Automatic incorporation of vehicle data into documents captured at a vehicle using a mobile computing device

• US 9,563,869 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McQuade, Charles Michael, King, Michael Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/288,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33.2, 726/2, 726/21, 726 26- 33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Documents related to delivery of loads shipped by trucking operators can be scanned or otherwise captured using mobile computing devices having document capture and/or document delivery functionality. Load related data can be manually input by drivers during the capture process. Such data can be incorporated into the scanned document as metadata. The concepts disclosed herein encompass establishing a logical connection between the mobile computing device implementing the document capture functionality and a vehicle ECU or vehicle data bus. The document capture application is configured to extract data from the vehicle ECU or vehicle data bus and incorporate that data into the document captured. Data, such as location data, can be similarly captured to establish a logical connection with a telematics device including a GPS component. Where the telematics device includes a wireless data link, the capture document can be wirelessly conveyed to a remote data center.

Claims

1. A method capturing load related vehicle data when generating electronic load documents, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a mobile computing device having document capture functionality;

(b) using the mobile computing device to capture a load related shipping paper, thereby providing a digital shipping paper;

(c) automatically adding load related vehicle data to the digital shipping paper captured by the mobile computing document; and

(d) wherein said load related vehicle data is acquired from one out of a group of sources consisting essentially of;

(i) a vehicle data bus;

(ii) a vehicle ECU; and

(iii) a vehicle telematics device that includes a GPS component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle data bus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle ECU.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle telematics device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data is added to the digital shipping paper captured by the mobile computing document as metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data is saved in a different file but associated with the digital shipping paper by using a file name having a portion that is identical to a portion of the file name for the digital shipping paper.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes temperature data from a cargo hold so a shipper can verify that proper temperature conditions were maintained during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data generated during operation of the vehicle while the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper is in transit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes driver performance related data that a shipper can use to verify that a driver operated safely during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes driver performance related data that a fleet operator can use to verify that a driver operated efficiently during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data that a shipper can use to verify that the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper was delivered on time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data that a shipper can use to verify that the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper was delivered to the correct location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes fuel data that a fleet operator can use to determine how much fuel was used during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the load related vehicle data includes efficiency data that a fleet operator can use to determine how efficiently the vehicle was operated during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

15. A mobile computing device for vehicles, comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a non-transitory, physical memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor implement a plurality of functions, the plurality of functions including automatically incorporating load related vehicle data into a digital shipping paper captured using the mobile computing device; and

(c) wherein said load related vehicle data originates in one out of a group consisting essentially of;

(i) a vehicle data bus;

(ii) a vehicle ECU; and

(iii) a vehicle telematics device that includes a GPS component.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes efficiency data that a fleet operator can use to determine how efficiently the vehicle was operated during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle data bus.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle ECU.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data is acquired from said vehicle telematics device.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data is added to the digital shipping paper captured by the mobile computing document as metadata.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data is saved in a different file but associated with the digital shipping paper by using a similar file name.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes temperature data from a cargo hold so a shipper can verify that proper temperature conditions were maintained during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data generated during operation of the vehicle while the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper is in transit.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes driver performance related data that a shipper can use to verify that a driver operated safely during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

25. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes driver performance related data that a fleet operator can use to verify that a driver operated efficiently during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper.

26. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data that a shipper can use to verify that the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper was delivered on time.

27. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes data that a shipper can use to verify that the load corresponding to the digital shipping paper was delivered to the correct location.

28. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the load related vehicle data includes fuel data that a fleet operator can use to determine how much fuel was used during shipment of the load corresponding to the digital shipping papers.

29. A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for automatically incorporating load related vehicle data into a digital shipping paper captured using a computing device.

30. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 29 having machine instructions stored thereon for automatically implementing the functions of acquiring the load related vehicle data from a vehicle data bus.

31. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 29 having machine instructions stored thereon for automatically implementing the functions of acquiring the load related vehicle data from a vehicle ECU.

32. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 29 having machine instructions stored thereon for automatically implementing the functions of acquiring the load related vehicle data from a vehicle telematics device.