Sharing method and apparatus using a non-permanent communication link

• US 7,373,108 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Minds Inc.
• Inventors: Vidaillac, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/392,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20030211852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 4554561-4563, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/465, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 701/207, 701/213, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• 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 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates

Abstract

A method and apparatus is described for sharing data among a plurality of devices using a wireless short-range transceiver and for ultimately transmitting at least one part of the shared data to a remote server using a data network transceiver. Each device further comprises a localization unit providing a geographic position of the device.

Claims

1. A data sharing apparatus for sharing and transmitting data to a remote server, the data comprising at least one geographic position, the data sharing apparatus comprising:

a processing unit;

a localization device providing a geographic position of the data sharing apparatus to the processing unit;

a collected data database storing the geographic position of the data sharing apparatus provided by the processing unit together with corresponding time;

a wireless short-range transceiver connected to said processing unit and providing a short-range wireless connection to another one of said data sharing apparatus, the short-range wireless connection being used to transmit at least one part of said stored geographic position of the data sharing apparatus together with the corresponding time and an identifier identifying a transmitting data sharing apparatus; and

a data network transceiver connected to said processing unit and providing a connection to a remote server for sending at least one part of the collected data database, to said remote server based on a priority, the priority being dependent on the corresponding time;

wherein said provided short-range wireless connection between more than one data sharing apparatus enables the sharing of data that will further be transmitted to said remote server using the data network transceiver of one of the more than one data sharing apparatus, enabling a management of the transmission of data between each of the data sharing apparatus and said remote server, the management being dependent on the priority.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processing unit is programmed to hold the at least one part of the collected data database to be sent to said remote server for a predetermined amount of time.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing unit selects the at least one part of the collected data database to be sent to said remote server, the at least one part of the collected data being selected being not available at said remote server.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data network transceiver is a wireless data network transceiver.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data network transceiver is a cable modem transceiver.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless short-range transceiver is a point-to-point short-range transceiver.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a motion detection unit connected to said processing unit and providing a motion signal when a motion of the data sharing apparatus is detected.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a photovoltaic device providing a current to said data sharing apparatus.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the data network transceiver and the wireless short-range transceiver comprises means for determining the priority by at least one of:

evaluating an age of the geographic position and by determining an identity of the data sharing apparatus associated to the geographical position.

9. A method for sharing and transmitting data from one data sharing apparatus of a plurality of data sharing apparatus to a remote servers, the data comprising at least one geographic position, the method comprising:

receiving a geographic position of the data sharing apparatus using a localization device;

storing in a collected data database said received geographic position with a corresponding time;

determining a priority associated to the geographic position, the priority being dependent on the corresponding time;

sharing said stored geographic position and said corresponding time with another one of said plurality of data sharing apparatus using a short-range wireless connection, said sharing being dependent on said priority; and

transmitting at least one part of said collected data database to a remote server using a data network transceiver, said at least one part being chosen according to the priority;

wherein said transmitting of said at least one pad of said collected data database is performed by one of said plurality of data sharing apparatus, enabling to select a versatile way to send said at least one pad of said collected data database to said remote server.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transmitting of at least one pad of said collected data database with a remote server using a data network transceiver comprises sending a list of available data in said collected data database, selecting at least one pad of said available data, in said list sent, by said remote server and transmitting said at least one pad of said available data selected to said remote server.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the determining of the priority comprises at least one of:

evaluating an age of the geographic position and determining an identity of the data sharing apparatus associated to the geographical position.