Security and safety processing by a vehicle based computer

• US 10,182,319 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Himmelstein, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): D Agosta, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US15/136,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160316346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A vehicle computing device may receive, from a nearby vehicle, a packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for a vehicle. A processor may be determine whether the security access code is valid and verify a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction.

Claims

1. A vehicle computing system, located in a vehicle, comprising:

a transceiver;

an electronic positioning device;

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and the electronic positioning device;

the processor is configured to determine location of the vehicle with information from the electronic positioning device and to send the location to a remote vehicle management center;

the processor is configured to receive, from the remote vehicle management center via the transceiver over a cellular data network based on the location and a detected accident of the vehicle, an internet protocol (IP) packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for the vehicle;

the processor configured to process the safety control instruction based on a comparison of a priority of the packet to other packets, wherein the safety control instruction triggers an alarm or alert in the vehicle;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the security access code is valid and to verify a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction; and

the processor configured to setup voice communications between the vehicle computing system and the remote vehicle management center based on the security level.

2. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 further comprising:

the transceiver is configured to receive authorization from a mobile unit to authorize the processing of the safety control instruction.

3. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor is configured to transmit, when the security access code is invalid via the transceiver, an alert to a mobile unit or a law enforcement system.

4. The vehicle computing system of claim 3, wherein an invalid security access code indicates that the vehicle was stolen.

5. A method performed by a vehicle computing system located in a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor, location of the vehicle with information from an electronic positioning device;

sending, by the vehicle computing system, the location to a remote vehicle management center;

receiving, from the remote vehicle management center by the processor via a transceiver over a cellular data network based on the location and a detected accident of the vehicle, an internet protocol (IP) packet with a safety control instruction having a security access code for the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, whether the security access code is valid;

processing the safety control instruction based on a comparison of a priority of the packet to other packets, wherein the safety control instruction triggers an alarm or alert in the vehicle;

verifying, by the processor, a security level associated with the security access code in order to process the safety control instruction; and

setting up, by the vehicle computing system, voice communications between the vehicle computing system and the remote vehicle management center based on the security level.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, by the transceiver, authorization from a mobile unit to authorize the processing of the safety control instruction.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting, when the security access code is invalid by the processor via the transceiver, an alert to a mobile unit or a law enforcement system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an invalid security access code indicates that the vehicle was stolen.