Obtaining vehicle usage information from a remote location
First Claim
1. A method of maintaining vehicle usage information, said method comprising:
- receiving a measurement request through a user interface of a monitoring unit on-board the vehicle;
receiving at said monitoring unit operational information through a vehicle status bus of a vehicle, said information comprising data regarding the operation of said vehicle;
receiving positioning information through a receiver of a positioning signal in said monitoring unit;
in said monitoring unit, in accordance with the measurement request, processing said operational information to obtain values of one or more operational parameters, and processing said positioning signal to obtain a location of said vehicle and values of one or more motion parameters regarding the motion of said vehicle; and
transmitting said operational information from said monitoring unit, said location and said values of said operational and motion parameters over a data network to be stored in a database for query by another via a user request over said data network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Presented are a method and a system by which an individual can obtain usage information of a vehicle. A mobile unit, which may be located inside a vehicle, receives data from a part of the vehicle (e.g., the odometer) and/or Global Positioning System satellites and derives parameters such as the velocity and the travel distance from the received data. Using these parameters, the mobile unit may determine time information such as the amount of time the vehicle is traveling, in idle, or in a parked state within a given time period. Alternatively, the mobile unit may transmit the parameters to a remote computer, which then determines the time information. When a user submits a query requesting a parameter or a mathematical operation on a parameter, either the mobile unit or a remote computer prepares a response and transmits the response to the appropriate user interface.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of maintaining vehicle usage information, said method comprising:
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receiving a measurement request through a user interface of a monitoring unit on-board the vehicle;
receiving at said monitoring unit operational information through a vehicle status bus of a vehicle, said information comprising data regarding the operation of said vehicle;
receiving positioning information through a receiver of a positioning signal in said monitoring unit;
in said monitoring unit, in accordance with the measurement request, processing said operational information to obtain values of one or more operational parameters, and processing said positioning signal to obtain a location of said vehicle and values of one or more motion parameters regarding the motion of said vehicle; and
transmitting said operational information from said monitoring unit, said location and said values of said operational and motion parameters over a data network to be stored in a database for query by another via a user request over said data network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
performing a mathematical operation on values of at least one of said operational parameters, said motion parameters, and said third type of parameters in response to a said user request; and
transmitting a result of said mathematical operation to a sender of said user request.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein said mathematical operation comprises:
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comparing a first value indicated in said user request against a second value; and
indicating in said result whether said first value and said second value fulfill a predefined relationship.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein said operational information comprises an ignition status and an odometer reading of said vehicle.
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10. The method of claim 9, wherein said processing said operational information further comprises calculating a parameter based on said odometer reading.
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11. The method of claim 10, wherein said calculated parameter comprises at least one of:
- a velocity and a travel distance of said vehicle within a predefined time period.
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12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predefined time period is defined by said ignition status.
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13. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing at least one of:
- said ignition status, said odometer reading, said velocity, and said travel distance in a database.
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14. The method of claim 11, further comprising deriving another parameter from at least one of said ignition status, said odometer reading, said velocity, and said travel distance.
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15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
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performing a mathematical operation on said calculated parameter in response to a said user request; and
transmitting a result of said mathematical operation to a sender of said user request.
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein said mathematical operation comprises:
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comparing a first value indicated in said user request against a second value; and
indicating in said result whether said first value and said second value fulfill a predefined relationship.
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17. An apparatus for tracking vehicle usage of a vehicle, said apparatus being provided on-board said vehicle comprising:
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a user interface for receiving a measurement request;
an interface to a vehicle status bus coupled to receive from sensors installed in said vehicle operation information of said vehicle;
a receiver of a positioning signal;
a processor connected to said interface to said vehicle status bus and said receiver, said processor receiving from said user interface said measurement request and in accordance therewith processing (a) said operational information received on said vehicle status bus to obtain values of operational parameters of said vehicle, and (b) said positional signal to obtain a location of said vehicle, and values of motion parameters relating to the motion of said vehicle; and
a transmitter connected to said processor for transmitting said location and said values of said operational and motion parameters;
wherein, using said transmitter, said processor further provides an interface over a data network between said apparatus and a database, such that location and said values of said operational and motion parameters are accessible by another via a user request over said data network. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
comparing a first value indicated in said user request against a second value; and
indicating in said result whether said first value and said second value fulfill a predefined relationship.
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Specification