Method for identifying vehicles

• US 20060028324A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Oesterling, Christopher L., Suurmeyer, Andrea K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,286,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

A method for identifying a vehicle includes receiving a stolen vehicle input at a call center and receiving a confirmation input at a call center. A vehicle code display command is sent from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle and a vehicle code of the stolen vehicle is displayed in the stolen vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a vehicle, the method comprising:

Receiving a stolen vehicle input at a call center;

Receiving a confirmation input at a call center;

Sending a vehicle code display command from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle;

Displaying a vehicle code of the stolen vehicle in the stolen vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the vehicle code from a Read Only Memory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle code is selected from the group consisting of the VIN and a unique identification code.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the vehicle code comprises displaying the vehicle code on a display screen.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the display screen is a driver information center display.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the display screen is a dialed digital display.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the vehicle code comprises broadcasting the vehicle code over a speaker.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the speaker is an in-vehicle audio speech-generating source.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the speaker is connected to an audio system.

10. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for identifying a vehicle, the medium comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a stolen vehicle input at a call center;

computer readable code for receiving a confirmation input at a call center;

computer readable code for sending a vehicle code display command from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle;

computer readable code for displaying a vehicle code of the stolen vehicle in the stolen vehicle.

11. The medium of claim 10 further comprising computer readable code for retrieving the vehicle code from a Read Only Memory.

12. The medium of claim 10 wherein the vehicle code is selected from the group consisting of the VIN and a unique identification code.

13. The medium of claim 10 wherein computer readable code for displaying the vehicle code comprises computer readable code for displaying the vehicle code on a display screen.

14. The medium of claim 13 wherein the display screen is a driver information center display.

15. The medium of claim 13 wherein the display screen is a dialed digital display.

16. The medium of claim 10 wherein computer readable code for displaying the vehicle code comprises computer readable code for broadcasting the vehicle code over a speaker.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein the speaker is an in-vehicle audio speech-generating source.

18. The medium of claim 16 wherein the speaker is connected to an audio system.

19. A system for identifying a vehicle comprising:

means for receiving a stolen vehicle input at a call center;

means for receiving a confirmation input at a call center;

means for sending a vehicle code display command from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle;

means for displaying a vehicle code of the stolen vehicle in the stolen vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for displaying a vehicle code of the stolen vehicle comprises means for retrieving the vehicle code from a Read Only Memory.