Method, system and device for monitoring vehicle usage

• US 7,925,433 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Brian, Schafer, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US12/153,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/213, 701/207, 701/214, 701/211, 340/438, 340/988, 340/991, 455/456.1, 455/421
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A vehicle tracking device (101), method and/or system are provided. The device (101) includes a location interface (117), for receiving a location signal indicating a current location when operably connected to a GPS antenna; a sensor interface (109), for receiving sensor signals from sensors in the vehicle indicating a sensed status of the vehicle, when electrically or electronically connected to the sensors; and a processor (105). The processor (105) is configured to facilitate receiving, from the location interface, indications of a current location; determining, responsive to the location signal, a determined current location of the vehicle (127); receiving, from the sensor interface, a sensed status of the vehicle (129); recording a pre-defined event condition, when the pre-defined event condition occurs (131) responsive to the sensed status, in a vehicle history; and recording the determined current location in the vehicle history (133).

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for execution by a computer, providing a computer-implemented method for monitoring a plurality of motorized vehicles, the instructions for implementing the steps of:

first communicating with a plurality of vehicle tracking devices, a respective vehicle tracking device being associated with a respective vehicle, and receiving a vehicle history of vehicle location and vehicle status associated with respective vehicles from the respective vehicle tracking devices;

after receiving a vehicle history from at least one of the vehicle tracking devices, the at least one vehicle tracking device having a memory for storing the history, instructing the at least one vehicle tracking device to clear the history from the memory;

determining a desired location and a current location of the respective vehicles with respect to different moving proceedings including a first moving proceeding in which a first plurality of the respective vehicles is participating and a second proceeding which is geographically contiguous to the first proceeding and in which a second one of the respective vehicles is participating, and

second communicating wirelessly with vehicle tracking devices to obtain respective current locations of the respective vehicles;

to obtain respective current states of a sensor or an alarm on the respective vehicles; and

to instruct a relay on the respective vehicles to be switched responsive to at least one of the current location of the respective vehicles and the current state, so as to achieve the desired location of the first plurality of the respective vehicles within the first moving proceeding, and to achieve the desired location of the respective vehicles in the second moving proceeding to avoid overtaking the first moving proceeding,

wherein the relay to be switched indicates a desired pace of the respective vehicle in relation to the different moving proceedings.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the respective vehicles include golf carts and the different moving proceedings include different golf games in which the golf carts are participating.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the respective vehicles include lawn maintenance vehicles, and the different moving proceedings include lawn maintenance operations in which the lawn maintenance vehicles are participating.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the respective vehicles include snow removal vehicles, and the different moving proceedings include snow removal operations in which the snow removal vehicles are participating.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first communicating and the second communicating use a format of a communication predetermined by a portable unitary telemetry/tracking device module removably mounted on the respective vehicles, the portable unitary telemetry/tracking device module includes a transceiver configured to receive the communication, a GPS location interface, and a relay switch for electrical connection to circuits in the vehicle, the communication having an indication whether the relay switch is to be switched.

6. A method for monitoring a plurality of motorized vehicles, comprising:

first communicating, from a host computer, with a plurality of vehicle tracking devices, a respective vehicle tracking device being associated with a respective vehicle; and

receiving, at the host computer, a vehicle history of vehicle location and vehicle status associated with respective vehicles from the respective vehicle tracking devices;

after receiving a vehicle history from at least one of the vehicle tracking devices, the at least one vehicle tracking device having a memory for storing the history, the host computer instructing the at least one vehicle tracking device to clear the history from the memory;

determining, at the host computer, a desired location and a current location of the respective vehicles with respect to different moving proceedings including a first moving proceeding in which a first plurality of the respective vehicles is participating and a second proceeding which is geographically contiguous to the first proceeding and in which a second one of the respective vehicles is participating, and

second communicating wirelessly from the host computer to the vehicle tracking devices to obtain respective current locations of the respective vehicles;

to obtain, at the host computer, respective current states of a sensor or an alarm on the respective vehicles; and

to instruct, from the host computer, a relay on the respective vehicles to be switched responsive to at least one of the current location of the respective vehicles and the current state, so as to achieve the desired location of the first plurality of the respective vehicles within the first moving proceeding, and to achieve the desired location of the respective vehicles in the second moving proceeding to avoid overtaking the first moving proceeding,

wherein the relay to be switched indicates a desired pace of the respective vehicle in relation to the different moving proceedings.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the respective vehicles include golf carts and the different moving proceedings include different golf games in which the golf carts are participating.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the respective vehicles include lawn maintenance vehicles, and the different moving proceedings include lawn maintenance operations in which the lawn maintenance vehicles are participating.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the respective vehicles include snow removal vehicles, and the different moving proceedings include snow removal operations in which the snow removal vehicles are participating.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first communicating and the second communicating use a format of a communication predetermined by a portable unitary telemetry/tracking device module removably mounted on the respective vehicles, the portable unitary telemetry/tracking device module includes a transceiver configured to receive the communication, a GPS location interface, and a relay switch for electrical connection to circuits in the vehicle, the communication having an indication whether the relay switch is to be switched.