Abstract:
A transportation monitoring method is provided for monitoring the transportation process of a vehicle from shipment place to a destination. The method comprising: receiving a shipment information from the shipment place when the vehicle leaves the shipment place; receiving arrival information from the destination when the vehicle arrives to the destination; determining whether the arrival information of the vehicle is received at least one predetermined time; generating a notice to associated administrators of the at least one predetermined time if the arrival information of the vehicle is not received.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a transportation monitoring device and a method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Transportation monitoring systems provide benefit to better manage logistics operations. These systems provide shipping information and arrival information of goods. However, these systems cannot monitor a process of a vehicle from a place of shipment to a place of destination. If the vehicle does not arrive at the place of destination on time, logistics management cannot obtain the information about that the vehicle has not arrive and where the vehicle is in time. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a transportation process of a vehicle from a shipment place to a destination using a transportation monitoring device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the transportation monitoring device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a warning table stored in data storage of the transportation monitoring device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method for monitoring a transportation process of a vehicle employed by the transportation monitoring device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a transportation monitoring device  1  is provided for monitoring the transportation process of a vehicle  21  from shipment place  20 , where the vehicle  21  starts off, to a destination  22  where the vehicle  22  arrives. 
         [0011]    When the vehicle  21  starts off from shipment  20 , a shipment management device  201  is set on the shipment  20 , generates shipment information of the vehicle  21  and sends the shipment information to the transportation monitoring device  1 . The shipment information includes a vehicle ID, a time when the vehicle leaves the shipment place  20 , and a due time when the vehicle  21  is scheduled to arrive at the destination  22 . Each vehicle  21  is assigned one or more administrators at a predetermined time. In one embodiment, the number of predetermined times are set during the transportation process of a vehicle  1 , the first predetermined time is the due time of the vehicle  1 , and other predetermined times are set based on the first predetermined time. That is, other predetermined times are set after the first predetermined time. The transportation monitoring device  1  provides a warning table to each vehicle  21  for recording the relationship between the predetermined times and the administrators of the vehicle  21  of the predetermined times. When the time reaches the predetermined time, the transportation monitoring device  1  determines whether the vehicle  21  has arrived at the destination  22 . If the vehicle  21  has not arrived at the destination  22 , the transportation monitoring device  1  sends a notice to corresponding administrators. 
         [0012]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the warning table includes a predetermined time column  301 , an administrator column  302 , and a warning content column  303 . The predetermined time column  301  records the predetermined times. In this embodiment, four predetermined times are provided. The first predetermined time is the due time of the vehicle  21 . The second, third, and fourth predetermined times are half hour after the previous predetermined time. The number of the predetermined times and values of the predetermined times can be predetermined by user. The warning content column  303  records the content of the warning sent to the corresponding administrators. 
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the transportation monitoring device  1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The transportation monitoring device  1  includes a data storage  11  and a CPU  12 . The data storage  11  stores the warning table. The CPU  12  includes a shipment information receiving module  121 , a table updating module  122 , an arrival information receiving module  123 , an arrival determination module  124 , and an alarm module  125 . 
         [0014]    The shipment information receiving module  121  receives the shipment information from the shipment management device  211  when the vehicle  21  leaves the shipment place  21 . 
         [0015]    The table updating module  122  obtains a corresponding warning table of the vehicle  21  according to the received vehicle ID and updates the predetermined times recorded in the warning table according to the received due time. 
         [0016]    When the vehicle  21  arrives at the destination  22 , the arrival management device  221  sends arrival information to the transportation monitoring device  1 . The arrival information includes the vehicle ID and a real arrival time. 
         [0017]    The arrival information receiving module  123  receives the arrival information from the destination  22 . 
         [0018]    The arrival determination module  124  obtains a corresponding warning table of the vehicle  21  according to the vehicle ID received by the shipment information receiving module  121 . When the current time reaches to the predetermined time recorded in the warning table, the arrival determination module  124  determines whether the arrival information receiving module  123  receives the arrival information of the vehicle  21 . The alarm module  125  generates a message that the vehicle  21  has arrived at the destination  22  to the corresponding administrators if the arrival information receiving module  122  receives the arrival information of the vehicle  21 . The alarm module  125  sends the corresponding notice of the current predetermined time recorded in the notice content column  303  to the corresponding administrators if the arrival information receiving module  122  does not receive the arrival information of the vehicle  21 . After the corresponding notice of the current predetermined time recorded in the notice content column  303  is sent to the corresponding administrators, the arrival determination module  124  determines whether the current predetermined time is the last predetermined time recorded in the warning table. If the current predetermined time is the last predetermined time recorded in the warning table, the arrival determination module  124  stops. 
         [0019]    In the exemplary embodiment, a Globe Positioning System (GPS) is set on the vehicle  21  for providing the current position information of the vehicle  21 . When the arrival determination module  124  determines that the vehicle  21  does not arrive at the destination  22  at the predetermined time, the alarm module obtains the current position information from the GPS of the vehicle  21  and sends the current position information of the vehicle  21  to corresponding administrators. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method for monitoring the transportation of the vehicle. 
         [0021]    In step S 401 , the shipment information receiving module  121  receives the shipment information from the shipment place  21  when the vehicle  21  leaves the shipment place  21 . 
         [0022]    In step S 402 , the table updating module  122  obtains corresponding warning table of the vehicle  21  according to the received vehicle ID and updates the predetermined times recorded in the warning table according to the received due time. 
         [0023]    In step S 403 , when the time reaches the current predetermined time recorded in the warning table, the arrival determination module  124  determines whether the arrival information receiving module  123  receives the arrival information of the vehicle  21  at a the current predetermined time. 
         [0024]    In step S 404 , if the arrival information receiving module  122  receives the arrival information of the vehicle  21  at the current predetermined time, the alarm module  125  generates a notice that the vehicle has arrived to the related administrators of this vehicle  21 . 
         [0025]    If the arrival information receiving module  123  does not receive the arrival information of the vehicle  21  at the predetermined time, in step S 405 , the arrival determination module  124  obtains corresponding warning table of the vehicle  21  according to the received vehicle ID. 
         [0026]    In step S 406 , the alarm module  125  sends the corresponding notice of the current predetermined time recorded in the notice content column  305  to corresponding administrators. 
         [0027]    In step S 407 , the arrival determination module  124  determines whether the predetermined time is the last predetermined time. If the predetermined time is the last predetermined time, the procedure ends. 
         [0028]    If the predetermined time is not the last predetermined time, in step S 408 , the next predetermined time of the current predetermined time recorded in the warning table is recorded as the current predetermined time, and then the procedure goes to step S 403 . 
         [0029]    Although, the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of preferred embodiments, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.