Fully automated vehicle dispatching, monitoring and billing

A system for ensuring that appropriate mileage charges are being applied to transportation services submitted for reimbursement to a payor;

• comprising:
• a database including records each documenting transportation services provided and submitted for reimbursement, said records indicating a starting and ending point of said transportation services and a mileage purportedly travelled in providing said transportation services;
• processing circuitry reviewing said records, determining from a record said starting and ending points and mileage purportedly travelled, determining an approved route from said starting point to said ending point, and comparing a mileage associated with said approved route to said mileage purportedly travelled to determine if said mileage purportedly travelled is appropriate for said services.

A method for controlling ambulances so as to ensure reimbursement for transportation services provided by said ambulances, comprising:

• documenting needed transportation services;
• generating an instruction to a vehicle to provide a transportation service, the instruction including an identification of a route to be followed by said vehicle,
• wherein the route is generated in accordance with routing criteria of a third party payor in order to ensure reimbursement for transportation services provided by ambulances.

A method for ensuring that appropriate mileage charges are being applied to transportation services submitted for reimbursement to a payor, comprising:

• receiving documentation of transportation services provided and submitted for reimbursement, including a starting and ending point of said transportation services and a mileage purportedly travelled in providing said transportation services;
• determining from the documented starting and ending points, an approved route from said starting point to said ending point, and comparing a mileage associated with said approved route to said documented mileage purportedly travelled, to determine whether said mileage purportedly travelled is appropriate for said services.

A system for controlling a vehicle to provide transportation services, comprising:

• storage documenting needed transportation services between any origin and destination and a time frame thereof, wherein said vehicle under control of said system does not travel on a predetermined routes between said origin and said destination;
• processing circuitry performing a dispatching process without human intervention, said dispatching process including reviewing said storage, identifying a need for immediate transportation service based upon a time frame thereof, and instructing said vehicle to provide said transportation service by travelling from said origin to said destination.

A system for monitoring a vehicle providing transportation services, comprising:

• storage documenting needed transportation services;
• processing circuitry performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said needed transportation services and vehicle activity information to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided.

A method for controlling a vehicle to provide transportation services, comprising:

• documenting needed transportation services between any origin and destination and a time frame thereof, wherein said vehicle when controlled in accordance with said method does not travel on predetermined routes between said origin and said destination;
• performing a dispatching process without human intervention, said dispatching process including reviewing said documented transportation services, identifying a need for immediate transportation service based upon a time frame thereof, and instructing said vehicle to provide said transportation service by travelling from said origin to said destination.

A method for monitoring a vehicle providing transportation services, comprising:

• documenting needed transportation services;
• performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said needed transportation services and vehicle activity information to identify transportation services which are not being adequately provided.

A system for identifying an appropriate value for a transportation service, comprising:

• interface circuitry receiving an origin and a destination for said transportation service,
• processing circuitry responding to said origin and destination by applying routing criteria thereto to derive a value for said transportation service based upon said origin and destination.

A method for verifying that an appropriate charge has been made for a transportation service, comprising:

• receiving an origin and a destination for said transportation service,
• applying routing criteria to said origin and destination to derive a monetary value for said transportation service based upon said origin and destination.

A system for controlling a vehicle to provide transportation services, comprising:

• storage documenting needed transportation services between any origin and destination, wherein said services are to be performed by said vehicle under unilateral control of said system, and said vehicle under control of said system does not travel on predetermined routes between said origin and said destination;
• processing circuitry performing a dispatching process without human intervention, said dispatching process including reviewing said needed transportation services, and issuing a unilateral instruction to said vehicle to provide said transportation service by travelling from said origin to said destination.

A method for controlling a vehicle to provide transportation services, comprising:

• documenting needed transportation services between any origin and destination, wherein said services are to be performed by said vehicle under unilateral control, and said vehicle when controlled in accordance with said method does not travel on predetermined routes between said origin and said destination;
• performing a dispatching process without human intervention, said dispatching process including reviewing said documented transportation services, and unilaterally instructing said vehicle to provide said transportation service by travelling from said origin to said destination.

A system for monitoring use of a vehicle, comprising:

• communication circuitry receiving activity information from said vehicle without human intervention, and
• processing circuitry performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said activity information to identify whether said vehicle is stalled in traffic.

A method for monitoring use of a vehicle, comprising:

• receiving activity information from said vehicle without human intervention, and
• performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said activity information to identify whether said vehicle is stalled in traffic.

A system for interacting with a mobile asset to encourage positioning of said mobile asset at a desired single location, comprising:

• circuitry identifying position or motion information for said mobile asset,
• storage for data referencing activity of a mobile asset,
• processing circuitry reviewing said position or motion information and said data without human intervention, to correlate said position or motion information with activity of a mobile asset referenced in said data, identifying a desired single location for said mobile asset, and advising a person responsible for control of said mobile asset of the desired single location for said mobile asset based upon the correlation of said position or motion information with activity of a mobile asset referenced in said data.

A system for monitoring use of a vehicle, comprising:

• communication circuitry receiving vehicle activity information without human intervention, and
• processing circuitry of performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said vehicle activity information to detect a transportation-affecting situation, and predicting therefrom whether transportation services will meet future needs.

A method for monitoring use of a vehicle, comprising:

• receiving vehicle activity information without human intervention, and
• performing a monitoring process without human intervention, said monitoring process including reviewing said vehicle activity information to detect a transportation-affecting situation, and predicting therefrom whether transportation services will meet future needs.