SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING DATA ACQUIRED FROM VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC INTERFACE FOR VEHICLE INVENTORY MONITORING
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:
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(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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:
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(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.
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14. A system for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification