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Database method and system for conducting integrated dispatchingRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Database And File Management Or Data Structures, Database Or File Accessing, Access Augmentation Or OptimizingDatabase method and system for conducting integrated dispatching description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070043698, Database method and system for conducting integrated dispatching. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. Nos. 60/067,444 filed Dec. 3, 1997, and Ser. No. 09/057,375 filed Apr. 8, 1998, which claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/043,224 filed Apr. 9, 1997, all commonly assigned, and hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. [0002] The following commonly-owned copending application is being filed concurrently, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes: [0003] U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, Charles F. Short, III and Sanjiv Prabhakaran entitled, "FULLY INTEGRATED DISPATCHING SYSTEM AND METHOD," (Attorney Docket Number 15517-001810US). Appendix [0004] One or more embodiments of a novel fleet management system according to the present invention include a host gateway that comprises an MIS gateway coupled to a relational database. The relational database has a configuration in accordance with the Entity-Attribute-Relationship described by an attached appendix comprising 24 pages, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0005] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND OF TH INVENTION [0006] The present invention relates to a technique for fleet management. The present invention is illustrated as an example with regard to a technique for computer aided dispatching a fleet of vehicles by way of a map presented on a display, but it will be recognized that the invention has a wider range of applicability. Merely by way of example, the invention can be applied to other types of transportation, mapping, and the like. [0007] As the world becomes more industrialized and populated, transportation requirements also have increased rapidly. In particular, the number of vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, vans, and the like on typical city highways has increased to levels such that traffic jams are now a way of life for a typical driver using these highways as a means for travel. In fact, some of these highways are so constricted that anyone using them can experience significant delays often unexpectedly due to problems such as accidents, road construction, and others. These problems also exist on other transportation ways such as our city streets, airways, and waterways. Accordingly, it is often difficult to predict with any accuracy the location of a vehicle using these transportation ways. [0008] Cities and governments have attempted to resolve some these problems by adding more transportation infrastructure to highly populated areas. This infrastructure often comes in the form of improved roads or highways, train systems, and the like. Unfortunately, roads, highways, and train systems are often difficult to build in highly populated areas and are generally extremely expensive and time consuming to build. In most cases, construction used to provide this additional infrastructure often causes even more traffic congestion and other problems. [0009] Based upon this state of the transportation infrastructure in most industrialized countries, it is often difficult for a company involved in the courier business to accurately track its vehicles and deliveries. The problems mentioned above severely limit the predictability for a fleet manager to track vehicles in its fleet for the pick-up and delivery of information, packages, and people. [0010] Industry also has attempted to resolve some of these problems. For instance, some companies are now providing their couriers with cellular phones and radios so that the dispatcher can communicate with them. Other companies retrofit their vehicles with navigational systems such as LORAN or a global positioning system (GPS) to determine vehicle location. Still other companies are using maps and GPS to track vehicle location by dispatchers at a central office terminal. [0011] One such company is Mobile Information Systems, Inc. ("Mobile Information Systems"), assignee of the present application, which pioneered a technique for implementing easy-to-read maps for tracking vehicle location on a display or workstation at the central office terminal or any terminal. In particular, Mobile Information Systems implemented one of the first techniques for using a raster-type map and vector data for referencing vehicle location. The raster-type map used on a display had features that were easy-to-read for a dispatcher or user. These features were generally geographical in nature and were easier to reference than the maps made using predominately stick-type representations of geographical features. The techniques used by Mobile Information Systems have partly overcome some of the daily problems faced by a fleet manager or the like. It would, however, be desirable to develop other techniques for integrating further aspects of fleet management. [0012] Based upon the above, it would be desirable to develop techniques for further improving the predictability, efficiency, and accuracy of fleet management or tracking any object that can be transported into our roadways, highways, waterways, airways, and the like. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] According to the present invention, a technique including methods and resulting systems for managing a fleet of vehicles or movable objects is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the technique includes a method for fully integrating preexisting management systems with vehicle management systems according to the present invention. This technique provides tools to enable easy interfacing between custom vehicle management systems with a pre-existing management system(s). [0014] In one aspect of the present invention, a method for integrating a pre-existing system with a fleet management system is provided. The preexisting system includes, for example, an accounting system, a warehousing system, a dock management system, a yard management system, and others. The fleet management system is preferably a system such as those described in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 08/706,211, 08/697,825, 08/706,341 (Attorney Docket Nos. 15517-1-1-1, 15517-1-4-1, 15517-1-4-2, respectively, but can be others). These fleet management systems use, for example, a combination of a raster map and vector data to provide an easy-to-read display for managing objects or articles, e.g., vehicle, container. The method uses a host gateway to provide a TCP/IP or like interface between the various systems. Details of the host gateway are described below. [0015] In an alternative aspect, the present invention provides a system, which includes a pre-existing system and a fleet management system, which are coupled to each other using a host gateway. The pre-existing system includes, for example, an accounting system, a warehousing system, a dock management system, a yard management system, and others. The fleet management system is preferably a system such as those described in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 08/706,211, 08/697,825, 08/706,341 (Attorney Docket Nos. 15517-1-1-1, 15517-14-1, 15517-1-4-2, respectively, but can be others). These fleet management systems use, for example, a combination of a raster map and vector data to provide an easy-to-read display for managing objects or articles, e.g., vehicle, container. The system uses the host gateway to provide a TCP/IP or like interface between the various systems. Details of the host gateway are described below. [0016] Numerous benefits or advantages are achieved using the present invention over conventional techniques. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a technique for easily connecting pre-existing systems with real-time fleet management as modules. The present invention also can be implemented into almost any preexisting system, independent of platform, by way of a common protocol such as, for example TCP/IP, Java, HTML, and others. In still further embodiments, the present invention improves efficiency of any preexisting fleet management system or apparatus. The improvement in efficiency can reduce costs and improve profitability by making fleet operators more effective by way of real time processing techniques. These and other benefits are described throughout the present specification, and more particularly below. [0017] The novel features characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention, however, as well as other features and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the detailed description which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIGS. 1A to 1D are simplified block diagrams of a fully integrated fleet management system according to embodiments of the present invention; Continue reading about Database method and system for conducting integrated dispatching... 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