System for providing a virtual vehicle boundary

• US 7,327,250 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/627,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/426.19, 340/426.2, 340/426.21, 340/426.22, 340/993, 348/148, 348/151, 348/153, 701/201, 701/202
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1012 Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots
• 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: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

System for providing a virtual vehicle boundary. The system includes a method for activating a virtual fence for use with a delivery vehicle. The method comprises steps of detecting a protection event, determining that the protection event is an activation event, and activating a selected virtual fence based the activation event.

Claims

1. A protection system that operates to provide a virtual fence for use with a delivery vehicle, the protection system comprising:

input logic that is coupled to receive a protection signal, indicative of other than vehicle location, from the vehicle;

fence logic that is coupled to the input logic, being operable to activate a selected virtual fence from a plurality of virtual fences in response to said protection signal being indicative of one of a plurality of activation events involving vehicle motion and not having vehicle engine dependence, said fence logic being further operable to concurrently activate a route fence along a route of said delivery vehicle, from said plurality of virtual fences, in connection with a determination of a delivery vehicle route.

2. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the input logic is operator input logic and the protection signal is an operator input signal.

3. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the input logic is a sensor input logic and the protection signal is a sensor input signal.

4. The protection system of claim 3, wherein the delivery vehicle comprises a tractor portion and a trailer portion and the sensor input signal indicates when the trailer portion is unhooked from the tractor portion.

5. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the input logic is position input logic and the protection signal is a position signal.

6. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the input logic is communication input logic and the protection signal is a communication signal.

7. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the protection signal is any combination of an operator signal, a sensor signal, a position signal, and a communication signal.

8. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising position logic that operates to determine a vehicle position, wherein the position logic outputs the vehicle position in a position signal that is the protection signal.

9. The protection system of claim 1, further comprising message processing logic that is coupled to the fence logic, wherein the message processing logic outputs a vehicle message that is used to control a vehicle control system.

10. Apparatus for providing a virtual fence for use with a delivery vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a protection event;

means for determining that the protection event is one of a plurality of activation events involving vehicle motion and not having vehicle engine dependence;

means for activating a selected virtual fence, from a plurality of virtual fences, based on the activation event and a signal, indicative of other than vehicle location, from said delivery vehicle;

means for activating a route fence along a route of said delivery vehicle, from said plurality of virtual fences, in connection with a determination of said route of said delivery vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for determining that the activation event is a sub-event; and

means for activating the selected virtual fence based the sub-event.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for activating one of a boundary fence, a perimeter fence, and a route fence based on the sub-event.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delivery vehicle comprises a tractor portion and a trailer portion and the apparatus further comprises means for determining that the sub-event is a trailer sub-event that occurs when the trailer portion is unhooked from the tractor portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the trailer portion comprises cargo and the apparatus further comprises means for determining if the cargo is moved outside the selected virtual fence.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for deactivating a virtual fence based on the activation event.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for outputting a vehicle message that is used to control a vehicle control system.