Method for contacting stolen vehicles

• US 20060031011A1
• 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., Douglass, William A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

A method and system for locating a stolen vehicle includes the steps of receiving at least one stolen vehicle input associated with the stolen vehicle at a call center and assigning a first ping rate responsive to the input. An automated request is sent in accordance with the ping rate over a first predetermined time period from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle using a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for locating a stolen vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving at least one stolen vehicle input associated with the stolen vehicle at a call center;

assigning a first ping rate responsive to the input;

sending an automated request in accordance with the ping rate over a first predetermined time period from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle using a wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one input comprises a plurality of inputs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each input is assigned a ping rate based on a priority factor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the priority factor comprises a report time factor.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the priority factor comprises a cellular registration report.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising modifying the first ping rate in response to the cellular registration report.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the priority factor comprises a communication capacity report.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the communication capacity report comprises a modem capacity report

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning a second ping rate associated with the period after expiration of the first predetermined time period.

10. A method for locating a stolen vehicle, the method comprising:

Receiving a plurality of stolen vehicle inputs;

Assigning a priority factor to each stolen vehicle input;

Modifying the priority factor for a stolen vehicle input based on a trigger event.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the trigger event comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a cellular registration report, a communication capacity report, and report time factor.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising sending an automated request based on the priority factor from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle using a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising modifying the priority factor for the stolen vehicle input responsive to the sending of the automated request.

14. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for assisting in locating a stolen vehicle, the medium including computer readable code comprising:

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

computer readable code for assigning a first ping rate responsive to the input;

computer readable code for sending an automated request in accordance with the ping rate over a first predetermined time period from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle using a wireless network.

15. The medium of claim 14 further comprising computer readable code for assigning a ping rate to each input based on a priority factor.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein each input is assigned a ping rate based on a priority factor.

17. The medium of claim 15 wherein the priority factor comprises a report time factor.

18. The medium of claim 15 wherein the priority factor comprises a cellular registration report.

19. The medium of claim 18 further comprising modifying the ping rate in response to a stolen vehicle associated with the cellular registration report.

21. The medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable code for assigning a second ping rate associated with the period after expiration of the first predetermined time period.

20. The medium 15 wherein the priority factor comprises a communication capacity report.

22. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for assisting in locating a stolen vehicle, the medium including computer readable code comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a plurality of stolen vehicle inputs;

computer readable code for assigning a priority factor to each stolen vehicle input;

computer readable code for modifying the priority factor for each stolen vehicle input based on a trigger event.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the trigger event comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a cellular registration report, a communication capacity report, and report time factor.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22 further comprising computer readable code for sending an automated request based on the priority factor from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle using a wireless network.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 further comprising computer readable code for modifying the priority factor for each stolen vehicle input responsive to the sending of the automated request.