Multi-mode in-vehicle control unit with network selectivity for transmitting vehicle data for fleet management

• US 6,975,928 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamrick, Marvin R., Timko, Jerry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/989,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701 35- 36, 701/24, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A multi-mode in-vehicle control unit (ICU) contains a plurality of modems. Each modem allows the multi-mode ICU to transmit vehicle data over a different kind of transmission network. Exemplary transmission networks include wireless data networks, cellular telephone networks and satellite networks. Vehicle data is collected. The multi-mode ICU selects one of the modems for transmission of vehicle data to a processing center. Priorities can be assigned to the transmission networks and or modems to control order the transmission network selection process.

Claims

1. A method for sending vehicle data from an in-vehicle control unit to a processing center, comprising:

collecting the vehicle data;

determining whether to transmit the vehicle data to a processing center over a first transmission network or a second transmission network;

transmitting the data to the processing center over the first transmission network using a first modem if the determining step determines that the vehicle data should be transmitted over the first transmission network; and

transmitting the data to the processing center over the second transmission network using a second modem if the determining step determines that the vehicle data should be transmitted over the second transmission network.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising collecting vehicle status data.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising collecting vehicle data related to an emergency.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising resolving a transmission network usage conflict.

5. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising bumping an in-progress transmission of vehicle data.

6. A method for managing a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

placing an in-vehicle control unit in every vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, wherein at least one of the in-vehicle control units is a multi-mode in-vehicle control unit having a plurality of modems allowing the in-vehicle control unit to transmit vehicle data to a processing center using different transmission networks;

collecting vehicle data for each vehicle in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle data to the processing center; and

analyzing the vehicle data to generate routing schedules to route the vehicles in the fleet.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein each multi-mode ICU performs:

determining whether to transmit the vehicle data to a processing center over a first transmission network or a second transmission network; and

transmitting the data to the processing center over the first transmission network using a first modem if the determining step determines that the vehicle data should be transmitted over the first transmission network; and

transmitting the data to the processing center over the second transmission network using a second modem if the determining step determines that the vehicle data should be transmitted over the second transmission network.

11. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising:

logging the vehicle data; and

transmitting the vehicle data at a later time when transmission costs are reduced.

8. A method for managing a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

placing an in-vehicle control unit in every vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, wherein at least one of the in-vehicle control units is a multi-mode in-vehicle control unit;

collecting vehicle data for each vehicle in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle data to a processing center;

analyzing the vehicle data to generate routing schedules to route the vehicles in the fleet;

determining a percentage of the vehicles in the fleet that is not covered by a particular transmission network; and

placing multi-mode in-vehicle control units only in a number of vehicles in the fleet corresponding to the percentage of the vehicles in the fleet not covered by the particular transmission network.

9. A method for managing a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

placing an in-vehicle control unit in every vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, wherein at least one of the in-vehicle control units is a multi-mode in-vehicle control unit;

collecting vehicle data for each vehicle in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle data to a processing center;

analyzing the vehicle data to generate routing schedules to route the vehicles in

the fleet; and

logging vehicle data that cannot be transmitted to the processing center in real-time or near real-time.

10. A method for managing a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

placing an in-vehicle control unit in every vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, wherein at least one of the in-vehicle control units is a multi-mode in-vehicle control unit;

collecting vehicle data for each vehicle in the fleet;

transmitting the vehicle data to a processing center;

analyzing the vehicle data to generate routing schedules to route the vehicles in the fleet; and

logging vehicle data that cannot be transmitting over a highest priority transmission network.