Method and system for interacting with a vehicle over a mobile radiotelephone network

• US 8,253,549 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murray, Tomás, Jansson, Edward R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/040,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.12, 340/426.19, 340/466, 340/467, 340/936
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A telemetry system coupled to a vehicle can communicate with a remote site using the overhead control channels of a wireless network, such as a cellular mobile radiotelephone network. The telemetry system can monitor or control aspects of the vehicle'"'"'s operations based on remote user input. The telemetry system can receive a command from a data processing center and, based on the command, perform an action at the vehicle such that a user can remotely interact with the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle telemetry system, comprising:

a processor capable of completing a speed monitoring operation by monitoring the speed of the vehicle, determining that the speed of the vehicle exceeds a speed threshold value, and issuing a prompt if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed threshold value; and

a transceiver, responsive to the prompt, operative to send via a wireless network a message indicating that the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed threshold value,

wherein the system sends additional messages until the speed of the vehicle reduces to an amount that is a percentage below the speed threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor resets the speed monitoring operation when the speed of the vehicle decreases below the speed threshold value.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a timer for counting the length of time the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed threshold value;

wherein the processor is further capable of comparing the length of time to a time limit and issuing the prompt only when the length of time exceeds the time limit.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data processing system, located remote from the vehicle, capable of receiving the message for display by a web-based GUI coupled to the data processing system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises a longitude and a latitude defining a location for the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises a flag providing an indication that the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed threshold value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further capable of receiving a speed measurement identifying the speed of the vehicle from a speedometer of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further capable of receiving a speed measurement identifying the speed of the vehicle from a global positioning sensor located at the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data processing system, located remote from the vehicle, for transmitting the speed threshold value to the vehicle for reception by the transceiver via the wireless network.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for accepting the speed threshold value and a data processing system, coupled to the GUI via a computer network and located remote from the vehicle, for transmitting the speed threshold value to the vehicle via the wireless network.

11. A system for performing a speed reporting operation for a vehicle, comprising:

a transceiver for communicating via a wireless network;

a timer for generating a measured time by counting a time period for which a speed measurement of the vehicle exceeds a first threshold that is received by the transceiver from a source that is remote to the vehicle; and

a processor for receiving the vehicle'"'"'s speed measurement, starting the timer if the speed measurement exceeds the first threshold, comparing the measured time to a second threshold that is received by the transceiver from the source that is remote to the vehicle, and prompting the transceiver to send a notification over the wireless network if the measured time exceeds the second threshold;

the processor further operative to reset the system to perform another vehicle speed reporting operation when the speed measurement decreases below the first threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, where the source comprises a data processing system capable of receiving the first threshold and second threshold via a web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) for transmission to the vehicle, the data processing system further capable of receiving the notification via the wireless network for display via the web-based GUI.