System and Method for Automatically Managing Current Draw from A Telematics Device in Transit

• US 20120193981A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Przybylski, Matthew G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• 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

Abstract

The described method and system provide for reduction of the current draw from a vehicle battery caused by a telematics unit while the vehicle is in transit. By programming the telematics unit with instructions to ignore the awake algorithm or awake parameters while the vehicle is being shipped, or by programming the telematics unit to apply a different set of load-saving awake parameters while the vehicle is being shipped, the current draw from the vehicle battery caused by the telematics unit during shipping can be reduced. The telematics unit may implement a typical awake algorithm or awake parameters (e.g., non-load-saving parameters) after the occurrence of a predetermined trigger, such as the telematics unit determining that the vehicle has reached a destination area.

Claims

1. A method for reducing current draw from a vehicle battery by a telematics unit while the vehicle is in transit other than under its own power, the method comprising:

programming the telematics unit with instructions to ignore at least one of an awake algorithm and awake parameters while the vehicle is off until the occurrence of a predetermined trigger; and

shipping the vehicle towards a predetermined destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is programmed at a manufacturing plant where the vehicle is manufactured.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined trigger is the telematics unit determining that the vehicle has arrived within a predetermined geographic area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined geographic area is defined by a set of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of GPS coordinates is programmed into the telematics unit at the manufacturing plant where the vehicle is manufactured.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the telematics unit checks the location of the vehicle periodically while the vehicle is off and in transit.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the telematics unit checks the location of the vehicle when the vehicle is turned on.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined trigger is at least one of:

the vehicle arriving at a predetermined geographic area;

the telematics unit receiving a command to stop ignoring at least one of the awake algorithm and the awake parameters; and

the vehicle being turned on.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is programmed at a dealership using dealership tools.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is programmed by a call center over a network.

11. A method for reducing current draw from a vehicle battery by a telematics unit while the vehicle is in transit other than under its own power, the method comprising:

programming the telematics unit with an awake algorithm and a first set of awake parameters;

programming the telematics unit with a second set of awake parameters, wherein application of the second set of awake parameters to the telematics unit causes the telematics unit to draw less current from the vehicle battery while the vehicle is off than the application of the first set of awake parameters to the telematics unit;

implementing the second set of awake parameters until the occurrence of a predetermined trigger;

shipping the vehicle towards a predetermined destination; and

implementing the first set of awake parameters after the occurrence of the predetermined trigger.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the telematics unit is programmed at a manufacturing plant where the vehicle is manufactured.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined trigger is the telematics unit determining that the vehicle has arrived within a predetermined geographic area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined geographic area is defined by a set of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of GPS coordinates is programmed into the telematics unit at the manufacturing plant where the vehicle is manufactured.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the telematics unit is programmed at a dealership using dealership tools.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the telematics unit is programmed by a call center over a network.

18. A non-transient computer readable medium having thereon computer executable instructions for reducing current draw on a vehicle battery by a telematics unit while the vehicle is in transit other than under its own power, the computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions for applying a load-saving set of awake parameters to an awake algorithm until the occurrence of a predetermined trigger; and

instructions for applying a non-load-saving set of awake parameters to the awake algorithm after the occurrence of the predetermined trigger.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined trigger is at least one of:

the vehicle arriving at a predetermined geographic area;

the telematics unit receiving a command to stop ignoring at least one of the awake algorithm and the awake parameters;

the telematics unit receiving a command to stop applying the load-saving set of awake parameters; and

the vehicle being turned on.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, the computer executable instructions further comprising:

instructions for determining the location of the vehicle and comparing the location of the vehicle with a predetermined geographic area defined by a set of GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.