TRIP MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of commercial vehicle fleet management systems. The present invention specifically relates to a trip monitoring system and method for fleet management.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Trip monitoring and planning is one of the major components of fleet management in commercial vehicle industry. For effective fleet management, the end customer requires information about vehicle profiling and driver profiling in terms of average fuel consumption on a trip basis, optimum vehicle driveability with respect to better fuel economy (green band and red band of engine RPM), gear utilization pattern, engine idling time, fuel filling and fuel pilferage events logging with date and time stamp, total trip distance, total trip duration, total number of engine running hours, distance that can be covered at the current mileage and available fuel quantity etc and route profiling.

In conventional monitoring systems, vehicle recording devices are used for a variety of applications pertaining to both operator and vehicle communication and control. The vehicle recording device is configured to log such items as the operator's driving time, trip time and stopping time for meals, and also records fuel efficiency on a trip by trip basis, engine temperature parameters and other related information. This information may be analyzed by a vehicle technician for maintenance purposes.

Additionally, the information may be used in a business delivery environment by the operator's manager to optimize driver efficiency and performance. However, such information from the conventional monitoring system is useful but it fails to effectuate convenient control and access to the system. In particular, the systems discussed fails to provide effective system maintenance, effective access of information recorded in the system, effective calibration of vehicle components used by the monitoring system, and an effective means of updating personal instruction information for the vehicle operator.

With respect to the conventional monitoring systems, such trip monitoring information are not in real time and very difficult to access for further analysis. Also, there is a need to get diagnostic information on the sensors and the comfort of changing the vehicle accessories like gearbox, tank etc as desired. Moreover, it is necessary to provide an electronic system that logs sensor data, event data and trip status data in a structured fashion and enables easy configuration and analysis of the data. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a trip monitoring system for fleet management, which provides the driver, customer and OEM, required trip information in a flexible and user-friendly manner.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a trip monitoring system for fleet management, which provides the driver, customer and OEM, required trip information in a flexible and user-friendly manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trip monitoring system for fleet management, which enables easy configuration and data download without removing the unit from the vehicle.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a trip monitoring system for fleet management, which provides online and offline indication of sensor failures and diagnostics without manual intervention.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a trip monitoring system for fleet management, which is capable of retaining the logged data even in case of power failure and/or intentional damage.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a trip monitoring method for fleet management.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, the present invention, which achieves the objectives, relates to a trip monitoring system for fleet management comprising input devices for inputting input signals associated with operational condition of vehicle components. A signal conditioning unit is electrically connected to the input devices for monitoring and conditioning the input signals. A processing unit is electrically coupled to the signal conditioning unit for processing the input signals and calculating desired trip related parameters based on the processed input signals in order to create log data. Output devices are electrically connected to the processing unit for outputting the log data of the desired trip related parameters, where the log data is stored in the external memory connected to the processing unit. Hence, the system has the flexibility of providing the driver, customer and OEM, required trip information in a user-friendly manner.

Furthermore, the input devices can be a vehicle speed sensor, engine speed sensor, fuel level sensor, clutch switch and neutral switch. The input signals from these sensors can suitably be processed to get the trip related parameters that are displayed on a LCD screen. In addition, the system includes a telltale and buzzer panel that serves to determine failure messages related to those sensors, excessive idling, clutch riding and overspeeding. The LCD screen along with the telltale and buzzer panel can help the driver in understanding and improving his driving pattern.

Moreover, the log data is processed along with the date and time stamp. The system has the feasibility of downloading the data without removing the unit from the vehicle through an USB device. The log data can be transferred from the USB device to a personal computer (PC). The application in PC can be used to process and analyze the logged data and to generate reports and graphs comparing vehicles, drivers and/or routes based on the user requirements. The system is also provided with an automotive grade communication layer, controller area network (CAN) interface for interfacing with other electronic control units. The system also interfaces with the other electronic control units for wireless transmission of data to the required location.

According to another aspect, the present invention, which achieves the objectives, relates to a trip monitoring method for fleet management comprising: obtaining input signals associated with operational condition of vehicle components. The input signals from input devices are monitored and processed, and desired trip related parameters are calculated based on the processed input signals. Log data of the desired trip related parameters are created and stored in an external memory, where the log data is analyzed to generate vehicle and driver profiling reports based on user requirements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be discussed in greater detail with reference to the accompanying Figures.

FIG. 1 shows a hardware block diagram of a trip monitoring system for fleet management, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of a trip monitoring method for fleet management, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a hardware block diagram of a trip monitoring system for fleet management is illustrated, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The system serves as a tool for monitoring trip data for effective fleet management. The system can monitor the parameters online in the vehicle and also provide a sensor data log feature for offline data analysis and comparison of the vehicle trip related parameters. The system is equipped with a vehicle speed sensor 106, fuel level sensor 108, engine speed sensor 110, neutral switch 112, clutch switch 114 and other sensors and/or switches 116, which provide inputs to a signal conditioning circuit 118.

The inputs from these sensors and switches 106 to 116 are associated with operational condition of vehicle components. The signal conditioning circuit 118 can electrically be connected to the sensors and switches 106 to 116 for monitoring and conditioning the inputs for input to a processing unit 120. The processing unit 120 is electrically coupled to the signal conditioning circuit 118 for processing the input signals. Battery 102 along with a regulator 104 comprises the power supply module for the system. The processing unit 120 keeps track of trip parameters by continuous monitoring of the inputs and calculates desired trip related parameters based on the input signals. The system can be horizontally and vertically deployed across different vehicle segments by configuring only a few configurable parameters. Push button switch 121 helps to toggle through the different pages in the LCD screen 124 to see the various trip related Mateover, the processing unit 120 can be equipped with, but not limited to a central processing unit, real-time clock (RTC) with backup battery, analog-to-digital converter (ADC), inter-integrated circuit (I2C), serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, timer and RS232. The LCD screen 124 with driver controls are electrically connected to the processing unit 120, which displays a data log of the desired trip related parameters. The logged data is stored in an external memory 122 connected to the processing unit 120. The external memory 122 can store about a month of log data, which is feasible for vehicles deployed for long run application. Additionally, a telltale and buzzer panel 126 serves to determine and indicate failure messages related to the sensors and switches 106 to 116, excessive idling, clutch riding and overspeeding. The LCD screen 124 and the telltale and buzzer panel 126 help the driver in understanding and improving his driving pattern.

The system can also log the sensor information along with a date and time stamp. The parameters to be monitored can differ based on the vehicle platform (tipper, haulage, tractor, bus), road conditions (city, highway), driving pattern (speed, clutch riding, revving), and vehicle model (rear axle ratio, Speedo ratio, tire rolling radius, tank size, gear ratio). Also, the owner may change the vehicle components (axle, tire, fuel tank capacity) based on business demands, which requires programming and data configuration onboard. So, the system utilizes an USB host 128 for transferring the logged data to PC, which enables programming, diagnostics, data configuration and data download without removing the unit from the vehicle.

The system can also be provided with an automotive grade communication layer, Controller Area Network (CAN) interface 130, to interface with other electronic control units for wireless transmission of data to the required location. The CAN interface 130 can enable sharing of data through a data bus, which avoids redundant sensors. Also, the data from the ECU along with the faults can be obtained and displayed when connected to the CAN network.

Further, the application in PC can be used to process and analyze the logged data and generate reports and graphs comparing vehicles, drivers or routes based on the user requirements. Hence, the system has the flexibility of providing the driver, customer as well as OEM, required trip information in a user-friendly format. The system is also one time configurable with a self-diagnostic capability and reconfiguration is required only when any of the vehicle parameters and/or constants is subjected to change. The system can be installed across the commercial vehicle segments and requires minimum configuration.

In addition, the system is intended to provide onboard display of trip information. The onboard display 124 is configurable to show trip information such as trip distance, trip fuel consumption, trip mileage, gear used, distance traveled with the current mileage and the quantity of fuel available in the tank. The telltales and buzzer panel 126 can warn the driver in the event of certain parameters exceeding the specified limits. The warning buzzer 126 also activates on occurrence of specific errors. The warning is provided for events such as overspeeding, excessive idling, improper gear utilization, clutch riding, engine crank when the gear is not in neutral, sensor and/or critical ECU faults and neutral driving errors. These errors are reset on correction of faults and a manual reset option is also provided to the driver, which provides online and offline indication of sensor failures and diagnostics without manual intervention.

The onboard display 124 also indicates servicing information at fixed or predetermined service intervals. For example, service warning, after the vehicle runs for a specific distance or after specified number of engine running hours, is provided onboard based on the customer requirement. Information such as engine speed, vehicle speed, gear number, battery voltage and fuel level along with the warning telltales and buzzer 126 can eliminate the gauges in the instrument cluster. Also, the sensor data, ECU data as well as fault data can be displayed on selection of a particular component and/or ECU in the display menu of the onboard display 124.

The system is also provided with security levels for OEM, owner and driver and corresponding access permissions.

The processing unit 120 has a configuration and programming module that can configure date of installation, service details, driver identification and driver license details in the onboard system, vehicle parameters like gear ratio, rear axle ratio, tank size, tire rolling radius which automatically get stamped to the data stored in the data log structure with the vehicle and driver identification labels. The system is provided with a data log of average fuel consumption on a trip basis, optimum vehicle driveability with respect to better fuel economy (green band and red band of engine RPM), gear utilization pattern, engine idling time, fuel filling and fuel pilferage events logging with date and time stamp, total trip distance, total trip duration, total number of engine running hours, distance traveled with the current mileage and available fuel quantity. The communication interfaces 128 and 130, as shown in FIG. 1, can enable to download and process the stamped log data to the application in PC.

An application in PC can generate driver and vehicle reports on selection of the trip date and time by the owner. The owner can also generate trip reports based on hardware trip reset inputs logged in the status log. Also, on selection of a specific date and time in the PC end, the data for different sub-trips can be retrieved based on the multiple hardware resets in the specified time. The onboard unit data storage indicates data download intervals, memory usage and data storage capability, which avoids data being overwritten without intimation.

The logged data can be event data and diagnostics data that are maintained in a separate structure and the report shows the faults in the trip that are rectified or pending. The event log can be used to analyze the driver behavior in terms of driving events such as overspeeding, excessive idling, neutral driving, clutch riding and the display 124 can be configured accordingly to warn the driver in case of such events. The driver and
vehicle profiling reports provide information on the efficiency of utilization of the fleet in terms of uptime and downtime of the trip, rest time, driving pattern, i.e. gear usage and economic driving band, in different vehicles, routes and its impact on mileage, so that the owner can plan the driver and trip accordingly.

Different levels of access privileges can be provided to OEM, owner and driver through password protection for secure access of the device and data. OEM is provided with a password and full access to the entire configuration structure and the stored data. OEM has the rights to configure all vehicle related parameters and special rights for configuration of critical parameters such as tank calibration, engine data calibration, based on the vehicle model and components. OEM has rights to enable access to other users such as owners and drivers, and to reset password when requested by owner on locking.

The owner also has privileged access to the stored data and to configure vehicle parameters such as tire size, rear axle ratio and Speedo ratio. Owner can change the password according to his requirement. In order to avoid misuse, automatic locking of the password is provided on wrong entry of the password couple of times, which prevents unauthorized access to operation data and data download. The owner can configure the parameters required to be displayed in the LCD or to be logged. The driver is provided with minimum configuration capability in terms of display parameters and LCD settings, i.e. brightness and contrast.

The overall unit is compact and mounted in the dashboard, and provided with continuous power supply. Date and time data is logged whenever power supply is removed and reconnected back. Also, the critical parameters such as fuel related parameters, is recorded in the memory 122 before and after on power disconnection to avoid fuel theft. The RTC with backup battery enables continuous update of date and time even on battery disconnection whereas online automatic updation of date and time occurs every time programming equipment such as laptop is connected to the unit. Hence, the logged data can be retained even in case of power failure or intentional damage.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of a trip monitoring method for fleet management, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As depicted at step 210, the input signals associated with operational condition of the vehicle components are obtained from various sensors and switches 106 to 116. As illustrated at step 220, the input signals can be monitored, conditioned and processed to calculate desired trip related parameters in relation to the input signals, as shown at step 230. As indicated at step 240, log data of the desired trip related parameters are created and stored in the external memory 122, as shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated at step 250, the log data of the desired trip related parameters are analyzed to generate a route, vehicle and driver profiling reports and graphs based on user requirements without removing the unit from the vehicle.

WE CLAIM:

1. A trip monitoring system for fleet management, comprising:

one or more input devices for inputting a plurality of input signals associated with operational condition of one or more vehicle components;

a signal conditioning unit electrically connected to said one or more input devices for monitoring and conditioning said plurality of input signals a processing unit electrically coupled to said signal conditioning unit for processing said plurality of input signals and calculating a desired trip related parameter based on the processed input signals in order to create log data and more output devices electrically connected to said processing unit for outputting the log data of said desired trip related parameter, wherein the log data is stored in an external memory connected to said processing unit.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more communication interfaces electrically connected to said processing unit for diagnostics, configuration, data exchange and download of the log data of said desired trip related parameter; and

at least one telltale and buzzer panel configured to determine and indicate failure messages related to said one or more input devices, excessive idling, clutch riding, overspeeding and improper gear utilization.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the log data includes sensor input log data, event based log data and trip status log data, and said log data is processed along with a date and time stamp.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the log data includes trip distance, trip fuel consumption, trip mileage, gear used, distance traveled with current mileage and quantity of fuel available in a tank.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of input signals comprises engine speed, vehicle speed, battery voltage and fuel level.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more input devices are selected from a group consisting of a vehicle speed sensor, engine speed sensor, fuel level sensor, clutch switch and neutral switch.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more output devices comprise a LCD screen.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one or more communication interfaces comprise an USB interface and a CAN interface.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said USB interface is configured to act as host as well as peripheral enabling downloading of the log data to PC or laptop as well as programming, and the said log data is analyzed to generate route, vehicle and driver profiling reports based on user requirements.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said CAN interface is configured for interfacing with at least one electronic control unit for sharing of sensor data and information between ECUs and with the trip monitoring system.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system provides online and offline indication of failures and diagnostics of said one or more input devices.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said external memory retains the log data even in case of power failure, and enables offline comparison of driver, vehicle and route profiles.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system is also incorporated as a part of electronic cluster with said one or more input and output devices, said one or more communication interfaces and said processing unit.

14. A trip monitoring method for fleet management, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of input signals associated with operational condition of one or more vehicle components;

monitoring, conditioning and processing said plurality of input signals from one or more input devices;

calculating a desired trip related parameter based on the processed input signals; and

creating and storing log data of said desired trip related parameter in an external memory.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

determining and indicating failure messages related to said from one or more input devices, excessive idling, clutch riding, overspeeding and improper gear utilization;

configuring, exchanging and downloading the log data of said desired trip related parameter; and

analyzing the log data to generate a route, vehicle and driver profiling reports based on user requirements.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the log data comprises sensor input log data, event based log data and trip status log data, and said log data is processed along with a date and time stamp.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the log data includes trip distance, trip fuel consumption, trip mileage, gear used, distance traveled with current mileage and quantity of fuel available in a tank.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the log data comprises sensor input log data, event based log data and trip status log data, and said log data is processed along with a date and time stamp.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the log data includes trip distance, trip fuel consumption, trip mileage, gear used, distance traveled with current mileage and quantity of fuel available in a tank.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said plurality of input signals comprises engine speed, vehicle speed, battery voltage and fuel level.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said one or more input devices are selected from a group consisting of a vehicle speed sensor, engine speed sensor, fuel level sensor, clutch switch and neutral switch.