Vehicle tracking and security system

• US 5,223,844 A
• Filed: 04/17/1992
• Issued: 06/29/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PJC Logistics, LLC (Patrick J. Curry)
• Original Assignee: Auto-Trac, Inc.
• Inventors: Riley, William M., Mansell, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US07/870,141
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle tracking and security system which allows immediate response in case of vehicle theft, an accident, vehicle breakdown, or other emergency. Guardian and tracking functions are provided through Mobile Units installed in hidden locations in vehicles to be monitored. The Mobile Units communicate with a Control Center. Preferably, the Mobile Unit provides vehicle theft and intrusion protection using an in-vehicle alarm and security system linked to the Control Center by a transceiver in the Mobile Unit. Also, a keypad or other human interface device is provided, allowing a vehicle driver or occupant to signal the Control Center that a particular type of assistance is needed. The vehicle'"'"'s location may be automatically transmitted to the Control Center along with any automatic alarm signal or manually entered request, the location being precisely determinable anywhere in the world through use of Global Positioning System (GPS) information. The present invention provides continuous monitoring of a large number of vehicles for a broad range of status and emergency conditions over a virtually unlimited geographic area, also allowing manual communication of requests for assistance to that specific location. Advantageously, the system is implemented using existing commercial or police communications equipment.

Claims

1. A mobile unit for a vehicle monitoring system, the mobile unit comprising:

a) an input unit, responsive to an event or condition associated with the vehicle, and providing information describing the event or condition;

b) a satellite receiver, responsive to navigation signals transmitted by a satellite navigation system, and providing information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location based on the navigation signals; and

c) a mobile unit controller, responsive to the input unit and the satellite receiver, the mobile unit controller including a cellular telephone transmitter for transmitting information onto a cellular telephone communications link, the information transmitted on the cellular telephone communications link including both (1) the information describing the event or condition and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location, the mobile unit controller automatically inserting the information describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the information transmitted onto the cellular telephone communications link.

2. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the input unit includes:

an operator input device which, when activated by a vehicle operator, causes the mobile unit controller to transmit a message onto the communications link while automatically inserting the information describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the transmitted information with the message.

3. The mobile unit of claim 2, wherein:

the operator input device includes a keypad including keys whose closure is detected by the mobile unit controller; and

the mobile unit controller transmits a message corresponding to the particular key or keys the operator has closed.

4. The mobile unit of claim 3, wherein:

the mobile unit controller transmits a message constituting a request for assistance corresponding to a sequence of key closures.

5. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the input unit includes;

an alarm system including at least one sensor that automatically detects the event or condition associated with the vehicle and causes the mobile unit controller to transmit an alarm message onto the communications link while automatically inserting the information describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the transmitted information with the alarm message.

6. A mobile unit for a vehicle monitoring system, the mobile unit comprising:

a) a vehicle alarm system, responsive to an alarm event or alarm condition associated with the vehicle, and providing information describing the alarm event or alarm condition;

b) a satellite receiver, responsive to navigation signals transmitted by a satellite navigation system, and providing information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location based on the navigation signals; and

c) a mobile unit controller, responsive to the vehicle alarm system and the satellite receiver, the mobile unit controller transmitting information onto a communications link, the information transmitted on the communications link including both (1) the information describing the alarm event or alarm condition and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location, the mobile unit controller automatically inserting the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the information transmitted onto the communications link.

7. A mobile unit for a vehicle monitoring system, the mobile unit comprising:

a) an input unit, responsive to an event or condition associated with the vehicle, and providing information describing the vent or condition;

b) a location unit providing information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location;

c) a cellular telephone transmitter including means for forming a decision as to whether or not the transmitter is in range of a cellular telephone network, and transmitting information onto a cellular telephone communications link only when the transmitter is in range of a cellular telephone network; and

d) a mobile unit controller, responsive to the input unit and ht location unit, the mobile unit controller including;

1) a storage device, the storage device including a storage area for storing both (1) the information describing the event or condition and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location in association with each other; and

2) a processor, interacting with the cellular telephone transmitter and controlling the storage device in response to the decision as to whether or not the transmitter is in range of a cellular telephone network, the processor performing the functions of;

i) storing in the storage device (1) the information describing the event or condition and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location in association with each other, when the transmitter is not in range of a cellular telephone network; and

ii) retrieving from the storage device (1) the information describing the event or condition and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location in association with each other, when the transmitter is in range of a cellular telephone network.

8. A mobile unit for a vehicle monitoring system, the mobile unit comprising:

1) an operator input device having a number of inputs characterizing only approximately four distinct predetermined messages, the operator input device providing information describing a chosen message when one or more inputs relating to the chosen message are activated by an operator;

2) a satellite receiver, responsive to navigation signals transmitted by a satellite navigation system, and providing information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location based on the navigation signals; and

3) a mobile unit controller, responsive to the operator input device and the satellite receiver, the mobile unit controller transmitting information onto a communications link, the information transmitted on the communications link including both (1) the information describing the chosen message and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location, the mobile unit controller automatically inserting the information describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the information transmitted onto the communications link.

9. A control center for a vehicle monitoring system having a plurality of mobile units mounted in respective vehicles and a communications link between the mobile units and the control center, the control center comprising:

a) a control center display portion including;

1) one or more display screens displaying one or more maps with symbols of vehicles sending messages to the control center; and

2) real-time display software allowing the symbols of the vehicles sending messages to be displayed substantially in real-time;

b) at least about eight communications interface devices coupled to the communications link, receiving sporadically-timed messages from the mobile units, and outputting the messages; and

c) a control center buffer portion coupled to the control center display portion, the buffer portion responsive to the messages output by the communications interface devices and the buffer portion including;

1) means for examining the messages received for determining if the messages pass or fail the examination;

2) means for generating individual responses to the messages received from respective vehicle mobile units based on the examination of the messages, the means for generating individual responses being coupled to forward the individual responses to the communications link and to the control center display portion; and

3) means for providing to the control center display portion certain messages that have passed the examination, the messages allowing the real-time display software to display the symbols of the vehicles sending the messages that have passed the examination.

10. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a) an ambulatory operator input device means for an operator to carry away from a vehicle, the ambulatory operator input device means providing information describing a message when activated by the operator; and

b) a mobile unit means for attachment to a vehicle, the mobile unit means including;

1) a local receiver including means to communicate with the ambulatory operator input device means, the local receiver receiving the message when activated by the operator;

2) a location unit providing information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location; and

3) a mobile unit controller, responsive to the local receiver and the location unit, the mobile unit controller transmitting information onto a communications link, the information transmitted on the communications link including both (1) the message and (2) the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location, the mobile unit controller automatically inserting the information inherently describing the vehicle'"'"'s location into the information transmitted onto the communications link.

11. A control center for a vehicle monitoring system having a plurality of mobile units mounted in respective vehicles and a communications link between the mobile units and the control center, the control center comprising:

a) a control center display portion, including display screens displaying one or more maps with symbols of vehicles sending messages to the control center;

b) a satellite reference receiver, responsive to navigation signals transmitted by a satellite navigation system, and providing information inherently describing the control center'"'"'s location based on the navigation signals; and

c) a control center communications controller, the control center communications controller being responsive to messages received from the mobile units, the communications controller being coupled to the control center display portion and to the satellite receiver, the communications controller including;

1) means for extracting, from the messages received from the mobile units, vehicle position information that is derived from vehicle position information provided by a mobile unit satellite receiver receiving navigation signals transmitted by the satellite navigation system;

2) means for adjusting the vehicle position information in accordance with a drift error correction term derived from the navigation signals, to provide adjusted vehicle position information; and

3) means for providing to the control center display portion the adjusted vehicle position information so that the control center display portion displays the symbols of the vehicles on the one or more maps in accordance with the drift error correction term.