Vehicle tracker including a connector for an upgrade device and related methods

• US 20020105444A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,844,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/202 Personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle tracking unit may include a housing, a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller carried by the housing. The controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station. Additionally, an upgrade connector may be carried by the housing and coupled to the controller. Also, an upgrade device may be removably coupled to the upgrade connector for causing the controller to perform at least one vehicle function.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a housing;

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller carried by said housing and cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

an upgrade connector carried by said housing and coupled to said controller; and

an upgrade device removably coupled to said upgrade connector for causing said controller to perform at least one vehicle function.

2. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 further comprising at least one remote transmitter to be carried by a user;

and wherein said upgrade device comprises a receiver for causing said controller to perform the at least one vehicle function based upon signals from said at least one remote transmitter.

3. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 wherein said at least one remote transmitter generates pseudorandomly coded signals.

4. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises at least one of locking and unlocking vehicle doors.

5. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 further comprising an alarm indicator coupled to said upgrade device;

and wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises activating said alarm indicator.

6. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises remote starting a vehicle engine.

7. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery, and wherein said upgrade device is powered by the vehicle battery via said upgrade connector.

8. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery;

wherein said vehicle tracking unit further comprises a voltage regulator carried by said housing and coupled to the vehicle battery; and

wherein said upgrade device is powered by said voltage regulator via said upgrade connector.

9. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 8 wherein said voltage regulator provides a voltage to said upgrade device less than a voltage of said vehicle battery.

10. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 further comprising a back-up battery carried by said housing;

and wherein said upgrade device is selectively powered by said back-up battery via said upgrade connector.

11. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 further comprising a serial communications link connecting said controller and said upgrade device via said upgrade device connector.

12. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said upgrade device comprises at least one connector to be connected to at least one vehicle device.

13. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

14. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

16. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said at least one remote transmitter generates pseudorandomly coded signals.

17. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises at least one of locking and unlocking vehicle doors.

18. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 further comprising an alarm indicator coupled to said upgrade device;

and wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises activating said alarm indicator.

19. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises remote starting a vehicle engine.

20. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery, and wherein said upgrade device is powered by the vehicle battery via said upgrade connector.

21. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery;

wherein said vehicle tracking unit further comprises a voltage regulator carried by said housing and coupled to the vehicle battery; and

wherein said upgrade device is powered by said voltage regulator via said upgrade connector.

22. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 21 wherein said voltage regulator provides a voltage to said upgrade device less than a voltage of said vehicle battery.

23. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 further comprising a back-up battery carried by said housing;

and wherein said upgrade device is selectively powered by said back-up battery via said pgrade connector.

24. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 further comprising a serial communications link connecting said controller and said upgrade device via said upgrade device connector.

25. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

26. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the vehicle tracking unit further comprises at least one remote transmitter to be carried by a user;

and wherein the upgrade device comprises a receiver for causing the controller to perform the at least one vehicle function based upon signals from the at least one remote transmitter.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the at least one remote transmitter generates pseudorandomly coded signals.

30. The method according to claim 28 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises at least one of locking and unlocking vehicle doors.

31. The method according to claim 28 wherein the vehicle tracking unit further comprises an alarm indicator coupled to the upgrade device;

and wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises activating the alarm indicator.

32. The method according to claim 28 wherein the at least one vehicle function comprises remote starting a vehicle engine.

33. The method according to claim 27 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery, and wherein the upgrade device is powered by the vehicle battery via the upgrade connector.

34. The method according to claim 27 wherein the vehicle further comprises a vehicle battery;

wherein the vehicle tracking unit further comprises a voltage regulator carried by the housing and coupled to the vehicle battery; and

wherein the upgrade device is powered by the voltage regulator via the upgrade connector.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein the voltage regulator provides a voltage to the upgrade device less than a voltage of the vehicle battery.

36. The method according to claim 27 wherein the vehicle tracking unit further comprises a back-up battery carried by the housing;

and wherein the upgrade device is selectively powered by the back-up battery via the upgrade connector.

37. The method according to claim 27 wherein the upgrade device comprises at least one connector to be connected to at least one vehicle device.

15. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a housing;

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller carried by said housing and cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

at least one remote transmitter to be carried by a user;

an upgrade connector carried by said housing and coupled to said controller; and

an upgrade device removably coupled to said upgrade connector and comprising

a receiver for causing said controller to perform at least one vehicle function based upon signals received from said at least one remote transmitter, and

at least one connector to be connected to at least one vehicle device.

27. A method for adapting a vehicle tracking unit to perform at least one vehicle function, the vehicle tracking unit comprising a housing, a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller carried by the housing, the method comprising:

positioning an upgrade connector adjacent the housing and coupling the upgrade connector to the controller; and

removably coupling and upgrade device to the upgrade connector for causing the controller to perform the at least one vehicle function.