History timeline display for vehicle fleet management

• US 8,275,508 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telogis Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Adams, Nathan, Koch, Jason, Jelinek, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H.
• Application Number:
  US13/251,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/207, 701/213, 701/29.3, 701/31.4, 715/767, 715/810, 707/758, 707/769, 707/776, 709/219, 340/990, 340/993, 340/995.14, 340/907, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 701/29.3
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A vehicle management system can generate a vehicle management user interface that depicts vehicle history information in timelines or graphical timelines. These history timelines can include information regarding vehicle location, speed, and idling, among other useful information. The graphical nature of the history timelines can quickly convey vehicle tracking details and potential problems, such as idling and congregation, to an administrator. Further, history timelines for multiple vehicles can be displayed in parallel, allowing comparison between histories for different vehicles.

Claims

1. A system for providing history information for a plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising computer hardware programmed to implement a user interface module configured to at least;

receive telematics data from Global Positioning System (GPS) devices of a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle fleet, the telematics data comprising location information for the vehicles over time;

generate a vehicle management user interface comprising data representing the plurality of vehicles;

output the vehicle management user interface for presentation to a user, the vehicle management user interface comprising a map depicting the plurality of vehicles for selection by the user;

receive a selection by the user of first vehicle data from the vehicle management user interface, the first vehicle data representing a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles;

in response to receiving the selection of the first vehicle data, outputting a first vehicle history timeline comprising first vehicle status data reflecting at least a portion of the telematics data corresponding to the first vehicle;

receiving a second selection by the user of second vehicle data from the vehicle management user interface, the second vehicle data representing a second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles; and

in response to receiving the second selection of the second vehicle data, outputting a second vehicle timeline comprising second vehicle status data reflecting at least a portion of the telematics data corresponding to the second vehicle, the second vehicle timeline configured to be displayed together with the first vehicle timeline such that the first and second vehicle timelines are configured to be correlated in time, thereby enabling a visual comparison of the first and second vehicle status data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to construct the first and second vehicle timelines by at least generating an indication reflecting a congregation of the at least two vehicles at a particular location, the indication being correlated in time on the first and second vehicle timelines.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to construct the history vehicle timelines by at least generating an indication of idling by any of the at least two vehicles.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to construct the history vehicle timelines by at least generating an indication of a policy violation by any of the at least two vehicles.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second vehicle timelines are configured to be displayed in parallel with respect to each other in either a horizontal or vertical orientation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second selections occur at the same time.