code to enter the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data, and means for associating the provided driver-related automobile-operation data with a driver identifying code, wherein the driver identifying code is different than supervisory code.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for providing supervisory-entered control parameters, and wherein said providing and recording means is adapted to record the driver-related automobile-operation data as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the driver-related automobile-operation data is recorded as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

8. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein previously-recorded driver-related automobile-operation data is overwritten as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameter.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for providing supervisory-entered control parameters, and means for destroying at least a portion of the previously-recorded driver-related automobile-operation data as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for providing supervisory-entered control parameters, and wherein the displayable data is a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the displayable data that is a function of the driver-related automobile operation data that includes the automobile speed and direction parameters and of the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data that includes the automobile speed and direction threshold parameter.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, further including a recording device adapted to periodically sample the driver-related automobile-operation data and store the sampled data along with the time at which it was generated.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, further including a recording device adapted to periodically obtain and record driver-related images.

14. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for processing the automobile-operation data as a function of supervisor-programmed settings that define speed limits for automobile turns.

15. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for processing the automobile-operation data as a function of supervisor-programmed settings including;

speed Limits for automobile turns and hours for which driving is prohibited.

16. The arrangement of claim 1, further including an electronic compass having an electrical-signal output that provides automobile direction information.

17. The arrangement of claim 1, further including means for disabling automobile operation analysis as a function of an event that occurs while the automobile is moving.

18. An automobile monitoring arrangement for recording and subsequent monitoring of an operation of an automobile comprising:

a data-collecting and processing circuit adapted to;

provide and record, in real time as the automobile is moving, driver-related automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction parameters;

provide and record supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction threshold parameters;

use the driver-related automobile-operation data and the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data to determine unacceptable automobile operation and to provide therefrom displayable data that is a function of at least the direction threshold parameters and the driver-related direction parameters; and

output the displayable data for automobile operation analysis.

19. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the data-collecting and processing circuit is further adapted to disable automobile operation analysis as a function of an event that occurs while the automobile is moving.

20. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein disabling automobile operation analysis is responsive to a manually-entered control input for selecting an operational mode for the data-collecting and processing circuit.

21. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the displayable data is a function of an automobile-speed parameter and an automobile-turning geometry.

22. The arrangement of claim 21, wherein the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data includes data that defines an automobiles parameter and an automobile geometry.

23. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data includes data that defines an automobile-speed parameter and an automobile-turning geometry.

24. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the date-collecting and processing circuit is further adapted to obtain supervisory-entered control parameters, and to record the driver-related automobile-operation data as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameter.

25. The arrangement of claim 24, wherein the driver-related automobile-operation data is recorded as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters, the supervisory-entered control parameters including data that defines a span over which data is to be recorded for subsequent review of the displayable data.

26. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein previously-recorded driver-related automobile-operation data is overwritten as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

27. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the data-collecting and processing circuit is further adapted to obtain supervisory-entered control parameters, and to destroy at least a portion of the previously-recorded driver-relate automobile-operation data as a function of the supervisory-entered control parameters.

28. An automobile monitoring arrangement for recording and subsequent monitoring of an operation of an automobile comprising:

a data-collecting and processing circuit adapted to;

provide and record, in real time as the automobile is moving, driver-related automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction parameters;

provide and record supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data that includes automobile speed and direction threshold parameters;

use the driver-related automobile-operation data and the supervisory-entered threshold automobile-operation data to determine unacceptable automobile operation and to provide therefrom displayable data that is a function of at least the direction threshold parameters and the driver-related direction parameters;

obtain supervisory-entered control data that defines a span over which data is to be recorded for subsequent review of the displayable data; and

output the displayable data for automobile operation analysis.

29. The arrangement of claim 28, wherein the supervisory-entered control data defines an automobile-speed parameter and an automobile-turning geometry.