Method of and apparatus for utilizing geographically spread cellular radio networks to supplement more geographically limited stolen vehicle recovery networks in activation of radio tracking and recovery of such vehicles

• US 8,086,215 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calamp Wireless Networks Inc. (CalAmp Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LoJack Operating Company, LP (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Duvall, William
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US12/381,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 342/357.08, 340/426.19, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A method of expanding the activation and tracking capability of a limited number of stolen vehicle recovery dedicated radio-frequency networks activated from a control center upon notification of the theft of the vehicle includes supplementarily using more numerous widely geographically provided cellular-telephone frequency band networks to respond to the control center to indicate rough location of the stolen vehicle, while the recovery networks provide fine tracking of the vehicle for recovery.

Claims

1. A method utilizing the relatively wide-geographically spread cellular radio networks to supplement more limited stolen vehicle recovery radio network sites in activation of radio tracking and recovery of such a vehicle, that comprises:

equipping the vehicle with both a transponder activated to transmit a code transmission and a transceiver responsive to a query from the cellular network;

upon confirming vehicle theft at a control center, instructing the recovery network and the cellular network at the same time to send their respective queries to the vehicle to enable vehicle recovery via the cellular network as a supplement to the stolen vehicle recovery network to enlarge the effective area of recovery activation.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the transponder is activated via the recovery network.

3. A system for utilizing the wide-geographically spread cellular radio networks to supplement more limited stolen vehicle recovery radio network sites in activation of radio tracking and recovery of such a vehicle, the system having, in combination:

a vehicle-equipped transponder activated to transmit a code transmission;

a vehicle-equipped transceiver responsive to a query from such a cellular network; and

a control center, operable upon confirming vehicle theft, for instructing both the recovery network and the cellular network at the same time to send respective queries to the vehicle to enable recovery via the cellular network as a supplement to the stolen vehicle recovery network to enlarge the effective area of recovery activation.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the transponder is activated via the recovery network.

5. A dual mode vehicle recovery system comprising:

a transponder located in a vehicle and activated by a signal transmitted by a stolen vehicle recovery radio network to provide a code transmission to be received by a recovery vehicle;

a cellular telephone transceiver in the vehicle configured to provide said signal to the transponder upon receipt of a query transmitted by a cellular telephone network to activate the transponder when it is out of range of the stolen vehicle recovery network;

the cellular telephone transceiver in the vehicle, upon receipt of the query, configured to transmit an identification transmission to a cellular tower to provide course location information of the vehicle.

6. A method of recovering a vehicle using two modes, the method comprising:

hiding in the vehicle a transponder activated by a signal transmitted by a stolen vehicle recovery radio network to provide a code transmission to be received by a recovery vehicle;

including in the vehicle a cellular telephone transceiver configured to provide said signal to the transponder upon receipt of a query transmitted by a cellular telephone network to activate the transponder when it is out of range of the stolen vehicle recovery network;

upon receipt of the query, transmitting by the cellular telephone transceiver in the vehicle, an identification transmission to a cellular tower to provide course location information of the vehicle.