Apparatus And Method For Determining Vehicle Location

• US 20110148712A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: DeCabooter, Steve, D'Avello, Robert F., Snider, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1025 preventing jamming or interference of said signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2072 with means for preventing jamming or interference of a remote switch control signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/22 including jamming detection and monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/255 based on redundancy of transmitted data, transmission path or transmitting source
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/88 related to allowing or preventing alarm transmission

Abstract

Communications are established and conducted between a communication and jamming detection at a vehicle and a base station. At the communication and jamming detection device, a determination is made as to when jamming of the communications between the communication and jamming detection device and the base station is occurring. When jamming is determined to be occurring, at least one location determination signal is transmitted from the communication and jamming detection device to at least one external tracking device. At the at least one external location determination device, the at least one location determination signal is received from the communication and jamming detection device. The location of the communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle is determined from the at least one location determination signal.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a location of a vehicle, the method comprising:

establishing and conducting communications between a communication and jamming detection at a vehicle and a base station;

at the communication and jamming detection device;

determining when jamming of the communications between the communication and jamming detection device and the base station is occurring;

upon determining that jamming is occurring, transmitting at least one location determination signal from the communication and jamming detection device to at least one external location determination device that is configured to determine the location of the communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle based on the at least one location determination signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals are transmitted on a plurality of control channels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals comprise a first signal from a first antenna, a second signal from a second antenna, and a third signal from a third antenna.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one external location determination device determines the location of the communication and jamming detection device by triangulating the first signal, the second signal and the third signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the power of the transmitted signals is used to determine the location of the communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the location to at least one tracking device located in the vicinity of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one tracking device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a camera located remotely from the vehicle and at least one sensing device at another vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a security alert to at least one security provider when jamming is detected.

9. An apparatus for tracking the location of a vehicle, comprising:

an interface having an input and an output, the interface configured to receive an indication that jamming or attempted jamming is occurring of communications between a communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle and a base station;

a controller coupled to the interface and configured to determine the location of the communication and jamming detection from the indication and present the location at the output of the interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the output of the interface couples to a presentation device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the presentation device comprises a visual display selected from the group consisting of a video screen, a liquid crystal display, and one or more light emitting diodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location is provided at the output to at least one tracking device located in the vicinity of the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one tracking device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a camera located remotely from the vehicle and at least one sensing device at another vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a security alert to at least one security provider at the output of the interface when the indication is received.

15. A method of tracking a location of a vehicle, the method comprising:

at the at least one external location determination device;

receiving the signals from the communication and jamming detection device, the signals indicating that jamming of the communications between the communication and jamming detection device and the base station is occurring;

determining the location of the communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle from the signals.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the signals are transmitted on a plurality of control channels.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one external location determination device determines the location of the communication and jamming detection device by triangulating the first signal, the second signal and the third signal.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface having an input and an output;

a controller coupled to the interface and configured to determine when jamming of the communications between the apparatus and a base station is occurring based upon signals received at the input and further configured to upon determining that jamming is occurring, transmitting at least one location determination signal at the output of the interface to at least one external location determination device that is configured to determine the location of the communication and jamming detection device at the vehicle based on the at least one location determination signal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the signals are transmitted on a plurality of control channels.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting a security alert to at least one security provider when jamming is detected.