INTELLIGENT VEHICLE TRACKING

• US 20090216439A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Haatainen, Niko, Lappalainen, Miika, Mattila, Samuli
• Application Number:
  US12/159,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle tracking method using a route model for estimating the exact location of the tracked vehicle. The estimated location is computed in the vehicle by tracking device (14) and in the tracking center (15). The tracking device acquires the exact location with positioning means (13). Then the tracking device compares the difference between the computed location and the computed location to a threshold value. If the threshold is exceeded, the exact location will be sent to the tracking center.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a vehicle, which method comprises the steps of:

requesting a route;

tracking said vehicle along said route;

displaying the tracked location of said vehicle in a control center, characterized in that said step of tracking further comprises;

computing a route model according to said route;

sending a route model to the tracking center;

computing an estimated location of said vehicle according to said route model;

acquiring the exact location of said vehicle;

comparing said acquired location to said estimated location; and

sending said exact location to the tracking center if the difference between said acquired location and said estimated location exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that defining the threshold value in the tracking center.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that defining the threshold value in the navigation device.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that using traffic information in computing the route model.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that recomputing said route model if the route changes during the journey.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that using the current speed of said vehicle in computing the route model.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said threshold is a relative threshold value computed from the total length of the temporary route.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the threshold determination method is map dependent.

9. A tracking device for sending the tracking information of a vehicle to a tracking center (15), the tracking device (14) being capable of executing a software application and arranged to communicate with a positioning module (13) for receiving the current location of the device, which tracking device is further arranged to:

request a route;

track said vehicle along said route;

display the tracked location of said vehicle in a control center, characterized in that the system is further arranged to;

compute a route model according to said route;

send a route model to the tracking center;

compute an estimated location of said vehicle according to said route model;

acquire the exact location of said vehicle;

compare said acquired location to said estimated location; and

send said exact location to the tracking center if the difference between said acquired location and said estimated location exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

10. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the tracking device is further arranged to define the threshold value in the tracking center.

11. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that defining the threshold value in the navigation device.

12. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the tracking device is further arranged to use traffic information in computing the route model.

13. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the tracking device is further arranged to recompute said route model if the route changes during the journey.

14. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the tracking device is further arranged to use the current speed of said vehicle in computing the route model.

15. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that said threshold is a relative threshold value computed from the total length of the temporary route.

16. A tracking device according to claim 9, characterized in that the threshold determination method is map dependent.

17. A tracking software application for tracking a vehicle, the software application, when executed in a navigation device, arranged to perform the following steps of:

requesting a route;

tracking said vehicle along said route;

displaying the tracked location of said vehicle in a control center, characterized in that said step of tracking further comprises;

computing a route model according to said route;

sending a route model to the tracking center;

computing an estimated location of said vehicle according to said route model;

acquiring the exact location of said vehicle;

comparing said acquired location to said estimated location; and

sending said exact location to the tracking center if the difference between said acquired location and said estimated location exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

18. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that defining the threshold value in the tracking center.

19. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that defining the threshold value in the navigation device.

20. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that using traffic information in computing the route model.

21. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that recomputing said route model if the route changes during the journey.

22. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that using the current speed of said vehicle in computing the route model.

23. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that said threshold is a relative threshold value computed from the total length of the temporary route.

24. A tracking software application according to claim 17, characterized in that the threshold parameter determination method is map dependent.

25. A tracking system for tracking a vehicle comprising a tracking device (14) and tracking system (15), wherein the tracking device is arranged to send the tracking information of a vehicle to a tracking center (15), the tracking device (14) being capable of executing a software application and arranged to communicate with a positioning module (13) for receiving the current location of the device, which tracking device is further arranged to:

request a route;

track said vehicle along said route;

display the tracked location of said vehicle in a control center, characterized in that the system is further arranged to;

compute a route model according to said route;

send a route model to the tracking center;

compute an estimated location of said vehicle according to said route model;

acquire the exact location of said vehicle;

compare said acquired location to said estimated location; and

send said exact location to the tracking center if the difference between said acquired location and said estimated location exceeds a predetermined threshold value.