Systems and methods for analyzing the use of mobile resources

• US 8,315,802 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telogis Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US12/369,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• 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

A system for analyzing the use of a mobile resource, such as a vehicle, includes a central processing unit adapted to receive a plurality of geographic locations and create an optimal travel route between the geographic locations, and an analyzer device incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology being positionable with a mobile resource for comparing an actual route traveled by the mobile resource with the optimal travel route created by the central processing unit. The central processing unit includes mobile resource management software stored therein adapted to use pre-selected criteria for creating the optimal travel route. The pre-selected criteria may include time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing the use of a mobile resource comprising:

a computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system comprising one or more computing devices and programmed to implement;

an acquisition module adapted to receive positional information for an actual route traveled by a mobile resource between two or more geographic locations, wherein the positional information is determined from an analyzer device incorporating position determining technology wherein the analyzer device is associated with the mobile resource;

an optimization module adapted to create an optimal travel route between the two or more geographic locations based on resources that would be used for traveling over the optimal route including at least one of time, distance, cost, and load parameters;

a comparison module adapted to compare the actual route traveled by said mobile resource with the optimal travel route created by said optimization module; and

an output module adapted to provide output reflective of a comparison between the actual route traveled between the two or more geographic locations and the optimal travel route between the two or more geographical locations, wherein said output module generates a first efficiency calculation of the optimal travel route based on first resources that would be used to travel over the optimal route, wherein the first resources include at least one of time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements of the optimal route and a second efficiency calculation of the actual travel route based on second resources that would be used to travel over the actual route, wherein the second resources include at least one of time, distance, cost, and load parameters of the actual route, and wherein the output module determines a value added based on a comparison of the first efficiency calculation with the second efficiency calculation and output reflective of a value added by traveling the optimal travel route between the two or more geographic locations.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein pre-selected criteria are used for creating the optimal travel route.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pre-selected criteria are selected from the group consisting of time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two or more geographic locations comprise a plurality of schedule stops for delivering items or performing services.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said optimization module is adapted to create an optimal travel route for efficiently reaching each of the scheduled stops using minimum resources.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said analyzer device is adapted to be carried by said mobile resource as said mobile resource travels said actual travel route.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central output module generates an output comparing resources used by said mobile resource when travelling said actual travel route versus resources that would be used by said mobile resource when travelling said optimal travel route.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mobile resource is selected from the group consisting of vehicles and humans.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said vehicle are selected from the group of vehicles consisting of trucks, cars, busses, vans, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, ships, balloons, and planes.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said analyzer device is not aware of the optimal travel route between the two or more geographic locations.

19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said position determining technology comprises global positioning satellite (GPS) technology.

10. A method of analyzing the use of a mobile resource, the method comprising:

by a computer system comprising computer hardware;

receiving positional information for an actual route traveled by a mobile resource between two or more geographic locations from an analyzer device incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology and associated with a mobile resource;

receiving the two or more geographic locations;

creating an optimal travel route between the two or more geographic locations based on resources that would be used by the mobile resource for traveling over the optimal route including at least one of time, distance, cost, and load parameters;

calculating a first efficiency based on resources that would be used by the mobile resource for traveling over the optimal route including at least one of time, distance, cost, and load parameters;

calculating a second efficiency based on resources that would be used by the mobile resource for traveling over the actual route including at least one of time, distance, cost, and load parameters;

providing output reflective of a comparison between the first and second efficiencies.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein pre-selected criteria is used for creating the optimal travel route.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said pre-selected criteria are selected from the group of criteria consisting of time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said mobile resource is a mobile asset selected from the group consisting of vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, and humans.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein creating the optimal travel route comprises creating an optimal travel route for said mobile resource for optimizing the efficiency of reaching each of the two or more geographic locations.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said analyzer device has a communication system selected from the group of communication systems consisting of wireless communication systems;

radio wave communication systems, and cable communication systems.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said analyzer device is carried by said mobile resources for periodically reporting the position of said mobile resource to said computer system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said analyzer device is not aware of the optimal travel route between the two or more geographic locations.