VEHICLE TELEMATICS CONTROL VIA IGNITION DETECTION
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a telematics system based on the ignition state of an engine in a vehicle, the ignition state of the engine alternating between an on state and an off state, the method comprising:
- monitoring, by a processor, a voltage on a diagnostics connector from the vehicle;
monitoring, by the processor, an indicator of engine activity from a diagnostics connector of the vehicle;
determining, by the processor, the ignition state of the engine of the vehicle based on the detected voltage and the indicator of engine activity; and
changing the operating mode of the telematics system based on the determined ignition state of the engine between a first mode and a second mode, the second mode having a power consumption that is higher than the power consumption in the first mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of controlling a telematics system based on the ignition state of an engine in a vehicle. The ignition state of the engine can alternate between an on state and an off state. The method includes monitoring, by a processor a voltage level on a diagnostics connector from the vehicle and monitoring, by the processor, an indicator of engine activity such as revolutions per minute, from the diagnostics connector of the vehicle. The method also includes determining, by the processor, a condition of the ignition state of the engine of the vehicle based on the voltage level and the indicator of engine activity and changing the operating mode of the telematics system based on the ignition state of the engine. The operating mode of the telematics system can alternate between a first mode and a second mode, in which power consumption is higher than in the first mode.
39 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a telematics system based on the ignition state of an engine in a vehicle, the ignition state of the engine alternating between an on state and an off state, the method comprising:
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monitoring, by a processor, a voltage on a diagnostics connector from the vehicle; monitoring, by the processor, an indicator of engine activity from a diagnostics connector of the vehicle; determining, by the processor, the ignition state of the engine of the vehicle based on the detected voltage and the indicator of engine activity; and changing the operating mode of the telematics system based on the determined ignition state of the engine between a first mode and a second mode, the second mode having a power consumption that is higher than the power consumption in the first mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of determining an ignition state of an engine in a vehicle, the ignition state alternating between an on state and an off state, the method comprising:
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monitoring, by a processor, a voltage on a diagnostics connector in the vehicle; monitoring, by the processor, an indicator of engine activity of the vehicle from the diagnostics connector in the vehicle; and determining, by the processor, the ignition state of the engine based on the voltage and the indicator of engine activity of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicle telematics device configured to connect to a diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the device comprising:
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a voltage change detector coupled to the diagnostics connector in the vehicle, the voltage change detector operable to monitor a voltage on the diagnostics connector; a processor configured to; alternate between a first operating mode and a second operating mode; receive information from the voltage change detector regarding the voltage on the diagnostics connector; monitor an indicator of engine activity; determine the ignition state of an engine according to the information received from the voltage change connector and the revolutions per minute; and operate in the first mode when the ignition is determined to be in the off state and operate in the second mode when the ignition is determined to be in the on state; a GPS receiver coupled to the processor for performing telematics operations; and a radio transmitter coupled to the processor for performing telematics operations. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A vehicle telematics system comprising:
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a remote processor; a vehicle telematics device, operable to relay information to the remote processor, including; a diagnostics connector configured to couple to a connector in a vehicle; a voltage change detector coupled to the connector, the voltage change detector operable to monitor a voltage supplied to the vehicle telematics device via the diagnostics connector; a processor configured to; receive information from the voltage change detector regarding the voltage; receive information from the diagnostics connector regarding general parameters of the vehicle, including revolutions per minute of an engine; compare revolutions per minute of the engine to a first threshold; and determine the ignition state of the vehicle based on the monitored voltage and revolutions per minute, the ignition state of the vehicle alternatable between an on state and an off state. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system configured to determine the ignition state of an engine in a vehicle, the ignition state alternatable between an on state and an off state, the system comprising:
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a diagnostics connector, coupled to a connector in the vehicle; a voltage change detector coupled to the diagnostics connector operable to monitor voltage changes in the diagnostics connector, compare the voltage on the diagnostics connector to a second threshold and to a third threshold, calculate a voltage difference between two voltage measurements, and compare the voltage difference to a first delta voltage threshold; and a processor coupled to the diagnostics connector and to the voltage change detector, the processor configured to; receive information from the voltage change detector; receive information about the vehicle through the diagnostics connector, including revolutions per minute of an engine of the vehicle; compare the revolutions per minute to a first threshold; determine that the ignition state is on if the voltage difference is greater than the first delta threshold and the revolutions per minute are greater than the first threshold, or if the voltage difference exceeds the first delta threshold and the voltage exceeds the second threshold; determine that the ignition state is off if the revolutions per minute do not exceed the first threshold and the voltage does not exceed the third threshold, or if the processor does not receive information regarding the revolutions per minute of the vehicle; and alternate between a first operating mode, in which power consumption of the processor is low, and a second operating mode, in which power consumption of the processor is higher than in the first operating mode; wherein the processor operates in the first mode when the ignition state is off and the processor operates in the second mode when the ignition state is on.
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Specification