Retrieving Vehicular Collateral via Wi-Fi

• US 20140279397A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Warren Schmidt
• Original Assignee: David Warren Schmidt
• Inventors: Schmidt, David Warren, Wiesner, Kenneth Alan, Northrup, William James III
• Application Number:
  US14/209,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279397A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

An electronic device is installed in a vehicle used as collateral for a loan. The installed device records the location of the vehicle at periodic intervals and whenever the vehicle is stationary. The installed device also searches for and identifies a compatible Wi-Fi node that can forward data to the Internet, and transmits location information through this compatible node. The location information is stored in a central database, where it can be used to form a location profile for the vehicle and predict the vehicle'"'"'s location based on past history for a given time of day or day of week. If the loan enters a past-due status, the location profile is accessed by users such as the lender, loan servicer, vehicle retriever, and associated users. Upon arriving within the vicinity of a predicted location, vehicles are more precisely located with the aid of a Wi-Fi capable mobile device. The invention also provides for sending commands from a central server to an installed device over Wi-Fi, and canceling previous commands when the vehicle is outside of Wi-Fi communication coverage.

Claims

1. A system for using Wi-Fi to remotely retrieve a vehicle that is collateral for a loan, the system comprising:

a) a vehicle that is serving as collateral for a loan;

b) a location receiver attached to the vehicle, wherein the location receiver collects data from radio frequency signals for the purpose of determining the location of the vehicle;

c) a data storage which holds the collected location data;

d) an Wi-Fi transceiver attached to the vehicle, wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver uses a Wi-Fi link to transmit location data from the data storage toward a publicly routable Internet address;

e) a location predictor which analyzes the location data and predicts a location for the vehicle, wherein the predicted location is associated with a predicted time, and wherein the predicted time is not prior to the time at which the prediction is made;

f) a loan monitor which monitors the status of the loan associated with the vehicle; and

g) a user interface which presents the predicted location to an authorized user, wherein the presented predicted location is for a vehicle whose associated loan status has entered default.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle disable output, wherein the vehicle disable output can, when activated, disable the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a warning output, wherein the warning output can, when activated, generate a warning detectable by the operator of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mobile device, wherein the mobile device contains a user interface, and wherein the mobile device receives location information over Wi-Fi from the Wi-Fi transceiver and presents the received location information on the mobile device'"'"'s user interface.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cellular relaying device, wherein the cellular relaying device contains a cellular transceiver, and wherein the cellular relaying device communicates over Wi-Fi with the Wi-Fi transceiver and uses the cellular transceiver to forward information received from the Wi-Fi transceiver to a cellular base station.

6. A method for using Wi-Fi to remotely retrieve a vehicle that is collateral for a loan, the method comprising the steps of:

a) installing a Wi-Fi transceiver on a vehicle;

b) storing location data for the vehicle, wherein the location data allows for a determination of the vehicle'"'"'s location;

c) establishing a first Wi-Fi link between the installed Wi-Fi transceiver and a first Wi-Fi node that is within Wi-Fi range of the installed Wi-Fi transceiver;

d) sending the stored location data over the first Wi-Fi link toward a publicly routable Internet address;

e) predicting a location for the vehicle from information contained in the location data, wherein the predicted location is associated with a predicted time, and wherein the predicted time is not prior to the time at which the prediction is made;

f) monitoring the status of a loan that is secured by the vehicle; and

g) retrieving the vehicle at the predicted location after the loan enters default.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional step of calculating a probability of the vehicle being present at the predicted location during the predicted time.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) establishing a second Wi-Fi link between the first Wi-Fi node and a separate Wi-Fi node that is within range of the first Wi-Fi node; and

b) sending the location data over the second Wi-Fi link toward a publicly routable Internet address.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first Wi-Fi node from step c is attached to a cellular transceiver and further comprising the additional steps of:

a) establishing a cellular link between the cellular transceiver and a cellular base station; and

1 b) sending the location data over the cellular link.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) sending a command to the installed Wi-Fi transceiver, wherein the command causes the installed Wi-Fi transceiver to transmit a Wi-Fi based signal when the vehicle is at the predicted location;

b) receiving the Wi-Fi based signal at a mobile device that is within Wi-Fi range of the installed Wi-Fi transceiver; and

c) locating the source of the Wi-Fi based signal by moving the mobile device in a direction that increases the received signal strength.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) sending a command to the installed Wi-Fi transceiver, wherein the command causes the installed Wi-Fi transceiver to transmit a Wi-Fi based signal when the vehicle is at the predicted location;

b) receiving the Wi-Fi based signal at a mobile device that is within Wi-Fi range of the installed Wi-Fi transceiver;

c) locating the vehicle by decoding information present in the received Wi-Fi based signal; and

d) displaying the decoded information on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) sending a command to the installed Wi-Fi transceiver, wherein the command causes the installed Wi-Fi transceiver to listen for a Wi-Fi based request signal when the vehicle is at the predicted location;

b) transmitting the Wi-Fi based request signal from a mobile device that is within Wi-Fi range of the predicted location;

c) transmitting a Wi-Fi based response signal from the installed Wi-Fi transceiver when the Wi-Fi based request signal is detected; and

d) locating the source of the Wi-Fi based response signal by moving the mobile device in a direction that increases the received signal strength.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) sending a command to the installed Wi-Fi transceiver, wherein the command causes the installed Wi-Fi transceiver to listen for a Wi-Fi based request signal when the vehicle is at the predicted location;

b) transmitting the Wi-Fi based request signal from a mobile device that is within Wi-Fi range of the predicted location;

c) transmitting a Wi-Fi based response signal from the installed Wi-Fi transceiver when the Wi-Fi based request signal is detected;

d) locating the vehicle by decoding information present in the Wi-Fi based response signal; and

e) displaying the decoded location information on the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising the additional step of sending a command to the installed Wi-Fi transceiver, wherein the command causes the disabling of the vehicle at the predicted location.

15. A method for using Wi-Fi to remotely disable a vehicle at a specific location, the method comprising the steps of:

a) installing an electronic device on a vehicle, wherein the electronic device is capable of gathering information about the location of the vehicle and transmitting data over a Wi-Fi link;

b) storing location data for the vehicle, wherein the location data allows for a determination of the vehicle'"'"'s location;

c) establishing a first Wi-Fi link between the installed device and a first Wi-Fi node that is within range of the installed device;

d) sending the stored location data over the first Wi-Fi link toward a publicly routable Internet address;

e) predicting a location for the vehicle from information contained in the location data, wherein the predicted location is associated with a predicted time, and wherein the predicted time is not prior to the time at which the prediction is made; and

f) sending a command to the installed device, wherein the command instructs the installed device to disable the vehicle at the predicted location.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the additional step of calculating a probability of the vehicle being present at the predicted location.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the additional step of retrieving the vehicle at the predicted location.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the additional steps of:

a) establishing a second Wi-Fi link between the installed device and a mobile device that is within Wi-Fi range of the installed device;

b) entering a reversal code on the mobile device, wherein the reversal code instructs the installed device to cancel the effect of a previously sent command; and

c) sending the reversal code to the installed device over the second Wi-Fi link.