Driver activity and vehicle operation logging and reporting

• US 7,555,378 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Global Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Vehicle Enhancement Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Welch, James W., Larschan, Bradley R., Lesesky, Alan C., Bishop, J. Richard Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/299,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/211, 701/213, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 13/00 Taximeters measuring distance travelled G01C; measuring time G04
• 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 5/04 using counting means or digital clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A method for logging and reporting driver activity and vehicle operation includes identifying a driver of a vehicle, recording operating data with an on-board recorder that is hard-wired to an engine control module, coupled to a mileage sensing system, and linked to a global navigation satellite system, and recording duty status of the driver. An hours of service log and a fuel tax log are created from the operating data. The method includes comparing the driver'"'"'s hours of service log to an applicable requirement, indicating to the driver whether the driver is in-compliance or out-of-compliance with the applicable requirement, automatically uploading the logs to a receiver external to the vehicle using a wireless telecommunications network, and emitting a compliance signal representative of whether the driver is in-compliance or out-of-compliance with the applicable requirement to a second receiver external to the vehicle and under control of authorities.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

simultaneously tracking a driver'"'"'s hours of service in accordance with a home jurisdiction'"'"'s laws or regulations, and a jurisdiction of operation'"'"'s laws and regulations, wherein the jurisdiction of operation is different from the home jurisdiction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the jurisdiction of operation and the home jurisdiction are different countries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the jurisdiction of operation and the home jurisdiction are different geopolitical areas within the same country.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the driver'"'"'s hours of service in accordance with the home jurisdiction'"'"'s laws or regulations, or the jurisdiction of operation'"'"'s laws or regulations, comprises recording driver'"'"'s hours of service data on a vehicle on-board recorder connected through an interface to a driver'"'"'s vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tracking vehicle position data through an interface to a global satellite positioning system of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing driver'"'"'s hours of service data on a portable memory device configured to connect to an interface of the vehicle on-board recorder.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising importing data from a portable memory device or wireless network to the vehicle on-board recorder.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising reporting driver'"'"'s hours of service data through the vehicle on-board recorder to an external location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein reporting driver'"'"'s hours of service data comprises generating reports in more than one language.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically uploading an hours of service log to a receiver external to the vehicle on-board recorder using a wireless telecommunications network.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising tracking fuels tax data and vehicle operating data with the vehicle on-board recorder.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically uploading a fuels tax log to a receiver external to the vehicle using a wireless telecommunications network.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising emitting a compliance signal representative of whether the driver is in-compliance or out-of-compliance with the jurisdiction of operation'"'"'s laws or regulations.