Vehicle locating and communicating method and apparatus

• US 5,652,707 A
• Filed: 04/05/1996
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iron Oak Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Highway Master Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Wortham, Larry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/628,827
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 364/460, 364/449, 364/449.1, 364/449.2, 340/990, 340/995, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/33.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

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.

Claims

1. A remote host controller for communicating with a vehicle equipped with a cellular transceiver, comprising:

a memory operable to store a report associated with the vehicle, the report indicating an approximate location of the vehicle;

a database operable to store a plurality of cellular numbers;

a processor coupled to the memory and the database, the processor operable to select a cellular number associated with a cellular system serving the approximate location of the vehicle; and

a communications device operable to initiate a call to the vehicle using the selected cellular number.

2. The remote host controller of claim 1, wherein the report comprises a system identification number associated with the cellular system.

3. The remote host controller of claim 1, wherein the report comprises a system identification number and a cell site identification number associated with the cellular system.

4. The remote host controller of claim 1, wherein the report comprises a geographical location of the vehicle.

5. The remote host controller of claim 1, wherein the cellular numbers comprise a plurality of roamer numbers.

6. The remote host controller of claim 1, wherein:

the report comprises a system identification number associated with the cellular system; and

the database is further operable to store a geographical location of the cellular system.

7. A method for communicating with a vehicle equipped with a cellular transceiver, comprising:

receiving cellular system identification information associated with a cellular system operating in an area including the location of the vehicle, wherein the cellular system identification information comprises a system identification number;

retrieving a cellular number of the cellular system in response to the cellular system identification information; and

initiating a call to the vehicle using the cellular number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cellular system identification information further comprises a cell identification number.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of determining a geographical location of the vehicle in response to the cellular system identification information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cellular number comprises a roamer number.

11. An apparatus for communicating with a vehicle equipped with a cellular transceiver, comprising:

a database operable to store a plurality of cellular numbers associated with a plurality of cellular systems;

a processor coupled to the database, the processor operable to receive a report associated with the vehicle, the processor further operable to retrieve from the database a cellular number of a cellular system in response to the report; and

a communications device operable to initiate a call to the vehicle using the retrieved cellular number.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cellular numbers comprise a plurality of roamer numbers.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the report comprises cellular system identification information associated with the cellular system.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the report comprises a system identification number associated with the cellular system.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the report comprises a system identification number and a cell site identification number associated with the cellular system.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the report comprises a system identification number of the cellular system; and

the database is further operable to store a geographical location of the cellular system.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the report comprises a geographical location of the vehicle.

18. A method for communicating with a vehicle equipped with a cellular transceiver, comprising:

receiving a report comprising a system identification number associated with a cellular system serving an area including the vehicle;

retrieving a cellular number of the cellular system; and

initiating a telephone call to the vehicle using the cellular number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the report indicates the location of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the cellular number is a roamer number.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the report comprises a cell site identification number associated with the cellular system.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the report comprises a geographical location of the vehicle.