Vehicle monitor

• US 7,853,375 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Root Four Imagination Inc. (Repairify, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maurice Tuff
• Inventors: Tuff, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib; Rami
• Application Number:
  US11/733,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20080255718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/07 Indicating devices, e.g. for remote indication indicating working conditions of vehicles G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for monitoring a motor vehicle. The system includes a sensor unit for collecting at least one vehicle statistic and a portable device for displaying the vehicle statistics. The portable device requests the vehicle statistics from the sensor unit at regular intervals or in response to a particular event and displays statistics on a built-in display screen. In one embodiment, the portable device may be attached to the keys used to operate the vehicle being monitored.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor unit connectable to an OBD-II port of the vehicle for continually collecting at least one vehicle statistic by receiving the at least one vehicle statistic from a sensor built into the vehicle, wherein the vehicle statistic is at least one of speed, distance, acceleration, deceleration, or revolutions per minute; and

a portable device separate from the sensor unit and comprising;

a processor configured to control the portable device and automatically (i) request and receive the at least one vehicle statistic from the sensor unit (ii) wait for a period of time after requesting and receiving the at least one vehicle statistic, and (iii) after waiting, repeat steps (i) and (ii) continuously;

a display for continuously displaying the at least one vehicle statistic, wherein the processor is configured to repeatedly update the at least one vehicle statistic that is displayed on the display as the at least one vehicle statistic is repeatedly received by the processor; and

a transceiver configured to communicate with the sensor unit;

wherein the sensor unit is configured to send the at least one vehicle statistic to the portable device when it receives a request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises an attachment member for removable attachment to the keys used to operate the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises an input mechanism.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the input mechanism is configured to allow a user to enter an access code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the display is configured to display a tampering indicator when an invalid access code is received by the input mechanism.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the input mechanism is configured to allow a user to enter a reset command.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the portable device further comprises a memory for storing the at least one vehicle statistic and the memory is configured to reset when the reset command is received by the input mechanism followed by a valid access code.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory is further configured to store a reset count of the number of times the memory has been reset and the display is further configured to display the reset count when the reset command is received.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is configured to obtain the power necessary for its operations from the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises indicators for indicating the status of the sensor unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the display has at least one field which each display at least one vehicle statistic.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the fields is a maximum speed field displaying the maximum speed that the vehicle has attained.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the fields is a distance field displaying the distance the vehicle has traveled.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the fields is a hard brakes field displaying the number of times that the vehicle has experienced a specified reduction in speed in a specified period of time.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the fields is a rapid accelerations field displaying the number of times that the vehicle has experienced a specified increase in speed in a specified period of time.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the fields is a revolutions per minute field displaying the maximum number of revolutions per minute the vehicle has attained.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in a main mode in which the portable device is prepared to accept input.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises a memory for storing the at least one vehicle statistic and the portable device is configured to operate in a reset mode in which the at least one vehicle statistic stored in the memory is reset.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in an access code change mode in which a code used to access the portable device is changed.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in a synchronization mode in which the portable device is synchronized with the sensor unit.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in an update mode in which the at least one vehicle statistic is updated.

22. The system of claim 21, the portable device is configured to enter the update mode if no input is received within a predetermined amount of time.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is a handheld device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is a keyfob.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is configured to store a sensor identification number, the portable device is configured to store a device identification number and the sensor unit communicates with the portable device only if the sensor identification number is equal to the device identification number.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein

(a) the portable device is configured to store a reset identification number, and to send the reset identification number to the sensor each time it requests the at least one vehicle statistic from the sensor unit;

and

(b) the sensor unit is configured to compare the reset identification number to a most recent prior reset identification number, and to reset a memory thereof if the reset identification number does not match the most recent prior reset identification number.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is further configured to shut down if it does not receive the at least one vehicle statistic from the sensor unit within a second period of time.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display a tampering indicator for indicating when the system has been tampered with.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the sensor unit is further configured to store a count of the number of times the sensor unit has been connected to the vehicle and the portable device is further configured to store a latest count received from the sensor unit and to display a tampering indicator when the count and the latest count do not match.

30. A portable device for displaying at least one vehicle statistic for a vehicle, the portable device comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a separate sensor unit that is connectable to an OBD-II port of the vehicle and continually collects at least one vehicle statistic by receiving the at least one vehicle statistic from a sensor built into the vehicle;

a processor configured to control the portable device and automatically (i) request and receive the at least one vehicle statistic, (ii) wait for a period of time after requesting and receiving the at least one vehicle statistic, and (iii) after waiting, repeat steps (i) and (ii) continuously; and

a display for continuously displaying the at least one vehicle statistic, wherein the processor is configured to repeatedly update the at least one vehicle statistic that is displayed on the display as the at least one vehicle statistic is repeatedly received by the processor;

wherein, the portable device is a handheld device; and

wherein the vehicle statistic is at least one of speed, distance, acceleration, deceleration, and revolutions per minute.

31. The portable device of claim 30, further comprising an input mechanism.

32. The portable device of claim 31, wherein the input mechanism is configured to receive an access code.

33. The portable device of claim 32, wherein the display is configured to display a tampering indicator when an invalid access code is received by the input mechanism.

34. The portable device of claim 33, wherein the at least one field comprises a maximum speed field displaying the maximum speed that the vehicle has attained.

35. The portable device of claim 31, wherein the input mechanism is configured to receive a reset command.

36. The portable device of claim 35, further comprising a memory for storing the at least one vehicle statistic and the memory is configured to reset when the reset command is received by the input mechanism followed by a valid access code.

37. The portable device of claim 36 wherein the memory is further configured to store a reset count of the number of times the memory has been reset and the display is further configured to display the reset count when the reset command is received.

38. The portable device of claim 30, wherein the display is configured to display a tampering indicator for indicating when the portable device has been tampered with.

39. The portable device of claim 30, wherein the display has at least one field which each display at least one vehicle statistic.

40. The portable device of claim 39, wherein the at least one field comprises a distance field displaying the distance the vehicle has traveled.

41. The portable device of claim 39, wherein the at least one field comprises a hard brakes field displaying the number of times that the vehicle has experienced a specified reduction in speed in a specified period of time.

42. The portable device of claim 30, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in a main mode in which the portable device is prepared to accept input.

43. The portable device of claim 42, wherein the portable device further comprises a memory for storing the at least one vehicle statistic and the portable device is configured to operate in a reset mode in which the at least one vehicle statistic stored in memory is reset.

44. The portable device of claim 43, wherein the memory is further configured to store a device access code used to access the portable device and the portable device is configured to operate in an access code change mode in which the device access code is changed.

45. The portable device of claim 44, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in a synchronization mode in which the portable device is synchronized with the sensor unit.

46. The portable device of claim 44, wherein the reset mode further comprises:

receiving an input access code;

validating the input access code;

if the input access code is valid, resetting the memory of the portable device; and

returning to the main mode.

47. The portable device of claim 46, wherein the access code change mode further comprises:

receiving an input access code;

validating the input access code;

if the input access code is valid, updating the device access code; and

returning to the main mode.

48. The portable device of claim 47, wherein updating the device access code comprises:

receiving a first new access code;

receiving a second new access code;

comparing the first new access code to the second new access code; and

if the first new access code and the second new access code are identical, saving the first new access code as the device access code.

49. The portable device of claim 47 wherein the synchronization mode further comprises:

receiving an input access code;

validating the input access code; and

if the input access code is valid, synchronizing the portable device and the sensor unit.

50. The portable device of claim 49, wherein the portable device further comprises a device identification number and synchronizing the portable device and the sensor unit comprises:

sending a synchronization message to the sensor unit;

receiving a synchronization response from the sensor unit including a sensor identification number;

comparing the sensor identification number to the device identification number; and

if the sensor identification number and the device identification number are identical, indicating that the synchronization has passed and returning to the main mode.

51. The portable device of claim 50, wherein the portable device is configured to communicate with the sensor unit only after the portable device and the sensor unit have been synchronized.

52. The portable device of claim 49, wherein validating the input access code comprises comparing the input access code to the device access code and determining if they are equal.

53. The portable device of claim 43, wherein the portable device is configured to operate in an update mode in which the at least one vehicle statistic is updated.

54. The portable device of claim 53, wherein the portable device is configured to enter the update mode if no input is received within a predetermined amount of time.

55. The portable device of claim 30, wherein the portable device comprises an attachment member for removable attachment to the keys used to operate the vehicle.

56. The portable device of claim 30, wherein the portable device is a keyfob.