Method, system and device for monitoring vehicle usage

• US 20080258939A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Brian J., Schafer, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• 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 vehicle tracking device (101), method and/or system are provided. The device (101) includes a location interface (117), for receiving a location signal indicating a current location when operably connected to a GPS antenna; a sensor interface (109), for receiving sensor signals from sensors in the vehicle indicating a sensed status of the vehicle, when electrically or electronically connected to the sensors; and a processor (105). The processor (105) is configured to facilitate receiving, from the location interface, indications of a current location; determining, responsive to the location signal, a determined current location of the vehicle (127); receiving, from the sensor interface, a sensed status of the vehicle (129); recording a pre-defined event condition, when the pre-defined event condition occurs (131) responsive to the sensed status, in a vehicle history; and recording the determined current location in the vehicle history (133).

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for execution by a computer, providing a computer-implemented method for monitoring a plurality of motorized vehicles, the instructions for implementing the steps of:

(A) first communicating with a plurality of vehicle tracking devices, a respective vehicle tracking device being associated with a respective vehicle, and receiving a vehicle history of vehicle location and vehicle status associated with respective vehicles from the respective vehicle tracking devices;

(B) after receiving a vehicle history from at least one of the vehicle tracking devices, the at least one vehicle tracking device having a memory for storing the history, instructing the at least one vehicle tracking device to clear the history from the memory; and

(C) second communicating wirelessly with vehicle tracking devices to obtain respective current locations of the respective vehicles;

to obtain respective current states of a sensor or an alarm on the respective vehicles; and

to instruct a relay on the respective vehicles to be switched responsive to at least one of the current location of the respective vehicles and the current state.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the relay is associated with an alarm, further comprising determining at least one of the vehicles to which an alarm is to be notified responsive to the vehicle history.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the locations of the respective vehicles are determined with respect to a game, and the relay to be switched indicates a desired pace of the respective vehicle in relation to the game.

14-20. -20. (canceled)