Vehicle locating and communicating method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A system for locating and communicating with a vehicle by means of a network of existing cellular telephone systems, said network comprised of a plurality of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system having a unique system identification number, each cellular telephone system emitting a message stream containing the system identification number, comprising:
- monitoring means at a remote location coupled to the network having display means for displaying communications from and geographic location data of the vehicle;
cellular telephone means within the vehicle; and
control means in the vehicle for interrogating the overhead message stream through said cellular telephone means to receive the emitted system identification number from the cellular telephone system providing communications service to said cellular telephone means at the time of interrogation, said control means further initiating communication with said monitoring means for transmitting the system identification number, said monitoring means receiving and processing the system identification number for determining the location of the cellular telephone system providing service and for displaying the approximate geographic location of the vehicle on said display means.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for locating and communicating with vehicles is provided, including at least one mobile cellular unit connected to at least one microprocessor and installed within a vehicle. The microprocessor interrogates the mobile cellular unit to obtain location information from an overhead message stream transmitted from cellular telephone transmitter sites. The location is displayed on a display located in the vehicle or the microprocessor periodically instructs the mobile cellular unit to initiate a call to a host controller and, upon receipt of transmitting instructions from the host controller, transmits the location information for display on a screen connected to the host controller.
373 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A system for locating and communicating with a vehicle by means of a network of existing cellular telephone systems, said network comprised of a plurality of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system having a unique system identification number, each cellular telephone system emitting a message stream containing the system identification number, comprising:
-
monitoring means at a remote location coupled to the network having display means for displaying communications from and geographic location data of the vehicle; cellular telephone means within the vehicle; and control means in the vehicle for interrogating the overhead message stream through said cellular telephone means to receive the emitted system identification number from the cellular telephone system providing communications service to said cellular telephone means at the time of interrogation, said control means further initiating communication with said monitoring means for transmitting the system identification number, said monitoring means receiving and processing the system identification number for determining the location of the cellular telephone system providing service and for displaying the approximate geographic location of the vehicle on said display means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. Apparatus for locating and displaying in a vehicle the vehicle'"'"'s approximate geographical location by means of a network of existing cellular telephone systems, said network comprised of a plurality of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system having a unique system identification number, each cellular telephone system emitting a message stream containing the system identification number, comprising:
-
cellular telephone means within the vehicle; at least one microprocessor connected to said cellular telephone means for interrogating said cellular telephone means for the system identification number of the particular cellular telephone system providing service to the cellular telephone means at the time of interrogation, and for processing the received system identification number by means of a database of cellular telephone system locations indexed by system identification number to determine the approximate geographic location of the vehicle by determining the location of the cellular telephone system then providing service; and a graphic display connected to said microprocessor for displaying a map of a geographic area covered by the particular cellular telephone system providing service containing the approximate geographic location of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for locating and communicating with vehicles by means of a network of existing cellular telephone systems, said network comprised of a plurality of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system comprised of a plurality of individual cells, each cell emitting a message stream containing a system identification number and a cell identification number, comprising:
-
a host controller; a cellular telephone means in at least one vehicle; at least one microprocessor having memory means connected to said cellular telephone means for interrogating said cellular telephone means to receive the system identification number and the cell identification number of the particular cell in the cellular telephone system providing service to said vehicle at the time of interrogation, said microprocessor further configured for initiating communications at predetermined intervals with said host controller for transmitting information, including the cell identification number, from said microprocessor to said host controller, said host controller processing the transmitted cell identification number to determine the approximate geographic location of the vehicle by determining the location of said cell; and a display connected to said host controller for displaying a map and the approximate location of said vehicle on said map. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for locating a vehicle equipped with cellular telephone means using a network of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system comprised of a plurality of cells, each cell emitting a message stream containing a system identification number and a cell identification number, comprising the steps of:
-
interrogating the cellular telephone means to receive the system identification number and cell identification number of the particular cell in the cellular telephone system providing service at the time of interrogation; establishing a communications link between the cellular telephone means and a display means; transmitting to said display means the identify of the vehicle, performance information, system identification number, and said cell identification number; addressing a database containing a geographic location for each cell in the cellular telephone system indexed by cell identification number to determine the approximate geographic location of said vehicle; and graphically displaying on said display means the geographic location of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method for displaying in a vehicle the approximate geographical location of the vehicle, said vehicle equipped with a cellular telephone means, said vehicle travelling in an area serviced by a network of existing cellular telephone systems, each cellular telephone system comprised of a plurality of cells, each cell emitting a message stream containing a system identification number, comprising the steps of:
-
interrogating said cellular telephone means to determine the system identification number associated with the cellular telephone system providing communications service at the time of interrogation; determining the location of the vehicle by comparing the system identification number to a list of system identification numbers and locations; graphically displaying on display means connected to said cellular telephone means a map including the area wherein said vehicle is located; highlighting on said map the location of said vehicle; selecting by means of a keyboard points of interest on said map; calculating and displaying on said display means the distance from said selected points of interest to the location of said vehicle; calculating the average speed of said vehicle from previously reported hours driven and distance travelled; and utilizing said distance from said selected points of interest and said average speed, calculating and displaying on said display means the estimated travel time from the location of said vehicle to the selected points of interest. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
Specification