Systems and methods for analyzing the use of mobile resources

Abstract

A system for analyzing the use of a mobile resource, such as a vehicle, includes a central processing unit adapted to receive a plurality of geographic locations and create an optimal travel route between the geographic locations, and an analyzer device incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology being positionable with a mobile resource for comparing an actual route traveled by the mobile resource with the optimal travel route created by the central processing unit. The central processing unit includes mobile resource management software stored therein adapted to use pre-selected criteria for creating the optimal travel route. The pre-selected criteria may include time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for analyzing the use of a mobile resource comprising:
 a central processing unit adapted to receive a plurality of geographic locations and create an optimal travel route between the geographic locations;   an analyzer device incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology being positionable with a mobile resource for comparing an actual route traveled by said mobile resource with the optimal travel route created by said central processing unit.   
     
     
         2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said central processing unit has mobile resource management software stored therein adapted to pre-selected criteria for creating the optimal travel route. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the pre-selected criteria are selected from the group consisting of time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the geographic locations comprise a plurality of schedule stops for delivering items or performing services. 
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said central processing unit is adapted to create an optimal travel route for efficiently reaching each of the scheduled stops using minimum resources. 
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said analyzer device is adapted to be carried by said mobile resource as said mobile resource travels said actual travel route. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said central processing unit generates an output comparing resources used by said mobile resource when travelling said actual travel route versus resources that would be used by said mobile resource when travelling said optimal travel route. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mobile resource is selected from the group consisting of vehicles and humans. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said vehicle are selected from the group of vehicles consisting of trucks, cars, busses, vans, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, ships, balloons, and planes. 
     
     
         10 . A system for analyzing the use of mobile resources comprising:
 a central processing unit adapted to receive a plurality of geographic locations and create one or more optimal travel routes between the geographic locations for said mobile resources;   a plurality of analyzer devices incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology being positionable with each of said mobile resources for comparing actual routes traveled by said mobile resources between the geographic locations with the one or more optimal travel routes created by said central processing unit.   
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said central processor uses pre-selected criteria for creating the one or more optimal travel routes. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said pre-selected criteria are selected from the group of criteria consisting of time, distance, cost, load parameters, territory, and customer requirements. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said mobile resources are mobile assets selected from the group consisting of vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, and humans. 
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said central processing unit has mobile resource management software stored therein adapted to create an optimal travel route for each of said mobile resources for optimizing the efficiency of reaching each of the geographic locations. 
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said analyzer devices have communication systems selected from the group of communication systems consisting of wireless communication systems; radio wave communication systems, and cable communication systems. 
     
     
         16 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each said analyzer device is carried by one of said mobile resources for periodically reporting the position of the one of said mobile resources to said central processing unit. 
     
     
         17 . A system for analyzing the use of a mobile resource comprising:
 an analyzer device incorporating global positioning satellite (GPS) technology, said analyzer device being positionable with a mobile resource for recording data about an actual route of travel between a plurality of geographic locations;   a central processing unit in communication with said analyzer device for receiving the recorded data, and comparing the actual route of travel between the plurality of geographic locations with an optimal route of travel between the geographic locations created by said central processing unit.   
     
     
         18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said mobile resource is selected from a group consisting of vehicles, humans, and animals. 
     
     
         19 . The system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said central processing unit comprises routing and scheduling software that automatically creates optimized routes and schedules based upon pre-selected work rules. 
     
     
         20 . The system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said system is adapted to create a plurality of optimized routes for a plurality of mobile resources, wherein each of said mobile resources has a unique optimized route associated therewith.