Telematics system vehicle tracking

• US 7,355,510 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Rockett, David W., Kavi, Sateesh, Suurmeyer, Andrea K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/963,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.19, 340/427, 340/988, 340/539.13, 340/995.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/457, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 701/45, 701213-226, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of tracking a vehicle including receiving vehicle information at a call center from a telematics unit via a wireless network, determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list and initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving at a call center from a telematics unit associated with the vehicle via a wireless network at least one of a vehicle data unload request and a service request, including a request-vehicle station identification embodying vehicle information;

determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list; and

initiating vehicle tracking if it is determined that the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a vehicle data upload request comprises:

configuring the telematics unit with a mileage triggerable vehicle data upload at a factory, wherein the mileage triggerable vehicle data upload includes a mileage trigger distance;

determining a mileage trigger event; and

initiating a wireless connection between the telematics unit and the call center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list comprises:

storing the vehicle tracking list at the call center;

retrieving the stored vehicle tracking list responsive to receiving the vehicle information; and

comparing the request-vehicle station identification to vehicle station identifications for missing vehicles.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein initiating vehicle tracking comprises:

transmitting the request-vehicle station identification to a vehicle tracking system responsive to the comparison generating a match.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein initiating vehicle tracking comprises:

retrieving request-vehicle data from the requesting vehicle by the call center responsive to the comparison generating a match.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the retrieved request-vehicle data from the requesting vehicle at the call center; and

transmitting the retrieved request-vehicle data to a vehicle tracking system from the call center.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the request-vehicle data is selected from the group consisting of a request-vehicle station identification, GPS data, a vehicle color, a vehicle model type, a vehicle year, request-type data, vehicle mileage data, a user name, account data and combinations thereof.

8. A system of tracking a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for receiving vehicle information at a call Center from a telematics unit via wireless network, wherein the means for receiving vehicle information comprise;

means for configuring the telematics unit with a mileage triggerable vehicle data upload, wherein the mileage triggerable vehicle data unload includes a mileage trigger distance;

means for determining a mileage trigger event; and

means for initialing a wireless connection between the telematics unit and the call center upon triggering;

means for determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list; and

means for initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for storing the vehicle tracking list at the call center;

means for retrieving the stored vehicle tracking list responsive to receiving the vehicle information; and

means for comparing a request-vehicle station identification to the vehicle station identifications for the missing vehicles.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination comprises:

means for transmitting the request-vehicle station identification to a vehicle tracking system responsive to the comparison generating a match.

11. A computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising:

computer readable code for receiving vehicle information at a call center from a telematics unit via a wireless network, wherein the computer readable code for receiving a vehicle information comprises;

computer readable code for configuring the telematics unit with a mileage triggerable vehicle data unload at a factory, wherein the mileage triggerable vehicle data unload includes a mileage trigger distance;

computer readable code for determining a mileage trigger event; and

computer readable code for initiating a wireless connection between the telematics unit and the call center upon triggering;

computer readable code for determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list; and

computer readable code for initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the received vehicle information includes a request-vehicle station identification, and

wherein the computer readable code for determining comprises:

computer readable code for storing the vehicle tracking list ax the call center;

computer readable code for retrieving the stored vehicle tracking list responsive to receiving the vehicle information; and

computer readable code for comparing the request-vehicle station identification to the vehicle station identifications for the missing vehicles.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable code for initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination comprises:

computer readable code for transmitting the request-vehicle station identification to a vehicle tracking system responsive to die comparison generating a match.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable code for determining further comprises:

computer readable code for retrieving request-vehicle data responsive to the comparison generating a match.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the computer readable code for initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination comprises:

computer readable code for receiving the retrieved request-vehicle data; and

computer readable code for transmitting the received request-vehicle data to a vehicle tracking system.

16. A method of tracking a vehicle having a telematics unit, the method comprising:

receiving at a call center via a wireless network a vehicle data upload request from the telematics unit, wherein the upload request includes a request-vehicle station identification for conveying vehicle information, and wherein the telematics unit is configured with a mileage-triggerable vehicle data upload, wherein the mileage-triggerable vehicle data upload includes a mileage trigger distance, wherein a mileage trigger event has occurred, and pursuant thereto a wireless connection has been initiated between the telematics unit and the call center;

determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on a vehicle tracking list; and

initiating vehicle tracking if the vehicle station identification is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle on the vehicle tracking list.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving vehicle information comprises receiving a service request including the request-vehicle station identification.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the vehicle information is associated with a vehicle station identification for a missing vehicle comprises:

storing the vehicle tracking list at the call center;

retrieving the stored vehicle tracking list responsive to receiving the vehicle information; and

comparing the request-vehicle station identification to vehicle station identifications for missing vehicles.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination comprises:

transmitting the request-vehicle station identification to a vehicle tracking system responsive to the comparison generating a match.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating vehicle tracking based on the determination comprises:

retrieving request-vehicle data from the requesting vehicle by the call center responsive to the comparison generating a match.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving the retrieved request-vehicle data from the requesting vehicle at the call center; and

transmitting the retrieved request-vehicle data to a vehicle tracking system from the call center.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the request-vehicle data is selected from the group consisting of a request-vehicle station identification, GPS data, a vehicle color, a vehicle model type, a vehicle year, request-type data, vehicle mileage data, a user name, account data and combinations thereof.

23. A system of tracking a vehicle having a telematics unit, the system comprising:

means for configuring the telematics unit with a mileage triggerable vehicle data upload, wherein the mileage triggerable vehicle data upload includes a mileage trigger distance;

means for determining a mileage trigger event; and

means for initiating a wireless connection between the telematics unit and a call center whereby vehicle information is transmitted to the call center from the telematics unit via a wireless network upon triggering, so that vehicle tracking is initiated if the vehicle information is associated with a missing vehicle.