Starter-interrupt device incorporating global positioning system functionality

• US 10,576,927 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2015
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwarz, Stanley G., Macheca, Christopher M., Glancy, Michael, Aron, Chris, Karlin, Mary Sue, Chirico, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): Araque, Jr., Gerardo
• Application Number:
  US14/875,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An onboard starter-interrupt device incorporates Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality in addition to payment schedule enforcement functions. In response to certain events, and/or on a periodic basis, the onboard device transmits vehicle location data to an operations center. In one aspect, a “geo-fence”, or virtual boundary, can be defined; if the vehicle is driven outside the geo-fence, the location information is transmitted to the operations center and/or other action is taken. In response to receiving vehicle location data, the operations center can send a message to cause the onboard device to disable the vehicle, or to present a warning to the vehicle owner, or to notify a third party of the event and/or vehicle location, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring payment status associated with a vehicle;

detecting a non-payment event by a purchaser of the vehicle;

enabling terms of a geographic region at an operations center remote from a vehicle, wherein enabling of the terms of the geographic region is responsive to the non-payment event by the purchaser of the vehicle, and wherein the terms of the geographic region set a geographic region beyond which the vehicle is not permitted to travel;

sending the terms of the geographic region to an onboard device coupled to the vehicle;

alerting an operator of the vehicle that the terms of the geographic region are enabled;

disabling the vehicle when the vehicle travels outside the geographic region and the terms of the geographic region are enabled; and

disabling the terms of the geographic region in response to a payment event by the purchaser of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein sending the terms of the geographic region further comprises sending to the onboard device an indication of future actions to be taken in the event the vehicle travels outside the geographic region;

wherein disabling the vehicle further comprises;

tracking a location of the vehicle by the onboard device; and

disabling the vehicle by the onboard device when the vehicle travels outside the geographic region, the disabling by the onboard device in the absence of a further message from the operations center prior to disabling.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending a message to an external agent indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising issuing an alert to the purchaser of the vehicle indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the vehicle further comprises:

tracking a location of the vehicle by the onboard device; and

sending to the operations center by the onboard device an indication that vehicle has traveled outside the geographic region;

sending a message to the onboard device by the operations center to disable the vehicle; and

disabling the vehicle by the onboard device responsive to the message.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising sending a message to an external agent indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising issuing an alert to the vehicle purchaser indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the vehicle further comprises:

receiving an indication from the onboard device that the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region; and

sending a disable command to the onboard device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending a message to an external agent indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising issuing an alert to the purchaser of the vehicle indicating the vehicle has travelled outside the geographic region.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the vehicle further comprises:

tracking a location of the vehicle by the onboard device;

attempting to contact the operations center responsive to the vehicle travelling outside the geographic region; and

disabling the vehicle by the onboard device responsive to an inability to contact the operations center by the onboard device.

12. A system for enforcing a payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:

a computer system at an operations center, the computer system configured to;

monitoring payment status associated with a vehicle;

receive information indicating a nonpayment event by a purchaser of the vehicle;

a wireless transmission interface coupled to the computer system, the wireless transmission interface configured to transmit, responsive to the nonpayment event, a message to a disabling device onboard a vehicle, where the message enables a permitted geographic region of operation for the vehicle, wherein the permitted geographic region of operation is a geographic region beyond which the vehicle is not permitted to travel; and

a location tracking device associated with and communicatively coupled to the disabling device, the location tracking configured to determine location information specifying vehicle location, and

wherein the disabling device is configured to;

alert an operator of the vehicle that the permitted geographic region of operation is enabled;

disable the vehicle responsive to the location information when the vehicle travels outside the permitted geographic region of operation and the permitted geographic region of operation is enabled; and

disabling the permitted geographic region of operation in response to a payment event by the purchaser of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12:

wherein when the computer system sends the message, the computer system is further configured to send an indication of future actions to be taken;

wherein when the disabling device disables the vehicle, the disabling device disables the vehicle in the absence of a further message from the operations center.

14. The system of claim 12:

wherein when the computer system sends the message, the computer system is further configured to send an indication of future actions to be taken;

wherein when the disabling device disables the vehicle, the disabling device is further configured to attempt to contact the operations center responsive to the vehicle travelling outside the permitted geographic region, and the disabling device disables the vehicle responsive to an inability to contact the operations center.

15. The system of claim 12:

wherein the disabling device is further configured to send the operations center an indication that the vehicle has travelled outside the permitted geographic region of operation;

wherein the computer system of the operations center is further configured to send a disablement command responsive to the indication that the vehicle has travelled outside the permitted geographic region; and

wherein when the disabling device disables the vehicle, the disabling device is further configured to disable responsive to the disablement command.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

the disabling device configured to send the location information to the computer system at the operations center by way of a wireless transmission; and

a display device, coupled to the computer system at the operations center, the computer system configured to display the location information regarding the vehicle on the display device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations center is located remotely with respect to the vehicle.