Event Rules
Event Rules decide under which conditions incoming messages should create alerts and how they should be handled in VehicleTracker. Rules can also detect when a tracking device has been offline for a certain duration of time.
This approach enables flexible implementations where alarm monitoring can be customized to include exactly the right messages or missing messages.
Event Rule Wizard
Event rules are used to create events based on signals from devices, or offline events in the case of lacking device activity. Event rules are configurable and can be combined in a powerful way. One Event Rule might simply check if a value is true (e.g. if a SOS button has been pressed) whereas a more complex Event Rule can check how a value has changed over time or distance (e.g. if there has been an unexpected fuel loss). Another event rule could check if a device has been offline for more than two hours during work hours.
For ease of use a wizard guides you when you setup an event rule. If you make a mistake or omit something a yellow triangle comes up next to rules that have potential issues. Moving the mouse over a triangle brings up a detailed explanation as shown in the picture. The picture below shows the list of Event Rules and illustrates the concept of the configuration alerts.
Click on “Add new Event Rule” to create a new event rule. The wizard below opens to assist in the process.
Give the rule a name and description and click “Next” to configure who the rule applies for.
Select the tags that you want to include in the rule and click “Next”.
A rule can either be active at all times or at certain time periods such as weekends or office hours. Leave the rule as “Always active” or set a specific schedule for the rule and click “Next”.
An event rule is evaluated using expressions. You can add multiple expressions to a rule. The table below describes the available expression characteristics.
| Match all or Match any | Select if all conditions should be true, or if one is enough to make the event true. In other words, decide if your rule is an AND or OR rule. |
| Analog Expression | Analog Expressions let you create an expression for analog inputs. The expression compares the input value to the value you set. To use this expression you need to map an analog input from your device to a system variable using the Device Mapper. |
| Changes Expression | Changes Expressions let you create an expression based the change over time or distance for an input. You can for example detect a rapid temperature change or fuel loss. To use this expression you need to map an analog input from your device to a system variable using the Device Mapper. |
| Digital Expression | Digital Expressions let you create create an expression for digital inputs. The expression compares the input value to the value you set. To use this expression you need to map an analog input from your device to a system variable using the Device Mapper. |
| Geofence Expression | Geofence Tag |
| Offline Expression | Offline Expressions let you specify a time period since last connection for a device to be considered as offline. |
An event can be triggered immediately when the expressions are evaluated as true, or after a set delay. Delayed events are used to fulfill conditions such as “Create an alert if a vehicle has its engine on for more than 30 minutes without moving”.
Leave the event as an Immediate event, or add a delay if appropriate and click “Next” to setup notifications.
Notifications can be sent to the following “recipients”.
| Application | Events can be displayed in the Alarm panel or just be stored in the database |
| Icon | The Icon notifier creates an additional column in the Vehicle list for real time event status monitoring. The column gets a green or red icon or is left blank depending on the event status. |
| The email notifier is used to send emails. The email can contain template variables (as shown in the picture above). Variables include event details and map links. Recipient lists are created using tags. | |
| SMS | SMS notifier is used to send SMS. The email can contain template variables (as shown in the picture above). Recipient lists are created using tags. |
When you are done adding notifiers, click “Next” and Save the event rule.
Editing Event Rules
When you edit an existing event rule the wizard is opened in “edit” mode as shown below. Please look at the previous section for details about the different steps in the wizard.
Note: You can collapse the different steps in the wizard by clicking on them to make space for the step you are working on.