GeoLogic Solutions, a provider of multimode mobile communications and tracking systems for the transportation industry, announced Oct. 2 that it has been granted a continuation patent by the U.S. Patent Office for its Proximity Alert product that was released in 2002.
Proximity Alert, a feature of GeoLogic’s MobileMax fleet management system, is a user-defined proximity notification product designed to utilize GPS points and interval timers to monitor the movement of vehicles. Utilizing a feature that is commonly known as geofencing, Proximity Alert automatically notifies fleet managers, in real time, when trucks equipped with the technology enter or leave defined locations, according to GeoLogic.
By using timers in conjunction with an inner and outer radius surrounding a location of interest to the carrier, Proximity Alert identifies the truck’s time of entrance and exit of those areas and relays that information to the carrier via the MobileMax system, the company says; no record-keeping or action by the driver is required. The carrier defines the desired geofencing parameters, which are sent over-the-air directly to the MobileMax transceiver.
The product is used to facilitate a large array of operational functions, including identification of vehicle arrivals and departures, detention measurement, off-duty verification and out-of-route management, GeoLogic says; it can send a notification if a vehicle enters a carrier-defined “keep-away area.” Fleets use Proximity Alert for load planning, implementing safety measures, reducing liability and generating revenue, according to the company; it also gives carriers the ability to increase load detention revenue and to build a database to store information for future load and movement applications.
“We’re very pleased the U.S. Patent Office has issued a continuance on this patent,” says Tom Cuthbertson, vice president of service operations for Herndon, Va.-based GeoLogic. “It provides a great functional capability for carriers and benefits drivers by taking away the need for transaction entries. We feel this characteristic sets Proximity Alert apart from similar products in the field.”
