Vehicle tracking system

• US 20050088321A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Charles F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A system for identifying the location of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a sensor, a receiver, a processor, and a database. The sensor is configured to determine the status of a component and transmit a component ID signal and a component status signal to a controller for monitoring status of the vehicle. The receiver is located external to the vehicle and configured to collect the signals from the sensor. The processor is in communication with the receiver and adapted to correlate the component ID signal and the location of the receiver. The database is in communication with the processor and configured to store the component ID and the receiver location.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a location of a vehicle, the vehicle including a controller for monitoring status of a component of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to transmit a component ID signal and a component status signal;

a first receiver remote from the vehicle and configured to collect a component ID signal from the sensor;

a processor in communication with the first receiver and adapted to receive and correlate the component ID signal to a location of first receiver; and

a database in communication with the processor for storing the component ID and the receiver location.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to correlate the component ID with a time that the component ID was received.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a radio frequency transmitter.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is mounted inside a tire.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a tire pressure sensor mounted to a wheel of the vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component ID signal and the location of the first receiver are transmitted to the processor and the processor is located in a remote location to service a plurality of receivers.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a second transmitter and second receiver connected between the first receiver and the processor.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component ID has greater than 2⁶⁴ combinations.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle identification number is correlated with the component ID signal.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface that indicates a time and the location the component ID was received.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface indicates a time and the location that a component ID was received in response to a vehicle identification number input.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface indicates the traffic density based on the location of the receiver.

14. A system for identifying a location of a vehicle, the vehicle including a controller for monitoring status of a component of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor for measuring a tire pressure and configured to transmit a component ID signal and a component status signal;

a receiver remote from the vehicle and configured to collect signals from the sensor;

a processor in communication with the receiver and adapted to correlate the component ID and the location of the receiver; and

a database in communication with the processor for storing the component ID and the receiver location wherein the sensor is a tire pressure sensor mounted to a wheel of the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to correlate the component ID with a time that the component ID was received.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor includes a radio frequency transmitter.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the component ID signal and the location of the receiver are transmitted to the processor and the processor is located in a central location to service a plurality of receivers.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the component ID has greater than 2⁶⁴ combinations.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein a vehicle identification number is correlated with the component ID signal.

20. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a user interface that indicates a time and the location the component ID was received.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein the user interface indicates a time and the location that a component ID was received in response to a vehicle identification number input.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the user interface indicates the traffic density based on the location of the receiver.