GPS based vehicle modification and abnormal usage monitoring

• US 8,306,686 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Dlugoss, Randall B., Lang, Kenneth K.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan
• Application Number:
  US12/428,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/213, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/29.3, 701/29.6, 701/30.7, 701/30.8, 701/32.4
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle monitoring system comprises a calculation module, an abnormal usage module, and memory. The calculation module calculates a vehicle usage value based on global positioning system (GPS) data and at least one data input, and calculates an expected vehicle usage value based on known vehicle characteristics and the GPS data. The abnormal usage module compares the vehicle usage value and the expected vehicle usage value. The memory stores an indicator based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a calculation module that calculates a vehicle usage value based on global positioning system (GPS) data and at least one data input, and that calculates an expected vehicle usage value based on known vehicle characteristics and said GPS data;

an abnormal usage module that compares said vehicle usage value and said expected vehicle usage value; and

memory that stores an indicator based on said comparison.

2. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said known vehicle characteristics include throttle, engine torque, wheel size, power transfer ratio, maximum load, and vehicle mass.

3. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said memory stores said indicator when a predetermined difference between said vehicle usage value and said expected vehicle usage value is exceeded, and wherein said indicator is indicative of unauthorized vehicle modification.

4. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said memory stores said indicator when a predetermined difference between said vehicle usage value and said expected vehicle usage value is exceeded, and wherein said indicator is indicative of unacceptable use due to vehicle overload.

5. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 3 wherein said indicator is indicative of vehicle loss of integrity when said predetermined difference is exceeded for a period of time.

6. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 4 wherein said indicator is indicative of vehicle loss of integrity when said predetermined difference is exceeded for a period of time.

7. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said memory stores said indicator when said vehicle usage value is outside of a first range associated with said expected vehicle usage value.

8. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said memory stores said indicator when said vehicle usage value is outside of a first range associated with said expected vehicle usage value for a period of time.

9. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a terrain database that stores terrain rating data, wherein said at least one data input includes said terrain rating data.

10. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 9 wherein said memory stores said indicator when a predetermined difference between said vehicle usage value and said expected vehicle usage value is exceeded, and wherein said indicator is indicative of unacceptable vehicle usage.