System, Method and Odometer Monitor for Detecting Connectivity Status of Mobile Data Terminal to Vehicle

• US 20130066483A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Webtech Wireless Incorporated (GeoTab Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scott, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/002 Analysing tachograph charts arrangements for graph-reading in general G06K11/00

Abstract

An odometer monitor for monitoring the connectivity status of a mobile data terminal to a vehicle is a software module defined in a data processor of a vehicle tracking device. The monitor is operable to listen for arrival of successive timed poll events from a mobile data terminal connected to a vehicle, listen for arrival of and storing each of successive odometer update values from a vehicle information bus of the vehicle that corresponds to arrival of each of the successive timed poll events, compare next odometer update values to last stored odometer update values, calculate the distances between the compared odometer update values, make a determination of connectivity status of the mobile data terminal relative to the vehicle based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of a preset maximum distance, and report the connectivity status to the mobile data terminal.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring connectivity status of a mobile data terminal to a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle tracking device having an odometer monitor defined in a data processor of said vehicle tracking device;

a vehicle information bus of a vehicle being connected to said vehicle tracking device and operable to communicate successive odometer update values from the vehicle to said odometer monitor; and

a mobile data terminal connected to the vehicle and to said vehicle tracking device and operable to communicate successive timed poll events to said odometer monitor;

said odometer monitor being a software module operable to;

listen for arrival of the successive timed poll events;

listen for arrival of and store each of the successive odometer update values that corresponds to arrival of each of the successive timed poll events;

compare next odometer update values to last stored odometer update values;

calculate the distances between the compared odometer update values;

make a determination of connectivity status of said mobile data terminal relative to the vehicle based on whether or not successive values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of a preset maximum distance; and

report the connectivity status to said mobile data terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the value of the present maximum distance equals the value of the maximum expected distance the vehicle can travel during the time between two successive timed poll events.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said determination of connectivity status of said mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of the preset maximum distance.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said connectivity status includes either that said mobile data terminal is connected to or disconnected from the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said determination of connectivity status of said mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances first ascend to above and then descend to below the value of the preset maximum distance.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said connectivity status includes either that said mobile data terminal is disconnected from or reconnected to the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile data terminal is an electronic on-board recorder.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile data terminal is an automatic on-board recorder.

9. A method for monitoring connectivity status of a mobile data terminal to a vehicle, comprising:

listening for arrival of successive timed poll events from a mobile data terminal connected to a vehicle;

listening for arrival of and storing each of successive odometer update values, from a vehicle information bus of the vehicle, that corresponds to arrival of each of the successive timed poll events;

comparing next odometer update values to last stored odometer update values;

calculating the distances between the compared odometer update values;

making a determination of connectivity status of the mobile data terminal relative to the vehicle based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of a preset maximum distance; and

reporting said connectivity status to the mobile data terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the value of the present maximum distance equals the value of the maximum expected distance the vehicle can travel during the time between two successive timed poll events.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining said connectivity status of the mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of the preset maximum distance.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said connectivity status includes either that the mobile data terminal is connected to or disconnected from the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining said connectivity status of the mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances first ascend to above and then descend to below the value of the preset maximum distance.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said connectivity status includes either that said mobile data terminal is disconnected from or reconnected to the vehicle.

15. An odometer monitor for monitoring connectivity status of a mobile data terminal to a vehicle, comprising:

a software module defined in a data processor of a vehicle tracking device and operable to;

listen for arrival of successive timed poll events from a mobile data terminal connected to a vehicle;

listen for arrival of and storing each of successive odometer update values, from a vehicle information bus of the vehicle, that corresponds to arrival of each of the successive timed poll events;

compare next odometer update values to last stored odometer update values;

calculate the distance between the compared odometer update values;

make a determination of connectivity status of the mobile data terminal relative to the vehicle based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of a preset maximum distance; and

report said connectivity status to the mobile data terminal.

16. The monitor of claim 15 wherein the value of the present maximum distance equals the value of the maximum expected distance the vehicle can travel during the time between two successive timed poll events.

17. The monitor of claim 15 wherein said determination of connectivity status of said mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of the preset maximum distance.

18. The monitor of claim 17 wherein said connectivity status includes either that said mobile data terminal is connected to or disconnected from the vehicle.

19. The monitor of claim 15 wherein said determination of connectivity status of said mobile data terminal status relative to the vehicle is based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances first ascend to above and then descend to below the value of the preset maximum distance.

20. The monitor of claim 19 wherein said connectivity status includes either that said mobile data terminal is disconnected from or reconnected to the vehicle.