Systems and methods for centralized management of vehicle fleets

Abstract

The invention comprises systems and methods useful in the management of vehicle fleets. Preferred embodiments include a software platform for predictive analytics in fleet management, enabling methods of determining the causes of problems in the field, based on aggregated and consolidated shared data from multiple sources, asset management and improved safety and regulatory compliance. Illustrative embodiments are applicable to the management of aerial vehicle fleets such as fleets of unmanned aerial systems. Users of the system may be de-identified and various encryption and security techniques implemented to keep the system secure and access limited to authenticated users. User hierarchies are implemented wherein users within various role-based categories have visibility to different data inputs and outputs. It is an object of the invention to generate reports useful to regulators in continuing to develop improved aviation safety and regulatory compliance while optimizing user experience for fleet managers and other industry participants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for centralized management of vehicle fleets, the system comprising:
 at least one software module tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and in network communication with a database, at least one application programming interface and at least one firewall, wherein the at least one software module comprises instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:   validate field data inputs, third-party data inputs and regulatory data inputs and direct the data inputs to specific data tables within the database according to source;   synthesize fleet management updates from the data inputs and store the fleet management updates in the database;   synthesize safety data outputs, compliance data outputs and certification data outputs based on the fleet management updates and data inputs; and   produce data outputs comprising the fleet management updates, safety data outputs, compliance data outputs, certification data outputs, vehicle operator warnings, maintenance alerts or combinations thereof, wherein the data outputs are visible on a user interface in network communication with the system via an application programming interface.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle fleets are unmanned aerial system (UAS) fleets. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the field data inputs comprise issue reports, fleet details, flight information and maintenance information from fleet operator sources and the third-party data inputs comprise UAS component information and alerts from UAS manufacturer sources and component supplier sources. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the user interface is a GUI. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the user interface is a GUI. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sources of at least a portion of the data inputs are de-identified. 
     
     
         11 . A method for centralized management of vehicle fleets, the method comprising the steps of causing a computer processor to:
 validate field data inputs, third-party data inputs and regulatory data inputs and direct the data inputs to specific data tables within the database according to source;   synthesize fleet management updates from the data inputs and store the fleet management updates in the database;   synthesize safety data outputs, compliance data outputs and certification data outputs based on the fleet management updates and data inputs; and   produce data outputs comprising the fleet management updates, safety data outputs, compliance data outputs, certification data outputs, vehicle operator warnings, maintenance alerts or combinations thereof, wherein the data outputs are visible on a user interface in network communication with the system via an application programming interface.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle fleets are unmanned aerial system (UAS) fleets. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the field data inputs comprise issue reports, fleet details, flight information and maintenance information from fleet operator sources and the third-party data inputs comprise UAS component information and alerts from UAS manufacturer sources and component supplier sources. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface is a GUI. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface is a GUI. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the user interface is a GUI. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein sources of at least a portion of the data inputs are de-identified.