Method and System for Remotely Monitoring the Location of a Vehicle

• US 20110102189A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jansson, Edward R., Murray, Tomás
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A telemetry system coupled to a vehicle can communicate with a remote site using a wireless network, such as a cellular mobile radiotelephone network. The telemetry system can monitor aspects of the vehicle'"'"'s operations based on remote user input. The telemetry system can monitor a vehicle'"'"'s location or a crossing of a geographical boundary by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for remotely monitoring the position of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a timer for determining when a pre-set amount of time has passed;

a location module for;

receiving a location of the vehicle after the pre-set amount of time has passed; and

sending the location to a transceiver; and

the transceiver for sending a telemetry packet to a data processing system, the telemetry packet comprising the location of the vehicle, and wherein a user accessing the data processing system can monitor the position of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the telemetry packet further comprises information conveying the speed of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system displays the location of the vehicle using a web-based GUI.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the location module receives the location of the vehicle from a global positioning sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-set amount of time can be configured by one of a DIP switch or nonvolatile memory.

6. A method for remotely monitoring a vehicle location, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a geographic boundary for allowable vehicle operation;

tracking a position of the vehicle using a global positioning sensor (“

GPS”

);

comparing the position of the vehicle to the indication of a geographic boundary; and

in response to determining that the position of the vehicle is outside the geographic boundary, sending a notification that the vehicle has exceeded the geographic boundary.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification is sent using a web-based GUI.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification is sent using e-mail.