Vehicle management

• US 8,836,490 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DSG Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DSG Tag Systems Incorporated (DSG Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silzer, Robert Sr., Singer, Clint, Kurland, Ariel, Bratvold, Kirk, Doaga, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US13/082,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/426.12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A system for golf course vehicle management can include a tag device having a transceiver and a vehicle management process. The vehicle management process includes an application service for receiving the location of the tag device from the transceiver, at least one geographical zone, and a tracking module for comparing the location to the zone and generating an alert when the location is within the zone. Also included in the process is a control module for recognizing the alert. The control module can initiate an action, such as performance of a vehicle control action by a vehicle controller device.

Claims

1. A system for vehicle management, comprising:

a tag device having a transceiver;

a vehicle controller device;

a vehicle management process embodied on a computer-readable tangible medium, comprising;

an application service for receiving a location of the tag device from the transceiver;

at least one geographic zone, wherein the geographic zone represents a terrain, a feature and improvement, or a function;

a tracking module configured for comparing the location to the geographic zone and generating an alert when the location is within the geographic zone; and

a control module for recognizing the alert and initiating a vehicle control action by the vehicle controller device, wherein certain vehicle control actions instituted after or before business hours are more prohibitive than certain vehicle control actions instituted during business hours; and

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver functionally connected to the tag device and configured for providing the location; and

a motion sensor functionally connected to the tag device and configured for detecting motion of the tag device, wherein the motion validates the location of the vehicle;

wherein the tracking module is configured to validate location using simple motion and qualified motion, and wherein when simple motion is detected, the tracking module triggers more frequent collection of location information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GPS receiver is integrated into the tag device as a single package.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is integrated into the tag device as a single package.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a graphic user interface for displaying a map representation, the geographic zone, and the location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller device is configured to perform a vehicle control action that limits operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle control action comprises disengaging the vehicle'"'"'s forward drive so that the vehicle can only be backed out of a prohibited zone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle management process includes an alert hierarchy for arranging alerts based on one of location, motion, and time of day.

7. A vehicle management system, comprising:

a vehicle equipped with a tag device and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a vehicle management process embodied on a computer-readable tangible medium, comprising;

an application service for receiving a location from the GPS receiver and a motion of the vehicle from a motion sensor;

at least one geographic zone, wherein the geographic zone represents a terrain, a feature and improvement, or a function;

a graphic user interface for displaying the map representation, the geographic zone, and the location;

a tracking module for comparing the location to the geographic zone and validating the location with the motion of the vehicle and generating an alert when the location is within the geographic zone wherein the tracking module is configured to validate location using simple motion and qualified motion, and wherein when simple motion is detected, the tracking module triggers more frequent collection of location information; and

a control module for recognizing the alert and triggering a vehicle control action, wherein the triggered vehicle control action is displayed on the graphic user interface.

8. The vehicle management system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is further equipped with a motion sensor for detecting motion of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle management system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is further equipped with a vehicle controller device configured to perform the action and wherein the action limits operation of the vehicle, wherein the limit on vehicle operation comprises shutting off the vehicle'"'"'s motor and disconnecting the vehicle ignition to prevent the operator from restarting the vehicle.

10. The vehicle management system of claim 7, wherein the application service, tracking module, and control module are decoupled and scalable so that tracking functions and control functions are performed substantially in real-time.

11. A method of managing vehicles, comprising:

equipping a vehicle with a tag device having a transceiver;

designating a plurality of hazard zones in a geographic area in which the vehicle operates, wherein a hierarchy of hazard zones are designated based on the risk of harm to the vehicle or a vehicle operator;

monitoring a location of the vehicle; and

monitoring motion of the vehicle using a motion sensor to validate the location of the vehicle; and

transmitting the location and motion via the tag device to a vehicle management process embodied on a server and comprising computer-executable instructions for;

comparing the location of the vehicle to the hazard zones; and

generating an alert and a vehicle control action when the location is within one of the hazard zones, wherein a hierarchy of alerts are generated based on the location of the vehicle within one of the hazard zones.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the location, the zone, and a map representation of the geographic area on a graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising validating the location using one of global positioning system (GPS) quality, simple motion, and qualified motion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein GPS quality comprises at least one of horizontal dilution of precision, estimated horizontal precision error, and number of satellites.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting when to power the tag device from a battery installed in the vehicle based on at least one of time, motion, location, battery voltage, and a battery voltage trend.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert triggers performance of a vehicle control action by a vehicle controller device installed on the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle control action is performed for less than a duration of the alert, while being capable of being resumed upon occurrence of a triggering event during the duration.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising arranging a plurality of alerts and a plurality of vehicle control actions based on one of location, motion, and time of day.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a hierarchy of alerts and vehicle control actions based on detection of a hierarchy of vehicle motion, comprising:

(a) locking the vehicle for a first period of time after a predetermined number of brief and frequent instances of detected motion;

(b) locking the vehicle for a second period of time after a first instance of sustained motion;

(c) locking the vehicle for a third period of time after a second instance of sustained motion.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the hierarchy of alerts comprises:

(a) generating a first alert and transmitting the first alert to a vehicle manager when the vehicle is approaching the boundary of a hazard zone; and

(b) generating a second alert and transmitting the second alert to the vehicle operator when the vehicle is within a boundary of the hazard zone.