How to Create a Notification

1. Push the New button.
2. Choose unit(s) to create a notification for, and push Next. Units are selected in the same way as in jobs. More…
3. Select what you would like to control: geofence, speed, alarms, sensor values, message parameter, etc. Push 'Next'. More…
4. Adjust control parameters needed for the notification type selected in the previous window: select geofences, indicate speed limits, etc. Push Next. More…
5. Input your text for the notification using special tags listed in the table below. They will be substituted with real values when notification triggers. More…
6. Indicate how the notification should be delivered: sent by e-mail or SMS, popup online, registered in unit history, etc. More…
7. Key in a name for the notification and adjust the schedule for its performance. More…
8. Push OK. The created notification will appear on the list in the left part of the window.

All the steps needed to create notifications are described in detail below.

Attention! To create a notification, the access flag Use unit in jobs, notifications, routes, retranslators is required. However, sometimes it is not enough — if a notification concerns an action, you need to have rights to perform those actions, and only then the notification will trigger.

Notification Type

Speed

Define the minimum and/or maximum speed values. If a unit goes out of this range, the notification will trigger. In addition, you can activate sensor value control — in this case, the notification will trigger only if both conditions are met.

Geofence

In case of this choice, in the following window you select geofences or groups of geofences to control and control type: control entries to or exits from geofences. Those geofences should be created in advance and belong to the same resource with the notification.

In addition, you can adjust speed limitations and/or sensor value range inside (outside) chosen geofences. Then the notification will trigger when all conditions are met.

Alarm (SOS)

For this type of notification, no specific settings are needed.

Digital input

Specify the number of digital input and select control type: trigger on input activation or deactivation.

Parameter in a message

Four control types are provided: value range, text mask, parameter availability, and parameter lack. Only real parameters, i.e., sent by device itself can be considered whereas virtual parameters such as speed, altitude, sats (satellites) etc. cannot be controlled by this type of notification.

To control Value range, specify parameter name, define minimum and maximum values for it, and select whether to trigger in the specified range or out of it. If you need to get notifications for all parameters except 0, set 0 as min and as max value and choose trigger type 'Out of specified range'.

To control text, enter parameter name and Text mask using wildcard symbols (? and *).

For Parameter availability and Parameter lack, it is enough to indicate parameter name. These two last mentioned options can be interpreted as parameter appearance and disappearance if on the last page of the dialog you set the option 'Generate notification only when state changed'. For in and out parameters it is possible only to control parameter availability/lack.

Sensor value

With this notification type, you can control either sensor getting some undesirable value (Value range) or abrupt significant change in sensor value (Value leap). To specify sensors to be controlled by the notification, choose sensor type on the dropdown list or set the name mask using wildcard symbols (* and ?). You can as well do both. If there will be found two or more sensors meeting these conditions (same type or name mask or both), their values can be summed or regarded separately — select the corresponding option. Then enter minimum and maximum values and select control type: trigger in the specified range or out of it. If you control value leap, then enter delta. Notification triggers when delta is exceeded. Note that an indicated delta is compared to the module of values' delta.

Connection loss

Choose control type:

1. No data. It can be a simple connection loss when no messages are received from the unit during a period.

1. No coordinates. There are also cases when all sensors are active and their values are known, but it is impossible to locate the unit. It is especially true if someone covered GPS receiver.

Indicate loss time: how long (in minutes) the connection/coordinates loss should continue before a notification triggers.

Idling

For this type of control, indicate speed and time. Speed should be more than 0 to exclude possible equipment errors. Indicate also time allowed for staying. If this time exceeded, this will be considered as an idle, and the notification will trigger. Note that maximum allowed time of idling corresponds to 98 hours and 59 minutes.

In addition, you can activate sensor value control — in this case the notification will trigger only if both conditions are met. It is convenient to control idles with engine on, for example.

SMS

You can receive a notification when a certain SMS message comes. To define, which SMS messages you are interested in, enter a mask for message text. This feature can be useful, for example, when a device sends SMS of a certain content in case of malfunction.

Interposition of units

This type of notification allows you to control approaching of units to each other and moving away from each other. Select control type (approaching or moving away) and specify radius in meters — if this distance between units is insufficient or exceeded, then the notification will trigger. Choose units which position will be estimated regarding the units that were chosen for the notification itself. In addition, you can narrow trigger case adjusting speed limitations or sensor value range (like in geofence control). Note that units interposition is checked by the system using their latest messages only.

Address

This type of notification is like geofence control. You can control entrance/exit or being in or out of a location. Enter some address parameters (e.g., city, street, and house) and then select the most appropriate option from found addresses. Additionally, adjust the radius of controllable area.

Excess of messages

With this notification, you can be warned if a unit exceeds the limit of messages you have set. Either usual data messages or only SMS messages can be under control of this type of notification. Indicate the limit of messages and set the reset interval. The example below assumes that the notification will trigger if unit sends 3 or more SMS messages in an hour's time.

Fuel filling

This notification type allows you to control fuel fillings, and provides with an information on the amount of fuel filled. Upon notification creating you can indicate sensor masks in order to use this particular sensor for fuel filling detection. Besides, checking the corresponding flag you can control location of filling in relation to the chosen geofences (inside/outside geofence). These geofences should be created in advance, and belong to the same resource as the notification itself. Moreover, there is an 'Ignore recalculated data' option. Enabling this option allows receiving notifications for a new (current) fillings. If the option is disabled, then upon receiving a historic message (from the black box, or after importing messages, etc.) the number of events will be recalculated, and you will receive messages on the old (not current) fillings.

Note that notification triggers for every fuel level sensor individually, therefore the 'Merge same name sensors (fuel level)' option is ignored in this case.

Route progress

For this type of notification, select statuses to control: round start, round finish, arrival to check point, check point skip, departure from check point, etc. Additionally, you can specify name masks for routes, schedule and/or round.

Driver

Choose control type: driver assignment or driver reset. To control both activities, two notifications of different types will be required. Using this notification, you can control all drivers (*) or just some of them — input driver's name (or code) mask.

Maintenance

First, you choose trigger type: notify when service term approaches or notify when service term is expired. Then indicate the interval before or after the term for the notification to trigger. This interval can be in days, kilometers, engine hours, or together. You can control either all intervals existing in the Service Intervals tab in unit properties or just several intervals. To specify target intervals, enter a name mask using wildcard symbols like asterisk (*) and question sign (?). Then indicate how much mileage, or time, or how many engine hours should be left or expired to make the notification trigger.

Notification about maintenance triggers only once — when a critical point is met (mileage, engine hours or time) about any maintenance interval. Then information about service work done should be delivered through event registrar or through unit properties dialog. Only after that, the notification starts working again.

Notifications' triggering peculiarities:

• If upon creation of notification a unit with an already exceeded maintenance interval is chosen, then the notification for such a unit will not trigger.
• If no position messages have been sent to a unit, then the notification for such a unit will not trigger.

Note. As each notification belongs to some resource, it takes its measurement units from this resource. If the American or imperial measurement system is set for the resource, then speed is shown in miles per hour (mph), radius in feet (ft), and mileage in miles (mi). Otherwise (in case of metric system), it will be kilometers per hour, meters and kilometers, correspondingly.

Notification Action/Type

Notification action is the way system will react when a notification triggers.

Notify by e-mail

You can indicate one or more e-mail addresses to send a notification to. When all fields are filled, additional slots appear automatically. You can also check the option Attach image from triggered message if the device used takes pictures.

Notify by SMS

Key in one or more telephone numbers in the international format, for example, +375293293294. When all slots to enter phones are filled, additional slots appear automatically.

Note that if the flag 'Can send SMS' is not chosen in a user properties, then the corresponding notification delivery method becomes unavailable.

Display online notification in a popup window

A notification can be displayed in a popup window. It can be silent or accompanied by a specific sound. If no URL is given for the sound, the standard tune will be used. Otherwise, enter sound URL to use a custom tune. Recommended file size is up to 0.5 MB.

There is a possibility to inform on a notification triggering by blinking a minimap. To enable this option, indicate the 'Blink minimap' flag in this section.

Attention! Different browsers can have restrictions regarding formats of audio files:

To highlight a notification, you can set an individual color to it. This color will be applied to the background of the triggered notification so that you could easily notice it.

Send mobile notification

In this case upon notification triggering mobile notification is sent to a user or multiple users of an application. Choose the necessary application in the left field. Then the system checks the possession of the necessary rights towards users: 'View detailed item properties', 'Act as given user'. Current user as well as creator of a resource to which a notification belongs are checked for the possession of these rights. Afterwards based on this check a list of users is formed in the right field. Here you can indicate a single user or multiple users (choosing the corresponding flags) or all the users (holding and checking any user's flag) to whom a notification will be sent. Note that mobile notifications service availability depends on the chosen service package.

Send a request

You can transfer a notice on the triggered notification to external systems. Choosing this measure is necessary to indicate server address as well as HTTP request method ('POST' or 'GET').

Register event for unit

In this case notification text is stored in unit history. Then a report on these events can be generated.

Register as violation

Upon checking this option the notification will be registered not only as event but also as violation, and one more report type will be available to you. For further information, see reports on Events and Violations.

Execute a command

For this action, choose a command to be executed over unit(s). The list consists of all commands configured in the properties of selected units. So, different commands on the list may be supported by different units. Support status is seen with special indicators:

• command is supported by all selected units;
• not all of selected units support given command (see details in the tooltip).

For some commands, you should set additional parameters like input/output number, online report interval, etc.

Change access to units

Choose users whose access rights will be modified when trigger conditions occur. Specify access that will be applied to those users after the notification triggers. This feature can be used, for instance, in the following situation.

Set counter value

Counter values can be changed (or zeroed) when notification triggers. Select one or more counters (mileage counter, engine hours counter, traffic counter) and set new values for them.

Store counter value as parameter

Current values of mileage or engine hours counters can be stored as parameters in unit data messages (odometer or engine hours correspondingly). These parameters can be used to create sensors on their basis (for example, engine hours sensor) and to get initial/final mileage in reports. For more precise calculations, it is recommended to store counters while the unit is parked, for example, once a day at night time.

Register unit status

A new status can be set for unit when a notification triggers. For instance, when unit enters a geofence, private state can automatically switch to business.

Modify unit groups

You can change the contents of unit groups when a notification triggers — add triggered unit to a group or remove it from a group. On the left, there is a list of all available unit groups. Move necessary groups to the right to Add to group or Remove from group sections.

Send a report by e-mail

Enter e-mail address(es) to send a report to if the notification triggers. Select report template, object, file format(s), and other parameters to get a needed report. Sometimes it is convenient to choose Triggered unit option — then the report will be generated for the same unit that the notification has triggered for.

Create a round

Creating a new round for unit can be chosen as an action undertaken after the notification triggers. For example, when one round is finished, a new round can be assigned, or when unit leaves its garage (as a geofence), a round is automatically created for it.

Reset driver

This feature can be used, for example, to reset driver automatically when the unit returns to the depot. This action can be completed successfully only if you have enough rights for the resource where the driver under question belongs — 'Create, edit, delete drivers'. Note that driver resetting can take place only within the resource to which a notification belongs.

Reset trailer

Like the “reset driver”, but related to trailers. This action can be completed successfully only if you have enough rights for the resource where the trailer under question belongs — 'Create, edit, delete trailers'. Moreover, the same as for driver resetting, trailers should belong to the same resource in order the action to be executed correctly.

Notification Text

Text can be set for such actions as notify by SMS or e-mail, register an event in unit history, or display popup window online.

The text of a notification can be written in any language, contain any characters, words and phrases, and be of any size. Large messages are acceptable for e-mail notifications. Of course, for SMS notifications it is better to form more compact messages.

To be more informative, a notification should contain special parameters (tags) which are substituted with real values in an incoming notification.

Example:

The text «'%UNIT%' violated speed limitations. At '%POS_TIME%' it moved %SPEED% near '%LOCATION%'» can be transformed to «'Rover-119' violated speed limitations. At '2000-01-01 12:01:37' it moved 136 km/h near 'KU 8, Thurnau, DE'».

Measurement units (kilometers or miles) used to decipher parameters depend on resource settings where the notification belongs. Date and time format are taken from the creator of this resource.

Below is the list of parameters applicable to most types of notifications:

There are also parameters which make sense only with certain types of notifications:

Notification Parameters

Here you set general parameters for a notification as well as define the specific character of its operation. The set of parameters can vary depending on notification type.

• Name: Key in any mane. It will be displayed on the list of notifications and in the notification itself.
• Time interval (from – to): Time interval is a notification validity period. It is unlimited by default (the Time interval box is not checked). Though, if it is necessary any notification validity period could be set accurate to the minutes (check the box and indicate an interval needed). Upon the expiration of the indicated time, a notification will be automatically switched off (or permanently deleted if units mentioned in this notification do not exist anymore).
• Control period from current time: This is a period of between the time when the notification triggered and the current server time. If this interval is exceeded, the message is not considered.
• Min duration of alarm state: This parameter is aimed to exclude cases of accidental trigger that can be caused by equipment errors and inaccuracy. For example, a tracker can show that a unit left a geofence but returned 10 seconds later. In this field you can define how much time the alarm state have to continue in order to be registered. Choose an interval from 10 seconds up to 1 day. Minimum duration value is applicable directly to the main triggering condition (notification type) and does not influence the additional ones (speed, sensor value, etc.).
• Max triggers: Maximum number of notifications to be delivered. The notification is disabled automatically upon reaching this value.
• Generate notification: (1) Only when state changed, (2) For all messages
• In the first case, the notification will trigger when unit state changes, that is if at the time when the notification was activated a unit is already in an alarm state, the notification will not trigger. In the second case, the notification will trigger as soon as an alarm state is detected. If the second option is selected, the following parameters are not needed.
• Min duration of the previous state: This parameter is needed to exclude excessive triggers. For example, the unit can return to the normal state for a very short time and then returns to the alarm state. In order that the notification in such a case would not trigger twice, this parameter is used. Choose an interval from 10 seconds up to 1 day.
• Max time difference between messages: Maximum time between the latest message and the previous one to form a notification. If the interval between the current message and the previous one exceeds this value, the notification does not trigger.
• Timeout: Delay from the moment when message was received and before it will be checked. This delay is especially recommended if a unit has a black box that usually requires time to unload all messages stored in the period of communication loss (for instance, while it was abroad).
• Enabled: If activated, the notification after creation/editing will be active. If not, it will be disabled.
• Time limitation: It is possible to set limitations depending on time, day or month. For example, the control can be performed only on weekdays and within working hours.

Notifications Management

On the list of notifications, you can get the following information shown the table below:

Hover the mouse cursor over a notification to see detailed information in the tooltip: control type, parameters, actions, life time, max triggers, text, and resource (if available).

The following actions can be executed over notifications:

enable/disable notification,

enable/disable all notifications at once,

edit a notification settings,

create a new notification using this one as the basis,

delete a notification.

If you have just view access to the resource where a notification is located, you cannot edit or delete it, and some buttons look different:

you cannot change notification state,

view notification properties (editing not available),

impossible to delete the notification.

Using the dynamic filter, you can save your time when looking for a certain notification on the list. Enter notification name or its part into the search box above the list and estimate the results.

The other way to filter notifications can be used if you have access to more than one resource. Then, on the dropdown list, choose resource name to display only the notifications that belong to this resource. Note that if you have just view rights to a resource, you cannot edit or delete these notifications.

Online Notification

Online notifications can be received only by users logged in to the system on the moment of notification triggering. Moreover, received online notifications are not stored in the system after logging out.

Online notifications will pop up in a separate window and can be accompanied by a special sound (see User Settings). If special parameters are not specified in notification properties, the standard audio signal is used. However, you can assign your own sounds, for each notification individually.

As more notifications come, they are stored in the same window.

Received notifications are displayed in the online notifications window. A button-indicator of the number of newly received (unread) notifications is situated in the right part of the bottom panel. You can hide/show online notifications clicking this button. Moreover, several unread online notifications is shown on the browser tab.

Newly received notifications are added to the list on the top. An online notification's caption is taken from notification's name provided during its creation and highlighted in blue. To expand or collapse a notification, use the switch button +/– or click on the header of the notification in a place with no text.

Records in this window can have different background (if this was set in action parameters). Colorful backgrounds can be applied to highlight most important messages or visually separate notifications of various types from each other. Background becomes lighter after the notification has been read. If clicking on a notification, the map is centered on the place where the event happened.

If clicking on unit's name, the map is centered on the latest unit position. At that, the unit is added to the work list of the Monitoring panel with the flag 'Show on map'.

To delete a notification, click on a red cross against it. It is possible also to delete all notifications or delete all read notifications (Delete all or Delete read). The window is closed automatically when you delete all notifications. If the online notifications' window is closed by clicking on the grey cross in the upper right corner, then the window ceases to appear automatically upon receiving new notifications until the 'Automatically display popup events' flag is activated.

The notification window can be hidden or shown, resized or dragged over the screen. To resize the window, click on its right or bottom edge and drag in the necessary direction. To hide the window, click on the Online Notifications icon on the bottom of the screen (or use the standard little cross in the upper right-hand corner of the window).

Note. Any user who has any access to a resource will get all online notifications created in this resource.

Note. Online notifications can also be viewed in mini-maps.