Systems and methods for utilizing telematics data to improve fleet management operations

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a fleet management system is provided for capturing, storing, and analyzing telematics data to improve fleet management operations. The fleet management system may be used, for example, by a shipping entity (e.g., a common carrier) to capture telematics data from a plurality of vehicle sensors located on various delivery vehicles and to analyze the captured telematics data. In particular, various embodiments of the fleet management system are configured to analyze engine idle data in relation to other telematics data in order to identify inefficiencies, safety hazards, and theft hazards in a driver's delivery process. The fleet management system may also be configured to assess various aspects of vehicle performance, such as vehicle travel delays and vehicle speeds. These analytical capabilities allow the fleet management system to assist fleet managing entities, or other entities, in analyzing driver performance, reducing fuel and maintenance costs, and improving route planning.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for using a measurement system, the method comprising:
 monitoring a measuring device with a processor device, wherein the measuring device is associated with a target to be measured;   upon detecting a measured result from the measuring device,   recording data received from the measuring device with the processor device, wherein the recorded data is indicative of a status of the target to be measured;   transmitting recorded data from the processor device to a central computing system;   associating, via the central computing system, the measured result with a time period segment;   determining whether the measured result satisfies a predefined analysis criteria; and   generating, via the central computing system, a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured result comprise at least one of:
 a device turning on;   the device turning off;   the device beginning to move;   the device stopping;   the device engaging;   the device disengaging;   an object opening; or   the object closing.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine, based on the measured result, a corrected time percentage indicating a percentage of a total measured time that the measured result was occurring. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the graphical user display illustrates the corrected time percentage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor device is configured to monitor the measuring device while the target to be measured associated with the measuring device is powered off. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine whether the recorded data indicates an inefficient operation of the target to be measured. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine whether the recorded data indicates a safety hazard created by a user's operation of the target to be measured. 
     
     
         8 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
 an executable portion configured to receive, from a processor, data for a target to be measured, wherein the data is recorded by the processor upon detection of a result and the data is indicative of a status of the target to be measured;   an executable portion configured to associate the result with a time point segment;   an executable portion configured to determine, whether the result satisfies a predefined analysis criteria; and   an executable portion configured to generate a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded data.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the predefined analysis criteria is used to determine if the data indicates a theft hazard created by a user. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein two temporally adjacent time point segments are distinguished based on an occurrence of a first result. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein determining whether the result satisfies the predefined analysis criteria comprises steps for determining whether a second result occurs after the first result. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising an executable portion configured to determine whether the data indicates an inefficient operation of the target. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the graphical user display illustrates an alert to the inefficient operation of the target. 
     
     
         14 . A measurement system comprising:
 a measuring device associated with a target to be measured, wherein the measuring device is configured to monitor the measuring device with a processor device;   upon detecting a measured result from the measuring device, recording data received from the measuring device with the processor device, wherein the recorded data is indicative of a status of the target to be measured;   transmitting recorded data from the processor device to a central computing system;   associating, via the central computing system, the measured result with a time period segment;   determining whether the measured result satisfies a predefined analysis criteria; and   generating, via the central computing system, a graphical user display illustrating at least a portion of the recorded data.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the measured result comprise at least one of:
 a device turning on;   the device turning off;   the device beginning to move;   the device stopping;   the device engaging;   the device disengaging;   an object opening; or   the object closing.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine, based on the measured result, a corrected time percentage indicating a percentage of a total measured time that the measured result was occurring. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the graphical user display illustrates the corrected time percentage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the processor device is configured to monitor the measuring device while the target to be measured associated with the measuring device is powered off. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine whether the recorded data indicates an inefficient operation of the target to be measured. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to determine whether the recorded data indicates a safety hazard created by a user's operation of the target to be measured.