Patent ID: 6539296
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: G07C,G08G

Abstract:
A computer program product for an off board communication network for directing the routing, and operation of a network of mobile vehicles, the vehicles of the network each having an internal communication backbone to which electronic controllers of the vehicles are electrically engaged, the electronic controllers monitoring certain external parameters, and the vehicles of the network in contact with the off board communication network through communication means engaged to the internal communication network of each network vehicle, said computer program product comprising:a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing the off board network to receive an indication of an external condition in environments which may impact at least one of the network vehicles; computer readable program code means for causing the off board network to query each of the network vehicles and receiving the location and current route of each of the network vehicles; and computer readable program code means for causing the off board network to compare the external condition in environments which may impact the operation along a current route of at least one of the network vehicles with the location and route of each of the network vehicles, and the off board network generating a listing of operation impacted vehicles, and computer readable program code means for causing the off board network to perform the following steps: querying the data management system to determine and receiving an alternate route for each of the operation impacted vehicles; querying the data management system for and receiving driving directions for the operation impacted vehicles to transit the specific alternate routes; and providing the driving directions for the operation impacted vehicles through the communication means to transit the specific alternate routes.