Vehicle tracking, communication and fleet management system

Abstract

A vehicle fleet management information system identifies location and direction of movement of each vehicle in a fleet in real-time, and automatically reports such information, as well as status of predetermined events in which the vehicle is engaged, directly to the fleet manager. Each fleet vehicle has an assigned time slot to transmit its reporting information over a communications network without interfering with transmissions from other vehicles in their own respective time slots. A timing control phase lock loop (PLL) provides precise time synchronization for timing corrections from a global positioning system (GPS) based time reference. A dual band full-duplex interface of the network has TDMA on one-half and broadcast on the other half. Microprocessor time processing units in components of the network perform precise clock synchronization. Space diversity performed on received vehicle transmitted messages avoids data corruption. Different vehicles have different periodic transmission intervals, by dynamically allocating the slots for various update rates. Auxiliary reporting slots enable prompt reporting of important data by the respective vehicle transmitters independent of the slower periodic transmission intervals.

1 . A sensor apparatus for producing a signal that indicates the speed and direction of a drum on a ready mix truck comprising at least one magnet mounted about the axis of rotation of the truck's mixer drum, and dual magnetic field sensors mounted in fixed confronting relation thereto, wherein the magnet activates the sensors in sequence as the magnet passes in front of the sensors. 
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the signal is an electrical signal. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the level of the electrical signal indicates direction of the drum. 
   
   
       4 . apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the frequency of the electrical signal indicates the speed of the drum. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein at least two electrical signals are produced, and wherein the frequency of one of the signals indicates the speed of the drum, and the relative phase between the two signals indicates the direction of the drum. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises at least two individual magnets. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises a strip of magnetized material containing alternating north and south poles. 
   
   
       8 . A system for automated reporting of the status of a material transport truck, including the status of events related to the operation the truck, to a remote location for system users using a wireless network, the automated reporting system comprising, on board the truck:
 at least one sensor for measuring vehicle engine data bus parameters, and computer apparatus for automatically receiving an input from engine data bus parameter measurements, and for transmitting data denoting the measurements to the remote location over the wireless network.   
   
   
       9 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A fleet management system for tracking the locations of vehicles in the fleet and determining the status of events related to the usage of the vehicles, each of said vehicles having a position location system for determining the location of said vehicle and at least one sensor for detecting vehicle event information and a tracking computer for transmitting location information and vehicle event status information to a fleet management office, said vehicle event information being indicative of plural delivery states in a sequence of delivery events in which said vehicle undertakes in a delivery, said system having a delivery state database that stores status information indicative of the delivery state of the delivery vehicle in the sequence of events and wherein said tracking computer transmits location information and vehicle event status information to the fleet management office. 
   
   
       19 . The fleet management system of  claim 18 , wherein said fleet vehicles and said fleet management office are connected for communication by a wireless network. 
   
   
       20 . The fleet management system of  claim 19 , wherein each vehicle has a plurality of sensors for detecting or measuring various ones of said delivery events and supplying inputs indicative thereof to said tracking computer for prompt reporting of event data as it happens over said wireless network. 
   
   
       21 . The fleet management system of  claim 20 , wherein at least some of said plurality of sensors are selected from a group consisting of detectors of vehicle ignition, vehicle run time, headlights on, transmission in forward and reverse directions, wheel speed, passenger or driver door open, four wheel drive engagement, vehicle emergency lights or sirens operating, fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, battery voltage, engine warning indications, theft or tamper alarms, cargo door open, cargo temperature, vehicle weight, power takeoff engagement for equipment including pumps, winces, cranes, or augers, engine data bus parameters and tolerance checking, dump box up or hatch open, ready mix drum rotation speed and direction, ready mix wash water usage, ready mix fill water volume, distance traveled between predetermined zones, engine on and off, excessive vehicle speed, driving at improper times, unauthorized stops of vehicle, and arrival/departure times at specified locations. 
   
   
       22 . The fleet management system of  claim 18 , including apparatus at said fleet management office for correlating a detected event to a vehicle location or vehicle speed. 
   
   
       23 . The fleet management system of  claim 22 , wherein said vehicle location correlation apparatus includes means for comparing the vehicle location detected by said navigation apparatus to predetermined geographically mapped zones. 
   
   
       24 . The fleet management system of  claim 19 , including apparatus at said fleet management office for defining map regions constituting zones in areas expected to be traversed by said fleet vehicles, and wherein said apparatus for automatic reporting includes using said navigation apparatus of the associated fleet vehicle to report one or more of distance traveled by the vehicle between zones, vehicle engine on and off, vehicle being driven at excessive speed, vehicle being driven at improper times, vehicle making unauthorized stops, and times of arrival and departure at preselected locations. 
   
   
       25 . The fleet management system of  claim 19 , wherein said fleet vehicle; are ambulances and said automatic reporting reports trips, call times, pick up locations, and hospitals to which deliveries are made to said fleet management office. 
   
   
       26 . The fleet management system of  claim 18 , wherein said apparatus for automatic reporting of the detected events reports exceptions to routine operations of the vehicle to said fleet management office. 
   
   
       27 . The fleet management system of  claim 20 , wherein said fleet vehicles are ready mix concrete or other slurry material mixer trucks, and said plurality of sensors detect or measure at least some of the events of truck fully loaded at plant site, truck departure from plant site, truck arrival at job side site, truck commencing pour, truck pour ended, truck undergoing wash, truck departure from job site, truck arrival at plant site, and deviations from a routine sequence of said events; and at least some of said events are detected based on truck speed or time interval over which an event takes place. 
   
   
       28 . The fleet management system of  claim 27 , wherein at least some of said mixer trucks of said fleet vehicles are equipped with hall effect sensors. 
   
   
       29 . The fleet management system of  claim 18 , wherein said fleet vehicles are bulk powdered material transport trucks in which air is pumped through pipes under the bulk hopper of the truck for unloading the powdered material therefrom, and each of said transport trucks includes a tachometer sensor for on/off detection of pumping to indicate unloading and cessation of unloading of powdered material from the respective said transport truck to report same to said fleet management office. 
   
   
       30 . The fleet management system of  claim 18 , wherein said fleet vehicles are bulk aggregate material transport trucks each having a dumper for unloading the aggregate material therefrom, and each of said transport trucks includes a sensor for detection of dumper operation to indicate unloading and cessation of unloading of aggregate material from the respective said transport truck to report same to said fleet management office. 
   
   
       31 . A system for reporting the delivery state of a vehicle and transmitting that delivery state to a vehicle monitoring facility, comprising:
 a sensing system on the vehicle for detecting unique vehicle events indicating unique delivery states of a vehicle among a sequence of unique delivery states a vehicle undertakes in a delivery sequence; and   a transmitter for transmitting to a vehicle monitoring facility the delivery states of the vehicle as the vehicle progresses through the delivery sequence.   
   
   
       32 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the vehicle includes a position location system for determining the location of the vehicle, and wherein the transmitter transmits the vehicle location with the delivery state information. 
   
   
       33 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the vehicle has a database which stores information indicative of the delivery states in the vehicle delivery sequence, and when the delivery states are achieved in the sequence.