Vehicle system including security unit providing degradation commands via a vehicle data bus and related methods

• US 10,180,689 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US15/241,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/30 Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 13/02 Details

Abstract

A vehicle security unit is for a vehicle including at least one data communications bus, an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port coupled to the at least one data communications bus, and a vehicle tracking unit to be coupled to the OBD port. The vehicle security unit may include a security unit housing, a short-range security wireless device carried by the security unit housing, and a vehicle security controller carried by the security unit housing and configured to establish a wireless communication link via the short-range security wireless device with the vehicle tracking unit and communicate via the at least one data communications bus responsive to the communication link.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for a vehicle comprising a first data communications bus and a second data communications bus different than the first data communications bus, and an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port coupled to the first data communications bus, the vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle tracking unit comprising

a tracker housing,

an OBD connector to be removably coupled to the OBD port,

a vehicle position determining device carried by said tracker housing,

a long-range tracker wireless device carried by said tracker housing,

a short-range tracker wireless device carried by said tracker housing and having a shorter operating range than said long-range tracker wireless device, and

a tracker controller carried by said tracker housing and coupled to said OBD connector, said tracker controller configured to send vehicle position information via said long-range tracker wireless device, and establish a wireless communication link via said short-range tracker wireless device; and

a vehicle security unit comprising

a security unit housing,

a short-range security wireless device carried by said security unit housing, and

a vehicle security controller carried by said security unit housing and configured to establish the wireless communication link via said short-range security wireless device with said short-range tracker wireless device, and communicate via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate a vehicle degradation command to at least one vehicle device via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2 wherein the vehicle degradation command comprises at least one of an engine start blocking command, and a vehicle speed slow command.

4. The vehicle system of claim 2 wherein the vehicle degradation command comprises at least one of an entertainment system volume change, and a dashboard indicator change.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate via the at second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link being broken.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate via the second data communications bus responsive to receiving a tamper signal from the tracker controller via the wireless communication link.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to be placed into an override mode responsive to operation of at least one vehicle device.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said long-range tracker wireless device comprises a tracker cellular wireless device.

9. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said short-range tracker wireless device comprises a tracker Bluetooth wireless device.

10. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said short-range security wireless device comprises a security Bluetooth wireless device.

11. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said long-range tracker wireless device, said short-range wireless device, and said tracker controller are powered via said OBD connector.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 further comprising a back-up battery carried by said tracker housing and powered via said OBD connector.

13. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the second data communications bus comprises a high-speed data bus, and the first data communications bus comprises a low-speed data bus having a speed lower than the high-speed data bus;

and wherein said tracker controller is coupled to the low-speed data communications bus, and said security controller is coupled to the high-speed data communications bus.

14. A vehicle security unit for a vehicle comprising a first data communications bus and a second data communications bus different than the first data communications bus, an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port coupled to the first data communications bus, and a vehicle tracking unit coupled to the OBD port, the vehicle security unit comprising:

a security unit housing;

a short-range security wireless device carried by said security unit housing; and

a vehicle security controller carried by said security unit housing and configured to establish a wireless communication link via said short-range security wireless device with said vehicle tracking unit, and communicate via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

15. The vehicle security unit of claim 14 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate a vehicle degradation command to at least one vehicle device via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

16. The vehicle security unit of claim 15 wherein the vehicle degradation command comprises at least one of an engine start blocking command, and a vehicle speed slow command.

17. The vehicle security unit of claim 14 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link being broken.

18. The vehicle security unit of claim 14 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to communicate via the second data communications bus responsive to receiving a tamper signal from the vehicle tracking unit via the wireless communication link.

19. The vehicle security unit of claim 14 wherein said vehicle security controller is configured to be placed into an override mode responsive to operation of at least one vehicle device.

20. The vehicle security unit of claim 14 wherein said short-range security wireless device comprises a Bluetooth wireless device.

21. A vehicle security method for a vehicle comprising a first data communications bus and a second data communications bus different than the first data communications bus, and an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port coupled to the first data communications bus, the method comprising:

at a vehicle tracking unit comprising a tracker housing, an OBD connector to be removably coupled to the OBD port, a vehicle position determining device carried by the tracker housing, a long-range tracker wireless device carried by the tracker housing, and a short-range tracker wireless device carried by the tracker housing and having a shorter operating range than the long-range tracker wireless device, sending vehicle position information via the long-range tracker wireless device and establishing a wireless communication link via the short-range tracker wireless device; and

at a vehicle security unit comprising a security unit housing and a short-range security wireless device carried by the security unit housing, establishing the wireless communication link via the short-range security wireless device with the short-range tracker wireless device and communicating via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein communicating via the second data communications bus comprises communicating a vehicle degradation command to at least one vehicle device via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the vehicle degradation command comprises at least one of an engine start blocking command, and a vehicle speed slow command.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein communicating via the second data communications bus comprises communicating via the second data communications bus responsive to the wireless communication link being broken.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising, at the vehicle tracking unit, generating a tamper signal and sending the tamper signal to the vehicle security unit via the wireless communication link;

and wherein communicating via the second data communications bus comprises communicating via the second data communications bus responsive to receiving the tamper signal via the wireless communication link.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising, at the vehicle security unit, entering into an override mode responsive to operation of at least one vehicle device.