Granted Patent B2

US 9,489,845 · App. 13/097,689 · Granted Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

Claims (87)

1. A computer system including one or more computer processors, a computer readable storage medium including computer code, and at least one storage device in which is stored GPS data for a plurality of vehicles, the system comprising:

a memory including a GPS event database including GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated with a vehicle, and stored over a period of time; and

the one or more processors programmed at least to:

receive the GPS event data;

store the GPS event data, for each vehicle, over a period of time of at least one month in the GPS event database operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors;

analyze the GPS event data to derive a plurality of operational metrics for each of the plurality of vehicles;

identify at least one trend for at least one operational metric extrapolated from the stored GPS event data;

identify at least one industry benchmark derived from industry data;

provide, for a graphic user interface, a representation including a comparison of the at least one trend from the GPS event data against the at least one industry benchmark, and wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

identify a trend for a given operational metric for a first time period of the given operational metric, the given operational metric being derived from the GPS event data,

provide for setting, based on the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period, a criterion for the given operational metric;

identify a trend for the given operational metric for a second time period of the given operational metric, the second time period ending following the setting of the criterion,

compare the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period against the trend for the given operational metric for the second time period to identify a change of performance for the trend for the given operational metric; and

determine if the change of performance for the trend for the given operational metric meets the criterion.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational metric is selected from the group consisting of: engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance, driver behavior, and fleet performance.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein at least one trend includes operational performance against at least one criterion, and wherein the at least one criterion is selected from at least one of: a user-configurable criterion; a criterion derived from GPS event data; a criterion derived from data other than GPS event data; a criterion derived from traffic data; a criterion derived from traffic data; a criterion derived from fueling data; and a criterion derived from industry data.

4. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

analyze the GPS event data for at least one driver's performance for at least one operational metric;

identify a change in performance in the at least one operational metric over a time period;

provide, for the graphic user interface, a graphic representation of a trend showing the change in performance for the operational metric.

5. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

analyze the GPS event data for a plurality drivers' performance for at least one operational metric; and

provide, for the graphic user interface, the representation of a trend for each of the drivers' performance.

6. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

compare the GPS event data for at least one vehicle against industry data;

provide, for the graphic user interface, the representation of the trend of the driver's performance against a trend derived from the industry data.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

provide, for the graphic user interface, the representation of the trend in the form of an alert.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

derive speed and location data from the GPS event data;

analyze the GPS event database for at least one vehicle's historical GPS event data;

compare the historical GPS event data against traffic data from a traffic database;

identify a traffic condition for the location; and

remodel at least one solution to optimize performance based on the traffic condition.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one solution including at least one of:

a time shift; and

rerouting the vehicle.

10. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed at least to:

provide, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric.

11. A method implemented by at least one computer comprising at least one processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer code, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one computer to perform the method comprising:

receiving GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated with a vehicle;

storing the GPS event data, for each vehicle, over a period of time of at least one month in a GPS event database operatively coupled to one of the at least one processor;

analyzing the GPS event data to derive a plurality of operational metrics for each of the plurality of vehicles;

identifying at least one trend for at least one operational metric extrapolated from the stored GPS data;

identifying at least one industry benchmark derived from industry data;

providing, for a graphic user interface, a representation including a comparison of the at least one trend from the GPS event data against the at least one industry benchmark,

identifying a trend for a given operational metric for a first time period of the given operational metric, the given operational metric being derived from the GPS event data;

providing for setting, based on the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period, a criterion for the given operational metric,

identifying a trend for the given operational metric for a second time period of the given operational metric, the second time period ending following the setting of the criterion;

comparing the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period against the trend for the given operational metric for the second time period to identify a change of performance for the trend for the given operational metric; and

determining if the change of performance for the trend for the given operational metric meets the criterion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational metric is selected from the group consisting of: engine on/off, vehicle mileage, idling, speed, performance against a criterion, employee performance, driver behavior, and fleet performance.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein method further comprises:

analyzing the GPS event data for at least one driver's performance for at least one operational metric; and

identifying a change in performance in the at least one operational metric over a time period;

providing, for the graphic user interface, a graphic representation of a trend showing the change in performance for the at least one operational metric.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein method further comprises:

analyzing the GPS event data for a plurality drivers' performance for at least one operational metric; and

providing, for the graphic user interface, the representation of a trend for each of the drivers' performance.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein method further comprises:

comparing the GPS event data for at least one vehicle against industry data;

providing, for the graphic user interface, the representation of the trend of the driver's performance against benchmark trend derived from the industry data.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein method further comprises:

providing, for the graphic user interface, the representation of the trend in the form of an alert.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein method further comprises:

deriving speed and location data from the GPS event data;

analyzing the GPS event database for at least one vehicle's historical GPS event data;

comparing the historical GPS event data against traffic data from a traffic database;

identifying a traffic condition for the location; and

remodeling at least one solution to optimize performance based on the traffic condition.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one solution including at least one of:

a time shift; and

rerouting the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein method further comprises:

providing, for the graphic user interface, an alert when an operational metric for a vehicle meets or exceeds at least one predetermined criterion established for the operational metric.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor within a computer system that comprises one or more processors and a non-transitory memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, cause the computer system at least to:

receive GPS event data transmitted from a plurality of GPS devices, each GPS device associated with a vehicle;

store the GPS data, for each vehicle, over a period of time of at least one month in a GPS event database operatively coupled to at least one of the processors;

analyze the GPS event data to derive a plurality of operational metrics for each of the GPS associated vehicle;

identify at least one trend for at least one operational metric extrapolated from the GPS event data;

identify the at least one industry benchmark derived from industry data;

provide, for a graphic user interface, a representation including a comparison of the at least one trend from the GPS event data against the at least one industry benchmark;

identify a trend for a given operational metric for a first time period of the given operational metric, the given operational metric being derived from the GPS event data;

provide for setting, based on the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period, a criterion for the given operational metric;

identify a trend for the given operational metric for a second time period of the given operational metric, the second time period ending following the setting of the criterion;

compare the trend for the given operational metric for the first time period against the trend for the given operational metric for the second time period to identify a change of performance for the trend for the given operational metric; and

determine if the change of performance for the given operational metric meets the criterion.

Assignments (10)