Operation management device to be mounted to a moving object, portable information terminal, operation management server, and computer program

• US 8,421,864 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Data Tec Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Data Tec Company Limited
• Inventors: Tano, Michiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/289,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

Provided is an operation management device that works in conjunction with a portable information terminal having an operation management function. A cradle (10) includes a holder (10a) formed with a concave shape for mounting a portable information terminal (20) having the operation management function, a receiving casing (10c) for receiving electronic equipment parts, and an arm (10b) for coupling the holder (10a) and the receiving casing (10c), and uses a display of the portable information terminal (20). The receiving casing (10c) includes a sensor section including a measuring instrument that is not included in the portable information terminal (20) or a measuring instrument having a higher accuracy than the portable information terminal (20) and a communication unit such as a data communication interface for transmitting a detection result from the sensor section as information for supplementation used for operation management to the portable information terminal (20) by short-range radio communications.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal, comprising:

a first sensor section for detecting a behavior of a moving object and operation information on the moving object comprising a timestamp, a position, and a video image that are obtained at an occurrence of the behavior

an operation management device comprising a second sensor section for detecting the behavior of the moving object with a higher accuracy than the first sensor section;

short-range radio communication means for performing short-range radio communications with the operation management device;

information acquiring means for acquiring a detection result from the second sensor section from the operation management device through the short-range radio communication means; and

operation management means for supplementing a detection result from the first sensor section with the acquired detection result from the second sensor section, determining whether or not the supplemented operation information matches a predetermined condition, and if the predetermined condition is matched, recording the supplemented operation information in a predetermined recording area as event information.

2. A portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

public communication means for performing public communications; and

communication control means for transmitting the event information recorded in the predetermined recording area to a specified communication counterpart through the public communication means.

3. A portable information terminal according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a display,

wherein the operation management means acquires environmental information that affects an operation of the portable information terminal from the operation management device through the short-range radio communication means, determines whether or not the acquired environmental information is within an allowable range set in advance, generates alert information if the acquired environmental information is out of the allowable range, and outputs the alert information to the display.

7. An operation management server, comprising:

a common access area that can be viewed through public communications by the portable information terminal according to claim 3 that performs short-range radio communications with the operation management device according to claim 4;

information acquiring means for acquiring operation information from each portable information terminal;

evaluation means for classifying the acquired operation information according to an operation environment, and performing a ranking evaluation of the classified operation information; and

management means for posting result information on the ranking evaluation in the common access area.

8. An operation management server, comprising:

a common access area that can be viewed through public communications by the portable information terminal according to claim 3 that performs short-range radio communications with the operation management device according to claim 5;

information acquiring means for acquiring operation information from each portable information terminal;

evaluation means for classifying the acquired operation information according to an operation environment, and performing a ranking evaluation of the classified operation information; and

management means for posting result information on the ranking evaluation in the common access area.

9. An operation management server, comprising:

a common access area that can be viewed through public communications by the portable information terminal according to claim 3 that performs short-range radio communications with the operation management device according to claim 6;

information acquiring means for acquiring operation information from each portable information terminal;

evaluation means for classifying the acquired operation information according to an operation environment, and performing a ranking evaluation of the classified operation information; and

management means for posting result information on the ranking evaluation in the common access area.

4. An operation management device to be mounted to a moving object, comprising:

a portable information terminal for performing operation management of the moving object to a predetermined site of the moving object;

a holder for securing the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal comprising a first sensor section for detecting a behavior of the moving object and operation information on the moving object comprising a timestamp, a position, and a video image that are obtained at an occurrence of the behavior;

short-range radio communication means that allows short-range radio communications to be performed with the portable information terminal;

a second sensor section for detecting the behavior of the moving object with a higher accuracy than the first sensor section;

information transmission means for transmitting a detection result from the second sensor section to the portable information terminal through the short-range radio communication means to thereby allow the portable information terminal to supplement the operation management;

information recording means for recording the detection result from the second sensor section onto a memory medium classified according to one of the moving object and a driver who drives the moving object; and

a medium receiving mechanism for receiving the memory medium.

5. An operation management device according to claim 4, wherein the information recording means converts the detection result from the second sensor section into a data structure that cannot be decrypted by one of an owner and the driver of the moving object according to an encryption logic identified by encryption information, and records the converted information onto the memory medium.

6. An operation management device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein:

the second sensor section comprises an environment detection sensor for measuring an environment in which the portable information terminal secured to the holder is placed; and

the information transmission means transmits a measured value obtained by the environment detection sensor to the portable information terminal through the short-range radio communication means as environmental information.

10. A computer program, which is stored on and can be read by a portable information terminal, the portable information terminal comprising:

a first sensor section for detecting a behavior of a moving object and operation information on the moving object comprising a timestamp, a position, and a video image that are obtained at an occurrence of the behavior;

a communication function for performing short-range radio communications with a communication counterpart; and

a computer,

the computer program causing the computer to function as;

information acquiring means for acquiring, from an operation management device comprising a second sensor section, a detection result from the second sensor section through the short-range radio communications, the second sensor section detecting the behavior of the moving object with a higher accuracy than the first sensor section; and

operation management means for supplementing a detection result from the first sensor section with the acquired detection result from the second sensor section, determining whether or not the supplemented operation information matches a predetermined condition, and if the predetermined condition is matched, recording the supplemented operation information in a predetermined recording area as event information.