Apparatus, Systems, and Methods for Processing Alerts Relating to an In-Vehicle Control Unit

• US 20140329492A1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamrick, Marvin R., Ingman, R.T. Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes provisions that allows information to be sent from the remote units to the central office and vice versa. The system also has safety features that promote the rapid dispatch of law enforcement personnel when requests for emergency assistance have been made from the remote units.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving emergency data transmitted by an in-vehicle control unit in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving a signal from an activated remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit, the emergency data comprising vehicle location information and data that indicates that the in-vehicle control unit received the signal, and

contacting an emergency service to request that the emergency service send emergency assistance to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert call center communicates via a first transmission network and a second transmission network, and wherein the emergency data is received via the first transmission network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmission network comprises a wireless network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control unit exits a sleep mode in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving the signal from the remote alert transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

initiating a communication to the vehicle to determine whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency was transmitted intentionally if the communication to the vehicle is not answered.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises querying a user associated with the vehicle for a password.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency data was transmitted intentionally if the alert call center does not receive the correct password.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

transmitting the vehicle location information to the emergency service.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a signal from an alert transmitter associated with an in-vehicle control unit of a vehicle,

obtaining location information indicating a location of the vehicle, and

transmitting emergency data to an alert call center in response to receiving the signal, the emergency data comprising the location information and an indication that the signal has been received from the alert transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein transmitting the emergency data comprises transmitting the emergency data over a wireless network.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving, from the alert call center, a communication that is used to determine if the emergency data was transmitted intentionally.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication comprises a request for a password.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

providing, to the alert call center, the password.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein obtaining the location information comprises activating a global positioning system receiver at the vehicle and obtaining, from the global positioning system receiver, the location data.

16. An in-vehicle control unit comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving an alert signal,

obtaining location information indicating a location of the vehicle, and

transmitting emergency data to an alert call center in response to receiving the alert signal, the emergency data comprising the location information and an indication that the alert signal has been received.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein transmitting the emergency data comprises transmitting the emergency data over a wireless network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular telephone in communication with the in-vehicle control unit.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving, from the alert call center, a communication that is used to determine if the emergency data was transmitted intentionally.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein obtaining the location information comprises activating a global positioning system receiver at the vehicle and obtaining, from the global positioning system receiver, the location data.