Web based vehicle tracking and user on-board status system

• US 6,502,030 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Labarge Incorporated (Ducommun LaBarge Technologies, Inc. (California))
• Inventors: Hilleary, Thomas N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/769,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/117, 701/213, 340/989, 340/992, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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

Abstract

A web based vehicle tracking system includes a passenger identification device that registers when a passenger boards and disembarks the vehicle. The web based vehicle tracking system utilizes a vehicle information system, that includes the passenger identification device, and a base station network administrator to monitor the travel of a vehicle and the on-board status of a passenger. Using, a user communications interface, a user accesses the Internet to query passenger on-board status information.

Claims

1. A web based system for monitoring the travel of a vehicle, said system comprising:

a vehicle information system coupled to a vehicle, said vehicle information system comprising a passenger identification device; and

a base station network administrator configured to communicate with said vehicle information system, and to monitor the on-board status of at least one identified passenger.

2. A web based system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said passenger identification device configured to:

receive inputs from a vehicle driver;

receive a boarding identification of a passenger as the passenger boards 1he vehicle; and

receive a disembarking identification of a passenger as the passenger disembarks the vehicle.

3. A web based system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle information system configured to communicate with said base station network administrator, said vehicle information system further comprising a communications device, a location determination device, a vehicle information system processor, and a driver computer interface.

4. A web based system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said passenger identification device further configured to exchange communication with said vehicle information system processor.

5. A web based system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said location determination device configured to determine vehicle location data indicating the current location of the vehicle.

6. A web based system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said base station network administrator comprises a base station computer, a database, and a web server.

7. A web based system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said vehicle information system processor further configured to communicate with said base station computer via said communications device and a wireless service provider.

8. A web based system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said communication device configured to use wireless communication, said communications device fiber configured to exchange communication with the wireless service provider and said vehicle information system processor, said base station computer configured to exchange communication with the wireless service provider.

9. A web based system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said base station computer further configured to exchange communication with said vehicle information system processor via the wireless service provider and said communication device.

10. A web based system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said driver computer interface configured to:

receive and display inputs from a vehicle driver;

receive and display communications from said vehicle information system processor;

receive and display communications from said base station computer; and

receive and display communications from said passenger identification device.

11. A web based system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said base station computer further configured to exchange communication with at least one of said database, and said web server.

12. A web based method for monitoring the travel of a vehicle using a system including a base station network administrator and a vehicle information system, the vehicle information system including a vehicle information system processor, a location determination device, a driver computer interface, a communications device, and a passenger identification device, the passenger identification device configurable to be used with either of passengers or cargo, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving vehicle location data at the vehicle information system frog at least one satellite;

communicating the vehicle location data from the vehicle information system to the base station network administrator;

utilizing the base station network administrator to monitor the vehicle location;

downloading vehicle travel information; and

monitoring the on-board status of identified vehicle cargo.

13. A web based method in accordance with claim 12 wherein communicating the vehicle location data comprises the step of exchanging communications between the vehicle information system processor and the base station network administrator, the base station network administrator including a base station computer, a web server, and a database.

14. A web based method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said step of receiving vehicle location data at the vehicle information system from at least one satellite further comprising the steps of:

communicating vehicle location data from the location determination device to the vehicle information system processor; and

communicating vehicle location data from the vehicle information system processor to the base station computer.

15. A web based method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said step of utilizing the base station network administrator to monitor the vehicle location further comprises the steps of:

utilizing the base station computer, a mapping program, and vehicle location data Lo plot a vehicle location on a map and track the vehicle location; and

updating the vehicle location coordinates upon occurrence of prompting events.

16. A web based method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said step of monitoring the on-board status of vehicle cargo further comprising the steps of:

receiving a boarding identification, via the passenger identification device;

receiving a disembarking identification, via the passenger identification device;

communicating the boarding identification and the disembarking identification to the base station computer; and

determining on-board status of vehicle cargo, using the base station computer.