Method for Locating a Vehicle
First Claim
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1. A method of locating a vehicle, comprising:
- a) automatically detecting the presence of the vehicle by a removable locator device and, in response, said locator device initiating the process of retrieving, at regular intervals, location coordinates for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location of the vehicle;
b) detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device;
c) upon detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device, automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last location coordinates retrieved prior to said detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle; and
,d) removing the locator device from the vehicle to enable use of the locator device to return to the stored waypoint,wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle.
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Abstract
Methods of locating a vehicle are disclosed. Location coordinates are received at regular intervals via a handheld locator device for the current location of the handheld locator device. The handheld locator device detects the cessation of the presence of the vehicle. The location coordinates last-received before the detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle are stored automatically, and represent the approximate location of the parked vehicle when the cessation of the presence of the vehicle is detected.
8 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of locating a vehicle, comprising:
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a) automatically detecting the presence of the vehicle by a removable locator device and, in response, said locator device initiating the process of retrieving, at regular intervals, location coordinates for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location of the vehicle; b) detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device; c) upon detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device, automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last location coordinates retrieved prior to said detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle; and
,d) removing the locator device from the vehicle to enable use of the locator device to return to the stored waypoint, wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of locating a vehicle, comprising:
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a) placing a beacon device in the vehicle, the beacon device being capable of wireless signal communication according to preset parameters; b) detecting the presence of the beacon device on a removable locator device via the wireless signal; c) automatically initiating locating technology in the locator device to establish current location coordinates for the locator device upon detecting the presence of the beacon device; d) updating the current location coordinates of the locator device at regular intervals for as long as the locator device remains within signal range of the beacon device; and
,e) automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last updated location coordinates upon the locator device ceasing to detect the presence of the beacon device, wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for locating a parked vehicle, comprising:
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receiving location coordinates at regular intervals, via a handheld locator device, for the current location of said handheld locator device; detecting, via said handheld locator device, the cessation of the presence of said vehicle; and automatically storing said location coordinates last-received before said detection of the cessation of the presence of said vehicle as a waypoint representing the approximate location of said parked vehicle when the cessation of the presence of the vehicle is detected. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for locating a parked vehicle, comprising:
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retrieving location coordinates, via a handheld locator device, for the current location of said handheld locator device; detecting, via said handheld locator device, a loss of power to said handheld locator device from a power supply of said vehicle; and automatically conditioning, upon said detecting said loss of power, said handheld locator device to record said location coordinates last-received by said handheld locator device as a waypoint for an approximate location of said vehicle when parked. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification