Abstract:
Systems and methods for generating and using moving violation alerts are disclosed. A navigation device located in a vehicle determines the vehicle&#39;s present location and present speed, and generates a moving violation alert. The moving violation alert comprises at least one of time information, location information, road segment information, and sensor information. A tracking device coupled to the navigation device provides the moving violation alert on a network. The network connection is configured to transmit the moving violation alert from the navigation device to a recipient outside the vehicle. Moving violation alerts may be stored and analyzed by the recipient.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to driver improvement, and more specifically, to managing excessive vehicle speed information. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The global positioning system (GPS) is a space-based navigation system including a network of orbiting satellites (called NAVSTAR). Although established for military applications by the U.S. Department of Defense, in the 1980s the system was made available for civilian use. When locked onto the signal of at least three satellites, a GPS receiver may calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude). When locked onto the signal of at least four satellites, a GPS receiver may calculate a 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude), subject to the accuracy of map information in the receiver and accuracy of the location calculation. The GPS also provides highly accurate timestamps. 
         [0003]    When used in a vehicle and once a GPS navigation system has determined its location using signals from the orbiting satellites, the GPS navigation system may display a map and instruct a driver by providing graphical information, as well as via text or speech on how to get to a destination. GPS navigation systems may be used to navigate in unfamiliar areas with reduced risk of getting lost, subject to the accuracy of the location information and maps used by the GPS navigation system. When a driver becomes lost, valuable time is lost and the driver could become late for a delivery, appointment, or arrival at a work site. 
         [0004]    Different businesses, such as shipping and distribution companies, cargo systems companies, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) organizations, service vehicle operators, cable television operators, schools, construction companies, and the like operate a fleet of mobile assets. Organizations employing mobile assets have an interest in ensuring their drivers operate the mobile asset in a safe manner. One indicator of safe vehicle operation is whether or not a driver commits a moving violation, such as speeding, running a stop sign, failure to signal for turns or lane changes, crossing over a median, driving on the shoulder, failure to use a seatbelt, and the like. In general, moving violations may be defined and enforced by national and/or municipal governments and their associated law enforcement agencies. 
         [0005]    A commonly enforced moving violation is speeding. Speeding can be exceeding a posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed. In many countries, the speed of motor vehicles is regulated with speed limits. Speed limits are typically indicated with a traffic sign, and speed limits may specify a maximum speed, minimum speed, or no speed. Speed limits take into consideration the type and location of a road, which may require slower driving speeds out of safety concerns (e.g., treacherous road conditions and in areas where pedestrians or school children are likely to enter the roadway without warning). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system for generating and analyzing moving violation alerts according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a tracking and navigation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a tracking and navigation device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a table illustrating moving violation alert parameters according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a table illustrating moving violation alert information according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a data center according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    In the following description, certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient understanding of the invention. However, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these particular details. In other instances, well-known circuits, control signals, timing protocols, and software operations have not been shown in detail or omitted entirely in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system for generating and using moving violation alerts according to an embodiment of the present invention. Moving violations, for example, are set up, configured, or programmed within the system, whether proscribed by law or against an organization&#39;s safe driving policy. In some embodiments, a moving violation may be exceeding a posted speed limit, driving while not wearing a seatbelt, driving with a door open, driving outside a geographic region defined by a geo-fence, driving outside of a prescribed route, and accelerating or decelerating the vehicle too quickly. 
         [0014]    Vehicle  122  is operated by driver  110  and optionally co-driver  112 . 
         [0015]    Vehicle  122  may be a motor vehicle (e.g., delivery truck, field service vehicle, school bus, company car, etc.), heavy equipment (e.g., garbage truck, cherry picker, street sweeper, tractor, etc.), and the like. Driver  110  and/or co-driver  112  interface with tracking device and navigation device  120 . Sensors  116 - 118  are arrayed within vehicle  122  for monitoring and optionally controlling systems. For example, sensors  116 - 118  may monitor whether a driver  110  and co-driver  112  have their seat belts on, whether a vehicle door is open, cargo temperature in a truck or van, fuel level, acceleration, deceleration, hours on the road, vehicle ignition, door locked/unlocked state, airbag deployment, impact/vehicle collision, vehicle speed and direction, and the like. Sensors  116 - 118  may be used with control circuitry and actuators (not shown) to control vehicle ignition (e.g., start or turn off engine), adjust temperature in a truck or van, adjust vehicle speed (e.g., slow down), unlock doors, and the like. Vehicle bus  124  connects sensors  116 - 118  to tracking device and navigation device  120 . Vehicle bus  124  may be a wireless or wired bus for communicating data, commands, and optionally provide power (e.g., Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II), J-Bus, power bus, RS-232, RS-422, RS-484, universal serial bus (USB), 1-Wire, custom bus, etc.). 
         [0016]    In some embodiments of the present invention, the speed of the vehicle may be determined by tracking device and navigation device  120 . Vehicle speed may be determined using a wheel tick method which employs one or more sensors  116 - 118  positioned in wheels of vehicle  122 . Such sensors may record the number of wheel rotations in a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 10 seconds) and calculate vehicle speed based in part on the wheel&#39;s circumference, number of rotations, and amount of time. Vehicles may include a speedometer, a type of sensor, which reports vehicle speed to driver  110  via a dashboard gauge or display. The speedometer may be coupled to vehicle bus  124  and communicate vehicle speed to tracking device and navigation device  120 . 
         [0017]    Tracking device and navigation device  120  may determine the geographic location of the vehicle, for example using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver within tracking device and navigation device  120 . In some embodiments, tracking device and navigation device  120  may provide a moving violation alert to the driver  110  and/or co-driver  112  on a display when the vehicle&#39;s speed exceeds safe limits (e.g., the posted speed limit). As will be described in more detail below, tracking device and navigation device  120  may also generate a moving violation alert which is sent to data center  140 . Information from the tracking device and navigation device  120  may be transmitted over a wireless network  130  to data center  140 . As will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments the tracking device and navigation device  120  and the data center  140  may communicate using messages, for example, a moving violation alert generated by tracking device and navigation device  120 . 
         [0018]    Wireless network  130  may be a local-area network (e.g., Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)), and/or wide-area network (e.g., “3G” (i.e., International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) (e.g., 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), etc.)), “4G” (e.g., LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16m), CDMA2000 (e.g., 1X, 1xRTT, EV-DO Rev. 0, EV-DO Rev. A, and EV-DO Rev. B), global system for mobile communications (GSM) (e.g., general packet radio service (GPRS), and enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) or Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS)), integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), wideband integrated digital enhanced Network (WiDEN), advanced mobile phone system (AMPS), total access communication system (TACS), Extended Total Access Communication System (ETACS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and the like). 
         [0019]    The data center  140  may be connected to receive and/or transfer information over wireless network  130 , store information, run applications  144 - 148  and provide information to applications  152 - 156 . The applications  152 - 156  may be “external” to the data center  140  and represent third-party applications utilized by supervisor  160  to improve driver safety. Data center  140  may also be connected to and transfer data over network  170 . Network  170  may be a wired (e.g., twisted pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber, etc.) and/or wireless (e.g., terrestrial microwave, communications satellites, cellular and PCS systems, wireless LANs, and/or infrared communications) computer network (e.g., the Internet). 
         [0020]    Applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  may store the moving violation alert information provided to the data center  140  by the tracking device and navigation device  120 . As will be described in more detail below, applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  may analyze moving violation alert information and produce output in various forms and formats for use by supervisor  160  and manager  190 . 
         [0021]    Computer  180  may be a workstation, computer, notebook computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, smart phone, PDA, and the like. Computer  180  may include one or more processors, input/output (I/O) devices, and storage. For example, processors can be an x86, SPARC, PowerPC, ARM, and the like architecture. I/O devices may include a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, microphone, touch screen, flat panel, electronic ink display, indicator lights, speaker, and the like. Storage, for example, may store firmware, operating system, etc. The firmware and/or operating system may be programmed and tested like software, may be implemented to coordinate operations of the hardware within computer  180 , and may contain programming constructs used to perform such operations. Storage may be volatile memory (e.g., RAM, SRAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM, etc.), magnetic media (e.g., hard disk drive), and/or removable media (e.g., compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc (BD), USB, flash drive, secure digital (SD) memory card, secure digital high capacity (SDHC) memory card, etc.). 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates a tracking device and navigation device  200  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Tracking device and navigation device  200  may include a navigation device (ND)  205  and tracking device (TD)  255 . ND  205  and TD  255  are in communication with one another over a bus  250 . ND  205  may include one or more processors  210 . Processors  210 , for example, may perform functions such as generating moving violation alerts a described below. 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, inputs from vehicle sensors, for example, sensors  116 - 118 , provided by TD  255  may also be used by ND  205  to generate moving violation alerts. Sending real-time moving violation alerts generated by ND  205  through TD  255  to data center  140  enables applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  to store and analyze the alerts as described below. Processors  210 , for example, may perform such functions as determining a route or routes to a destination and determining present vehicle speed. Processors  210  may be microprocessors (e.g., x86, ARM, PowerPC, etc.), application specific standard products (e.g., GPS processor), application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic (e.g. field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), and the like. 
         [0024]    Storage  212 , for example, may store a map database, configuration information, firmware, operating system, etc. The map database may include identifiers (e.g., name and class) and speed limits for road segments. Road classes may, for example, be associated with road types such as highway, freeway, city street, arterials, near a school, private roads, etc. The speed limits for road segments may be used to determine whether moving violations occur. When speed limits for road segments are not available, a road speed may be determined based at least in part from other road attributes, for example, class of road, location, etc. of the road segment. In some embodiments, the road speed for a road segment may be programmed. The firmware and/or operating system may be programmed and tested like software, may be implemented to coordinate operations of the hardware within ND  205  (and tracking device and navigation device  200 ), and may contain programming constructs used to perform such operations. Storage  212  may be volatile memory (e.g., RAM, SRAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM, etc.), magnetic media (e.g., hard disk drive), and/or removable media (e.g., CD, DVD, BD, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SDHC memory card, etc.). Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver  214  is configured to receive GPS signals for the purpose of determining the device&#39;s current location (on Earth). 
         [0025]    ND  205  may also include input/output (I/O)  216  to receive information from and provide information to a user. I/O  216  may include a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, microphone, touch screen, flat panel, electronic ink display, indicator lights, speaker, and the like. A bus interface  218  enables ND  205  to communicate over bus  250 , for example, bus  250  may transfer data (e.g., estimated time of arrival (ETA) value) between ND  205  and TD  255 . The bus  250  may be wired (e.g., industry standard architecture (ISA), peripheral component interconnect (PCI), RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), custom wired, etc.) and/or wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth, ZigBee, wireless personal area network (WPAN), etc.). 
         [0026]    TD  255  may include one or more processors  268  and storage  270 . 
         [0027]    Processors  268 , for example, may perform such functions as local processing of ETA information from ND  205 , location calculations, process location events, messaging (i.e., receiving, dissembling, assembling, and transmitting messages), and the like. Processors  268  may be microprocessors (e.g., x86, ARM, PowerPC, etc.), application specific standard products, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), and the like. Storage  270 , for example, may store firmware, operating system, etc. The firmware and/or operating system may be programmed and tested like software, may be implemented to coordinate operations of the hardware within TD  255  (and tracking device and navigation device  200 ), and may contain programming constructs used to perform such operations. Storage  270  may be volatile memory (e.g., RAM, SRAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM, etc.), magnetic media (e.g., hard disk drive), and/or removable media (e.g., CD, DVD, BD, USB flash drive, SD memory card, SDHC memory card, etc.). 
         [0028]    TD  255  may also include local communications interface  202 , bus interface  264 , and network communications interface  266 . Bus interface  264  enables TD  255  to communicate over bus  250 . Vehicle bus interface  272  enables TD  255  to communicate over vehicle bus  124  shown in  FIG. 1 . Network communications interface enables TD  255  to communicate (e.g., messages) over wireless network  130  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates a tracking device and navigation device  300  according to another embodiment of the present invention. Tracking and navigation device (TND)  300  integrates ND  205  and TD  255  of  FIG. 2  into a common assembly, which may eliminate redundant components, resulting in cost savings and higher reliability. In contrast to tracking device and navigation device  200  of  FIG. 2 , several components of ND  205  and TD  255  are shared and other components are not included in TND  300 . For example, busses  230 ,  250 , and  278  are not included in TND  300  nor are bus interfaces  218 ,  250 , and  264 , because the various components communicate over bus  280 . In some embodiments, the functions of processors  210 ,  268  previously described for ND  205  and TD  255  are performed by a single processor. TND  300  may be in one assembly housed within one shielded enclosure. Hence, TND  300  may be more reliable and operate faster than tracking device and navigation device  200  shown in  FIG. 2 , because communication between ND  205  and TD  255  over bus  250  shown in  FIG. 2  must be engineered to withstand a harsh and noisy automotive environment. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , TD  255  and TND  300  (respectively) may send data over wireless network  130  to data center  140  in a message. For example information may be exchanged in messages between TD  255  or TND  300  and data server  140 . In some embodiments messages may contain a moving violation alert or configuration information for generating moving violation alerts. As previously discussed, the information provided to the data center  140  by the TD  255  or TND  300  may be used by applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  to assist in driver improvement and accountability. TD  255  and TND  300  may send moving violation alerts on a regular basis or in response to a request from data center  140 . In some embodiments, data center  140  may send a request for alerts stored in TD  255  and/or TND  300 . In response to the request for alerts, TD  255  and TND  300  may send alerts they have stored. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates parameters (or rules)  400  for generating moving violation alerts. For example, alert parameters may include calendar parameters  410 , geographic parameters  420 , and violation criteria  430 . Calendar parameters  410  may define times when tracking device and navigation device  120 ,  200 , and  300  may generate and transmit moving violation alerts. For example, moving violation alerts may be generated at all times the vehicle is in operation, until a certain date and time (e.g., until a leased vehicle is returned or a contract expires), between certain starting and ending dates and times, according to a weekly schedule, when the vehicle is in service or on duty (e.g., a non-cyclical, configurable schedule), and the like. 
         [0032]    Geographic parameters  420  may define places when tracking device and navigation device  120 ,  200 , and  300  may generate and transmit moving violation alerts. For example, moving violation alerts may be generated on all roads, roads of a certain class, inside or outside certain geographic regions (e.g., geo-fence), and specific roads. A geo-fence is a closed polygon encompassing and defining a geographic area. Geo-fences may correspond to certain regions such as a city, county, state, ZIP code, or custom region. 
         [0033]    Violation criteria  430  may define what constitutes a moving violation. A moving violation, for example, may be exceeding a posted speed limit by a configurable amount (e.g., in miles per hour (MPH)) and/or by a certain percentage (e.g., a percentage above the posted speed limit). Violations may be based upon time (e.g., vehicle speed exceeds a certain speed for a given time interval, such as driving three MPH above a road&#39;s posted speed limit for more than two continuous minutes), distance of travel (e.g., vehicle speed exceeds a certain speed for a given distance, such as driving three MPH above a road&#39;s posted speed limit for at least one-half mile), driver behavior (e.g., always generating reports for chronic/habitual speeders), and absolute speed (e.g., vehicle speed cannot exceed a certain speed at any time, such as thirty-five MPH). 
         [0034]    ND  205  and TND  300  may monitor current time, speed, and location to determine whether a moving violation event has occurred and generate a moving violation alert. In some embodiments a moving violation alert may be a violation start alert and/or a violation end alert. A violation start alert may be generated when a condition (or conditions) which satisfies a rule (or rules) for generating moving violation alerts begins. A violation end alert may be generated when a condition (or conditions) which meets a parameter (or parameters) for generating moving violation alerts ends. For example, in some embodiments when a violation criteria for vehicle speed is set to 10%, a vehicle traveling on a road with a 50 MPH speed limit would exceed a speed of 55 MPH before a violation start alert is generated and would fall below a speed of 55 MPH before a violation end alert is generated. ND  205  and TND  300  may check if a moving violation event has occurred at intervals less than one second in time and/or a hundred meters in distance. In some embodiments, ND  205  and TND  300  may check if a moving violation event has occurred every 500 milliseconds and/or ten meters. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  illustrates moving violation alert information  500 . Alert information  500  may include information about vehicle  510 , nature of violation  520 , time  530 , location  540 , road segment  550 , and sensor readings  560  at the time of the moving violation event (or occurrence). For example, vehicle identification  510  may identify the vehicle and indicate the source of the alert. Nature of violation  520  may indicate the type of violation and include pertinent data (e.g., an end violation alert may include the peak speed reached when a vehicle exceeded a posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour by traveling at 100 miles per hour for more than two minutes). 
         [0036]    Time information  530  may be the timing of a moving violation event (e.g., start date and time, end date and time, duration of event, etc.). 
         [0037]    Location information  540  may be where the moving violation event occurred (e.g., starting location identifier, ending location identifier, distance over which event occurred, identifier of geo-fence where event occurred, etc.). Location identifiers may, for example, be an address, latitude and longitude, and the like determined by the GPS  214 . 
         [0038]    Road segment information  550  may include information about the road segment where the moving violation event occurred (e.g., road segment identifier, name, class, etc.), posted speed limit, vehicle speed (e.g., actual, maximum, average, etc. speeds), and the like. 
         [0039]    Sensor readings  560  may include information from vehicle sensors before, during, and after a moving violation event. For example, information from vehicle sensors may include seat belt state (e.g., fastened or unfastened), door state (e.g., open or closed), airbags (e.g., deployed or undeployed), snow plow state (e.g., plow up or down), street sweeper state (e.g., arm up or down), temperature, proximity to other vehicles, lane change state (e.g., changing lanes or not changing lanes), and the like. 
         [0040]    As noted earlier, applications  144 - 148  may store moving violation alert information. Applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  may analyze moving violation alert information and produce output in various forms and formats. For example, a report may include a history of all violations for a specific vehicle and/or driver. A report may summarize multiple moving violation alerts, including the number, frequency, and areas of moving violation events. A report may be in the form of a map showing roads on which moving violations have occurred or roads where a specific violation has occurred. In addition, applications  144 - 148  and  152 - 156  may notify a supervisor  160  or manager  190  in real time of a moving violation alert by display on a computer screen (e.g., pop up window, moving icon, etc.), email message, SMS message, (automated) telephone call, and the like. In this way, supervisor  160  and manager  190  have tools to improve the safety of driver  110  and co-driver  112 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates a data center  600  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Data center  600  may include a communications server  610 , storage  630 , applications server  620 , and data exchange  635 . As readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, communications server  610  may include processors, memory, storage (including removable media), I/O, communications interfaces, etc. Communications server  610  may be a computer system designed to handle a wide array of communications-based applications. Storage  630  may be a database which stores information, for example, ETA information. 
         [0042]    Application server  620  may be a computer system designed to run software applications  144 - 148 . Application server  620 , for example, may run applications which store moving violation alert information in storage  630 , analyze moving violation alert information, and produce output in various forms and formats. Application server  620  may include processors, memory, storage (including removable media), I/O, communications interfaces, etc. AVL applications, for example, may display any moving violation alerts for each vehicle  122 , driver  110 , co-driver  112  and other assets on a map; generate a moving violation report representing the data in a tabular or graphical manner and/or as a part of a larger report of vehicle activity; generate an alarm or event indication when a vehicle, driver, or other asset triggers a moving violation alert; and generate a report analyzing driver safety and behavior based in part upon moving violation alert information. Moving violations, for example, may be exceeding a posted speed limit. 
         [0043]    Data exchange  435  may take data structured under a source schema and transform it into data structured under a target schema, for example, for use by applications  152 - 156 . Data center  400  is connected to network  170  through communications server  410 . As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, different combinations of the above elements are possible. For example, there may be more than one each of the communications server, applications server, storage, and data exchange. 
         [0044]    From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Such modifications are well within the skill of those ordinarily skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.