Vehicular fleet monitoring via public wireless communication access points using compressed diagnostic data sets and reduced latency transmissions

• US 7,912,641 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MTS Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MTS Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Padmanabhan, Vijay, Harris, Aaron Robertson, Osentoski, Lawrence Edward, Grattan, Michael Joseph, Krasicky, Paul Anthony, Zlater, John Charles, Cummins, Michael A
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/763,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701213-216, 701/200, 340/539.13, 340988-989, 340/992, 340/3.1, 340/3, 455/345, 455/99
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicular monitoring system is configured to acquire GPS position data and vehicular operating data, write the data to a file, and detect and utilize public wireless communication (e.g., 802.11x/WiFi) Internet access points to communicate the file containing the acquired GPS position data and vehicular operating data to a remote computer. Compressed diagnostic data sets and reduced latency wireless transmissions are utilized to facilitate communication.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring, said method comprising steps of:

determining a location of a vehicle using a global positioning system;

determining a time at which the location of the vehicle is determined;

determining at least one operational parameter of the vehicle at the determined time;

creating a data file comprising a header and at least one data pair, said at least one data pair comprising the determined location of the vehicle and the corresponding at least one operational parameter, said header including a vehicle identifier and a tracking unit identifier;

determining when an open compatible wireless network connection with Internet access is available; and

accessing the open compatible wireless network connection and transmitting the data file to a remote computer via the Internet using a compatible file transfer protocol.

2. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising steps of powering up and shutting down the system based upon a CAN line bias.

3. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising steps of powering up and shutting down the system based upon a CAN line bias, wherein the system is powered up when the CAN line bias is at least a first determined threshold amount, and the system is powered down when the CAN line bias drops below a second determined threshold amount.

4. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising a step of powering up and shutting down the system based upon the status of the vehicle'"'"'s ignition.

5. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising requesting the at least one operational parameter periodically.

6. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising requesting the at least one operational parameter periodically and determining location whenever the at least one operational parameter is determined.

7. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising visibly indicating system status.

8. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein said step of creating a data file comprising a header and at least one data pair, said at least one data pair comprising the determined location of the vehicle and the corresponding at least one operational parameter, said header including a vehicle identifier and a tracking unit identifier, includes appending each data pair to the data file until the data file is transmitted, and upon transmission creating a new data file.

9. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein said step of creating a data file comprising a header and at least one data pair, said at least one data pair comprising the determined location of the vehicle and the corresponding at least one operational parameter, said header including a vehicle identifier and a tracking unit identifier, includes appending each data pair to the data file until the data file is transmitted, and upon transmission creating a new data file, and creating a file name for each data file said file name including a date, an identification number for the system and a count number for the date.

10. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, said method further comprising creating an almanac, said almanac including GPS satellite information and determining a date and time from UTC time.

11. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection.

12. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude.

13. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude and at least one operational parameter from the group consisting of ambient temperature, vehicle speed, odometer reading, windshield wiper status and barometric pressure.

14. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude and at least one operational parameter from the group consisting of ambient temperature, vehicle speed, odometer reading, windshield wiper status and barometric pressure, said method further comprising writing the operational parameter to the data file as a raw recorded hexadecimal value.

15. A method of tracking a vehicle using a system and method for vehicular fleet monitoring according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude and at least one operational parameter from the group consisting of ambient temperature, vehicle speed, odometer reading, windshield wiper status and barometric pressure, said method further comprising writing the operational parameter to the data file as a raw recorded hexadecimal value, and then converting from the raw recorded hexadecimal value to actual units by applying a determined conversion factor.

16. A vehicle tracking unit comprising

a microcontroller,

a GPS receiver with a corresponding GPS antenna,

a wireless network transceiver with a corresponding wireless network antenna,

a memory,

a power supply and

one or more interfaces operably coupled by a bus,

said microcontroller being adapted to provide supervisory logic control over the tracking unit, control the GPS receiver and wireless network transceiver, receive input from the GPS receiver, wireless transceiver and interfaces, and write to and read from the memory;

said GPS receiver being adapted to receive GPS satellite signals and calculate position and time based thereon;

said one or more interfaces including a means for communicatively coupling the microcontroller to a vehicle Electronic Control Unit and receiving operational data therefrom;

said bus being adapted to enable transfer of data and power between components; and

said wireless network transceiver being adapted to detect and transmit GPS and operational data to a remote computer via an open wireless access point with an Internet connection using a determined file transfer protocol;

said microcontroller being configured to determine a location of the vehicle using GPS receiver, determine a time at which the location of the vehicle is determined, determining at least one operational data of the vehicle at the determined time, and create a data file comprising a header and at least one data pair, said at least one data pair comprising the determined location of the vehicle and the corresponding at least one operational data, said header including a vehicle identifier and a tracking unit identifier;

determine when an open compatible wireless network connection with Internet access is available using said wireless network transceiver; and

accessing the open compatible wireless network connection and transmitting the data file, using said wireless network transceiver, to a remote computer via the Internet using a compatible file transfer protocol.

17. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16, wherein the data file includes a plurality of data pairs appended to the data file until the data file is transmitted.

18. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16, wherein said microcontroller is configured to create a new data file upon transmission the data file, and configured to create a file name for each data file said file name including a date, an identification number for the unit and a count number for the date.

19. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16, wherein said microcontroller is configured to create an almanac using said GPS receiver, said almanac including almanac data corresponding to the GPS satellite signals:

each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude and at least one operational parameter from the group consisting of ambient temperature, vehicle speed, odometer reading, windshield wiper status and barometric pressure, said unit further being configured to write the operational parameter to the data file as a raw recorded hexadecimal value.

20. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16, wherein each of said at least one data pair includes a time of data collection, latitude, longitude, groundspeed and altitude and at least one operational parameter from the group consisting of ambient temperature, vehicle speed, odometer reading, windshield wiper status and barometric pressure, said unit being configured to write the operational parameter to the data file as a raw recorded hexadecimal value.