JP7690368B2 - Vehicle Monitoring System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle monitoring system that can be used to monitor the operating status of transportation vehicles such as trucks.

For example, companies such as transportation companies need to properly manage the operation status of the transport vehicles that transport customers' cargo. In other words, companies need to transport each cargo quickly, reliably, without damage, and safely. On the other hand, if the driver of each vehicle engages in reckless driving maneuvers such as speeding, or fails to check for safety, the possibility of a traffic accident occurring increases, making it impossible to maintain a reliable and safe transport state.

Therefore, companies such as transportation companies typically use on-board devices such as driving recorders installed in each vehicle to record the actual driving status of each vehicle and manage the status so that they can grasp the driving status of each driver.

For example, the economical driving evaluation device in Patent Document 1 shows a technology for providing appropriate driving guidance to drivers and reducing fuel consumption by performing accurate economical driving evaluation using a traffic management meter. Specifically, it discloses that the number of accelerations is counted using speed data recorded by the traffic management meter, and economical driving evaluation is performed based on the number of accelerations within a unit driving distance.

JP 2002-364400 A

In some countries, when a specific shipper requesting the transport of goods enters into a contract with a carrier, the contract contents are determined so that the transportation cost will be reduced if a delivery delay occurs due to the carrier's fault. Furthermore, in the case of a delivery delay due to the carrier's fault, the reduction in transportation costs generally cannot be covered by transportation insurance.

In reality, there are various reasons why delivery delays can occur, but in some countries, delivery delays are often caused by the customs of the country or the individual attributes of the driver. In other words, in countries where there are many drivers who do not fully manage their time according to predetermined schedules while transporting goods, delivery delays are more likely to occur. In other words, delivery delays can occur due to individual drivers slacking off during work.

Therefore, it is important for companies such as transportation companies to manage their drivers so that they do not cause delays in delivery of packages due to slacking off. For this reason, company managers need to accurately grasp the driving status of each driver and instruct drivers who are prone to slacking off to change their behavior.

However, even when there are no problems attributable to individual drivers, such as slacking off, delivery delays can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, natural congestion caused by a concentration of vehicles on a specific section of the road, or congestion caused by a traffic accident or road construction, makes it difficult for vehicles to operate according to the time schedule of the delivery plan created in advance, resulting in delivery delays.

In addition, when road checkpoints (checkpoints) are set up at state borders due to circumstances in each country, each vehicle must have its cargo inspected by the checkpoint administrator, so even if the driver is not slacking off, they may have to wait for a relatively long time with the engine turned off. This makes it difficult to operate the vehicle according to the planned delivery schedule, resulting in delays in the delivery of cargo.

In relatively large transportation companies, managers often monitor the operation status of each transportation vehicle in real time. When such managers discover an abnormal transportation vehicle that has been stopped for a long time, they must call the driver of the vehicle in question or send a short message (SMS) to confirm the actual situation in order to understand the cause of the stop. Therefore, the manager's confirmation work takes time and effort, and it is inevitable that management costs will increase.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle monitoring system that can accurately distinguish between delays in vehicle operation caused by individual driver slacking and delays in vehicle operation caused by other external factors, without the need for a manager to make inquiries to the driver of the transport vehicle by phone or other means.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration:

A vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the operation status of a transportation vehicle while the vehicle is moving along a specific section from a predetermined starting point to a predetermined destination point,
A vehicle stop detection unit that identifies whether the transportation vehicle is stopped or not;
A vehicle position detection unit that detects a current position of the transportation vehicle;
an exception identification unit that identifies whether the current location of the transportation vehicle falls within an exception area that satisfies a predetermined condition;
a rest time detection unit that detects the length of a rest time during which the transportation vehicle is stopped in a state not corresponding to the exception area;
a break time evaluation unit that compares a total sum of break times detected by the break time detection unit in the specific section with a predetermined allotted break time;
A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

According to the vehicle monitoring system of the present invention, the comparison results of the rest time evaluation unit make it possible to accurately distinguish between delays in vehicle operation caused by individual drivers slacking off and delays in vehicle operation caused by other external factors. This eliminates the need for managers to make inquiries to drivers of transport vehicles by telephone or other means, and significantly reduces the costs required for operation management.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a notification by the administrator terminal. FIG. 3 is a time chart showing an example of the transition over time of the vehicle state in the actual transportation state and the transportation plan when passing through a checkpoint. FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example of the transition over time of the vehicle state in the actual transportation state and the transportation plan when passing through a congestion occurrence area. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example 1 of the vehicle-mounted device included in the vehicle monitoring system. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second operation example of the vehicle-mounted device included in the vehicle monitoring system. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a third operation example of the vehicle-mounted device included in the vehicle monitoring system. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a fourth operational example of the vehicle-mounted device included in the vehicle monitoring system.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of vehicle monitoring system>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle monitoring system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle monitoring system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 10 and an administrator terminal 30. The in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on each transport vehicle, such as a truck that delivers packages. The administrator terminal 30 is placed in the office of a company that monitors the transport vehicles.

The vehicle-mounted device 10 has a wireless communication function and can connect to the Internet 35 via a specified wireless communication network 34. The administrator terminal 30 also has a communication function and can communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the Internet 35.

Therefore, a company manager can monitor the status of the transportation vehicles to be monitored that are equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 10 in real time using the manager terminal 30. For example, by monitoring the current position of each transportation vehicle and any changes thereto, it is possible to ascertain whether the transportation status is deviating significantly from the predetermined transportation plan.

When using a typical vehicle monitoring system, if a monitored transport vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, the administrator must call or send a short message to the driver of the vehicle in question to inquire about the actual situation.

On the other hand, the vehicle monitoring system 100 is equipped with a special function that allows the manager to grasp the actual status of the transport vehicle on the manager terminal 30 without the manager having to make special inquiries to the driver.

<Configuration of the Vehicle-Mounted Device 10>
The vehicle-mounted device 10 shown in Figure 1 includes a stop detection unit 11, a current position detection unit 12, a traffic information acquisition unit 13, a checkpoint area DB 14, a rest time counting unit 15, a checkpoint identification unit 16, a congestion identification unit 17, a rest time management unit 18, a slacking detection unit 19, an operation record DB 20, a vehicle information notification unit 21, an exception event notification unit 22, and a wireless communication module 23.

Most of the above functions of the vehicle-mounted device 10 can be realized by a combination of microcomputer hardware and software, or by using dedicated electronic circuits.

The vehicle stop detection unit 11 has a function for detecting whether the vehicle equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 10 is in a predetermined stopped state. In practice, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 detects the stopped state based on an ignition (IGN) signal SG1 or a vehicle speed signal SG2 output from the vehicle side, and outputs a vehicle stop detection signal SG3. Alternatively, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 may detect the vehicle's stopped state from a change in position information obtained based on a signal received from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite.

The current position detection unit 12 can obtain latitude/longitude information representing the current position of the vehicle equipped with this vehicle-mounted device 10 by calculation, for example, based on the time of radio waves received by a specific GPS receiver from multiple GPS satellites.

The traffic information acquisition unit 13 can acquire road traffic information in the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle, for example, by accessing a predetermined site that provides road traffic information via the Internet, or by wireless communication via communication equipment installed on the road. Alternatively, the traffic information acquisition unit 13 may acquire road traffic information using a map API (Application Programming Interface).
The road traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 13 includes location information indicating sections on roads where naturally occurring congestion, congestion caused by traffic regulations due to road construction or the like, congestion caused by traffic accidents, etc. occur, information indicating the type of congestion, etc. The traffic information acquisition unit 13 can output congestion area information A3 including information on the location of the area where congestion occurs and the type of congestion.

The checkpoint area DB (database) 14 holds information representing a specific checkpoint area in advance. "Checkpoints" are installed at the boundaries of local governments, such as state and prefecture borders in various foreign countries. In the checkpoint area, each vehicle must stop and have its luggage inspected by an officer. Since such luggage inspection takes a certain amount of time, traffic jams occur frequently and each vehicle must wait for a long time while stopped while waiting for the inspection. Note that "checkpoints" in this embodiment include not only the checkpoints mentioned above, but also facilities that take a certain amount of time to pass through, such as luggage inspection areas around ports and airports.

In this embodiment, the checkpoint area DB14 stores information about checkpoint geofences to identify the areas where each of these known checkpoints is located.

A checkpoint geofence is a virtual area that can be identified as a circular or rectangular area within a certain distance from the reference coordinates on a plane on a road that includes the reference coordinates (latitude/longitude) of each checkpoint. In other words, the checkpoint area DB14 holds information that represents the reference coordinates of each checkpoint and the size of the geofence.

The rest time counting unit 15 counts the length of time the vehicle is stopped, i.e., the length of each rest period, for example in units of one second or one minute, based on the stop detection signal SG3 output by the stop detection unit 11. However, the rest time counting unit 15 counts the rest period only when certain conditions are met. For example, if the vehicle is stopped to wait for inspection at a checkpoint area, if the vehicle is stopped due to traffic congestion, or if the vehicle is stopped to wait at a traffic light, the rest time counting unit 15 can exclude that stop situation from counting the rest period.

The checkpoint identification unit 16 compares the information on the current position P1 output by the current position detection unit 12 with each checkpoint geofence held by the checkpoint area DB 14 to identify whether the vehicle is passing through any of the checkpoint geofences, and outputs the result as a checkpoint detection signal SG4.

The traffic congestion identification unit 17 compares the current position P1 information output by the current position detection unit 12 with each traffic congestion area information A3 output by the traffic information acquisition unit 13 to identify whether the vehicle is passing through any of the traffic congestion areas, and outputs the result as a traffic congestion detection signal SG5.

The rest time management unit 18 grasps the total rest time of the vehicle calculated by the rest time counting unit 15, compares the total rest time with the rest time T0 previously assigned to the driver, and outputs the comparison result as a slacking detection signal SG6. The rest time T0 is a constant previously assigned to each driver as the time per day or the time per operation, for example, two hours per day.

The slacking detection unit 19 detects slacking by the driver of the vehicle based on the slacking detection signal SG6 output by the rest time management unit 18, and writes and registers the slacking information in the operation record DB 20 in association with information identifying the relevant driver.

The operation record DB20 has the function of automatically recording the operation history showing the actual operating conditions of the vehicle and information on the driver operating the vehicle. By later analyzing the information recorded by the operation record DB20, the manager can evaluate the characteristics of each driver, provide appropriate training to the drivers as necessary, and improve the efficiency of vehicle operation.

The vehicle information notification unit 21 has a function of automatically transmitting operation information necessary for the administrator terminal 30 to manage the vehicle in real time. For example, the vehicle information notification unit 21 can acquire the current position P1, ignition signal SG1, vehicle speed signal SG2, etc. output by the current position detection unit 12 and transmit them sequentially to the administrator terminal 30. The information transmitted by the vehicle information notification unit 21 can be delivered to the administrator terminal 30 via the wireless communication module 23, wireless communication network 34, and the Internet 35.

When the exceptional event notification unit 22 detects that the vehicle is passing through a checkpoint area based on the checkpoint detection signal SG4 output by the checkpoint identification unit 16, or detects that the vehicle is passing through a congestion area based on the congestion detection signal SG5 output by the congestion identification unit 17, the exceptional event notification unit 22 has the function of automatically notifying the administrator terminal 30 of this as an exception. The information notified by the exceptional event notification unit 22 also includes information indicating the type of exception, such as a checkpoint or congestion. The information sent by the exceptional event notification unit 22 can be delivered to the administrator terminal 30 via the wireless communication module 23, the wireless communication network 34, and the Internet 35.

The wireless communication module 23 has a function of establishing a wireless communication line with a base station of the wireless communication network 34 in accordance with a communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution). Therefore, by using the wireless communication module 23, communication between the vehicle-mounted device 10 and the administrator terminal 30 becomes possible.

<Configuration of Administrator Terminal 30>
The manager terminal 30 shown in Fig. 1 can be configured by installing special application software for monitoring transport vehicles in, for example, a general personal computer. The manager terminal 30 in Fig. 1 includes a communication unit 31, a vehicle information receiving unit 32, and a vehicle information display unit 33.

The communication unit 31 of the administrator terminal 30 is connected in a state in which it can communicate with each vehicle to be monitored via the Internet 35 and the wireless communication network 34. The administrator terminal 30 and the vehicle-mounted device 10 may be connected via a server (not shown), or the main functions of the administrator terminal 30 may be located on the server side as a cloud.

The vehicle information receiving unit 32 has a function for acquiring information necessary for monitoring from the vehicle-mounted device 10 installed in each transport vehicle to be monitored. In other words, the vehicle information receiving unit 32 can sequentially receive the latest information indicating the current position, vehicle speed, ignition on/off status, etc. of each vehicle.

The vehicle information display unit 33 can display the operation status of each monitored transport vehicle received by the vehicle information receiving unit 32 on the screen in near real time. It can also display the status of the delivery plan for each vehicle created in advance and the actual delivery status of the vehicle side by side in a state that makes it easy to compare them.

The manager of the company that manages each delivery vehicle can easily check whether the actual delivery status of each vehicle deviates significantly from the delivery plan by constantly referring to the screen of the vehicle information display unit 33. As shown in FIG. 2, if the delivery status of a certain vehicle deviates significantly from the delivery plan, the manager terminal 30 may notify the manager of the delay of the vehicle by a pop-up notification 37, so that the manager can check the occurrence of the delay by the pop-up notification 37.

For example, if a particular delivery vehicle is stopped for a long time, there is a possibility that the actual delivery situation will be significantly delayed compared to the delivery plan. Furthermore, if this delay is caused by the driver's slacking or other behavior, the carrier is likely to be asked by the shipper to reduce the transportation fee. Therefore, the manager must monitor the slacking of the drivers of each vehicle. However, in the vehicle monitoring system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-mounted device 10 is equipped with a function to detect driver slacking with high accuracy, so the manager's effort required to monitor slacking is very small.

<Examples of transportation plans and actual transportation status>
Fig. 3 is a time chart showing an example of a time transition of a vehicle state in an actual transportation state and a transportation plan when passing through a checkpoint. Fig. 4 is a time chart showing an example of a time transition of a vehicle state in an actual transportation state and a transportation plan when passing through a congestion occurrence area.

When a transport company uses vehicles such as trucks to transport cargo from a departure point to a destination, a transport plan DS0 such as that shown in the upper part of Figures 3 and 4 is determined in advance.

<Description of transportation plan DS0>
An example of the transportation plan DS0 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 will be described below.
(1) After loading at the departure point, the vehicle starts traveling on the travel section Trip1 at time t01 (9:00). At time t02, the vehicle finishes traveling on the travel section Trip1, stops the engine, and switches the ignition IGN off.

(2) After that, the vehicle remains stopped in the stopping section RE1 until time t03. The duration of the stopping section RE1 is 0.25 hours in this example. This stopping section RE1 can be used by the driver to take a break as necessary to maintain a safe driving state of the vehicle.

(3) At time t03, the ignition of this vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling on the traveling section Trip2 until time t04. At time t04, traveling on the traveling section Trip2 ends, the engine is stopped, and the ignition is switched off.

(4) After that, the vehicle remains stopped in the stopping section RE2 until time t05. The duration of the stopping section RE2 is 0.25 hours in this example. This stopping section RE2 can be used by the driver to take a break as necessary to maintain a safe driving state of the vehicle.

(5) At time t05, the ignition of this vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling along the travel section Trip3 until time t06. The vehicle also arrives at the destination at time t06, ending traveling along the travel section Trip3. The estimated arrival time t06 is 19:00.

However, because the actual operation of the vehicle is left to the driver's driving operation, it may be different from the transportation plan DS0 shown in Figures 3 and 4. For example, if the driver drives the vehicle recklessly at a speed that exceeds the safe driving speed, the travel of each travel section Trip1 to Trip3 may be completed in a shorter time than the transportation plan DS0, but safe driving will not be able to maintain sufficient transportation quality. On the other hand, if the driver slacks off, he or she may ignore the scheduled time of the transportation plan DS0 and take a long break, for example, in the stationary section RE1. In that case, the destination will be reached at a time significantly later than the transportation plan DS0.

However, even if the driver does not slack off, there is a possibility that the time t06 at which the vehicle arrives at the destination may be significantly delayed compared to the transportation plan DS0 due to other external factors. One cause of this is a long stop caused by passing through a checkpoint during transportation. Another cause is a long stop caused by getting caught in traffic congestion during transportation.

<Explanation of actual transportation status DS1>
The actual transportation status DS1 shown in the lower part of Fig. 3 represents the transition of the actual transportation status when the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area during transportation. The actual transportation status DS1 in Fig. 3 will be described below.

(1) After completing loading at the departure point, the vehicle starts traveling on the travel section Trip1 at time t11 (9:00). In addition, the vehicle arrives at the checkpoint at time t12, so travel on the travel section Trip1 ends and the vehicle moves to the stationary section RE1. Therefore, the vehicle stops the engine and the ignition IGN is switched off.

(2) In addition, since the vehicle will be waiting for inspection at the checkpoint during the stopping section RE1, the length of time of the stopping section RE1 may be expected to be longer, for example, to about two hours. Therefore, the length of time of the stopping section RE1 in the actual transportation state DS1 will deviate significantly from the transportation plan DS0.

(3) At time t13, when the inspection of baggage, etc. at the checkpoint is completed, the ignition of the vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling on the traveling section Trip2 until time t14. At time t14, traveling on the traveling section Trip2 ends, the engine is stopped, and the ignition is switched off.

(4) After that, the vehicle remains stopped in the stopping section RE2 until time t15. The duration of the stopping section RE2 is 0.25 hours in this example. This stopping section RE2 can be used by the driver to take a break as necessary to maintain a safe driving state of the vehicle.

(5) At time t15, the ignition of this vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling along travel section Trip3 until time t16. The vehicle also arrives at the destination at time t16, ending traveling along travel section Trip3. In this case, the arrival time t16 is 20:30.

In other words, the actual transportation status DS1 is experiencing significant transportation delays compared to the transportation plan DS0, but the cause is unrelated to the driver slacking off.

<Explanation of actual transportation status DS2>
The actual transportation state DS2 shown in the lower part of Fig. 4 represents the transition of the actual transportation state when the vehicle passes through a congestion area during transportation. The actual transportation state DS2 in Fig. 4 will be described below.

(1) After completing loading at the departure point, the vehicle starts traveling in the traveling section Trip1 at time t21 (9:00). In addition, at time t22, the vehicle reaches an area where congestion is occurring, so traveling in the traveling section Trip1 ends and the vehicle moves to the stopped section RE1. Therefore, the vehicle stops the engine and the ignition IGN is switched off. Note that even if the ignition IGN is not switched off, the vehicle-mounted device 10 can determine that the vehicle has reached the area where congestion is occurring based on the GPS position information and vehicle speed signal.

(2) In addition, since the vehicle cannot resume traveling during the stopping section RE1 due to road congestion, the duration of the stopping section RE1 may be expected to be extended to, for example, about one hour. Therefore, the duration of the stopping section RE1 in the actual transportation state DS2 will deviate significantly from the transportation plan DS0.

(3) Then, at time t23 when the traffic congestion on the road is cleared, the ignition of the vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling on the traveling section Trip2 until time t24. At time t24, traveling on the traveling section Trip2 ends, the engine is stopped, and the ignition is switched off.

(4) After that, the vehicle remains stopped in the stopping section RE2 until time t25. The duration of the stopping section RE2 is 0.25 hours in this example. This stopping section RE2 can be used by the driver to take a break as necessary to maintain a safe driving state of the vehicle.

(5) At time t25, the ignition of this vehicle is switched on to restart the engine. The vehicle then resumes traveling and continues traveling along travel section Trip3 until time t26. The vehicle also arrives at the destination at time t26, ending traveling along travel section Trip3. In this case, the arrival time t26 is 19:30.

In other words, in the actual transportation state DS2, there is a 30-minute transportation delay compared to the transportation plan DS0, but the cause is unrelated to the driver slacking off.

<Operation of the vehicle monitoring system>
<Operation example 1>
Fig. 5 shows an operation example 1 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 included in the vehicle monitoring system 100 of Fig. 1. This operation example 1 will be described below.

The vehicle stop detection unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 constantly monitors the running state of the vehicle based on the ignition signal SG1 or the vehicle speed signal SG2. For example, when the ignition signal SG1 turns off at times t02 and t12 shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 detects this change, and the process proceeds from S11 to S12 in FIG. 5, and the vehicle-mounted device 10 detects the vehicle stop state.

In the next step S13, the checkpoint identification unit 16 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 compares the checkpoint geofence in the checkpoint area information A2 with the current position P1 to determine whether or not there is a match. If the vehicle is passing through the checkpoint area, there is a match, so the process proceeds to S14. If the vehicle is not passing through the checkpoint area, there is no match, so the process proceeds to S16.

When the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area, the checkpoint identification unit 16 detects the passing of the checkpoint and outputs a checkpoint detection signal SG4 in S14. In addition, the exceptional event notification unit 22 detects an exception based on this checkpoint detection signal SG4, and the exceptional event notification unit 22 transmits an exception detection signal SG7 to the administrator terminal 30 in S15. In other words, the administrator is notified that the checkpoint area has been passed.

When the vehicle is stopped without passing through a checkpoint area, the checkpoint detection signal SG4 is not output, so the rest time counting unit 15 counts the length of the stop time according to the stop detection signal SG3. Information on the length of the stop time counted by the rest time counting unit 15 is input to the rest time management unit 18. The rest time management unit 18 compares the rest holding time T0 with the length of the stop time in S16.

When the total length of the stop times reaches the rest time T0, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 proceeds from S16 to S17, and the slacking detection unit 19 judges whether the driver of the vehicle is slacking according to the slacking detection signal SG6. When the slacking detection unit 19 detects the driver's slacking, the detected slacking affects the score that represents the evaluation of the driver (S18).

If the sum of the stop times is less than the rest time limit T0, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 proceeds from S16 to S19. In this case, the rest time management unit 18 subtracts the length of the stop time detected this time by the rest time counting unit 15 (the current rest time) from the rest time limit T0.

Therefore, the rest period T0 gradually decreases while the vehicle is stopped to reflect the length of the vehicle's stop time that occurs during transportation. When the total length of the stop time reaches the rest period T0, slacking is detected in S17. However, the stop time that occurs when the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area is excluded from the rest period.

<Operation example 2>
Fig. 6 shows a second operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 10 included in the vehicle monitoring system 100 of Fig. 1. This second operation example will be described below.

The vehicle stop detection unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 constantly monitors the running state of the vehicle based on the ignition signal SG1 or the vehicle speed signal SG2. For example, when the ignition signal SG1 turns off at times t02 and t22 shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 detects this change, and the process proceeds from S21 to S22 in FIG. 6, and the vehicle stop state is detected by the vehicle-mounted device 10.

In the next step S23, the congestion identification unit 17 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 compares the area of the congestion area information A3 acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 13 with the current position P1 to determine whether or not there is a match. If the vehicle is passing through a congestion area, there is a match, so the process proceeds to S24. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not passing through a congestion area, there is no match, so the process proceeds to S26.

When the vehicle passes through a congestion area, the congestion identification unit 17 detects the passage of a congestion area in S24 and outputs a congestion detection signal SG5. The exception event notification unit 22 also detects an exception from this congestion detection signal SG5, and therefore transmits an exception detection signal SG7 to the administrator terminal 30 in S25. In other words, the administrator is notified that the vehicle has passed through a congestion area.

When the vehicle is stopped without passing through a congestion area, the congestion detection signal SG5 is not output, and the rest time counting unit 15 counts the length of the stopped time according to the stopped vehicle detection signal SG3. Information on the length of the stopped time counted by the rest time counting unit 15 is input to the rest time management unit 18. The rest time management unit 18 compares the rest holding time T0 with the length of the stopped time in S16.

When the total length of the stop times reaches the rest time T0, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 proceeds from S26 to S27, and the slacking detection unit 19 judges whether the driver of the vehicle is slacking according to the slacking detection signal SG6. When the slacking detection unit 19 detects the driver's slacking, the detected slacking affects the score that represents the evaluation of the driver (S28).

If the sum of the stop times is less than the rest time limit T0, the vehicle device 10 proceeds to step S29 from step S26. In this case, the rest time management unit 18 subtracts the length of the stop time detected by the rest time counting unit 15 (the current rest time) from the rest time limit T0.

Therefore, the rest period T0 gradually decreases to reflect the length of the vehicle's stop time during transportation. When the total length of the stop time reaches the rest period T0, slacking is detected in S27. However, the stop time that occurs when the vehicle passes through a congestion area is excluded from the rest period.

<Operation example 3>
7 shows a third operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 10 included in the vehicle monitoring system 100 of Fig. 1. This third operation example will be described below.

The vehicle stop detection unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 constantly monitors the running state of the vehicle based on the ignition signal SG1 or the vehicle speed signal SG2. For example, when the ignition signal SG1 turns off at times t02, t12, and t22 shown in Figures 3 and 4, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 detects this change, and the process proceeds from S31 to S32 in Figure 7, and the vehicle stop state is detected by the vehicle-mounted device 10.

In the next step S33, the checkpoint identification unit 16 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 compares the checkpoint geofence in the checkpoint area information A2 with the current position P1 to determine whether or not there is a match. If the vehicle is passing through the checkpoint area, there is a match, so the process proceeds to S34. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not passing through the checkpoint area, there is no match, so the process proceeds to S36.

When the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area, the checkpoint identification unit 16 detects the passing of the checkpoint and outputs a checkpoint detection signal SG4 in S34. The exception event notification unit 22 detects an exception from this checkpoint detection signal SG4, and therefore transmits an exception detection signal SG7 to the administrator terminal 30 in S35. In other words, the administrator is notified that the checkpoint area has been passed.

In addition, in S36, the congestion identification unit 17 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 compares the area of the congestion area information A3 acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 13 with the current position P1 to determine whether or not there is a match. If the vehicle is passing through a congestion area, there is a match, so the process proceeds to S37. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not passing through a congestion area, there is no match, so the process proceeds to S38.

When the vehicle passes through a congestion area, the congestion identification unit 17 detects the passage of a congestion area in S37 and outputs a congestion detection signal SG5. The exception event notification unit 22 also detects an exception from this congestion detection signal SG5, and therefore transmits an exception detection signal SG7 to the administrator terminal 30 in S35. In other words, the administrator is notified that the vehicle has passed through a congestion area.

When the vehicle is stopped without passing through either a checkpoint area or a congestion area, the checkpoint detection signal SG4 and congestion detection signal SG5 are not output, and the rest time counting unit 15 counts the length of the stop time according to the stop detection signal SG3. Information on the length of the stop time counted by the rest time counting unit 15 is input to the rest time management unit 18. The rest time management unit 18 compares the rest holding time T0 with the length of the stop time in S16.

When the total length of the stop times reaches the rest time T0, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 proceeds to processing from S38 to S39, and the slacking detection unit 19 judges whether the driver of the vehicle is slacking according to the slacking detection signal SG6. When the slacking detection unit 19 detects the driver's slacking, the detected slacking affects the score that represents the evaluation of the driver (S40).

If the sum of the stop times is less than the rest time limit T0, the vehicle device 10 proceeds to step S41 from step S38. In this case, the rest time management unit 18 subtracts the length of the stop time detected by the rest time counting unit 15 (the current rest time) from the rest time limit T0.

Therefore, the rest period T0 gradually decreases to reflect the length of the vehicle's stop time during transportation. When the total length of the stop time reaches the rest period T0, slacking is detected in S39. However, the stop time that occurs when the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area or a congestion area is excluded from the rest period.

<Operation example 4>
Fig. 8 shows a fourth operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 10 included in the vehicle monitoring system 100 of Fig. 1. This fourth operation example will be described below.

The vehicle stop detection unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 constantly monitors the running state of the vehicle based on the ignition signal SG1 or the vehicle speed signal SG2. For example, when the ignition signal SG1 turns off at times t02 and t12 shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle stop detection unit 11 detects this change, and the process proceeds from S51 to S52 in FIG. 8, and the vehicle stop state is detected by the vehicle-mounted device 10.

In the next step S53, the checkpoint identification unit 16 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 compares the checkpoint geofence in the checkpoint area information A2 with the current position P1 to determine whether or not there is a match. If the vehicle is passing through the checkpoint area, there is a match, so the process proceeds to S54. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not passing through the checkpoint area, there is no match, so the process proceeds to S56.

When the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area, the checkpoint identification unit 16 detects the passing of the checkpoint and outputs a checkpoint detection signal SG4 in S54. The exception event notification unit 22 detects an exception from this checkpoint detection signal SG4, and therefore transmits an exception detection signal SG7 to the administrator terminal 30 in S55. In other words, the administrator is notified that the checkpoint area has been passed.

When the vehicle is stopped without passing through the checkpoint area, the checkpoint detection signal SG4 is not output, and the rest time counting unit 15 counts the length of the stopped time according to the stopped vehicle detection signal SG3. Information on the length of the stopped time counted by the rest time counting unit 15 is input to the rest time management unit 18. In S57, the rest time management unit 18 compares the rest holding time T0 with the length of the stopped time.

However, stops of relatively short duration are excluded from the rest time. For example, a stop time when a vehicle stops at an intersection on a road in accordance with a traffic light is not considered to be a rest time to be monitored. Therefore, the rest time counting unit 15 compares the length of the counted stop time with a predetermined time (e.g., 2 minutes) in S56, and provides the stop time to the rest time management unit 18 only if the stop time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time. Then, the process proceeds to S57.

When the total length of the stop times reaches the rest time T0, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 proceeds from S57 to S58, and the slacking detection unit 19 judges whether the driver of the vehicle is slacking according to the slacking detection signal SG6. When the slacking detection unit 19 detects the driver's slacking, the detected slacking affects the score that represents the evaluation of the driver (S59).

If the sum of the stop times is less than the rest time limit T0, the vehicle device 10 proceeds to processing from S57 to S60. In this case, the rest time management unit 18 subtracts the length of the stop time detected this time by the rest time counting unit 15 (the current rest time) from the rest time limit T0.

Therefore, the rest period T0 gradually decreases to reflect the length of the vehicle's stoppage time during transportation. When the total length of the stoppage time reaches the rest period T0, slacking is detected in S58. However, stoppage time that occurs when the vehicle passes through a checkpoint area or short stoppage times due to waiting at traffic lights, etc. are excluded from the rest period.

As described above, when using the vehicle monitoring system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-mounted device 10 performs any of the operations shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, making it possible to accurately and automatically identify whether the driver is slacking off when each vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time. Therefore, the manager who monitors each vehicle does not need to inquire about the driver every time the driver takes a break, improving the manager's work efficiency and reducing management costs.

For example, when the vehicle-mounted device 10 performs the operation shown in FIG. 7, stopping states that occur when the monitored vehicle passes through a checkpoint area or a congested area on the road are excluded from the rest time, and the correct actual rest time for each driver is obtained to determine whether or not the driver is slacking off. Therefore, when a delay in the transportation of a package occurs against a predetermined delivery plan, it is possible to identify whether or not the cause is the driver of the delivery company.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited.

For example, the examples shown in Figures 3 and 4 are intended to cover the case of managing vehicle transportation from a starting point where cargo is loaded to a destination where cargo is delivered, but the vehicle monitoring system 100 can also be used to manage the operation of the vehicle when it returns from the destination to the starting point, etc.

The characteristic features of the above-mentioned vehicle monitoring system are briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [5].
[1] A vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the operation status of a transportation vehicle while the vehicle is moving along a specific section from a predetermined starting point to a predetermined destination point,
A vehicle stop detection unit (vehicle stop detection unit 11) that identifies whether the transportation vehicle is stopped or not;
A vehicle position detection unit (current position detection unit 12) that detects the current position of the transportation vehicle;
An exception identification unit (a checkpoint identification unit 16, a congestion identification unit 17) that identifies whether or not the current location of the transport vehicle falls within an exception area that satisfies a predetermined condition;
A rest time detection unit (rest time counting unit 15) that detects the length of a rest time during which the transportation vehicle is stopped in a state not corresponding to the exception area;
a break time evaluation unit (break time management unit 18) that compares a sum of break times detected by the break time detection unit in the specific section with a predetermined break time limit (T0);
A vehicle monitoring system (100) comprising:

According to the vehicle monitoring system with the configuration of [1] above, it is possible to exclude from rest time exceptions such as stops due to passing through checkpoints or stops due to traffic jams in the monitored transport vehicles. Therefore, the actual length of rest time for each driver can be correctly ascertained without the manager having to inquire each time. This reduces the workload on the manager and significantly reduces the costs associated with managing drivers.

[2] The exception identification unit (checkpoint area DB14) holds in advance location information (checkpoint area information A2) representing a specific checkpoint area where a long waiting state is expected to occur while the vehicle is stopped,
When the current location of the transport vehicle is within the checkpoint area, the rest time detection unit (rest time counting unit 15) determines that the current location corresponds to the exception area (S13, S33).
The vehicle monitoring system according to [1] above.

According to the vehicle monitoring system of the configuration [2] above, when a monitored vehicle passes near a checkpoint area, it is easy to identify whether or not the vehicle falls within an exception area based on the location information representing the checkpoint area and the current location of the transport vehicle.

[3] The exception identification unit (traffic jam identification unit 17) includes a traffic jam information acquisition unit (traffic information acquisition unit 13) that acquires information on a traffic jam area (traffic jam area information A3) where a long-time stop state is expected to occur on a road,
When the current location of the transportation vehicle is within the congestion area, the rest time detection unit determines that the current location corresponds to the exception area (S23, S36).
A vehicle monitoring system according to the above [1] or [2].

According to the vehicle monitoring system of the configuration [3] above, when the monitored vehicle passes near a congested area on the road, it is easy to identify whether or not the vehicle falls within the exception area based on the acquired information on the congested area and the current position of the transport vehicle.

[4] When the sum of the break times detected by the break time detection unit exceeds the allotted break time, the break time evaluation unit (break time management unit 18, slacking detection unit 19) gives an evaluation of slacking to the driver of the corresponding transport vehicle (S17S18).
A vehicle monitoring system according to any one of [1] to [3] above.

According to the vehicle monitoring system configured as in [4] above, if the total actual rest time detected excluding the above-mentioned exceptional circumstances is too long, it is possible to automatically detect driver slacking, which is the cause of this. By using this detection result to properly instruct the driver who is detected as slacking, it is possible to prevent transportation delays.

[5] When the current location of the transportation vehicle falls within an exception area that satisfies a predetermined condition, the exception identification unit (exception event notification unit 22) automatically transmits a predetermined exception notification (exception detection signal SG7) to a predetermined management terminal that manages the operation of the transportation vehicle (S15, S25, S35).
A vehicle monitoring system according to any one of [1] to [4] above.

According to the vehicle monitoring system of the configuration [5] above, when a monitored vehicle passes through a checkpoint area or a congestion area, an exception notification related to the resulting stopped state is automatically sent to the manager, making it easy for the manager to accurately grasp the transportation status of each vehicle in almost real time.

10 Vehicle-mounted device 11 Stop detection unit 12 Current position detection unit 13 Traffic information acquisition unit 14 Checkpoint area DB
15 Rest time counting unit 16 Checkpoint identification unit 17 Traffic jam identification unit 18 Rest time management unit 19 Slacking detection unit 20 Operation record DB
21 Vehicle information notification unit 22 Exception event notification unit 23 Wireless communication module 30 Administrator terminal 31 Communication unit 32 Vehicle information receiving unit 33 Vehicle information display unit 34 Wireless communication network 35 Internet 37 Pop-up notification 100 Vehicle monitoring system A2 Checkpoint area information A3 Congestion area information DS0 Transportation plan DS1, DS2 Actual transportation status RE1, RE2 Stopped section P1 Current position SG1 Ignition signal SG2 Vehicle speed signal SG3 Stop detection signal SG4 Checkpoint detection signal SG5 Congestion detection signal SG6 Slacking detection signal SG7 Exception detection signal T0 Rest time Trip1, Trip2, Trip3 Travel section

Claims (5)

A vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the operation status of a transportation vehicle while the vehicle is moving along a specific section from a predetermined starting point to a predetermined destination point,
A vehicle stop detection unit that identifies whether the transportation vehicle is stopped or not;
A vehicle position detection unit that detects a current position of the transportation vehicle;
an exception identification unit that identifies whether the current location of the transportation vehicle falls within an exception area that satisfies a predetermined condition;
a rest time detection unit that detects the length of a rest time during which the transportation vehicle is stopped in a state not corresponding to the exception area;
a break time evaluation unit that compares a total sum of break times detected by the break time detection unit in the specific section with a predetermined allotted break time;
A vehicle monitoring system comprising: The exception identification unit stores in advance location information indicating a specific checkpoint area where a long waiting time is expected to occur while the vehicle is stopped,
The rest time detection unit determines that the current location of the transport vehicle is within the checkpoint area, and the current location of the transport vehicle is within the exception area.
The vehicle surveillance system of claim 1 . The exception identification unit includes a congestion information acquisition unit that acquires information on a congestion area on a road where a long-time stoppage is expected to occur,
The rest time detection unit determines that the current location of the transportation vehicle is within the congestion area when the current location of the transportation vehicle is within the exception area.
3. A vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2. The break time evaluation unit evaluates the driver of the transportation vehicle as slacking when the sum of the break times detected by the break time detection unit exceeds the allotted break time.
A vehicle monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. When the current location of the transportation vehicle falls within an exception area that satisfies a predetermined condition, the exception identification unit automatically transmits a predetermined exception notification to a predetermined management terminal that manages the operation of the transportation vehicle.
A vehicle monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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