PROXIMITY TAGS FOR VEHICLES

• US 20150177362A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ACCO Brands Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ACCO Brands Incorporated
• Inventors: Gutierrez, Gerald A., Marshall, Barry, Rodriguez, Juan Ernesto, Davyduke, Corey, Foot, George L., Harrison, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/405,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An object tracking system includes a wireless device having a first antenna, a first transceiver coupled to the first antenna, and a sensor coupled to the first transceiver and configured to monitor a parameter of the vehicle. The parameter is related to an operational state of the vehicle. The object tracking system also includes a mobile communication device having a second antenna, a second transceiver coupled to the second antenna and configured to communicate with the wireless device, and a processor coupled to the second transceiver. The processor is operable to generate a first list of objects when the vehicle is in a first operational state, generate a second list of wireless when the vehicle is in a second operational state, and compare the second list of objects to the first list of objects.

Claims

1. An object tracking system comprising:

a wireless device coupled to a vehicle, the wireless device including

a first antenna,

a first transceiver electrically coupled to the first antenna, and

a sensor coupled to the first transceiver and configured to monitor a parameter of the vehicle, the parameter related to an operational state of the vehicle; and

a mobile communication device including

a second antenna,

a second transceiver electrically coupled to the second antenna to communicate with the wireless device, and

a processor coupled to the second transceiver, the processor operable to

generate a first list of objects that are located within a communication range of the second transceiver when the vehicle is in a first operational state,

generate a second list of objects that are located within the communication range of the second transceiver when the vehicle is in a second operational state, and

compare the second list of objects to the first list of objects.

2. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first operational state indicates that an engine of the vehicle is off, and the second operational state indicates that the engine of the vehicle is on.

3. The object tracking system of claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a voltage sensor configured to electrically couple to an electrical system of the vehicle, and wherein the voltage sensor monitors a voltage reading of the electrical system of the vehicle.

4. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first operational state indicates that the vehicle is parked, and the second operational state indicates that the vehicle is moving.

5. The object tracking system of claim 4, wherein the sensor includes a motion sensor configured to detect movement of the vehicle.

6. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device includes a second processor coupled to the first transceiver and the sensor, wherein the second processor is operable to

determine the operational state of the vehicle based on the parameter of the vehicle, and

send a wireless communication that includes the operational state of the vehicle to the mobile communication device.

7. The object tracking system of claim 6, wherein the sensor includes a voltage sensor configured to electrically couple to an electrical system of the vehicle, wherein the voltage sensor outputs a voltage reading of the electrical system of the vehicle, and wherein the second processor is operable to compare the voltage reading to a voltage threshold.

8. The object tracking system of claim 7, wherein the second processor is operable to

determine that the vehicle is in the first operational state when the voltage reading is below the voltage threshold, and

determine that the vehicle is in the second operational state when the voltage reading is equal to or above the voltage threshold.

9. The object tracking system of claim 6, wherein the sensor includes a motion sensor configured to detect movement of the vehicle, and wherein the second processor is operable to

determine that the vehicle is in the first operational state when the motion sensor does not detect movement of the vehicle, and

determine that the vehicle is in the second operational state when the motion sensor detects movement of the vehicle.

10. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver is operable to send a wireless communication to the mobile communication device that includes the parameter of the vehicle, and wherein the processor is operable to determine the operational state of the vehicle based on the parameter of the vehicle.

11. The object tracking system of claim 10, wherein the sensor includes a voltage sensor configured to electrically couple to an electrical system of the vehicle, wherein the voltage sensor outputs a voltage reading of the electrical system of the vehicle, and wherein the processor is operable to compare the voltage reading to a voltage threshold.

12. The object tracking system of claim 11, wherein the voltage threshold is adjustable by a user.

13. The object tracking system of claim 11, wherein the processor is operable to

determine that the vehicle is in the first operational state when the voltage reading is below the voltage threshold, and

determine that the vehicle is in the second operational state when the voltage reading is equal to or exceeds the voltage threshold.

14. The object tracking system of claim 10, wherein the sensor includes a motion sensor configured to detect movement of the vehicle, and wherein the processor is operable to

determine that the vehicle is in the first operational state when the motion sensor does not detect movement of the vehicle, and

determine that the vehicle is in the second operational state when the motion sensor detects movement of the vehicle.

15. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to generate an alert if the second list of objects is different than the first list of objects.

16. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to

wait a predetermined period of time,

generate a third list of objects that are located within the communication range of the second transceiver when the predetermined period of time ends, and

compare the third list of objects to one of the first list of objects and the second list of objects.

17. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to

determine a movement distance while the vehicle is in the second operational state,

compare the movement distance to a movement distance threshold,

generate a third list of objects that are within the communication range of the second transceiver when the movement distance is equal to or above the movement distance threshold, and

compare the third list of object to one of the first list of objects and the second list of objects.

18. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device includes a display, and wherein the display displays at least one of the first list of objects and the second list of wireless device.

19. The object tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to

store a location of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the first operational state, and

generate directions to the stored location of the vehicle upon receiving a user input.

20. The object tracking system of claim 19, wherein the mobile communication device displays at least one of the stored location of the vehicle and the directions to the stored location of the vehicle.

21-47. -47. (canceled)