SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING DATA ACQUIRED FROM VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC INTERFACE FOR VEHICLE INVENTORY MONITORING

• US 20110093159A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giammarco, James A., Boling, Brian M., Peachey, Ezra Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity includes a vehicle monitoring device, a database, and a central vehicle data server. The vehicle monitoring device includes a wireless modem, a processor, a GPS receiver, a vehicle diagnostics interface connector, and memory. These components are preferably enclosed in a small housing which may be installed beneath the dashboard of a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostics interface connector connects to the vehicle'"'"'s OBD interface which is electrically connected to the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostics processor. The device retrieves vehicle diagnostic data through the vehicle'"'"'s OBD interface based on the occurrence of certain events during the operation of the vehicle, such as ignition events, voltage change events, and location-based events, such as crossing a geofence boundary or exceeding a mileage or speed threshold. The device transmits the retrieved vehicle diagnostic data to the central vehicle data server via a wireless communication network. Vehicle inventories are managed in the database based on the information transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:

(a) storing vehicle information in a database in association with a lending entity identifier, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle identification numbers (VINs) that uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entity has provided financing, and wherein the lending entity identifier uniquely identifies the lending entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

(b) storing unique identification numbers (UINs) in the database in association with the lending entity identifier, wherein the unique identification numbers uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to the lending entity;

(c) connecting a vehicle monitoring device to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, wherein the vehicle monitoring device is capable of accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, determining vehicle location data indicating a location of the vehicle, and wirelessly transmitting the vehicle data and vehicle location data, and wherein a UIN is stored in the vehicle monitoring device which uniquely identifies the vehicle monitoring device;

(d) the vehicle monitoring device accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, which vehicle data indicates at least the VIN of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

(e) the vehicle monitoring device determining the vehicle location data;

(f) the vehicle monitoring device wirelessly transmitting at least the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network;

(g) receiving the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device at a central vehicle data server that is connected to the communication network and is in communication with the database; and

(h) determining whether the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

step (a) comprising storing vehicle information in the database which includes dealer location data indicating a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the lending entity identified by the lending entity identifier; and

(i) determining based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is not within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising associating the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising associating the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising removing the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device from an inactive device account in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring mileage of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected and sending an exception message for the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle has exceeded a predefined mileage limit.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring speed of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected and sending an exception message for the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle has exceeded a predefined speed limit.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the vehicle monitoring device performing steps (d), (e), and (f) every time the vehicle monitoring device determines that an ignition switch in the vehicle has been turned ON or OFF, and the central vehicle data server generating an ignition report upon receipt of a transmission from the vehicle monitoring device which transmission indicates that the ignition switch in the vehicle has been turned ON or OFF.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the vehicle monitoring device performing steps (d), (e), and (f) at periodic time intervals, and the central vehicle data server generating a check-in report upon receipt of a transmission from the vehicle monitoring device at a periodic time interval.

13. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:

(a) storing vehicle identification numbers (VINs) in a database in association with a lending entity identifier, wherein the VINs uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entity has provided financing, and wherein the lending entity identifier uniquely identifies the lending entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

(b) storing dealer location data in the database in association with the lending entity identifier, wherein the dealer location data indicates a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the lending entity;

(c) storing unique identification numbers (UINs) in the database in association with the lending entity identifier, wherein the UINs uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to the lending entity;

(d) connecting a vehicle monitoring device to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, wherein the vehicle monitoring device is capable of accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, determining vehicle location data indicating a location of the vehicle, and wirelessly transmitting the vehicle data and vehicle location data, and wherein a UIN is stored in the vehicle monitoring device which uniquely identifies the vehicle monitoring device;

(e) the vehicle monitoring device accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, which vehicle data indicates at least the VIN of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

(f) the vehicle monitoring device determining vehicle location data which indicate the location of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

(g) the vehicle monitoring device wirelessly transmitting at least the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network;

(h) receiving the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device at a central vehicle data server that is connected to the communication network and is in communication with the database;

(i) determining whether the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database;

(j) determining based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location; and

(k) when it is determined that the vehicle is within the predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database,

associating in the database the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device, and

associating in the database the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location.

14. A system for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the system comprising:

a database for storing vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and unique identification numbers (UINs) in association with a lending entity identifier, wherein the VINs uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entity has provided financing, wherein the UINs uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to the lending entity, and wherein the lending entity identifier uniquely identifies the lending entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

a vehicle monitoring device configured to connect to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the vehicle monitoring device comprising;

a processor for accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, wherein the vehicle data includes at least the VIN of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

a GPS receiver for determining vehicle location data indicating a location of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

a wireless modem for wirelessly transmitting at least the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network; and

memory for storing a UIN which uniquely identifies the vehicle monitoring device; and

a central vehicle data server connected to the communication network and in communication with the database, the central vehicle data server for receiving the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device, and for determining whether the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the central vehicle data server sends an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the central vehicle data server sends an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the database stores dealer location data indicating a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the lending entity identified by the lending entity identifier; and

the central vehicle data server determines based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the central vehicle data server sends an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is not within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the database associates the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the database associates the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.