Intelligent vehicle fleet systems and methods

Abstract

Methods and systems for intelligent vehicle fleets are disclosed. An intelligent vehicle may function as a mobile office reducing the need for users to perform work functions in a brick-and-mortar building. Methods or systems consistent with the invention may manage vehicle fleets, or provide intelligent vehicle subsystems, or acquire address information using an intelligent vehicle. A method to manage vehicle fleets may include receiving at a remote computer communicated maintenance data from information collection devices installed in the intelligent vehicle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 528,795, filed on Dec. 12, 2003, and which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] The invention relates to intelligent systems, and more particularly, to intelligent vehicle fleet systems and methods. [0004] 2. Background [0005] Large vehicle fleets, such as the mail carrier vehicles used by the US Postal Service, an independent establishment of the U.S. government which provides delivery services, cover vast geographic areas every day. Traditionally, users of such vehicles, for example, mail carriers, have relied on a brick-and-mortar office building to perform various administrative and other work-related tasks. For example, a mail carrier may come to a central facility at the start of her workday and obtain her vehicle keys, pick up the mail to be delivered on...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides intelligent vehicle fleet systems and methods that use technology to monitor and manage vehicles. The systems can receive maintenance information from vehicles and scan information coded on items to be delivered. The systems can also determine the location of the vehicle and communicate with a remote computer to receive and store address information. The technical effects of the invention include improved efficiency and management of vehicle fleets, reduced costs, and improved delivery logistics.

Problems solved by technology

Such conventional work flow for mail or package delivery personnel requires expensive brick-and-mortar office resources to effectively serve the delivery personnel.

Additionally, because mail carrier vehicles have not been equipped with intelligent vehicle subsystems, mail carrier vehicles have not been leveraged to provide additional services.

In sum, current large vehicle fleets lack systems and methods for effective use of such fleets in providing effective work flow management and for effective exploitation of intelligence, which may be embedded in such vehicle fleets.

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