Geolocation compliance for a mobile workforce

Abstract

A system and method that uses goo-location and a rules engine to facilitate compliance to federal, state, and local regulations as well as company policies across different jurisdictions that may have different compliance regulations. A mobile workforce may use the techniques herein to manage work assignments, report activities, and to manage and track time. This technology may be used, e.g., in the transportation industry, but is not limited to this industry.

1 - 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A system comprising:
 a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon; and   a processor that executes the computer-readable instructions to:
 determine a first location of a mobile unit at a first time; 
 determine a second location of the mobile unit at a second time; 
 compute a distance traveled between the first location and the second location; and 
 in response to the distance traveled exceeding a predetermined distance threshold:
 identify one or more rules associated with the second location; and 
 monitor compliance of the one or more rules based on information received from at least one of the mobile unit or an individual associated with the mobile unit. 
 
   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the one or more rules are based on a role of the individual. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein each of the one or more rules is associated with a valid time period comprising a start time and an end time within which the each of the one or more rules is to be complied with. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not; and   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has passed, generate an alert indicating non-compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determine whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is within the warning period, generate a warning requesting compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determine whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is not within the warning period, continue monitoring for compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein to monitor compliance of a rule of the one or more rules, the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 receive an activity from the individual, the activity having a start time and an end time;   determine that the activity satisfies the rule;   determine that the start time and the end time of the activity fall within a valid time period associated with the rule; and   designate the rule as satisfying compliance in response to determining that the activity satisfies the rule and the start time and the end time fall within the valid time period.   
     
     
         70 . A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
 determine a first location of a mobile unit at a first time;   determine a second location of the mobile unit at a second time;   compute a distance traveled between the first location and the second location; and   in response to the distance traveled exceeding a predetermined distance threshold:
 identify one or more rules associated with the second location; and 
 monitor compliance of the one or more rules based on information received from at least one of the mobile unit or an individual associated with the mobile unit. 
   
     
     
         71 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 70 , wherein the one or more rules are based on a role of the individual. 
     
     
         72 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 70 , wherein each of the one or more rules is associated with a valid time period comprising a start time and an end time within which the each of the one or more rules is to be complied with. 
     
     
         73 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 72 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not; and   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has passed, generate an alert indicating non-compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         74 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 72 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determine whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is within the warning period, generate a warning requesting compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         75 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 72 , wherein the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 identify a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determine whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determine whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is not within the warning period, continue monitoring for compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         76 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 70 , wherein to monitor compliance of a rule of the one or more rules, the processor further executes computer-readable instructions to:
 receive an activity from the individual, the activity having a start time and an end time;   determine that the activity satisfies the rule;   determine that the start time and the end time of the activity fall within a valid time period associated with the rule; and   designate the rule as satisfying compliance in response to determining that the activity satisfies the rule and the start time and the end time fall within the valid time period.   
     
     
         77 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a processor, a first location of a mobile unit at a first time;   determining, by the processor, a second location of the mobile unit at a second time;   computing, by the processor, a distance traveled between the first location and the second location; and   in response to the distance traveled exceeding a predetermined distance threshold:
 identifying, by the processor, one or more rules associated with the second location; and 
 monitoring, by the processor, compliance of the one or more rules based on information received from at least one of the mobile unit or an individual associate with the mobile unit. 
   
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein each of the one or more rules is associated with a valid time period comprising a start time and an end time within which the each of the one or more rules is to be complied with. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processor, a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determining, by the processor, whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not; and   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has passed, generating, by the processor, an alert indicating non-compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 78 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processor, a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determining, by the processor, whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determining, by the processor, whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is within the warning period, generating, by the processor, a warning requesting compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 78 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processor, a rule from the one or more rules that is not in compliance;   determining, by the processor, whether the valid time period associated with the rule has passed or not;   in response to determining that the valid time period associated with the rule has not passed, determining, by the processor, whether the rule is within a warning period; and   in response to determining that the rule is not within the warning period, continuing, by the processor, monitoring for compliance of the rule.   
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein to monitor compliance of a rule of the one or more rules, the method comprises:
 receiving, by the processor, an activity from the individual, the activity having a start time and an end time;   determining, by the processor, that the activity satisfies the rule;   determining, by the processor, that the start time and the end time of the activity falls within a valid time period associated with the rule; and   designating, by the processor, the rule as satisfying compliance in response to determining that the activity satisfies the rule and the start time and the end time falls within the valid time period.