USING SOCIAL NETWORKING TO IMPROVE DRIVER PERFORMANCE BASED ON INDUSTRY SHARING OF DRIVER PERFORMANCE DATA
Data is collected during the operation of a vehicle and used to produce a ranking of a driver's performance, and that ranking is shared on a hosted website, such that the drivers can compare their performance metrics to their peers. Fleet operators can use these performance metrics as incentives, by linking driver pay with performance. Individual fleet operators can host their own website, where driver rankings in that fleet can be compared, or the website can be hosted by a third party, and multiple fleet operators participate. The third party can offset their costs for operating the website by charging participating fleet operators a fee, and/or by advertising revenue. In some embodiments, all driver performance data is displayed in an anonymous format, so that individual drivers cannot be identified unless the driver shares their user ID.
1 . A method of producing a performance metric indicative of a performance of a driver based on at least one metric corresponding to the driver's operation of the vehicle, and sharing that metric on a driver performance ranking website, comprising the steps of:
(a) while the driver is operating the vehicle, automatically collecting vehicle data that can be used to evaluate the driver's performance, the vehicle data comprising;
(i) 3-D accelerometer data;
(ii) speed data;
(iii) torque data; and
(iv) engine speed data.
(b) using a computing device to analyze the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking; and
(c) displaying the driver performance ranking on a driver performance ranking website.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using a computing device to analyze the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking comprises the steps of:
(a) determining a slope the vehicle is traveling over at a specific point in time based on the 3-D accelerometer data;
(b) determining a mass of the vehicle at a specific point in time, based on the slope the vehicle is traveling over at that point in time, the speed data at that point in time, the torque data at that point in time, and the engine speed data at that point in time; and
(c) producing the performance ranking of the driver's operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the mass of the vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of producing the performance ranking of the driver's operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the mass of the vehicle comprises the step of producing a cost per loaded mile performance metric.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using a computing device to analyze the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking comprises the step of using a computing device that is part of the vehicle.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using a computing device to analyze the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking comprises the step of using a computing device that is remote from the vehicle, and further comprising the step of conveying the vehicle data to the remote computing device using a cellular based data link during the operation of the vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the website is operated by a 3 rd party, and performance rankings for drivers from a plurality of different fleets can be reviewed on the website.
7 . A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for carrying out steps (b) and (c) of claim 1 .
8 . A system for producing a performance metric indicative of a performance of a driver based on at least one metric corresponding to the driver's operation of the vehicle, and displaying that performance metric on a driver performance ranking website, the system comprising:
(a) at least one vehicle data generating component, the at least one vehicle data generating component is configured to generate time indexed vehicle data, the time indexed vehicle data comprising:
(i) 3-D accelerometer data;
(ii) speed data;
(iii) torque data; and
(iv) engine speed data; and
(b) at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to implement the functions of
(i) analyzing the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking; and
(ii) displaying the driver performance ranking on a driver performance ranking website.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor analyzing the vehicle data and generate a driver performance ranking implements the functions of:
(a) determining a slope the vehicle is traveling over at a specific point in time based on the 3-D accelerometer data;
(b) determining a mass of the vehicle at a specific point in time, based on the slope the vehicle is traveling over at that point in time, the speed data at that point in time, the torque data at that point in time, and the engine speed data at that point in time; and
(c) producing the driver performance ranking based at least in part on the mass of the vehicle.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to produce a cost per loaded mile performance metric.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor used to determine slope and vehicle mass is part of the vehicle.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is disposed remote from the vehicle, and further comprising a cellular data link in the vehicle to convey the vehicle data to the at least one processor remote from the vehicle.
13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the website displays at least one of the following types of information:
(a) a driver performance ranking for a plurality of campaigns;
(b) individualized tips for improving the driver's performance ranking;
(c) displays information about a performance bonus for a particular campaign;
(d) advertising from a 3 rd party paying for a performance bonus for a particular campaign; and
(e) a graphical icon indicating the performance ranking of the driver, where a relatively greater number of graphical icons indicates a relatively better rating, wherein at least one such graphic icon comprises a fuel pump.
14 . A non-transitory memory medium having machine instructions stored thereon for remotely monitoring vehicle performance data, generating a driver performance ranking based on the vehicle performance data, and generating a webpage for displaying the driver performance ranking, the machine instructions, when implemented by a processor, carrying out the functions of:
(a) determining a slope the vehicle is traveling over at a specific point in time based on 3-D accelerometer data collected during vehicle operation;
(b) determining a mass of the vehicle at a specific point in time, based on the slope the vehicle is traveling over at that point in time, speed data at that point in time, torque data at that point in time, and engine speed data at that point in time;
(c) producing the driver performance ranking based at least in part on the mass of the vehicle; and
(d) automatically generating a webpage for displaying the driver performance ranking on a driver performance ranking website.
15 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of producing a cost per loaded mile performance metric.
16 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of generating a webpage that displays driver performance ranking for a plurality of campaigns.
17 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of generating a webpage that tips for improving the driver's performance ranking.
18 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of generating a webpage that displays information about a performance bonus for a particular campaign.
19 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of generating a webpage that displays advertising from a 3 rd party paying for a performance bonus for a particular campaign.
20 . The non-transitory memory medium of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions, when implemented by the processor, implement the function of generating a webpage that displays a graphical icon indicating the performance ranking of the driver, where a relatively greater number of graphical icons indicates a relatively better rating, wherein at least one such graphic icon comprises a fuel pump.