VEHICLE TAG USED FOR TRANSMITTING VEHICLE TELEMETRY DATA

• US 20070290847A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowman, Douglas, Johnson, Walter, Benner, Richard, Han, Huong, Harrington, Timothy, Capener, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/782,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290847A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle tag includes a housing and a tag connector supported by the housing for connecting to a diagnostic jack of a vehicle on-board diagnostic (OBD) system. A tag transmitter is carried by the housing and operative with the tag connector for receiving telemetry data from the OBD system and transmitting the telemetry data in an RF pulse.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A vehicle tag comprising:

a housing;

a tag connector supported by said housing for connecting to a diagnostic jack of a vehicle on-board diagnostic (OBD) system;

a microcontroller connected to the tag connector for receiving a vehicle identification number (VIN) and telemetry data from the OBD system and determining which vehicle bus protocol to use based on the VIN; and

a tag transmitter carried by the housing and connected to the microcontroller and operative for receiving the VIN and telemetry data and transmitting the VIN and telemetry data in a RF pulse.

15. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, and further comprising a memory operative with the microcontroller for storing data relating to different vehicle bus protocols to allow communication between the microcontroller and OBD system of a vehicles having different vehicle bus protocols.

16. A vehicle tag according to claim 15, wherein said different vehicle bus protocols conform to one of J1850VPW, PWM, controlled area network (CAN), SCP and ISO network standards.

17. A vehicle tag according claim 14, wherein said microcontroller is operative for querying the OBD system for identification and telemetry data.

18. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein said microcontroller is programmable for receiving data for updating and configuring vehicle tags.

19. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein said microcontroller is operative for receiving and processing vehicle diagnostic codes for transmitting the vehicle diagnostic codes through the tag transmitter.

20. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein the tag connector comprises a J1962 compatible connector.

21. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein said RF pulse comprises a pseudo random spread spectrum RF signal encoded with the telemetry data.

22. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, and further comprising a timer circuit for timing transmission of RF pulses.

23. A vehicle tag according to claim 22, wherein said RF pulses are timed based on a determined idle, vehicle OFF, vehicle moving or vehicle ON mode.

24. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein OBD system comprises on on-board diagnostic system generation II (OBD-II).

25. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein said microcontroller and tag transmitter are powered from current received from the OBD system through the tag connector.

26. A vehicle tag according to claim 25, wherein said microcontroller and tag transmitter are triggered ON at initial connection of the tag connector to a diagnostic jack of the OBD system.

27. A vehicle tag according to claim 14, wherein said telemetry data includes odometer and fuel level data.

28-50. -50. (canceled)