WO2016045742A1

WO2016045742A1 - A method and system for monitoring and collecting data related to mobile units and remote workers

Info

Publication number: WO2016045742A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/070649
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erik NYGREN
Original assignee: Enera International Ab
Priority date: 2014-09-26
Filing date: 2014-09-26
Publication date: 2016-03-31
Also published as: EP3198532A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a data monitoring and collection system for data related to a plurality of mobile units at a defined location or route, and at a defined point in time, said system comprising: for each of said mobile units, a location unit configured for providing and transmitting location data corresponding to the position of said mobile units through a wireless communication system; said system further comprising a remote server configured for receiving said location data. Furthermore, the system (1) comprises: a database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) associated with said server (8) and configured for storing data corresponding to work-related activities associated with said mobile units (4, 10; 11); and an automatic activity generator system (8a) in said remote server (8) and configured for automatically generating an activity log (8e) based on information from said location unit (3; 3'; 3') and said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d). The invention also relates to corresponding method for monitoring and collection data related to a plurality of mobile units (4; 10; 11).

Description

TITLE

A method and system for monitoring and collecting data related to mobile units and remote workers. TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a data monitoring and collection system for data related to a plurality of mobile units at a defined location or route, and at a defined point in time, said system comprising: for each of said mobile units, a location unit configured for providing and transmitting location data corresponding to the position of said mobile units through a wireless communication system; said system further comprising a remote server configured for receiving said location data.

The invention also relates to a method for monitoring and collection data related to a plurality of mobile units at a defined location or route, and at a defined point in time, said method comprising: providing location data corresponding to the position of a location unit being associated with each of said mobile units;

transmitting said location data through a wireless communication system; and detecting said location data by means of a remote server.

BACKGROUND

In order to manage certain businesses which involve vehicle fleets, or in order to organize a staff of employees who are travelling in a certain area during a working day, or during another time period, it is important to obtain access to continuous information related to the location and activities of such vehicles and employees.

As an example, it can be noted that a staff of remote workers which are involved in building sites and construction work are often mobile in the sense that they travel between different sites during a normal working day. Also, such staff normally also need to provide work sheets or time sheets with information as to their locations and their activities during the day. There are of course numerous types of other professions which require work staff which are mobile, for example involving construction works, maintenance work, sales work, or service and repair work of different types etc. In such professions, there is often a need for information related to the activities and location of such work staff.

If information related to the location and activities of the work staff can be obtained, it will be possible to operate and manage the work which is carried out, and also to manage various schedules and tasks of the employees. For example, such information can be used as a basis for salary payments, for invoicing and for managing client information. Consequently, there is a need for simple, automatic, functionally secure and cost-effective solutions for gathering and analyzing data relating, for example, to locations and routes of vehicles and work staff and also for various purposes such as analyzing work activities which have been carried out.

According to known technology, such information can be entered in a fully manual manner by employees, for example by having the work staff manually filling out paper forms with travel log information, work orders, activity reports, invoicing data and other necessary information.

Alternatively, such information can be entered into a computer in a manual manner. This means that instead of filling out paper forms, employees may use computer-based tools for entering and storing information of the above-mentioned type. Such computer-based tools may involve wireless devices such as mobile phones or tablet computers, which may be provided with application programs ("apps") for allowing employees to enter relevant data into such device.

By collecting and storing data of the above-mentioned type, it will consequently be possible to analyze and make decisions as to the usage of vehicles and

employees in an efficient manner. Also, with such information it will be possible to analyze the manner in which various work activities are carried out and whether each activity is carried out in a correct and cost-effective manner. For example, if a vehicle is used for daily refuse collection in a particular geographical area, it will be of interest to obtain information as to which route the vehicle takes during a working day and for which operations and processes the vehicle is used.

In particular, it can be of interest from a management point of view to obtain information as to the time of travel between various working sites, the time for carrying out certain tasks and similar information. Although the prior art suggests different solutions to the problem of obtaining and registering relevant information related to the location and activities of mobile units and/or remote workers, there is still a requirement for work staff to manually input data related to various activities which are performed. Such data can then be used together with the location data in order to analyze the routes and activities of the mobile units. However, such manual handling of information is time-consuming and also implies a risk for errors due to the manual process. In this manner, there is a risk that erroneous information is stored, or that vital information may be lacking. This may also involve a risk that certain ordered work activities which are actually carried out are not invoiced a client. Such manual handling of information may also involve a risk for complaints from clients and employees in the event that it is erroneous. Also, there is a risk that statistical information and analysis of the data may be based on incorrect assumptions.

SUMMARY

Consequently, an object of the invention is to improve today^'s technology and solve the above-mentioned problems related to prior art so as to provide a cost- effective and simple solution for automatically, i.e. without actions from the worker, generating activity log reports with information relating to the locations and activities of a number of mobile units.

The above-mentioned object is achieved by a data monitoring and collection system for data related to a plurality of mobile units at a defined location or route, and at a defined point in time, said system comprising: for each of said mobile units, a location unit configured for providing and transmitting location data corresponding to the position of said mobile units through a wireless

communication system; said system further comprising a remote server configured for receiving said location data. The system further comprises a database unit associated with said server and configured for storing data corresponding to work- related activities associated with said mobile units; and an automatic activity generator system in said remote server and configured for automatically generating an activity log based on information from said location unit and said database unit.

The invention provides certain advantages over previously known technology, primarily due to the fact that the invention constitutes an automatic way of monitoring and collecting data which can be used for providing information regarding the location and activities of a number of mobile units. Since the invention can be used for automatically generating activity logs in a server, it will allow data processing of relevant data in an accurate and cost-effective manner. This constitutes an advantage as compared with known solutions. The above-mentioned object is also obtained by means of a method for monitoring and collection data related to a plurality of mobile units at a defined location or route, and at a defined point in time, said method comprising: providing location data corresponding to the position of a location unit being associated with each of said mobile units; transmitting said location data through a wireless

communication system; and detecting said location data by means of a remote server. The method further comprises storing data corresponding to work-related activities being associated with said mobile units in a database unit associated with said server; and automatically generating an activity log based on information from said location unit and said database unit in an automatic activity generator system in said remote server. The invention can be applied in mobile units such as different types of vehicles, such as cars, trucks and buses. However, the term "mobile unit" should be interpreted broadly within the context of the invention, and also covers for example persons who are travelling during their working day, i.e. persons who are involved in sales and marketing and working from home.

DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY:

Certain terminology which is used in the context of the present disclosure will now be described in detail.

The term "location unit" is used to describe a device for obtaining and transmitting location data, which for example can be constituted by navigational data, i.e. data which defines the geographic position of the location unit. Navigational data (normally in the form of longitude and latitude data) is normally provided by means of receiving signals from navigational satellites being in orbit around the earth. The location unit can be mobile in the sense that it can be carried by a person. It can also be mounted in a vehicle or it can be part of a portable unit such as a mobile telephone. It is configured so as to transmit information in a wireless manner so as to indicate its location.

The term "activity log" is used to describe a database of a number of activities each taking place at a certain location and at a certain point in time. According to the invention, an activity log is produced when combining received location data (defining the position of the location unit) and data related to potential locations, tasks and routes from an activity database. If, for example, a potential location which is likely that the person with the location unit would visit (since it would be relevant for carrying out his/her work) and which matches a location which has actually been visited, this constitutes a match between actual and potential locations which generates a post in the activity log. In other words, it is then assumed that the person has visited the potential location. The term "database unit" or "database" is used to describe a storage unit for information related to a set of work-related activities such as for example potential locations, planned tasks or routes that may be carried out (or any combinations thereof), or further work-related activity data such as logged information related to use of telephones or computers associated with a number of mobile units. The information is pre-stored and provided for example by a client who has an interest in following and analyzing the locations and activities of its employees. When producing the activity log, the information in the databases is continuously compared to the location data in order to determine whether a particular potential location has been visited by the mobile unit, or whether a certain potential task has been carried out or whether a certain potential route has been followed by the mobile unit.

The term "automatic activity generator system" describes a module in the remote server which is configured to produce the activity log.

The term "work-related activities" refers generally to any tasks to be carried out, or locations to be visited, or routes to travel, within the framework of an employment of a person, in which there is a desire also to obtain information as to the location of said person.

Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention will now be described in the following detailed description, wherein certain embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 schematically shows a system according to the invention associated with a communication network; Fig. 2 shows a vehicle location unit and its components;

Fig. 3 shows an example of a geographic area and a route on which said mobile unit is travelling; and

Fig. 4 is a flowchart which shows the manner in which the invention can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Different aspects of the invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The method and system disclosed can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

With initial reference to Fig. 1 , there is shown a data monitoring and collection system 1 which, according to a first embodiment of the invention, is arranged to be operated in connection with a wireless communication system 2. In Fig. 1 , the data monitoring and collection system 1 and the wireless communication system 2 are indicated by means of broken lines.

According to the embodiment, the data monitoring and collection system 1 is configured as an activity monitoring system which comprises a vehicle location unit 3 which is suitably arranged in a vehicle 4. As mentioned initially, the system can be used for monitoring and gathering data related to the position and identity of such a wireless and mobile vehicle location unit 3 in order to track the

movements of the vehicle 4 along a certain route. For example, such a route can be tracked during a working day or another suitable period of time. More precisely, the location unit 3 is arranged to obtain data related to its position with a given time interval, for example every 10 seconds. Each item of information which is provided in this manner is also associated with time information, i.e. information regarding the point in time at which location data is obtained. Consequently, the vehicle location unit 3 is arranged for collecting data related to at least three parameters, i.e. the location of the unit 3 (and consequently also the location of the vehicle 4), the identity of the unit 3 and also the time of the location recording.

According to alternative embodiments, the location unit 3 can be configured to provide additional parameters, for example parameters which describe activities which are carried out by means of the vehicle 4. For example, such parameters may include information which describe whether a particular working tool on the vehicle is utilized (such as a snow plough or equipment for refuse collection). Such parameters may also be in the form of activity-related information and point information along the route such as obstacles, potholes etc.

The vehicle location unit 3 is described in greater detail in Fig. 2. Data related to the location of the vehicle 4 can be provided from the vehicle location unit 3, which for this reason is provided with a location receiver 3a which is configured to provide navigational data (latitude and longitude) by cooperating with a navigation system such as the commonly used GPS system (Global Positioning System). However, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to being used with the GPS system only but can be implemented with other systems for providing location data.

The location receiver 3a which forms part of the location unit 3 is consequently configured for receiving location data which can be stored and transmitted further to the wireless communication network 2 (shown in a simplified form in Fig. 1 ), as will be described in detail below.

Furthermore, the vehicle location unit 3 according to the embodiment is also configured for transmitting information related to its identity. For this reason, the vehicle location unit 3 is provided with an identity unit 3b, which suitably is arranged for carrying a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). The SIM (not shown in Fig. 2) is an integrated circuit which, as previously known, stores information which is used to identify and authenticate users of mobile equipment in order to allow connection to a wireless telephone system. The technology which relates to SIM units is previously known as such, and for this reason it is not described in detail here. Alternatively, the information related to the identity of the location unit 3 can be based on other principles than the use of a SIM module, for example through the use of a conventional IP address or a MAC or IMEI address.

Furthermore, the vehicle location unit 3 comprises a control unit 3c which is connected both to the location receiver 3a and the identity unit 3b and which is configured for transmitting information, related to the location and the identity of the vehicle 4 and also information which indicates the point in time at which a particular location has been registered, to the wireless communication system 2. To this end, the vehicle location unit 3 comprises a transmitter unit 3d which is connected to the control unit 3c and arranged for communicating with the wireless communication network 2.

Turning now again to Fig. 1 , it is noted that the wireless communication network 2 is suitably arranged for operating according to the GSM system or generally any of the other of today^'s standards for mobile telephone communication, such as the UMTS or LTE standards. It should however be noted that the invention is not limited to any particular telephone network standard. Fig. 1 shows in a simplified manner that the communication network 2 may comprise a mobile base station 5 which communicates with the vehicle location unit 3, and that the mobile base station 5 may be connected to the internet via a network 7 which is shown in a simplified manner and which can consist of radio access networks, public switched telephone networks and internet connections, or combinations thereof. The invention can also be implemented in cases where wireless transmission is carried out by means of a local area networks or generally any form of wireless networks. For example, the invention can be used in situations wherein one or more location units are located indoors and communicate with a local area network such as a "wi-fi" network (also referred to as a WLAN network), which in turn may be configured to communicate with an external data network. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the data monitoring and collection system 1 comprises a remote server 8, which is configured for communicating with the wireless communication network 1 via the network 7. The remote server 8 is associated with a number of database units so that data related to the vehicle location unit 3 can be received, processed and stored. The principles for this data processing will be described below and consists of various process steps, i.e. gathering location data and identity data from a location unit 3 and automatically generating activity log reports based on the location and identity data together with pre-stored information corresponding to work-related activities such as potential locations, tasks or routes which are associated with a mobile unit such as the vehicle 4 and a person who is using the vehicle 4 within an employment. For this purpose, the remote server 8 is provided with an automatic activity generator system 8a which will be described further below.

Other types of information which can be used in the process of creating activity log reports include accounting information and information related to clients. Such information can be fed to the remote server 8 through connections to a client management system 9a (also referred to as a "customer relations management system" or CRM system), a geographic information system (or GIS system) 9b and a task planning system such as the commonly used Outlook program 9c.

An activity log report would be of interest various types of clients, for example employers of a work staff which is mobile. Such a client is schematically indicated by means of reference numeral 12 in Fig. 1 . A client may use the information in an activity log report for several purposes, for example staff administration, client invoicing, planning of work tasks etc. The client 12 can obtain information as activity log reports by communicating with the remote server 8. The disclosed embodiment relies on a vehicle location unit 3 which is used for gathering and transmitting data related to the location and identity of the vehicle 4 and the vehicle location unit 3. According to a further embodiment, the invention can also be used for tracking the location of a person 10 who may or may not be travelling in a vehicle. The person 10 can be for example a sales or marketing employee, i.e. a remote worker, wherein it may be of interest to obtain information relating to the location of this person 10 and also the identity of the person 10. For this reason, the person 10 carries a location unit 3^' which is generally of the same structure as the vehicle location unit 3 shown in Fig. 2 but which is not configured for being fixedly mounted in a vehicle.

According to a further embodiment, the location unit may be a portable unit which is moved from vehicle to vehicle, i.e. it does not have to be fixed to a particular vehicle. Alternatively, the location unit can be mounted in other movable entities such a garbage containers or similar.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, the location unit 3^" may be in the form of an application program (or "app") which is integrated into the software of a mobile telephone 1 1 , or alternatively into an similar wireless communication unit such as a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a similar device. Such an application program can be configured to operate with any suitable operating system such as for example iOS or Android.

The invention can be implemented for all three types of mobile units 4, 10, 1 1 shown in Fig. 1 , individually or in any combination.

The principles of the operation of the invention will now be described with further reference to Fig. 3, which is a map 13 of a section of a certain area such as a city. The invention can be used in generally all types of areas and the described embodiment should be regarded as an example only.

The map 13 is used to illustrate a typical route 14 of the vehicle 4 (see Fig. 1 ). The route 14 comprises a start location 15, a first stop location 16, a second stop location 17 and an end location 18. As an example, the vehicle 4 is used by a person who is carrying out work on various building sites or doing other activities during the course of a day (or another suitable time interval), i.e. as represented by the first stop location 16 and the second stop location 17. Fig. 3 shows the vehicle 4 in an initial position just before it starts travelling along the route 14. The start location 15 is a position from which the person starts the route at the beginning of the working day and the end location 18 corresponds to the position in which the person ends the working day.

As the vehicle 4 travels along the route 14, the vehicle location unit 3 (not shown in Fig. 3) will obtain information regarding the movements of the vehicle 4. In this manner, information related to each stop, and the duration of each stop, of the vehicle 4 can be obtained. This is implemented through the use of the location receiver 3a, which according to the embodiment is a GPS receiver. The obtained information is then transmitted to the remote server 8 and used in the automatic activity generator system 8a.

The person in the vehicle 4 can be expected to travel to a certain number of potential locations within the framework of an employment. Such potential locations can be for example in the form of customer sites, building sites, office locations, subcontractor offices, suppliers of building equipment etc., i.e. locations which the person driving the vehicle 4 can be expected to visit during the course of a normal working day since it may be relevant for the work which should be carried out. A list of these potential locations is stored in a Potential Location database 8b which forms part of the remote server 8 and which is connected to the automatic activity generator system 8a as shown in Fig. 1 . The information in the Potential Location database 9a is entered, imported or accessed by a client who has information related to such potential locations. Also, the Potential

Location database 8b is fed with data from the client management system 9a. During a working day, the person may drive the vehicle 4 along the route 14 as shown in Fig. 3. At the first stop location 16, the location unit 3 will provide information indicating that the vehicle 4 is at the same location for a certain time. This will be considered as a stop. Also, a check will be made whether the geographic position of the first stop location 16 corresponds to any of the potential locations which are previously stored in the Potential Location database 8b as described above. If there is a match between the geographic position of the first stop location 16 and any of the potential locations, this will be registered in the activity log.

Consequently, as the vehicle 4 travels along the route, there is a flow of information regarding its position being fed continuously to the server 8. The location data is compared with the list of locations in the Potential Location database 8b and if there are matches between actual location and potential location, this will be indicated in the activity log report produced by the automatic activity generator system 8a. According to an embodiment, information which is stored in the Potential Location database 8b can be used in combination with information received from the vehicle location unit 3 for automatically generating activity log reports. According to the embodiment, this is carried out by means of the remote server 8 which for this reason comprises the automatic activity generator system 8a.

The input to the automatic activity generator system 8a is the information from the Potential Location database 8b, whereas the output from the automatic activity generator system 8a is a database, more precisely an activity database 8e, which can be used to construct log reports containing travel information, time and duration of activities, information related to various visited location and similar information. The information which is stored in the activity database 8e can also be transmitted - manually or automatically - to a further client-based system such as a CRM (Client Relations Management) system or a financial system, as indicated by means of reference numeral 9d in Fig. 1 .

According to another embodiment, the remote server 8 may comprise a Potential Route database 8c which comprises information related to potential routes along which the vehicle 4 travels. This can also be used, alone or in combination with infornnation in the Potential Location database 8a, in order to generate activity log reports by means of the automatic activity generator system 8a. When it is determined that the person in question is travelling along a particular route which matches a potential route which the person may be expected to take, such a match will be indicated in the relevant activity log report.

In order to simplify detection of which routes the user is following, information from a Geographic Information System (or "GIS" system) 9b or similar route planning system can be fed to the Potential Route database 8c.

According to yet another embodiment, the remote server 8 may comprise a Potential Planned Task database 8d, which comprises information related to potential tasks to be carried out by the person travelling along the route 14. Such a person may have a number of planned activities during the course of the day. Information related to such potential tasks can therefore be accessed or imported from a CRM system or an Outlook calendar information database 9c or similar, or may be entered manually in the Potential Planned Task database 8d. For a person working within construction work, such activities could be for example building construction, carpenter work, electric operations, brick-laying, plumbing work, painting work or other forms of activities associated with construction work. Each one of such activities may be expected to be carried out at a certain location. This will also be noted in the Potential Planned Task database 8d. It can be noted that additional parameters, which indicate that activities are carried out by means of the vehicle 4, can be added to the list of information in the Potential Planned Task database 8d and be used for generating activity log reports.

Based on the contents of the databases 8b, 8c, 8d and the supplied information from the vehicle location unit 3, the automatic activity generator system 8a will generate information in a database which can be used to produce reports which define and describe certain activities and locations during the working day. Such a report may for example contain a list of stops at relevant sites, and information related to activities as shown in the table below. Information related to these reports is also stored in the activity database 8e (and can be further transmitted to the client-based system 9d). Report

Date Start Finish Duration Distance Type Organisation Address

June 1 8.00 8.15 0:15 hours 4200 m Transport Company A

June 1 8.15 11.00 2:45 hours 0 Plumbing Company A King St

June 1 11.00 11.15 0:15 hours 3520 m Transport Company A

June 1 11.15 12.30 1:15 hours 0 Purchasing Store B High St

June 1 12.30 12.50 0:20 hours 3200 m Transport Company A

End

In the report presented above, the location "King St." corresponds to the first stop location 16 on the map 13, whereas the location "High St." corresponds to the second stop location 17. The organization referred to as "Company A" is a company being associated with the location on King St. on which certain work is carried out. The organization referred to as "Store B" is a store for purchasing certain equipment which has also been visited.

In summary, the data monitoring and collection system 1 obtains data related to the vehicle 4 within a particular area 13 and within a defined time interval. Such data is provided by the vehicle location unit 3 which is positioned on the vehicle 4 and which transmits location data related to its position to the wireless

communication system 2. Furthermore, the remote server 8 is configured for receiving and storing the location data and is also associated with databases 8b, 8c, 8d which stores data related to certain expected, potential activities related to the vehicle 4 and the person or persons travelling with the vehicle 4.

Consequently, the three above-mentioned databases 8b, 8c, 8d together form a database unit which is used together with location data to generate input information to the automatic activity generator system 8a which is arranged for automatically generating an activity log based on information from both the vehicle location unit 3 and information stored in said database unit. Reports of information in the activity log can be produced for example continuously in real time or on a daily basis and can be forwarded to a client 12 (see Fig. 1 ). The information can be used in the client^'s 12 organization to manage employees and their tasks, for preparing invoicing, for managing salary payments etc.

Consequently, the automatic activity generator system 8a generates a database containing information related, for example, to the following parameters:

- the time for start of the vehicle 4 along the route 14;

- the time for each stop of the vehicle 4 along the route 14;

- the duration of each stop along the route 14;

- the matched potential locations at which the vehicle 4 has stopped along the route 14;

- the travel time between different stops;

- the time for carrying out certain tasks at each location;

The automatic activity generator system 8a may calculate which locations were visited and calculate how long time each visit took. It may also determine if any time was spent unnecessarily due to unwanted stops, unwanted choices of routes between two locations and similar information.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the data monitoring and collection system 1 is used. As shown in the flowchart, such a process may begin with storing of potential locations, planned tasks and routes in the databases 8b, 8c, 8d (see step 19 in Fig. 4). When these lists have been prepared, the system is ready for receiving data from the location unit 3, i.e. data related to its location and identity, and also timing data (step 20). Furthermore, checks are made whether there are any matches between received location data and items in the list of potential locations, planned tasks and routes in the corresponding database (step 21 ). If there is a match, this will be noted in an activity log report which is subsequently produced (step 22). According to a further embodiment, the automatic activity generator system 8a can be configured so as to track further work-related activities which are performed at each potential location. Information about these activities can be collected from existing clients systems, such as employee monitoring software, VPN (Virtual Private Network) logs, CRM systems, telephone traffic logs and similar systems. Information from such system can be forwarded to the remote server 8. This means that the invention can be used for collecting information which relates to the behavior and activities of a work staff, for example related to the time spent making telephone calls, the number of telephone calls made, the time spent being online in a VPN system etc. Such information can be combined with location data in order to follow up on the activities and efficiency of a work staff.

Consequently, the remote server 8 can be used for tracking information related to operations or status along a particular route or part of a route. Such operations and status information could also be generated with manual input supplied at a given location or through input from an equipment or device installed or residing in the vehicle. Operation or status input could come from devices in vehicles which are configured for controlling street sweeping, street gritting, snow plowing etc. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1 . A data monitoring and collection system (1 ) for data related to a plurality of mobile units (4; 10; 1 1 ) at a defined location (15, 16, 17) or route (14), and at a defined point in time, said system (1 ) comprising:

- for each of said mobile units (4; 10; 1 1 ), a location unit (3; 3^'; 3^") configured for providing and transmitting location data corresponding to the position of said mobile units (4, 10, 1 1 ) through a wireless communication system (2);

- said system (1 ) further comprising a remote server (8) configured for receiving said location data;

characterized in that said system (1 ) further comprises:

- a database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) associated with said server (8) and configured for storing data corresponding to work-related activities associated with said mobile units (4, 10; 1 1 ); and

- an automatic activity generator system (8a) in said remote server (8) and configured for automatically generating an activity log 8(e) based on information from said location unit (3; 3^'; 3^') and said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d).

2. A system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said mobile unit (4) is constituted by a vehicle (4) in which said location unit (3) is arranged.

3. A system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said mobile unit (10) is constituted by a remote worker being associated with said location unit (3^').

4. A system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said mobile unit (1 1 ) is constituted by a wireless communication device (1 1 ) configured with said location unit (3^") in the form of an application program.

5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) comprises a Potential Location database (8b which is configured for storing data related to potential locations associated with said mobile unit (4, 10; 1 1 ).

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) comprises a Potential Planned Task database (8d) which is configured for storing data related to potential planned tasks associated with said mobile unit (4, 10; 1 1 ).

7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) comprises a Potential Route database (8c) which is configured for storing data related to potential routes of travel of said mobile unit (4, 10; 1 1 ).

8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) is configured for storing data related to work- related activities in the form of:

- potential locations, planned tasks or routes of said mobile units (4, 10, 1 1 ); or

- logged information related to use of telephones or computers associated with said mobile units (4, 10; 1 1 ).

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said location unit (3; 3^'; 3^") is configured for providing and transmitting location data in the form of navigational data corresponding to said position.

10. A method for monitoring and collection data related to a plurality of mobile units (4; 10; 1 1 ) at a defined location (15, 16, 17) or route (14), and at a defined point in time, said method (1 ) comprising:

- providing location data corresponding to the position of a location unit (3; 3^'; 3^") being associated with each of said mobile units (4; 10, 1 1 );

- transmitting said location data through a wireless communication system (2); and

- detecting said location data by means of a remote server (8);

characterized in that said method further comprises: - storing data corresponding to work-related activities being associated with said mobile units (4, 10; 1 1 ) in a database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) associated with said server (8); and

- automatically generating an activity log based on information from said location 5 unit (3; 3^'; 3^') and said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d) in an automatic activity

generator system (8a) in said remote server (8).

1 1 . A method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises:

- storing data related to potential locations associated with said mobile unit (4, 10; 10 1 1 ) in said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d).

12. A method according to claim 10 or 1 1 , characterized in that it comprises:

- storing data related to potential planned tasks associated with said mobile unit (4, 10; 1 1 ) in said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d).

15

13. A method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that it comprises:

- storing data related to potential routes of travel of said mobile unit (4, 10; 1 1 ) in said database unit (8b, 8c, 8d).

20

14. A method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that it further comprises:

- storing data related to work-related activities in the form of potential locations, planned tasks or routes of said mobile units (4, 10, 1 1 ), or logged information

25 related to use of telephones or computers associated with said mobile units (4, 10;

1 1 ).

15. A method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that it further comprises:

30 - providing location data in the form of navigational data corresponding to the

position of a location unit (3; 3^'; 3^") being associated with each of said mobile units (4; 10, 1 1 ).