METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF MAINTAINING AND MONITORING VEHICLE TRACKING DEVICE INVENTORIES

• US 20100205071A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CalAmp Corporation
• Original Assignee: CalAmp Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Gallin, Rangel, Juan A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,650,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods of tracking an installer'"'"'s inventory of vehicle tracking devices performed by the supplier of the devices are provided. Inventory levels of the devices are checked based on activation and/or registration of a tracking device and a subsequent stock-out notification is sent to the installer based on the checked inventory level.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an inventory of vehicle tracking devices comprising:

registering a tracking device by an installer with a server;

verifying an inventory of tracking devices of the installer by a supplier through the server, the supplier being different and remote from the installer; and

notifying the installer of a low inventory via an electronic message initiated by the server when a set threshold is reached or exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising installing the tracking device by the installer and supplying the tracking device by the supplier.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising installing the tracking device into a vehicle and purchasing the vehicle by a vehicle operator being different from the installer and the supplier.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising purchasing the installed tracking device by the vehicle operator.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising installing the tracking device into a vehicle and renting the vehicle by a vehicle operator being different from the installer and the supplier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the tracking device further comprises supplying power to the tracking device and transmitting an electronic power-up communication to the server by the tracking device, upon receiving the supplied power.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the tracking device further comprises acquiring a global positioning satellite signal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the tracking device further comprises transmitting an electronic activation message to the server via a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein verifying the inventory of tracking devices of the installer is performed after registration with the server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a tracking device with a vehicle and wherein registering the tracking device further comprises profiling the tracking device by the installer to identify the tracking device relative to the associated vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein verifying the inventory of tracking devices of the installer further comprises querying records of a database, correlating a record from the queried records to the registered tracking device and the installer, retrieving an inventory level from the correlated record, comparing the retrieved inventory level to the set threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the inventory of tracking devices of the installer is verified after registration of the tracking device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting the set threshold by the installer or the supplier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the installer further comprises sending an electronic message from the server to a client processor of the installer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the installer further comprises sending an electronic message from the server to a client processor of the supplier, the supplier sending an electronic message to a client processor of the installer.

16. A vehicle tracking device inventory tracking system comprising:

a vehicle tracking device associated with an installer;

a server in electronic communication with the vehicle tracking device; and

a client processor accessible by the installer and in network communication with the server to receive electronic communications from the server, at least one of the electronic communications being a notification message of a low inventory status of the vehicle tracking devices associated with the installer.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the server is controlled by a supplier, the supplier being different from the installer and arranged to supply vehicle tracking devices to the installer.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the vehicle tracking device is registered by an installer and the registration is verified by the server.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the server stores vehicle tracking device inventory information including a vehicle tracking device inventory level associated with the installer and the server compares the vehicle tracking device inventory level relative to a set threshold limit after verifying registration of tracking device.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising a vehicle tracking device database coupled to the server and including records on vehicle tracking devices of the installer.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the client processor communicates to the server via the vehicle tracking device database.

22. A method of tracking an inventory of vehicle tracking devices comprising:

supplying power to a vehicle tracking device by an installer;

transmitting location data of the vehicle tracking device to a server;

updating an inventory level of vehicle tracking devices of the installer by the server when the transmitted location data does not correspond to a set location data; and

transmitting an inventory message to a client processor of the installer by the server when a set threshold is reached or exceeded based on the updated inventory level.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising acquiring a global positioning satellite signal by the vehicle tracking device.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting an electronic activation message to the server by the vehicle tracking device.