Method for controlling a remote monitoring device

• US 20060158349A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Ampunan, Nathan D., Oesterling, Christopher L., McGarry, Daniel C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.70
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A method of controlling a remote monitoring device from a vehicle includes sending a command signal from a telematics unit via a wi-fi connection to the remote monitoring device and receiving data from the remote monitoring device via a wi-fi connection at the telematics unit. The data is sent to a destination via a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a remote monitoring device from a vehicle, the method comprising:

sending a command signal from a telematics unit via a wi-fi connection to the remote monitoring device;

receiving data from the remote monitoring device via a wi-fi connection at the telematics unit; and

sending the data to a destination via a wireless system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal is sent responsive to a trigger.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the trigger is selected from the group consisting of an odometer trigger, a time trigger, a speedometer trigger, an ignition trigger, event trigger, GPS trigger, and a monitoring trigger.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the command signal is sent to the telematics unit from a command source.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the command source is remote from the telematics unit.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination is a call center.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wi-fi connection is a wireless packet data connection configured to comply with a protocol for wireless communication selected from the group consisting of 802.11, Bluetooth, and FCC Part 15.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

a camera, a Geiger counter, an audio device, a data collection device, and a video camera.

9. A computer usable medium encoded with computer readable code for controlling a remote monitoring device from a vehicle, the computer readable code comprising:

computer readable code for sending a command signal from a telematics unit via a wi-fi connection to the remote monitoring device;

computer readable code for receiving data from the remote monitoring device via a wi-fi connection at the telematics unit; and

computer readable code for sending the data to a destination via a wireless system.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the command signal is sent responsive to a trigger.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein the trigger is selected from the group consisting of an odometer trigger, a time trigger, a speedometer trigger, an ignition trigger, event trigger, GPS trigger, and a monitoring trigger.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the command signal is sent to the telematics from a command source.

13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the command source is remote from the telematics unit.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein the destination is a call center.

15. The medium of claim 9 wherein the wi-fi connection is a wireless packet data connection configured to comply with a protocol for wireless communication selected from the group consisting of 802.11, Bluetooth, and FCC Part 15.

16. The medium of claim 9 wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

a camera, an audio device, a Geiger counter, a data collection device, and a video camera.

17. A system for controlling a remote monitoring device from a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for sending a command signal from a telematics unit via a wi-fi connection to the remote monitoring device;

means for receiving data from the remote monitoring device via a wi-fi connection at the telematics unit; and

means for sending the data to a destination via a wireless system.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

a camera, an audio device, a Geiger counter, a data collection device, and a video camera.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the command signal is sent responsive to a trigger.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the trigger comprises at least one of the group consisting of an odometer trigger, a time trigger, a speedometer trigger, an ignition trigger, event trigger, GPS trigger, or a monitoring trigger.