Data collection system and method for fleet management
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fleet management system for assisting with management of one or more pieces of equipment and one or more equipment operators, the fleet management system comprising:
- an identification unit configured to be worn or carried by one of the one or more equipment operators, wherein the identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to an identification unit memory, wherein the identification unit memory comprises stored therein an operator identification code uniquely associated with a specific operator, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit transmitter; and
an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the specific piece of equipment being one of the one or more pieces of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a sensor memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an engine revolution per minute (RPM) sensor,wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to;
use the receiver to receive the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit transmitter;
store the operator identification code in the sensor memory with the data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the data about the operation of the specific piece of equipment or specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment comprises sensed RPM of an engine of the specific piece of equipment between start and shutdown of the engine; and
sense a measure of strength of signals received from the identification unit transmitter and a second identification unit transmitter associated with a second identification unit, the second identification unit transmitter being associated with a second operator identification code;
wherein the measure of the strength of signal received from the identification unit transmitter and the measure of the strength of signal received from the second identification unit transmitter are used to determine which of the operator identification code or the second operator identification code is associated with an actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are directed a data communication system and method for a fleet management system configured to assist with monitoring and managing a fleet of one or more powered machines and one or more human operators.
147 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fleet management system for assisting with management of one or more pieces of equipment and one or more equipment operators, the fleet management system comprising:
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an identification unit configured to be worn or carried by one of the one or more equipment operators, wherein the identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to an identification unit memory, wherein the identification unit memory comprises stored therein an operator identification code uniquely associated with a specific operator, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit transmitter; and an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the specific piece of equipment being one of the one or more pieces of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a sensor memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an engine revolution per minute (RPM) sensor, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to; use the receiver to receive the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit transmitter; store the operator identification code in the sensor memory with the data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the data about the operation of the specific piece of equipment or specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment comprises sensed RPM of an engine of the specific piece of equipment between start and shutdown of the engine; and sense a measure of strength of signals received from the identification unit transmitter and a second identification unit transmitter associated with a second identification unit, the second identification unit transmitter being associated with a second operator identification code; wherein the measure of the strength of signal received from the identification unit transmitter and the measure of the strength of signal received from the second identification unit transmitter are used to determine which of the operator identification code or the second operator identification code is associated with an actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A fleet management system for assisting with management of one or more pieces of equipment and one or more equipment operators, the fleet management system comprising:
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an identification unit configured to be worn or carried by one of the one or more equipment operators, wherein the identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to an identification unit memory, wherein the identification unit'"'"'s memory comprises stored therein an operator identification code uniquely associated with a specific operator, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit transmitter; and an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the specific piece of equipment being one of the one or more pieces of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a sensor memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense data about the specific piece of equipment, operation of the specific piece of equipment, or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to; use the receiver to receive the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit transmitter; and store the operator identification code in the sensor memory with the data about the specific piece of equipment, operation of the specific piece of equipment, or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment; and a data management server, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to use the receiver to receive a second operator identification code transmitted by a second identification unit transmitter associated with a second identification unit, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is further configured to sense a measure of strength of signals received from the identification unit transmitter and the second identification unit transmitter, and wherein a processing device of the data management server is configured to receive the measure of strength of the signals and determine, based at least partially on the measure of strength of the signals, which of the operator identification code or the second operator identification code is associated with an actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment at the time that the measure of signal strength was measured, wherein the processing device of the data management server is further configured to; associate the data about the specific piece of equipment, operation of the specific piece of equipment, or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment with the operator identification code or the second operator identification code that it determines to be the actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment at a time proximate to when the data was measured, and use the data to provide output about the actual operator'"'"'s performance or work conditions, and wherein the identification unit comprises a passive radio frequency tag that is powered at least in part by electromagnetic waves received from the equipment data sensor and communicates with the equipment data sensor in response to receiving the electromagnetic waves from the equipment data sensor.
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20. A method of monitoring equipment and/or equipment operators, the method comprising:
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providing at least one of a plurality of operators with an identification unit to be worn or carried by the operator whenever the operator is operating the equipment, wherein the identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to an identification unit memory, wherein the identification unit memory comprises stored therein an operator identification code that can be uniquely associated with one of the plurality of operators, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit transmitter; providing at least one of a plurality of pieces of equipment with an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a sensor memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an engine revolution per minute (RPM) sensor; automatically receiving, by the equipment data sensor via the receiver, the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit transmitter; storing, by the equipment data sensor, the operator identification code in the sensor memory with the data about operation of the specific piece of equipment or the specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the data about the operation of the specific piece of equipment or specific piece of equipment'"'"'s environment comprises sensed RPM of an engine of the specific piece of equipment between start and shutdown of the engine; sensing, by the equipment data sensor, a measure of strength of signals received from the identification unit transmitter and a second identification unit transmitter associated with a second identification unit, the second identification unit transmitter being associated with a second operator identification code; and determining, by the equipment data sensor, based on the measure of the strength of signal received from the identification unit transmitter and the measure of the strength of signal received from the second identification unit transmitter, which of the operator identification code or a second operator identification code is associated with an actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment.
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Specification