CONTROL METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20150258961A1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tracknstop limited, an irish company
• Original Assignee: Tracknstop limited, an irish company
• Inventors: Doherty, Michael, Kehoe, Stephen, Fagan-Guimond, Tristan
• Granted Patent: US 9,630,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/0405 from the external
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/0415 with safe immobilisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/042 operating on the fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, device and system for controlling a powered vehicle. The device comprises a communications unit operable to receive a vehicle control signal from a remote computer, and a control unit operable to activate and deactivate the fuel pump such that movement of the vehicle is controlled in response to the vehicle control signal received by the communications unit so that the vehicle may be gradually stopped by incrementally cutting fuel to the vehicles pump in a safe manner. Additionally, the present invention provides a remote control disable function by cutting power to vehicle ignition. The present invention further provides a vehicle tracking functionality.

Claims

1. A control device for a powered vehicle comprising:

a communications unit operable to receive a vehicle control signal from a remote computer, and

a control unit operable to activate and deactivate a fuel pump of the vehicle such that movement of the vehicle is controlled in response to the vehicle control signal received by the communications unit.

2. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the control unit is coupled to the communications unit and the fuel pump of the vehicle.

3. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the control unit comprises fuel pump switching means operable to control the supply of power to the fuel pump such that the fuel pump is activated and deactivated.

4. A control device as claimed in claim 3, in which the fuel pump switching means comprises a fuel pump relay installed intermediate the fuel pump and a main electrical power supply means of the vehicle.

5. A control device as claimed in claim 3, in which the fuel pump switching means is connected in-line with electrical power supply lines from the fuel pump to the main electrical power supply means of the vehicle.

6. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the control unit is operable to activate and deactivate the fuel pump at timed intervals.

7. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the control unit further comprises fuel level indicator setting means operable in response to the vehicle control signal to set a fuel level indicator gauge of the vehicle.

8. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the control unit is further coupled to an ignition system of the vehicle and comprises an ignition system switching means operable to control the supply of power to the ignition system to activate and deactivate the ignition system such that the vehicle is immobilised and mobilised in response to a vehicle control signal from the remote computer.

9. A control device as claimed in claim 8, in which the ignition system switching means is connected in-line with electrical power supply lines from the ignition system to the main electrical power supply means of the vehicle.

10. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the vehicle control signal from the remote computer is transmitted as one or more of:

an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signal, a GPRS signal and a text message.

11. A control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising vehicle position tracking means operable to capture location data, such as GPS data, for the vehicle and transmit the location data to a GPS server.

12. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the communications unit is operable to receive and to transmit to the remote computer data including one or more of:

images captured by an on-board vehicle camera;

motion alerts;

geo-fence alerts;

GSM jamming detection alerts;

control device reboot alerts;

ignition system activation and deactivation alerts, and/or fuel pump activation and deactivation alerts;

driver behaviour alerts;

panic button alerts, and sounds captured by an on-board vehicle microphone.

13. A control device as claimed in claim 1, in which the remote computer is one or more of a:

remote control computer server, or a mobile computing device, such as a smart phone, laptop or personal computer.

14. A control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising motion sensing means operable to sense movement of the vehicle and to transmit motion data to the remote computer.

15. A control device as claimed in claim 14, in which the motion sensing means is adapted to detect an impacting force on the vehicle, in which detection of an impacting force triggers the transmission of an impact detection signal from the communications unit to the remote computer and automatically generates a channel for audio communication from audio input/output means of the vehicle to the remote computer.

16. A control system for at least one powered vehicle comprising:

a remote control computer server connected by a computer network to a least one control device as claimed in claim 1, and at least one mobile computing device.

17. A method of controlling a powered vehicle using a control device comprising one or more processors and a memory, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a vehicle control signal from a remote computer at a communications unit of the control device, and

activating and deactivating a fuel pump of the vehicle such that movement of the vehicle is controlled in response to the vehicle control signal received by the communications unit.

18. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

controlling the supply of power to the fuel pump of the vehicle to activate and deactivate the fuel pump such that the vehicle when moving is brought to a gradual stop or is prevented from starting if stationary.

19. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

activating and deactivating the fuel pump at timed intervals.

20. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 19, in which the step of activating and deactivating the fuel pump at timed intervals comprises using a square wave digital signal.

21. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

setting a fuel level indicator gauge of the vehicle in response to the vehicle control signal such that the fuel level indicator gauge indicates that there is no fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle when the movement of the vehicle is controlled in response to the vehicle control signal received by the communications unit.

22. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

controlling the supply of power to the ignition system to activate and deactivate the ignition system such that the vehicle is immobilised and mobilised in response to a vehicle control signal from the remote computer.

23. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

transmitting the vehicle control signal from the remote computer as one or more of;

an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signal, a GPRS signal and a text message.

24. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

capturing location data, such as GPS data, for the vehicle and transmit the location data to a GPS server.

25. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

receiving and transmitting to the remote computer data including one or more of;

images captured by an on-board vehicle camera;

motion alerts;

geo-fence alerts;

GSM jamming detection alerts;

control device reboot alerts;

ignition system activation and deactivation alerts, and/or fuel pump activation and deactivation alerts;

driver behaviour alerts;

panic button alerts, and sounds captured by an on-board vehicle microphone.

26. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

sensing movement of the vehicle and transmitting motion data to the remote computer.

27. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

detecting an impacting force on the vehicle, in which detection of an impacting force triggers transmission of an impact detection signal from the communications unit to the remote computer and automatically generates a channel for audio communication from audio input/output means of the vehicle to the remote computer.

28. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 17, comprising a step of:

sending a confirmation signal to the remote computer via a gateway for updating a database and user interface with data concerning a fuel cut event.

29. A control device for a powered vehicle comprising:

a communications unit operable to receive vehicle control signals from a remote computer,

a control unit coupled to the communications unit, to a fuel pump of the vehicle and to an ignition system of the vehicle, the control unit comprising;

fuel pump switching means operable to activate and deactivate the fuel pump of the vehicle such that movement of the vehicle is controlled to incrementally slow the vehicle in response to a vehicle control signal received by the communications unit, and an ignition system switching means operable to control the supply of power to the ignition system to activate and deactivate the ignition system such that the vehicle is immobilised and mobilised in response to a vehicle control signal from the remote computer, and

vehicle position tracking means operable to capture real time location data for the vehicle and to transmit the location data to the remote computer to display a current location of the vehicle.

30. A control device as claimed in claim 29, in which vehicle control signals are transmitted as unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signals.

31. A control device as claimed in claim 29, in which the communications unit is operable to receive and to transmit to the remote computer data including one or more of:

images captured by an on-board vehicle camera;

motion alerts;

geo-fence alerts;

GSM jamming detection alerts;

control device reboot alerts;

ignition system activation and deactivation alerts, and/or fuel pump activation and deactivation alerts;

driver behaviour alerts;

panic button alerts, and sounds captured by an on-board vehicle microphone.

32. A control device as claimed in claim 29, in which the data is transmitted as one or more of:

an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signal, a GPRS signal and a text message.

33. A control device as claimed in claim 29, in which the remote computer is one or more of a:

remote control computer server, or a mobile computing device, such as a smart phone, laptop or personal computer.

34. A control device as claimed in claim 29, further comprising motion sensing means operable to sense movement of the vehicle and to transmit motion data to the remote computer.

35. A control device as claimed in claim 34, in which the motion sensing means is adapted to detect an impacting force on the vehicle, in which detection of an impacting force triggers the transmission of an impact detection signal from the communications unit to the remote computer and automatically generates a channel for audio communication from audio input/output means of the vehicle to the remote computer.

36. A method of controlling a powered vehicle using a control device comprising one or more processors and a memory, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a vehicle control signal from a remote computer at a communications unit of the control device, and

activating and deactivating a fuel pump to control the supply of power to a fuel pump of the vehicle such that movement of the vehicle is controlled in response to the vehicle control signal received by the communications unit,

controlling the supply of power to an ignition system of the vehicle to activate and deactivate the ignition system such that the vehicle is immobilised and mobilised in response to a vehicle control signal from the remote computer, and

operating vehicle position tracking means to capture real time location data for the vehicle and to transmit the location data to the remote computer to display a current location of the vehicle.

37. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 36, comprising a step of:

transmitting the vehicle control signals from the remote computer as unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signals.

38. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 36, comprising a step of:

receiving and transmitting to the remote computer data including one or more of;

images captured by an on-board vehicle camera;

motion alerts;

geo-fence alerts;

GSM jamming detection alerts;

control device reboot alerts;

ignition system activation and deactivation alerts, and/or fuel pump activation and deactivation alerts;

driver behaviour alerts;

panic button alerts, and sounds captured by an on-board vehicle microphone.

39. A control device as claimed in claim 36, comprising a step of:

transmitting the data as one or more of;

an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) signal, a GPRS signal and a text message.

40. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 36, comprising a step of:

sensing movement of the vehicle and transmitting motion data to the remote computer.

41. The method of controlling a powered vehicle as claimed in claim 36, comprising a step of:

detecting an impacting force on the vehicle, in which detection of an impacting force triggers transmission of an impact detection signal from the communications unit to the remote computer and automatically generates a channel for audio communication from audio input/output means of the vehicle to the remote computer.