Mobile terminal and moving body operation management system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an operation management system for a moving body such as a vehicle using a mobile terminal. The present invention reliably and accurately records the operating conditions of vehicles, which enables management to gather accurate information regarding the work performed by a driver or crew in the moving vehicle. Moreover, the present invention realizes safe operation of a moving vehicle by detecting, during operation of a moving body, whether the moving body is exceeding the speed limit and informing the crew of this condition so that the driver will reduce speed to obey the speed limit. The present invention also deters theft of vehicles.

1. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a memory storing a first identification number identifying an individual utilizing the moving body and a second identification number identifying the moving body; 
 a collator collating an externally inputted user identification number and moving body identification number with the identification numbers stored in said memory; and 
 a control unit starting and stopping said moving body when the collator determines that the first and the second identification numbers stored in the memory are the same as the externally inputted user and moving body identification numbers, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a first memory storing an identification number identifying the mobile terminal; 
 a second memory storing an externally inputted vehicle identification number and a driver identification number, inputted when the engine of the moving body is started; 
 a collator collating the driver identification number inputted by the driver with the driver identification number stored in said second memory; and 
 a control unit controlling the moving body to stop the engine of the moving body if the collator determines that the driver identification number stored in the second memory is the same as the driver identification number inputted by the driver when the driver stops the moving body from moving. 
 
     
     
       3. A mobile terminal for a mechanical moving body, comprising:
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of the mechanical moving body;  
 a transfer unit receiving work instructing information, including information related to a destination of the mechanical moving body, which is externally transferred to instruct an individual utilizing the mechanical moving body about the work to be executed; 
 a control unit extracting the work instructing information from the transfer unit in which the mobile terminal is located; 
 a memory storing the work instructing information extracted by said control unit; and 
 a display unit displaying the work instruction stored in the memory and thereby instructing the individual to perform the work specified by the work instruction information. 
 
     
     
       4. The A mobile terminal as set forth in  claim 3  for a moving body, comprising:
 a transfer unit receiving work instructing information, including information related to a destination, which is externally transferred to instruct an individual utilizing the moving body about the work to be executed; 
 a control unit extracting the work instructing information from the transfer unit in which the mobile terminal is located; 
 a memory storing the work instructing information extracted by said control unit; and 
 a display unit displaying the work instruction stored in the memory and thereby instructing the individual to perform the work specified by the work instruction information, wherein: 
 said work instructing information includes a moving body identification, and 
 the mobile terminal compares a received identification and an identification stored in said memory, and stores received work instructing information to said memory when the identification match. 
 
     
     
       5. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 at least one sensor, mounted in on the moving body, for outputting signals indicative of the conditions of the moving body; 
 a first memory storing a table, the table including relationships between work to be performed by an individual utilizing the moving body and output signals from the sensor; 
 a discriminating unit determining the work the individual made that are stored in the table in said memory; and 
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of a moving body; 
 wherein the information concerning the work determined by said discriminating unit is stored in a second memory together with the information concerning the current position of the moving body detected by said position detecting unit. 
 
     
     
       6. The mobile terminal as set forth in  claim 5 , further comprising a second memory for storing the information concerning conditions of a moving body determined by said discriminating unit. 
     
     
       7. The mobile terminal as set forth in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of a moving body, wherein the information concerning conditions of the moving body determined by said discriminating unit is stored in said second memory together with the information concerning the current position of the moving body detected by said position detecting unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The mobile terminal as set forth in  claim 5 , further comprising
 a transfer unit transferring, to a device external to the mobile terminal, the information concerning conditions of the moving body determined by said discriminating unit. 
 
     
     
       9. A mobile terminal for a moving body comprising:
 at least one sensor, mounted in the moving body, outputting signals indicative of the conditions of the moving body; 
 a memory storing a table, the table including a relationship between an output signal from the sensor and corresponding conditions of the moving body and/or work to be performed by an individual utilizing the moving body; 
 a discriminating unit determining conditions of the moving body based on contents stored in said memory by referencing the table in said memory; and 
 an output unit outputting, when said discrimination unit judges that the condition of the moving body cannot be determined uniquely depending on said output signals, a message urging a driver of the moving body to input into the mobile terminal the condition of the moving body at that time and/or contents of work to be performed using the moving body. 
 
     
     
       10. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a collector collecting moving body operating information including moving body speed and moving distance of the moving body; 
 a memory storing a time interval for collecting said moving body operating information by said collector; and 
 a discriminating unit discriminating the current position of the moving body, wherein said memory stores, in a pair, the time interval information for collecting said collecting information and the information concerning a position interval for collecting said collection information, and wherein said collector collects, when said discriminating unit determines the moving body has reached the position corresponding to the position information stored in said memory, and/or the time interval for collecting said collection information has expired. 
 
     
     
       11. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a first memory storing information concerning entrance or exit of an expressway; 
 a discriminating unit determining a currert position of the moving body by collating the current position of the moving body with the entrance/exit information of the expressway stored ins aid  in said first memory; and 
 a second memory storing the information of the entrances or exits of the expressway determined  from the determining by said discriminating unit. 
 
     
     
       12. The mobile terminal according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the first memory stores information concerning tolls between entrances and exits of an expressway; 
 the discriminating unit determines the toll of the section of expressway traveled by the moving body by referencing said first memory; and 
 the second memory stores the toll information determined by the discriminating unit with entrance/exit information where the moving body passed. 
 
     
     
       13. A mobile terminal for a moving body comprising:
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of the moving body; 
 a memory storing speed limits of routes together with position information in which said moving conditions are previously established; 
 a sensor detecting moving speed of the moving body; 
 a collator reading a speed limit corresponding to the current position of the moving body determined by said position detecting unit from said memory and collating the speed limit read from said memory with the current speed of the moving body detected by said sensor; and 
 a control unit outputting a message to an individual in the moving body when the current speed of the moving body is found, as a result of collation by said collating means, not to correspond to the speed limit at the current position. 
 
     
     
       14. A moving body operation management system for controlling information relating to the operation of at least one vehicle, comprising:
 a vehicle information database storing a vehicle class of each vehicle; 
 a driver information database storing a driving license class of each driver of a vehicle; and 
 a unit collating the vehicle class of each vehicle and the driving license class of each driver to generate work instruction information to control the at least one vehicle. 
 
     
     
       15. The moving body operation management system set forth in  claim 14 , wherein said driving license class database stores driving qualification information of each driver. 
     
     
       16. The moving body operation management system set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the moving body driving qualification information of each driver includes the class of driving license carried by each driver. 
     
     
       17. A moving body operation management system having a host unit and at least one mobile terminal mounted on a moving body, wherein:
 said host unit comprises:
 a work instruction generating unit generating work instruction information of work to be performed, and 
 a first transfer unit transferring the work instruction information to each said mobile terminal, and 
 each said mobile terminal comprises:
 a second transfer unit receiving the work instruction information transferred from said first transfer unit, 
 a controller generating work report information when the work to be performed is done, 
 a position detecting unit detecting current position of the moving body, 
 a second transfer unit receiving the work instruction information transferred from said first transfer unit, and transferring work report information and position of the moving body to said host unit;  
 a memory storing the work instruction information and the work report information, and 
 
 a display displaying the work instruction information and thereby instructing the individual to perform the work specified by the work instruction information, 
 
 wherein said first transfer unit receives work report information from said second transfer unit. 
 
     
     
       18. The moving body operation management system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein:
 said second transfer unit transfers work report information to said host unit from said mobile terminal; and   said first transfer unit receives work report information transferred from said second transfer unit.   
     
     
       19. The moving body operation management system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein said first and second transfer units are used to transmit and receive work instructing information and work reported information by radio. 
     
     
       20. The moving body operation management system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein said first and second transfer units comprise reading/writing units reading information from a portable memory unit or writing information to the portable memory unit, the work instruction information and work report information being transferred between said host unit and said mobile terminal through said portable memory unit. 
     
     
       21. A moving body operation management system having a host unit and at least one mobile terminal mounted on a moving body of a plurality of moving bodies for management of information relating to operations of the moving bodies, wherein said host unit comprises:
 a moving body information database storing information identifying a class of each moving body of the plurality of moving bodies and corresponding operating information concerning operations of each moving body; 
 a driver information database storing an identification number of each driver and information concerning a driving license class of each driver providing authorization to drive a respective class of moving bodies; 
 an input unit into which at least the identification number of the driver is input; and 
 a discriminating unit collating, based on each identification number input into said input unit, information concerning the corresponding driver, as read from the driver information database, with a class of the moving bodies, read from the moving body information database, and determining the authorization of the corresponding driver to drive a moving body of the class. 
 
     
     
       22. The moving body operation management system as set forth in  claim 21 , wherein said host unit further comprises an output unit outputting, when said discriminating unit determines the qualification of the driver, the work instructing information to inform the driver of the work to be performed utilizing the moving body. 
     
     
       23. A moving body, comprising:
 at least one sensor mounted to respective areas to output signals corresponding to conditions of mounting areas; 
 a terminal providing an input unit to which sensor outputs are inputted; 
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of the moving body; 
 a first memory storing information concerning conditions of the moving body depending on sensor outputs; 
 a discriminating unit determining the current conditions of the moving body by referencing said first memory depending on said sensor outputs; and 
 a second memory storing the current conditions of the moving body with information concerning the position of the moving body where the current condition of the moving body is determined. 
 
     
     
       24. A moving body, comprising:
 an engine; 
 a control unit controlling at least start and stop conditions of said engine; and 
 a memory storing the identification number given to the moving body in advance; 
 wherein said control unit collates the identification number stored in said memory with the identification number inputted from said input unit, and controls the engine to start and stop when both identification numbers are equal. 
 
     
     
       25. A moving body as set forth in  claim 24 , where in said input unit receive s input of the identification number of the driver who drives the moving body for starting or stopping said engine and said control unit collates the driver identification number inputted for starting the engine with the driver identification number inputted for stopping the engine and controls the engine to stop when both identification numbers are equal. 
     
     
       26. A method for managing at least one moving body having a mobile terminal including a memory, comprising:
 storing an identification number identifying the mobile terminal in the memory; 
 collating an externally inputted identification number with the identification number stored in the memory; and 
 starting or stopping said moving body when the identification number stored in the memory is the same as the externally inputted identification number. 
 
     
     
       27. A method for managing a moving body having a mobile terminal mounted on the moving body and including a memory, comprising:
 transmitting work instruction information from a host unit to the mobile terminal, the work instructing information indicating work to be performed by an individual utilizing the moving body; 
 storing the work instruction information in the memory; 
 sensing operating conditions of the moving body using sensors and storing the operating conditions in the memory; and 
 transmitting the operating conditions from the mobile terminal to the host unit, such that the host unit detects, from the transmitted operating conditions, the work performed by the individual. 
 
     
     
       28. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a memory storing an identification number identifying an individual utilizing the moving body; 
 a collator collating an externally inputted user identification number with the identification number stored in said memory; and 
 a control unit starting and stopping said moving body when the collator determines that the identification number stored in the memory is the same as the externally inputted user identification number. 
 
     
     
       29. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a memory storing an externally inputted driver identification number, inputted when the engine of the moving body is started; 
 a collator collating the driver identification number inputted by the driver with the driver identification number stored in said memory; and 
 a control unit controlling the moving body to stop the engine of the moving body if the collator determines that the driver identification number stored in the memory is the same as the driver identification number inputted by the driver when the driver stops the moving body from moving. 
 
     
     
       30. The mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a memory storing time interval information; 
 a collector collecting moving body operating information including moving body speed and moving distance of the moving body by the time interval information stored in the memory; 
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of the moving body; and 
 a collator, wherein 
 the memory stores a plurality of sets of the time interval information and position information; 
 the collator collates the current position of the moving body with the position information stored in the memory, and extracts the time interval information which is paired with position information when it is determined that the moving body currently exists; and 
 the collector collects the moving body operating information by the time interval extracted by the collator. 
 
     
     
       31. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a position detecting unit detecting a current position of the moving body; 
 a memory storing information concerning a permitted condition of a moving body together with position information in which said permitted condition is established; 
 a collator reading the condition information corresponding to the current position of the moving body determined by said position detecting unit from said memory, and collating the condition information read from said memory with the current condition of the moving body; and 
 a control unit outputting a message to an individual in the moving body when the condition of the moving body does not meet the permitted condition of the current position collated by said collating means. 
 
     
     
       32. A mobile terminal for a moving body, comprising:
 a memory preliminarily storing work instruction information, including information relating to a kind of work to be executed, and information related to a destination at which the work is to be executed; 
 a position discriminating unit discriminating a current position of the moving body; 
 a control unit reading out the work instruction information from said memory, in accordance with the discriminated current position of the moving body; and 
 an output unit outputting the work instruction information read out from the memory. 
 
     
     
       33. The mobile terminal of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the control unit retrieves the work instruction information corresponding to the destination which is nearest to the discriminated current position of the moving body. 
 
     
     
       34. The mobile terminal of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the moving body is a vehicle. 
 
     
     
       35. An operation management system controlling operating information of at least one vehicle, comprising:
 a vehicle information database storing a vehicle class of each vehicle including corresponding operation information regarding operations made by each vehicle; 
 a driving license class database storing identification information of each driver and driving license class regarding authorized vehicle operations of each driver; and 
 a unit extracting said vehicle class information and said driving license class information from received data, and updating said vehicle information database and said driving license class database, based on the extracted vehicle class information and the extracted driving license class information. 
 
     
     
       36. A moving body operation management system of  claim 35 , wherein:
 said extracting and updating unit outputs a work report of the driver and the vehicle based on the extracted vehicle class information and the extracted driving license class information. 
 
     
     
       37. A moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:
 said host unit further comprising a database unit containing information related to said individual and work information related to operations performed by said individual;   wherein said host unit updates information contained in said database unit based on said work report information received from said mobile terminal.    
     
     
       38. A moving body operating management system as set forth in claim 37, wherein:
 said host unit outputs a report concerning operations performed by said individual based on information contained in said database unit.    
     
     
       39. A moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 37, wherein:
 said host unit further comprising a database unit contains information related to said moving body and operation information related to operations of said moving body;   wherein said transferring unit receives moving body operation information including speed and/or moving distance of said moving body from said moving body; and   said host unit updates said information contained in said database unit based on said moving body operation information received from said moving body.    
     
     
       40. A moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 39, wherein:
 said host unit outputs a report concerning operations performed by using said moving body based on information contained in said database unit.    
     
     
       41. A moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:
 said controller further generates moving operation information including speed and/or moving distance of said moving body;   wherein said transfer unit further transfers said operation information to said host unit.    
     
     
       42. A moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 17 or 41, wherein:
 said mobile terminal further comprising discriminating unit discriminating a current position of the moving body;   wherein information generated by said controller contains position information discriminated by said discriminating unit.    
     
     
       43. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 3, wherein said transfer unit receives an operation route information; and
 said mobile terminal further comprising means for confirming whether the moving body is traveling a predetermined route contained in said operation route information, and issuing an alarm when it is confirmed that the moving body is traveling a route other than the predetermined route.    
     
     
       44. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 3 further comprising means for confirming whether said moving body is coming close to customer.  
     
     
       45. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 44, wherein said transfer unit transfers message to inform customer that the moving body is approaching to said customer when it is confirmed that said moving body is coming close to said customer.  
     
     
       46. The moving body operation management system as set forth in claim 17, wherein:
 said first transfer unit receives information indicating a current position of a moving body from said mobile terminal; and   said host unit further comprising a display unit for displaying a map information, in which the current position of the moving body received form the mobile terminal is superimposed thereon.    
     
     
       47. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 8, wherein the information concerning conditions of the moving body to be sent from said transfer unit contains information indicating position of the moving body where said work by the individual was made.  
     
     
       48. The method for managing a moving body as set forth in claim 27, further comprising:
 discriminating position of said moving body where said operating conditions are collected; and   transmitting said operation conditions with said discriminated position of said moving body.    
     
     
       49. The method for managing a moving body as set forth in claim 48, wherein said position of said moving body is discriminated when said operating conditions are collected.