Vehicle tracker including input/output features and related methods

• US 7,305,293 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong
• Application Number:
  US11/076,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/213, 701/208, 701 45- 46, 307/10.5, 307/10.1, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/202 Personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• 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: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• 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: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle tracking unit preferably includes a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device. The controller preferably cooperates with the wireless communications device to generate a sequence of alert message notifications for the user, and for canceling any remaining alert message notification of the sequence based upon a cancellation command response from the user having already received the alert message notification.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to generate a sequence of alert message notifications for a user, and for canceling any remaining alert message notification of the sequence based upon a cancellation command response from the user having already received the alert message notification.

2. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the alert message notifications comprise at least one of a vehicle stolen alert message notification, and a vehicle alarm sounding alert message notification.

3. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the alert message notifications comprise at least one of a vehicle speeding alert message notification, and a vehicle acceleration alert message notification.

4. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the alert message notifications comprise an unauthorized remote transmitter alert message notification.

5. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the alert message notifications comprise at least one of a low vehicle battery alert message notification, and a device malfunction alert message notification.

6. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

7. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said controller being switchable to an armed mode when a user is away from the vehicle for cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to generate at least one speeding alert message notification for the user based upon the vehicle exceeding a speed threshold for longer than a predetermined time indicative of aggressive driving of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 7 wherein the at least one speeding alert message notification comprises a series thereof;

and wherein said controller cancels any remaining speeding alert message notification of the series based upon a cancellation command response from the user having received the speeding alert message notification.

9. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 7 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

10. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said controller being switchable to an armed mode when a user is away from the vehicle for cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to generate at least one acceleration alert message notification for the user based upon the vehicle exceeding an acceleration threshold indicative of aggressive driving of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein the at least one acceleration alert message notification comprises a series thereof;

and wherein said controller cancels any remaining acceleration alert message notification of the series based upon a cancellation command response from the user already having received the acceleration alert message notification.

12. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

13. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device, and at least one remote transmitter for operating said controller;

said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to generate at least one unauthorized transmitter alert message notification for the user based upon an unauthorized remote transmitter being learned into said controller.

14. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 13 wherein the at least one unauthorized remote transmitter alert message notification comprises a series thereof;

and wherein said controller cancels any remaining unauthorized remote transmitter alert message notification of the series based upon a cancellation command response from the user having already having received the unauthorized remote transmitter alert message notification.

15. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 13 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.