WO2007104806A1

WO2007104806A1 - Fleet management system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2007104806A1
Application number: PCT/ES2006/000132
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jose Miguel Carmona Ampuero; Lucas Carmona Ampuero
Original assignee: Niteo Soluciones Tecnologicas, S.L.
Priority date: 2006-03-16
Filing date: 2006-03-16
Publication date: 2007-09-20

Abstract

The system comprises: data-acquisition means (1, 2, 3, 4) connected, via a CAN-Bus network, to at least one device manager (7) connected to at least one device (8) for transferring data to a mobile-communication network (9); at least one communication server node (10) connected to said network (9) enabled to receive the data sent by the data-transfer device (8) and forwarding them to at least one data-processing module (14, 15, 16) to which information the user (U) has access by means of a secure access portal (18); and means for storing said data. The management method forwards the data from the CAN-Bus network to the mobile-communication network (9) and to the final user on the Internet (17), directly and/or after having stored them in a central database (11).

Description

FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is applied, in general, for the location, monitoring and control of vehicles, land, sea or air, that make up a fleet, allowing remote monitoring of certain parameters associated with such vehicles, both for obtaining statistics and reports in deferred as to make diagnoses and forecasts on the state of each vehicle or of the entire fleet in real time. More particularly, the invention described has its application, within the area of industrial control and automation, in the management of heavy industrial vehicle fleets.

An object of the invention is to provide the parameters of each vehicle updated and treated precisely to manage the entire fleet, allowing remote monitoring of all information and assisting the user in the maintenance of their fleet by helping to diagnose breakdowns without the need for move to the location of the vehicle. It is also the object of the invention to guarantee security in access to data without reducing the access to the end user immediately from any remote terminal with an Internet connection. A final object of the invention is to be transparent in its implementation in vehicles and be scalable to adapt to any need for information that the user requires for the control of the entire fleet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the need to have a whole fleet of vehicles or a fleet of mobile machinery controlled, systems for Ia are known location, monitoring and management of a group of vehicles via GPS. It is worth mentioning as an example the Spanish Invention Patent ES 2049178, which describes a platform capable of representing on a map the position of all the vehicles that make up a land, marine or air fleet, using GPS and differential GPS receivers to calculate positions accurately , having complementary information about each vehicle thanks to several sensors installed in it.

On the other hand, currently to extract experimental data of the wide range of parameters that can be measured in a vehicle, it is known that a CAN-Bus network "Controller Area Network" can be installed in it, circulating the information necessary to The measurement of the parameters of interest from levels of voltage or current to which the actual quantities captured by sensors, thermocouples, signal adapters, digital recorders, etc., which give and exchange values of pressure, temperature, are translated. .., through the CAN-Bus network. Said network, as the name implies, is a data bus in which the information is multiplexed, through which messages are sent or received with a defined and standardized protocol.

Also known is the FMS standard "Fleet Management System" based on protocol J 1939 of the Society of Automotive Engineers

(SAE) and that normalizes aspects such as the transmission speeds and the messages involved in how a CAN-Bus network operates electrically, providing interfaces that allow access to the data circulating through the network with protection and compatibility between any CAN installation -Bus, as disclosed in the link www.fms-standard.com. The FMS is mainly used for truck fleets.

For smaller vehicles, such as cars and light trucks, other standards are usually used: those of the so-called On-Board Diagnostic System (OBD), OBD I and II, first approved in California in 1985 Since then, OBD systems are found in most of the car fleet worldwide to control engine functions and diagnose problems, from an electronic complex that makes up the Electronic Control Unit (UCE) of the vehicle. Particularly, the OBD-II is a more sophisticated standard and introduced in the mid-90s, which provides almost complete control of the engine, also monitors parts of the chassis and other devices of the vehicle, constituting the diagnostic control center of the car.

In the application of the ODB standards, OBD-II and others that have appeared over time (EOBD, etc.), communication protocols are used, some are proprietary implementations of some manufacturers and others have been defined by the ISO or SAE, such as ISO9141, ISO9141-2, ISO14230 (KWP2000), SAEJ1850, SAEJ 1979, VAN-Bus and CAN-Bus, among others.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention described here comes to solve the problem described above, allowing.

An aspect of the invention is a system for the management of fleets of vehicles, sea, air or land, especially heavy industrial vehicles, which essentially comprises the following means constituting the basic physical architecture of a technological platform capable of adapting to any need of information for fleet management as proposed by the object of the invention:

- A means of acquiring connected data, through a CAN-Bus network, with at least one device manager that, in turn, is connected, through an asynchronous serial communication port, with at least one device data transmission that has a connection to a mobile communications network, such as GSM / GPRS or UMTS. The data acquisition means are composed of a plurality of signal receivers, which can be both analog and digital, coming from devices provided in the different vehicles of the Ia fleet for the measurement or direct capture of operating parameters that characterize each vehicle. Such devices can be sensors or actuators of the vehicle itself, connected to the corresponding signal receiver and communicating its measurements of the operating parameters to the CAN-Bus network. If the vehicle has an internal communications network that is based on said CAN-Bus network, such as FMS, OBD standards, etc., the acquisition means can also extract the data of the electronic components that the communication network gathers. vehicle interior Also, said acquisition means may comprise multiple GPS receivers with their respective antennas for communication with the known satellite system and adapted to, on the other hand, communicate with said CAN-Bus network.

- At least one communications server node connected to the mobile communications network, GSM / GPRS or UMTS or other standards, capable of receiving the data sent by the data transmission device installed in at least one of the fleet vehicles. The communications server node retransmits the data received from the GSM / GPRS or UMTS network to at least one Data Processing Module implemented in a computer processing system with which said communications server node is communicated. The Data Processing Module, which processes the information in real time or in deferred time depending on the type of data it handles, comprises a Web server. This physically resides in a single computer equipment, or in a cluster or group of computers linked by a high-speed network, which can be accessed through the Internet, through the implementation of a secure access portal that connect the web server with at least one web client. From the Web client and through a remote terminal in which, for example, a laptop is implemented, a user or operator is securely connected to the Data Processing Module. - A means of storing the data, that is, the operating parameters of the vehicle captured by the first mentioned means of data acquisition, which basically consist of a central database, relational and structured according to the type of parameters, and may include a specific cartographic database for parameters from GPS receivers. The storage media are directly or indirectly connected to the communications server node.

In summary, the proposed fleet management system platform comprises three large blocks: i) an intelligent and modular network that combines the elements for the capture and transmission of all the data required to manage each vehicle in the fleet, integrating components with a protection level sufficiently high to guarantee a long service life in the vehicle's operating environment, while the concept of modularity allows its adaptation and any extension required by the requirements of the fleet of vehicles to which it is applied;

I) a comprehensive telecommunications and computer equipment infrastructure that ensures the exchange of data between vehicles and system users in a completely reliable and secure way, providing such users access through the Internet with the maximum possible speed and protection , through powerful computer systems and high scalability; üi) a portal to access the information involved in the system and that offers a friendly Web tool developed in a way compatible with the extensive known Internet browsing applications, simplifying the management of the system, while allowing to reduce the computing resources that It is necessary and increase the possibilities of parameterization to adjust it to the most exclusive requirements of the users.

Through the aforementioned portal, the user or operator of the system accesses securely from his remote terminal through a Web interface to at least one, Data processing module that allows the exploitation and analysis of all the information collected by the system. This information is the operating parameters of each vehicle in the fleet, which may contain cartographic data, measures of vehicle performance and measurements of the same vehicle at any time. In the fleet management system described here, at least three kinds of Data Processing Modules can be distinguished, being scalable to others that, for example, perform billing functions, etc.

Thus, a possible Data Processing Module consists of a conventional GIS server that carries out the treatment of the cartographic data captured by the GPS receivers of each of the vehicles in the fleet and represents them on a map by means of visualization ( screens, printers, ...) associated with this Data Processing Module. For updating the map, the GIS server is connected to the mapping database and, through a synchronizing device, to the communications server node. The synchronizer tells the GIS server when a vehicle has changed its GPS position and the communications server node sends the new position data (GPS coordinates). Another possibility of carrying out the Data Processing Module is as a remote monitoring server connected to the central database with which it communicates upon receiving a request from a Web client, which retrieves the parameters requested by a database from said database. user through the access Web client. The remote monitoring server allows statistical information to be available from the data captured in the system, which may be relevant in making decisions about the overall operation of any fleet or fleet of vehicles. This Data Processing Module comprises means for generating reports that allow, in the form of lists or analytical graphs presented in suitable visualization means, to easily interpret and study the performance measures of each vehicle in the park. A final implementation of the proposed Data Processing Module is that of a remote monitoring server with direct connection to the communications server node, which directly delivers the vehicle's operating parameters in real time to the Web client that requests them and with which a user accesses, having event viewers with the instantaneous situation of said parameters, in the form of a list of the status measures or incidents of the vehicle at the time of access. In addition, optionally, the Data Processing Module provides a means of communication between the remote monitoring server and an alarm generating device, for example a mobile or a computer which, in case of a fault detected according to the information provided by this Module data processing, receives an alarm message from it, being able to transmit the alarm by SMS, email, ... The data processing module with remote monitoring server allows the operator or qualified technical user to make an immediate first level diagnosis on any breakdown in the vehicle, being able to remotely assist in its resolution without having to travel to the place of

The breakdown and with the consequent saving of a critical time in its resolution.

Another aspect of the invention is a fleet management method, such as that developed in the described system, which substantially comprises the following phases:

- extract the operating parameters of at least one vehicle from the fleet from signals captured in the vehicle itself and where connection (GSM / GPRS or UMTS) to the existing or implemented mobile communications network is planned,

- periodically transmit the operating parameters following a standard message protocol in the CAN-Bus network,

- retransmit messages from the CAN-Bus network to the mobile communications network, - store at least certain operating parameters in at least one central database, - securely access all operating parameters through at least one Web server.

The operating parameters that refer to performance measures, with which the Data Processing Module is capable of generating statistical reports, are always stored in the central database. Those referring to cartography data can also be stored in a cartographic database communicated with the central database through a high-speed network, for example, a TCP network. The vehicle status measurements are retransmitted immediately, without going through prior storage of such parameters in the central database, as soon as the Data Processing Module receives the timely request from a Web client.

Additionally, and if the conditions of connection to the mobile communications network allow it at the moment, the operating parameters of the vehicle from the CAN-Bus network are retransmitted to the corresponding Data Processing Module. In the case of performance measures and cartographic data, such retransmission starts each time updated parameters are extracted, periodically trying to send new messages from the CAN-Bus network through the mobile communications network; while status measures are retransmitted as soon as

Io asks the Web client, allowing the user to access these measures in real time.

Access to all information extracted from the vehicle that the user has from his remote terminal connected to the Web Server is secure because it includes user authentication processes, data encryption, use of secure Web domains, access blockages due to downtime or number of maximum attempts, etc. Said access security is complemented by the simplified visualization of the information, the generation of reports with the stored data, the diagnosis and remote technical assistance from the generation of alarms, ..., among the infinity of processes of treatment of the operating parameters of vehicle that an expert in the field could make for the management of any fleet from the accessible data according to the method and / or system proposed.

A final aspect of the invention is a distributed computer program, which is stored in at least one support readable by a computer and comprising code means adapted to execute the described method, when said program is executed in a computer network of computers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of figures is attached as an integral part of said description. In an illustrative and non-limiting manner, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 shows a block diagram on the physical components, including in each block hardware and software or associated firmware, of the platform that constitutes the system object of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment.

Figure 2.- Shows a block diagram on the operation of analogue signal receivers that act as means of acquiring system data. Figure 3.- Shows a block diagram on the operation of digital signal receivers that also act as data acquisition means.

Figure 4.- Shows a block diagram on the operation of the chassis signal receivers that act as data acquisition means in some vehicles of the fleet.

Figure 5.- Shows a block diagram on the operation of the GPS receivers that complete the performance of the data acquisition means, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a block diagram on the operation of the device manager that receives the information captured by the previously shown data acquisition means and sends it to a data transmission device.

Figure 7.- Shows a block diagram on the hardware components of the data transmission device.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of Figure 1, it can be described as one of the possible embodiments of the invention, a fleet management system, applicable in particular for a park of concrete pumps, whose physical architecture consists essentially of the following means :

- data acquisition means (1, 2, 3, 4) connected, through a CAN-Bus network, with at least one device manager (7) connected, through an asynchronous serial communication port, with the less a data transmission device (8) connected to a mobile communications network (9);

- at least one communications server node (10) connected to the mobile communications network (9) capable of receiving the data sent by the data transmission device (8) and retransmitting it to at least one Data Processing Module (14 , 15, 16) which are accessed through the Internet (17) through a secure access portal (18); Y

- means of storing the data captured by the data acquisition means (1, 2, 3, 4). The CAN Bus network of the system uses the physical implementation defined by the standardized protocol J 1939, compatible with a own protocol for the preparation of the messages that finally circulate through said CAN Bus network. In addition, in this example of application in concrete pumper vehicles, the CAN Bus network is used by a standard FMS network "Fleet Management System", which also It uses the J1939 standardized protocol, normally provided in the less old vehicles of the fleet. The FMS standard, agreed by the manufacturers of heavy industrial vehicles, provides a known communication interface between the electronics of the vehicles and their on-board computers, originally conceived for the control of high-load trucks and which is applied here for self-pumps of concrete.

Physically, the CAN-Bus network is implemented through a pair of wires that transmit the bus information and must be closed on both sides with a resistance of 120 ohms interposed between these two signal wires. There is another pair of wires that allows the power of the whole set, generally at 24 volts. Therefore, all connections are made using 4-conductor hoses equipped with heat-sealed plugs and all bus elements being serial as usual.

As observed in the first block (A1) of Figure 1, which encompasses all the intelligent network deployed for the capture of data of each pumper vehicle without interfering with the operation of the concrete pump, the following constituent components of The means of data acquisition (1, 2, 3, 4):

A plurality of analogue signal receivers (1) connected to pressure and temperature sensors (5). The pressure sensors (5) have four connections of which two are used: for one of them they are fed at 12 volts and by the other connection the pressure sensing is established by measuring the variation of current, varying in a range from 4 to 20 mA. Said sensors (5) can measure the various pressures of the hydraulic circuit of the pumping machine and hydraulic temperatures and / or of the cooling liquid. In the case of obtaining hydraulic pressures, mounted on the machine robust pressure sensors (5), capable of extracting values of up to 400 bars of maximum hydraulic pressure.

The analogue signal receivers (1) constitute the nterfase between the physical part to be measured in the machine and the CAN Bus network. Programming determines both the supply voltage and the type of sensors (5) or the magnitude to be measured, voltage or current and its range, among other parameters. Figure 2 shows the steps that are followed in the operation of said analogue signal receivers (1): First, the sensor conditioning is carried out, with the initialization of the pin assignment in the sensor connector of the receivers of analog signals (1), assigning the connection of the incoming and outgoing signals as well as the type of magnitude that is felt. In the reading of analog sensors, the analog input signal, for example of current, that comes from the sensors is constantly captured in the form of data. Then, said data is linearized by an internal process at the same time that the equivalence in the magnitude of interest, pressure bars or temperature degrees is obtained, giving two points in the input magnitude, generally minimum and maximum, to which they are made to correspond with two other exit points. Finally, the analogue signal receivers (1) periodically send a message to the device manager (7) of a message according to a standard protocol of the CAN-Bus network, as a J1939 type message, which has the value inserted of the measurement, each J1939 message containing two fields, corresponding to the two sensors (5) that each receiver (1) admits of two bytes each, plus a header that identifies from which receiver (1) the sent data comes.

A plurality of digital signal receivers (2) connected to actuators (6), such as solenoid valves and pumping relay, accessible from the electric control panel of the pump, to complement the data acquisition, collecting all type signals digital that are available in the vehicle and are useful for its management. Some examples of these digital signals may be the operation of the pen of the machine, the start-up of the pumping of said machine, the power take-off of the vehicle, etc. By programming the digital signal receivers (2), the logical level to which each signal from the actuators (6) and the voltage thresholds at which it passes from one logical level to another is set is set.

Figure 3 shows the steps that are followed in the operation of said digital signal receivers (2): First, as previously mentioned, the pins of the connectors of these digital signal receivers must be initialized (2), selecting a common conductor as ground and choosing the type of input along with the thresholds for signal performance. Next, a permanent dump of the value of the inputs to internal variables of the digital signal receivers (2) is carried out, taking into account the thresholds established above when converting the voltage of a signal of an actuator (6) not proportional , such as hydraulic solenoid valves, at a digital value. All the information collected is sent periodically by said digital signal receivers (2) in a CAN Bus message of type J1939 to the device manager (J), identifying in the header the receiver (2) that emits it, after which they are sent four 1-byte fields, corresponding to the 4 inputs of each receiver (2) per message, each with the digital values to be sent.

Optionally, the data acquisition means are completed with a plurality of chassis signal receivers (3) connected to an internal communication network (30) with an on-board computer provided in at least one vehicle of the fleet, as implemented. under the standard FMS protocol already commented. For other types of vehicles, the internal communication network (30) can be adapted to other standards, such as ODB I and II, etc. Through the signal receivers of the chassis (3), the control unit of the CAN Bus network that integrates the internal communication network (30) is accessed FMS of the vehicle, thanks to which and without the need to mount more sensors in the vehicle, it is possible to extract data such as speed and instantaneous revolutions, total and instantaneous fuel consumption, the level of the fuel tank, parameters on the vehicle maintenance, total distance traveled, etc., depending on the FMS developed by the manufacturer and adopted in the system.

The function of the signal receivers of the chassis (3) is to condition the FMS of the vehicle to the CAN-Bus network mounted on the vehicle, allowing the transfer of CAN Bus messages from a proper network of the vehicle to the additional one that is mounted then and isolating them to prohibit access to the vehicle control unit through CAN Bus messages, following the procedure illustrated in Figure 4:

Said chassis signal receivers (3) first capture the messages of the FMS implemented in the vehicle CAN CAN switchboard from the internal communication network (30) continuously and turn them into internal variables to the receiver (3). The messages, composed of a header and data fields, are then divided field by field, which are stored in variables independent of the receiver (3). On these internal variables the calculations and appropriate adjustments will be made, to obtain other more useful fields that can be mounted in new output messages, generated with FMS protocol headers and that are continuously sent to the device manager (7) in J format 1939 of the CAN-Bus network. Most of these messages retain the order of the fields and headers of the standard FMS, while others are processed by achieving a coupling between the vehicle's own CAN-Bus network and the one mounted complementary to the J 1939 protocol.

- Additionally, the data acquisition means can include a plurality of GPS receivers (4) that communicate with the GPS satellite network through an antenna, which can be active or passive, trying to constantly maintain the signal coverage GPS

Thanks to GPS receivers (4) the latitude position is obtained, length and in degrees, the date and time in GMT, and may also be used, in old vehicles where the previous FMS has not been implemented, to measure the speed and the total distance traveled by prior programming of the GPS receivers (4). As shown in Figure 5, said GPS receivers (4) treat all this information as internal variables and pass them to CAN-Bus type messages for later treatment by the device manager (7) similar to the rest of the messages already described . With the latitude and longitude a J1939 message is generated, another with the date and another one for the hour, including an identifying header of the content and the fields that contain the values of such variables. The speed value is sent in another separate message with the same header and in the same place as the corresponding message in a standard FMS. In addition, counting the time in which the vehicle moves, by means of an algorithm for calculating the average speed, the receiver (4) gives the distance traveled during the movement of the vehicle and transmits in a message identical to that corresponding in a standard FMS .

All the different messages generated by the various means of data acquisition (1, 2, 3, 4) proposed are centralized in the device manager (7), which is the most powerful programmable device of all the employees in the capture network of data as far as hardware is concerned. Among all the messages it receives, the device manager (7) differentiates between data for real-time sampling and sending, for the deferred analysis of the data and those used for a subsequent cartographic representation, finally generating complete messages according to a protocol with the necessary information in each case. The sending protocol is no longer that of the Can-Bus network, because the CAN Bus messages do not allow to reach the required data length, but the norm of the asynchronous serial communication port provided, normally the RS-232, the manager being of devices (7) equipped with a DB-9 connector to the serial port. It is through this port that all messages are already passed properly formatted to the data transmission device (8) with the contents processed according to the communications protocol so that it retransmits them via GPRS or UMTS through the mobile communications network (9).

According to Figure 6, the device manager (7) performs different functions to establish the path of communication in both directions with the data transmission device (8), distinguishing three main and independent and concurrent blocks from each other in terms of Internal operation refers, each corresponding to a type of messages treated. That is, each block is in charge of one type of vehicle operation parameters acquired for management, being able to differentiate: cartographic data for GPS representation, vehicle performance measurements for statistical analysis and vehicle status measurements for sampling and send in real time at the request of at least one user (U). This differentiation is the same throughout the system communications protocol from this point.

The block (A6) of Figure 6 illustrates the operation of the device manager (7) for GPS cartographic data, starting by constantly checking, within the messages received with cartographic data, the value of the vehicle speed to subsequently decide the Cadence of sending GPS messages to update the value of the vehicle position. Each time a position has to be sent, because this is how it has been timed in the device manager (J), it builds the complete message with header and fields according to the communications protocol, then storing it in a GPS data buffer. At that precise moment, the device manager ⁽ J) communicates to the data transmission device (8) by means of an RS-232 message that in its buffer there is at least one message with GPS data and, if said data transmission device ( 8) does not respond after a while, send the same GPS message again. When the data transmission device (8) can receive the message it has received from the device manager (7), it makes the timely request to send the buffer by means of a new message RS-232, so that the device manager (7) sends all the messages that exist in the buffer to the data transmission device (8) to relay them to the wireless communications network (9). Once the retransmission is completed correctly, the device manager (7) receives the request to erase the buffer by the data transmission device (8) and empty it, after which it does not send an RS-232 message again until it It has at least one other message stored in the same buffer.

The block (B6) of Figure 6 is another that executes the device manager (7) in a manner similar to the block (A6) of the GPS, adding the creation of status records that are continuously updated to periodically check the measurements of the performance that govern the vehicle and the pumping machine. Depending on the value of the variables stored in status records, which initially store variables such as time and date, some messages or others are generated, having made the pertinent calculations to obtain all the fields of the message in question and complete it according to the protocol of communications with the data transmission device (8).

In the block (C6) of Figure 6, the messages are managed with the instantaneous values of certain magnitudes of the machine and the vehicle, that is, the status measurements, the device manager (7) always listening to a client request, from the end user (U), from the data transmission device (8). According to the data of the pump or the vehicle chassis, a message or another is mounted and sent to the data transmission device (8) so that it is instantly retransmitted. The last functional block (D6) of the device manager (7) represented in Figure 6 allows certain remote parameters to be configured that relate the captured data. For example, to obtain the magnitude of the cubic meters of pumped concrete, the number of emboladas measured by the diameter and stroke values presented by the pumping machine is multiplied here. The values involved in the calculations are adjusted by means of calibration messages that the device can send data transmission (8). The Device Manager always listens to a calibration message and if it receives it, unmount the fields of the calibration message to enter them in non-volatile registers, so that, from that moment, the new values can be used with which generate new messages with operating parameters according to the calibration.

All messages exchanged between the device manager (7) and the data transmission device (8), represented as incoming and outgoing arrows of the corresponding blocks, follow the RS-232 protocol of the asynchronous serial communication port through which They connect.

As can be seen in Figure 7, said data transmission device (8) comprises at least one microcontroller (21), a wireless communications modem (22) connected to a radio frequency antenna and a smart card for mobile telephony, a transceiver

(23) adapted to the asynchronous serial communication port, a power circuit (24) and at least one non-volatile memory device (20), said power circuit (24), the wireless communications modem (22), the transceiver (23) and the at least one non-volatile memory device (20) connected to the microcontroller (21).

Said microcontroller (21) is responsible for governing all the remaining elements that make up the data transmission device (8), attending to the different elements and generating the signals for proper operation, as well as controlling the transfer of information between them. Together with this control of the peripheral elements, the microcontroller (21) contributes to the final function that is to transmit the data of the Can-Bus network to the communications server node (10) through the mobile communications network (9) and which finally carries out the wireless communications modem (22). For this, the microcontroller (21) stores in the non-volatile memory device (20) the operating parameters captured and generated in the Can-Bus network, at least those relative to cartographic data and measures of vehicle performance. The vehicle status measurements are passed directly to the wireless communications modem (22), without prior storage, after a request arrives at said modem (22) to make the same request to the device manager (7) that delivers directly, as explained in block (C6) of Figure 6, such parameters to the data transmission device (8). All types of operation parameters delivered by the device manager (7), so that the data transmission device (8) carries out its storage and subsequent diffusion or instantaneous retransmission, arrives at the microcontroller (21) through the transceiver ( 23) that implements the asynchronous serial communication connection between both according to the RS-232 protocol.

The wireless communications modem (22) constantly monitors the GSM / GPRS and / or UMTS coverage, to establish the GSM / GPRS connection, or UMTS if possible, only when the coverage level is adequate. Likewise, said wireless communications modem (22) establishes a connection with the communications server node (10) through a TCP / IP communication in which each vehicle in the fleet has an IP address assigned, from the that the periodic or real-time retransmission of the parameters produced by the data capture network (A1) occurs.

For the connection with the mobile communications network (9), a registration card (28) for the identification of the subscriber to the network (9), SIM for use in networks with GSM coverage is incorporated into the wireless communications modem (22) / GPRS or USIM for UMTS coverage. If UMTS coverage is not found but GPRS is found, the wireless communications modem (22) proceeds to the establishment of a GSM / GPRS connection. A logical transducer (29) makes the different communication logics present in the data transmission device (8) compatible. The non-volatile memory device (20) can be removable from the data transmission device (8) so that, if there is no Stable connection to the network (9) due to lack of coverage, stored data, cartography and performance measures, directly dumped in the storage media of the system, serving as a backup element. In addition, said non-volatile memory device (20) temporarily saves each message of the generated protocol until it is correctly inserted in such storage media and described below.

The power circuit (24) consists of a DC / DC converter, which from a continuous voltage of a battery (25), that of the vehicle itself in which the data transmission device (8) is installed, supplies a continuous output voltage stabilized and regulated. As an additional option, the data transmission device (8) can have visual signaling means (27), such as LEDs, to indicate its operation in the vehicle where it is installed. The storage means comprise a central database (11) connected to the communication server node (10) and capable of structuring in tables of information at least certain data captured by the data acquisition means (1, 2, 3 , 4). In particular, for the cartographic data acquired by the GPS receivers (4) another specific database, a mapping database (13), is added as storage medium. Both the central database (11) and the mapping database (13) can be relational, for example, Oracle 10g.

A software module implemented in a server node that supports the central database (11), for example, a processor with W2003Server operating system, governs the entire storage structure and coherence of the system data. The storage structure is made up of data tables, based on the entity-relationship model, associating each vehicle with the different data, cartography, performance and those operating parameters that require permanent copy, captured in relation to it. . This structure of storage tables derive rules of data coherence and integrity and, therefore, this control module of the central database (11) imposes a series of restrictions and sequences in storage. The sequences or procedures that are responsible for adapting the data of the different sources to the storage structure are used by the communications server node (10) to which said central database (11) is connected and that requires them to store The information flowing in the system. At least two kinds of procedures are used, one intended to insert in the tabular structure of the central database (11) the cartographic data and another responsible for those referring to the performance measures of the vehicles, which perform a filtering and conditioning of the information to adapt it to the storage structure and following the rules of coherence.

The communications server node (10), which in this example is a processor with Linux operating system, has the mission to introduce in

The central database (11) the data it receives through the mobile communications network (9) of the data transmission device (8). For this, first said processor of the communications server node (10), through a master process, accepts the connection requests from each data transmission device (8) present in the data capture network (A1) for management of the fleet. On the other hand, the communications server node (10) also accepts the connections that, from the secure access portal (8), make the users (U) through corresponding web clients and that request real-time information. With the requests of the data transmission device (8), the communications server node

(10) creates a process that is responsible for receiving the data and distributing it correctly depending on its destination; with the connection of a Web client, it gives rise to two actions, the first one indicates to the data transmission device (8) that it has to send data and the second one provides that data to a collection process.

At least three data collection processes are executed in the communications server node (10): collect the data generated by the individual processes assigned to each data transmission device (8) and send them to a synchronizer (12) that updates the GPS positions of the vehicles; collect the data, which upon request of the Web client, sends the data transmission device (8) and send it directly to the different Web clients; Collect the data generated by each data transmission device (8) and store it in the central database (11). Another internal process of the communications server node (10) is the one that channels, accepted a connection with a data transmission device (8), the data to its different destinations: the synchronizer (12) connected to a GIS server (14) for the treatment of the cartographic information, the central database (11) at least for the cartography and performance measurement data, or the Web clients requesting measurements of the vehicle's status in real time. The synchronizer (12) constantly receives GPS positions of each vehicle that is in communication, through its corresponding data transmission device (8), with the communications server node (10). Such positions are compared to each other and the most recent one is transmitted to the GIS server (14) so that it maps the map with the most up-to-date position of the vehicle represented in the appropriate display means.

All the information that has been obtained in the intelligent data capture network (A1) and properly distributed for processing in the equipment included in the block (B1) of Figure 1, is accessible in a safe and user-friendly way ( U), in the block (C1) that represents the remote part of the system and opposite to the distribution of the vehicles of the fleet.

The end user (U) is accessed by establishing a Web client connection with a Web server using the Internet network. To do this, the secure access portal (18) calls the Module

Data processing (14, 15, 16) that corresponds according to the connection of the user (U). Apart from this link with the required Data Processing Module (14, 15, 16), said secure access portal (18) introduces the necessary security mechanisms so that access to the system is done securely, conferring on the user ( U) the certainty that only he can access and view the data of his fleet in the system, guaranteeing that the transfer of information between the Server and the Web Client of his remote access terminal is reliable and nobody else can see that information if It is not allowed. In order to achieve these two levels of security, several known mechanisms are applied: use of the user ID "login" and password, the encryption of the information that flows between the Clients and the web server, use of secure domains, exclusion due to time-out. inactivity, blocking by access attempt a maximum number of times, ...

In this preferred embodiment of the system, three classes of Data Processing Module (14, 15, 16) are defined, but the Web interface offered by the secure access portal (18) would allow an expert in the field to configure other useful modules in the management of the data collected on the fleet, so the system is very powerful and highly scalable in its functions. A possible embodiment of the Data Processing Module consists of a GIS server (14) connected to the communications server node (10) through the synchronizer (12), allowing the user (U) to visualize on a map the GPS position of each vehicle at each instant, the trajectories of one or more vehicles in a given time interval, route reports and vehicle displacement parameters, such as speed, stop times, en route times, ...

Another embodiment of the Data Processing Module is a remote monitoring server (15) connected to the central database (11), comprising means for generating statistical reports. The user (U) makes a request via the web, which is treated, validated and consequently accepted, with which the central database (11) returns a set of data extracted from their tables responding to the request, which are formatted for final presentation, graphically or analytically. First, the end user (U) chooses the parameter to be consulted: diesel, displacements, vehicle activity history, etc. and narrow your query by dates and by vehicles, choosing the period of time for which you want to make the query, even choosing a specific vehicle. Once the query to be made to the central database (11) has been parameterized, the remote monitoring server (15) sends all this parameterization to the central database (11), using the own query language of the relational databases. As the last phase of its operation, the remote monitoring server (15) collects the results of the queries and interprets them, selecting the data and returning them to the Web client that requested them. The operating parameters handled by the remote monitoring server (15) are generally measurable quantities in a vehicle and give an idea of its performance: instantaneous consumption of diesel, tank level, coolant temperature, cubic meters of concrete, reports in terms of pump or vehicle times, standby times, work times, travel times, total and partial distance traveled, start and end of the day, ... A third type of Data Processing Module consists of a Remote monitoring server (16) directly connected to the communications server node (10), comprising means for displaying the data in real time. The remote monitoring server (16) makes requests to the communications server node (10) that identifies the type of request and directs it to the data transmission device (8) in question.

Once the data flows directly from the components installed in the vehicle and through the capture network (A1) to the data transmission device (8), which is transmitted by the mobile communications network (9) to the server node of communications (10), this serves this data immediately to the web client that requested them. The operating parameters sent by the remote monitoring server (16) are the status of the vehicle or the pumping machine itself associated with it: engine revolutions, speed, fuel level, hydraulic oil, state of the solenoid valves of the pump, hydraulic pressures, etc., all measurements in real time, that is, just when the vehicle is performing a stationary job or is moving. The display means can also give a list of the incidents in the vehicle and, in case of failure, said remote monitoring server (16) communicates with an alarm generating device that can send an SMS message to a mobile or an email electronic to the user's technical (U) laptop, who can provide remote technical assistance. This information allows the skilled operator to diagnose a good number of faults, without the need to be on site and, in serious faults, at least reduce the downtime of the concrete pumper by serving as an estimate to the technician of what the Ia solution to the incidence. Each of the three implementations of the Data Processing Module (14, 15, 16) can physically reside on a different machine, a processor with W2003Server operating system that materializes the Web Server in each case, connected to the processor of the server node of communications and the central database (11) by the same TCP subnet that can even link all the computer processing machines of the block (B1) at the same point, or be distributed at different remote points.

Some preferable embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims that are included below.

Claims

1.- Fleet management system, especially for heavy land vehicle fleets, characterized in that it comprises: data acquisition means (1, 2, 3, 4) connected, through a CAN-Bus network, with at least one device manager (7) connected, through an asynchronous serial communication port, with at least one data transmission device (8) connected to a mobile communication network (9); at least one communications server node (10) connected to the mobile communications network (9) capable of receiving the data sent by the data transmission device (8) and retransmitting it to at least one Data Processing Module (14, 15, 16) which are accessed through the Internet (17) through a secure access portal (18); and storage means of the data captured by the data acquisition means (1, 2, 3, 4).

2. Fleet management system, according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage means comprise a central database (11) connected to the communications server node (10) and capable of structuring at least certain data data in tables of information. those captured by the means of data acquisition (1, 2, 3, 4).

3. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data acquisition means consist of a plurality of analogue signal receivers (1) connected to sensors (5) provided in at least one of the vehicles of the fleet and adapted for communication with the CAN-Bus network.

4. System according to claim 3 characterized in that the sensors (5) are selected between pressure and temperature sensors.

5. System according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the data acquisition means consist of a plurality of digital signal receivers (2) connected to actuators (6) provided in at least one of the vehicles of the fleet and adapted for communication with the CAN-Bus network.

6. System according to claim 5 characterized in that the actuators (6) are selected between solenoid valves and motor relays.

7. System according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the Data Processing Module consists of a remote monitoring server (15) connected to the central database (11), comprising means for displaying the stored data , means of generating statistical reports from said data and means of communication with said central database (11).

8. System according to claim 7 characterized in that the remote monitoring server (15) is a Web server.

9. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Data Processing Module consists of a remote monitoring server (16) directly connected to the communications server node (10), comprising real-time data display means.

10. System according to claim 9 characterized in that the Data Processing Module additionally comprises communication means with at least one alarm generating device.

11. System according to any of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the remote monitoring server (16) is a Web server.

12. System according to claim 10 characterized in that the alarm generating device is configured to receive SMS messages.

13. System according to any of claims 10 or 12, characterized in that the alarm generating device is configured to receive emails

14. System according to any of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the alarm generating device is selected between a mobile phone and a computer.

15. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data acquisition means consist of a plurality of chassis signal receivers (3) connected to an internal communication network (30) with an on-board computer provided in the less a vehicle of the fleet.

16. System according to claim 15 characterized in that the internal communication network (30) of the vehicle is of the FMS standard.

17. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data acquisition means consist of a plurality of GPS receivers (4) equipped with an antenna and connected to each of the vehicles of the fleet.

18. System according to claim 17 characterized in that the Data processing module consists of a GIS server (14) connected to the communications server node (10) through a synchronizer (12) configured to relay the updated cartographic data, comprising means for displaying cartographic data.

19. System according to claim 18 characterized in that the GIS server (14) is a Web server.

20. System according to any of claims 18 or 19, characterized in that the storage means comprise a mapping database (13) connected to the GIS server (14).

21. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile communications network (9) supports GSM / GPRS connection.

22. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile communications network supports UMTS connection.

23. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data transmission device (8) comprises at least one microcontroller (21), a wireless communications modem (22) connected to a radio frequency antenna and a smart card for mobile telephony, a transceiver (23) adapted to the asynchronous serial communication port, a power circuit (24) and at least one non-volatile memory device (20), said power circuit (24), the wireless communications modem (22), the transceiver (23) and the at least one non-volatile memory device (20) connected to the microcontroller (21).

24. System according to claim 23, characterized in that the wireless communications modem (22) is capable of establishing a GSM / GPRS connection and the smart card for mobile telephony is a SIM card for GSM telephony.

25. System according to claim 24 characterized in that the wireless communications modem (22) is capable of establishing UMTS connection and the smart card for mobile telephony is a USIM card for UMTS telephony.

26.- System according to any of claims 23 to 25, characterized in that the power circuit (24) consists of a DC / DC converter connected to a battery (25) provided in each vehicle of the fleet.

27. System according to any of claims 23 to 26, characterized in that the non-volatile memory device (20) is removable.

28. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device manager (7) comprises at least one microprocessor with integrated memory and a transceiver adapted to the asynchronous serial communication port.

29. System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the asynchronous serial communication port between the device manager (7) and the data transmission device (8) is of the RS-232 standard.

30.- System according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secure access portal (18) comprises computer processing means that securely connect a Web server With at least one Web client.

31.- Fleet management method, especially for heavy land vehicle fleets, characterized in that it comprises the following phases: extract operating parameters from signals captured in at least one vehicle in the fleet connected to a network of mobile communications (9), periodically transmit the operating parameters following a standard message protocol in a CAN-Bus network, retransmit messages from the CAN-Bus network to the mobile communications network (9), store at least certain parameters of operation in at least one central database (11), securely access all operating parameters through at least one Web server.

32.- Method according to claim 31, characterized in that the operating parameters are selected from cartographic data, vehicle performance measurements and vehicle status measurements.

33.- Method according to claim 32, characterized in that at least the vehicle performance measurements are stored in the central database (11).

34.- Method according to claim 33 characterized in that additionally cartographic data is stored in the central database (11).

35.- Method according to any of claims 33 or 34, characterized in that it additionally comprises storing the data cartographic data in a mapping database (13) communicated with the central database (11) by a TCP network.

36.- Method according to any of claims 32 to 35, characterized in that the standard message protocol in the CAN-Bus network is J 1939.

37.- Method according to any of claims 32 to 36, characterized in that the retransmission of the messages of the CAN-Bus network is periodic when performance measures of at least one connected vehicle are transmitted.

38. Method according to any of claims 32 to 37, characterized in that the retransmission of the messages of the CAN-Bus network is periodic when cartographic data of the at least one connected vehicle is transmitted.

39. Method according to claim 38 characterized in that it additionally comprises periodically measuring the instantaneous speed of the at least one, connected vehicle and continuously updating the cartographic data of said at least one vehicle, depending on its speed.

40.- Method according to any of claims 32 to 39, characterized in that it additionally comprises accessing in real time the measurements of the state of the vehicle.

41. Method according to any of claims 32 to 40, characterized in that it additionally comprises receiving requests from at least one Web client connected to the Web server.

42.- Method according to claim 41 characterized in that the phase Secure access to the operating parameters includes authenticating the connected Web client.

43.- Method according to any of claims 41 or 42, characterized in that the phase of secure access to the operating parameters comprises encrypting the information exchanged between the Web server and each connected Web client.

44.- Method according to any of claims 41, 42 or 43, characterized in that the messages of the CAN-Bus network are retransmitted when the request of the Web client is received.

45.- Method according to any of claims 41 to 44, characterized in that it additionally comprises reading the central database (11) when the Web client request is received.

46.- Method according to any of claims 31 to 45, characterized in that the phase of safe access to the operating parameters comprises its display.

47.- Method according to any of claims 31 to 46, characterized in that the phase of safe access to the operating parameters comprises the generation of reports from the operating parameters stored in the central database (11).

48.- Method according to any of claims 32 to 47, characterized in that it additionally comprises sending at least one alarm when the vehicle status measurements indicate a failure in said vehicle.

49.- Method according to claim 48 characterized in that the alarm is sent in an SMS message.

50.- Method according to any of claims 48 or 49, characterized in that the alarm is sent in an email.

51.- Computer program comprising code means adapted to perform all the phases of claim 31, when said program is executed in a computer network of computers.