Vehicle identification system

• US 7,894,826 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: de los Monteros, Alfonso Espinosa, Mehta, Sapna P., Volpi, David P., Farmer, Jeffery Charles, Bacorn, Nashina Asaria, Contour, Michael Joseph, Bergman, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu; Yu (Andy)
• Application Number:
  US11/521,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 707/104.1, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The specification and drawing figures describe and show a vehicle identification system that includes a programmable application for database management of a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors. The vehicle identification system also includes a mobile computing platform in a mobile satellite communications system adapted to operatively associate the customer-specific vehicle descriptors with a vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle identification system, comprising

a mobile computing platform for receiving a request to add a new vehicle nickname specified by a customer, wherein the mobile computing platform is removably mounted in a vehicle;

a programmable application for managing a database of a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors including one or more vehicle nicknames and for associating the new vehicle nickname specifically with the vehicle, wherein the new vehicle nickname is different from a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; and

a mobile communications system for operatively associating the programmable application with the vehicle and the mobile computing platform, wherein the mobile communications system identifies the vehicle based on the new vehicle nickname independent of the VIN.

2. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile communications system includes a customer dispatcher computer for communicating with the vehicle across the mobile communications system.

3. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 2, wherein the mobile communications system includes a network management computer for processing a variety of input and output data within the mobile communications system, wherein the network management computer is operatively connected to the customer dispatcher computer.

4. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 3, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a mobile application server for communicating with the customer dispatcher computer across the mobile communications system, wherein the mobile application server is removably mounted in the vehicle.

5. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 4, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a media display unit for enabling primary communications by a vehicle operator across the mobile communications system.

6. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 5, wherein the mobile computing platform further includes a compact display unit for enabling secondary communications by either a vehicle operator or vehicle occupant across the mobile communications system.

7. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 6, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a satellite data modem operatively connected to the media display unit and the compact display unit.

8. A vehicle identification system as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a power cable disconnect detect circuit operatively connected to the mobile application server for detecting reconnection between a power cable and the mobile application server.

9. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle, comprising:

a mobile computing platform for receiving a request to add a new vehicle nickname specified by a customer, wherein the mobile computing platform is removably installed in the vehicle;

a network management computer, operatively connected to the mobile computing platform, for processing a variety of input and output data within the mobile communications system, wherein the network management computer is operatively connected to the mobile computing platform;

a programmable application, operatively connected to the network management computer, for managing a database including a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors including one or more vehicle nicknames and for associating the new vehicle nickname specifically with the vehicle, wherein

the new vehicle nickname is different from a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; and

the mobile communications system identifies the vehicle based on the new vehicle nickname independent of the VIN.

10. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, further comprising a customer dispatcher computer for communicating with the vehicle across the mobile communications system.

11. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a mobile application server for communicating at least with the customer dispatcher across the mobile communications system, wherein the mobile application server is removably installed in the vehicle.

12. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a media display unit for enabling primary communications by a vehicle operator across the mobile communications system.

13. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a compact display unit for enabling secondary communications by either a vehicle operator or vehicle occupant across the mobile communications system.

14. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the mobile computing platform includes a remote control unit for enabling additional alternative communications options by either a vehicle operator or vehicle occupant across the mobile communications system.

15. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, further comprising a customer data base for managing customer information.

16. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle as recited in claim 9, further comprising a billing data base for managing customer invoice information.

17. A method of including a customer-specific vehicle descriptor across a mobile communications system, comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile computing platform removably mounted in a vehicle;

providing a network management computer, operatively connected to the mobile computing platform, for processing input and output data available across the mobile communications system;

providing a programmable application, operatively connected to the mobile computing platform via the network management computer, for managing a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors including one or more vehicle nicknames;

receiving, by the mobile computing platform, a request to add a new vehicle nickname specified by a customer of the mobile communications system, wherein the new vehicle nickname is associated specifically with the vehicle;

assigning, by the programmable application, the new vehicle nickname to the vehicle in response to the request, wherein the new vehicle nickname is different from a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; and

providing the new vehicle nickname to the mobile computing platform via the mobile communications system, wherein the mobile communications system identifies the vehicle based on the new vehicle nickname independent of the VIN.

18. A method of including a customer-specific vehicle descriptor across a mobile communications system as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of providing a mobile computing platform further comprises:

providing a mobile application server for communicating with the network management computer across the mobile communications system, wherein the mobile application server is removably mounted in the vehicle;

providing a media display unit for enabling primary communications by an operator of the vehicle across the mobile communications system, wherein the media display unit is mounted in the vehicle;

providing a compact display unit for enabling secondary communications by one of the operator and an occupant of the vehicle across the mobile communications system, wherein the compact display unit is mounted in the vehicle;

providing a remote control device for enabling additional communications by one of the operator and the occupant of the vehicle across the mobile communications system, wherein the remote control device is mounted in the vehicle; and

operatively connecting the mobile application server, the media display unit, and compact display unit with one or more cables.

19. In a mobile communications system, an apparatus for assigning a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle, comprising:

a means for receiving a request to add a new vehicle nickname specified by a customer, wherein the means for receiving is removably installed in the vehicle;

a means, operatively connected to the means for receiving, for processing a variety of input and output data within the mobile communications system;

a means, operatively connected to the means for processing, for managing a database including a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors including one or more vehicle nicknames and for associating the new vehicle nickname specifically with the vehicle, wherein the new vehicle nickname is different from a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle; and

the mobile communications system identifies the vehicle based on the new vehicle nickname independent of the VIN.

20. A non-transitory storage media comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement assigning of a customer-specific vehicle descriptor to a vehicle in a mobile communications system, and which when executed perform the steps of:

receiving a request at a mobile computer platform to add a new vehicle nickname specified by a customer, wherein the mobile computing platform is removably mounted in a vehicle;

processing a variety of input and output data within the mobile communications system;

managing a database including a plurality of customer-specific vehicle descriptors including one or more vehicle nicknames and for associating the new vehicle nickname specifically with the vehicle, wherein the new vehicle nickname is different from a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;

and the mobile communications system identifies the vehicle based on the new vehicle nickname independent of the VIN.