Apparatus and method for car relocation and parking timer

• US 20060092002A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yoram Finkelstein
• Original Assignee: Yoram Finkelstein
• Inventors: Finkelstein, Yoram
• Granted Patent: US 7,295,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A method and portable device is provided to assist a person to relocate their parked car and track the time the car should be attended to. A device embodiment includes a car location recording module and a car location playback module. The car location recording module is operable to record a car location in response to the engagement of a (possibly automatically generated) car related signal, which car related signal is engaged proximal to when the car is vacated. The car location playback module plays back the car location recorded by the recording module. Some embodiments further include means for keeping time, such that the location recording module is configured to also record the date and time of when the car location was recorded. Means for managing parking time are also provided for alerting the person that a certain time is eminent or has past, and/or alerting the person that a certain elapsed time is eminent or has past.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for car relocation by a person, the apparatus comprising:

a car location recording module that is operable to record a car location, said car location recording module being initiated upon the engagement of a car related signal, said car related signal being engaged proximal to when the car is vacated;

a car location playback module to playback the car location recorded by said recording module;

a controller module to control recording in said car location recording module and playback in said car location playback module;

a portable casing that substantially contains said car location recording module, said car location playback module, and said controller module.

2. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hinged cover pivotally mounted to said portable casing to cover at least a portion of a surface of said portable casing.

3. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a prompting system to request the person record the location of the car into said car location recording module.

4. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a microphone system operable to record the person'"'"'s voice into said car location recording module, said car location recording module being operable to record human voice.

5. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said car location playback module is operable to play human voice.

6. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said car related signal is automatically engaged proximal to when the car is vacated.

7. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said car related signal is a wireless car door lock signal.

8. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said car related signal is a wireless car alarm arming signal.

9. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exposed textual display module to display the location of the car recorded into said car location recording module.

10. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera that records a picture of the location of the car into said car location recording module.

11. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a GPS system that automatically records the geographic coordinate location of the car into said car location recording module.

12. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a GPS system that automatically records the cross street location of the car into said car location recording module.

13. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for starting recording in said car location recording module.

14. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for ending recording in said car location recording module.

15. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for starting playback in said car location playback module.

16. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for ending playback in said car location playback module.

17. The car relocation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for keeping time.

18. The car relocation apparatus of claim 17, wherein said location recording module is configured to also record the date and time of when the car location was recorded.

19. The car relocation apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for alerting the person that a certain time is eminent or has past.

20. The car relocation apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for alerting the person that a certain elapsed time is eminent or has past.

21. A portable apparatus for car relocation by a person, the apparatus comprising:

means for recording a car location;

means for playing back the car location recorded by said car location recording means;

means for controlling said car location recording and playback means; and

means for encasing said car location recording, playback, and controlling means.

22. The car relocation apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for covering at least a portion of a surface of said encasing means.

23. The car relocation apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for prompting the person to record the location of the car into said car location recording means.

24. The car relocation apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for communicating to the person the location of the car recorded into said car location recording means.

25. The car relocation apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for keeping time.

26. The car relocation apparatus of claim 25, wherein said location recording means is configured to also record the date and time of when the car location was recorded.

27. The car relocation apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for alerting the person that a certain time is eminent or has past.

28. The car relocation apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for alerting the person that a certain elapsed time is eminent or has past.

29. A method for the relocation of a car by a person, the method comprising the steps of:

recording a car location in response to the engagement of a car related signal, said car related signal being engaged proximal to when the car is vacated; and

communicating the recorded car location to the person;

30. The car relocation method of claim 29, further comprising the step of, in response to the engagement of a car related signal, prompting the person to record the location of the car.

31. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the recording of the car location is by way of recording the voice of the person saying the car location.

32. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the recording of the car location is by way of a GPS system that automatically records the approximate geographic coordinates of the car or nearest cross street location to the car.

33. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the communicating is by way of displaying the location of the car on an alphanumeric or graphic display.

34. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the communicating is by way of displaying an image related to the location of the car.

35. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the communicating is by way of playing back a voice recording.

36. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the communicating is by way of playing back a computer generated voice.

37. The car relocation method of claim 29, wherein the communicating comprises the communication of the cross streets nearest to the location of the car.

38. The car relocation method of claim 29, further comprising the step of keeping time.

39. The car relocation method of claim 38, further comprising the step of recording the date and time of when the car location was recorded.

40. The car relocation method of claim 38, further comprising the step of alerting the person that a certain time is eminent or has past.

41. The car relocation method of claim 38, further comprising the step of alerting the person that a certain elapsed time is eminent or has past.