Vehicle tracker including input/output features and related methods

• US 7,343,244 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• 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:
  US11/076,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/207, 701/213, 307/10.5, 379/37, 379/40, 340/989
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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 for a vehicle of a type including at least one vehicle sensor may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a user. Furthermore, the controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the user based upon the at least one vehicle sensor. Additionally, the controller may stop sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the 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 for sending vehicle position information to a user;

said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the user based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.

2. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller is resettable to again send a alarm indication alert.

3. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes;

and wherein said controller is reset upon being switched between armed and disarmed modes.

4. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch;

and wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the ignition switch.

5. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is controllable by a remote transmitter;

and wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor being controlled by the remote transmitter.

6. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon a signal from the user.

7. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein said controller also cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send an alert message to the user based upon the vehicle changing location while said controller is in the armed mode.

8. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller stops sending of further alarm indications upon reaching the predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time.

9. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 further comprising a housing;

and wherein said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device, and said controller are carried by said housing.

10. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of alarm indication alerts is in a range of one to five alarm indication alerts.

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

12. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

13. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

14. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle siren, a vehicle parking light, a vehicle headlight, a vehicle tuning direction indicator, a vehicle hazard light, a vehicle door switch, and a vehicle dome light.

15. A vehicle tracking method for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor and a vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a user, the method comprising:

sending an alarm indication alert to the user using the controller and the wireless communications device and based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, and

stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising resetting the controller to again send an alarm indication alert.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes;

and wherein resetting comprises resetting the controller based upon switching between armed and disarmed modes.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch;

and wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon the ignition switch.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is controllable by a remote transmitter;

and wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor being controlled by the remote transmitter.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon a signal from the user.

21. The method according to claim 17 further comprising using the controller, the vehicle position determining device, and the wireless communications device to send an alert message to the user based upon the vehicle changing location while the controller is in the armed mode.

22. The method according to claim 15 wherein stopping comprises stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time.

23. The method according to claim 15 wherein the predetermined number of alarm indication alerts is in a range of one to five alarm indication alerts.