System and method for tracking a vehicle based on driver status

• US 8,306,739 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Thomas Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/492,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/412, 701/418, 701/425, 701/430, 701/451, 701/461
• US Class Current: 701/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/16 Control of vehicles or other craft simulators G09B9/02

Abstract

In at least one embodiment a system and a method for tracking locations for one of a primary driver and a secondary driver is provided. The apparatus comprises a communication module configured to receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being the secondary driver. The communication module is further configured to detect the presence of a memory map device that provides map data for one or more locations capable of being visited by the secondary driver and to receive a location signal having coordinate data that corresponds to one or more locations visited by the secondary driver. The communication module is further configured to store the coordinate data when the memory map device is not detected so that the coordinate data is available for transmission with the map data when the memory map device is detected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for tracking locations visited by one of a primary driver and a secondary driver in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module operably coupled to a global positioning satellite (GPS) system and being configured to;

receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being the one of the primary driver and the secondary driver;

determine that the driver status signal corresponds to the secondary driver;

detect the presence of a removable memory map device in the vehicle, the removable memory map device for providing map data for one or more locations that are capable of being visited by the secondary driver;

receive a location signal having coordinate data from the GPS system to track the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver; and

store the coordinate data of the location signal when the removable memory map device is removed so that an operation of tracking the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver cannot be disabled.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication module is further configured to overlay the coordinate data on the map data to transmit the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver in a format that is suitable for presentation to the primary driver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the communication module is further configured to wirelessly transmit a signal having the coordinate data and the map data to a server for retrieval by the primary driver.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit the coordinate data and the map data to a portable memory device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit the coordinate data and the map data to a display for visual presentation to the primary driver.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication module is further configured to receive a control signal to activate the operation of storing the coordinate data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a vehicle interface device configured to generate the control signal, the vehicle interface device including at least one user interface for enabling the primary driver to control the vehicle interface device to transmit the control signal when the secondary driver is detected to be the driver of the vehicle.

8. A method for tracking locations visited by one of a primary driver and a secondary driver in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a driver status signal indicative of the driver being the one of the primary driver and the secondary driver;

determining that the driver status signal corresponds to the secondary driver;

detecting the presence of a removable memory map device in the vehicle, the removable memory map device for providing map data for one or more locations that are capable of being visited by the secondary driver;

receiving a location signal having coordinate data from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system;

tracking the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver; and

storing the coordinate data of the location signal when the removable memory map device is not detected for the secondary driver such that tracking the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver cannot be disabled.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising overlaying the coordinate data on the map data to transmit the one or more locations visited by the secondary driver in a format that is suitable for presentation to the primary driver.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising wirelessly transmitting a signal having the coordinate data and the map data to a server for retrieval by the primary driver.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting the coordinate data and the map data to a portable memory device.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting the coordinate data and the map data to a display for visual presentation to the primary driver.