Automated geo-fence boundary configuration and activation

• US 8,325,025 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Morgan, Gerald A., Schwarz, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan N
• Application Number:
  US13/364,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.19, 340/425.5, 340/426.22, 340/426.18, 340/426.2, 340/426.1, 340/426.36, 340/539.13, 340/5.72, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 701/207, 701/213, 701/201, 701/202
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• 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 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

A geo-fence is defined and established automatically based on a current location of an asset along with some range or distance, avoiding the need for a user to manually specify a location by drawing a perimeter, specifying a point location, or by any other means. Once established, the geo-fence can be activated so as to notify the owner of the asset and/or some other entity of movement of the asset beyond the boundary specified by the geo-fence. In one embodiment, the geo-fence can be automatically activated upon certain conditions, or can be manually activated, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of activation of location monitoring of a vehicle; and

then

defining a geo-fence boundary surrounding the vehicle based on a current location of the vehicle; and

then

monitoring vehicle location with respect to the geo-fence boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing an alert when the vehicle moves outside the geo-fence boundary.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein defining the geo-fence boundary further comprises:

reading current location of the vehicle by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle; and

defining the geo-fence boundary based on the current location.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein defining the geo-fence boundary further comprises defining the geo-fence boundary by the onboard device based on the current location.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein defining the geo-fence boundary further comprises:

sending data indicative of the current location of the vehicle to an operations center, the operations center remotely located from the vehicle; and

defining the geo-fence boundary by the operations center based on the data indicative of the current location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring further comprises:

reading current location of the vehicle by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle; and

determining whether the vehicle has moved outside the geo-fence boundary by the onboard device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring further comprises:

reading data indicative of current location of the vehicle by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle;

sending the data indicative of current location to an operations center remotely located from the vehicle; and

determining whether the vehicle has moved outside the geo-fence boundary by the operations center.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, at an onboard device coupled to a vehicle, a wireless signal indicating proximity of a portable device carried by an operator of the vehicle; and

then

receiving a signal indicative of activation of location monitoring of the vehicle, the receiving by;

detecting, at the onboard device, loss of the wireless signal indicating proximity of the portable device; and

receiving, at an operations center, a signal from the onboard device indicating detecting of loss of the wireless signal;

defining a geo-fence boundary surrounding the vehicle based on a current location of the vehicle; and

monitoring vehicle location with respect to the geo-fence boundary.

9. A system comprising:

a processor;

a wireless network interface coupled to the processor;

a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a signal indicative of activation of location monitoring of a vehicle, the receipt of the signal by way of the wireless network interface;

define a geo-fence boundary surrounding the vehicle based on a current location of the vehicle; and

monitor vehicle location with respect to the geo-fence boundary.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to issue an alert when the vehicle moves outside the geo-fence boundary.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein when the processor defines the geo-fence, the instructions further cause the processor to:

read current location of the vehicle from a position monitoring device coupled to the vehicle; and

define the geo-fence boundary based on the current location.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein when the processor reads, the instructions cause the processor to read data indicative of the current location over the wireless network interface from an onboard device coupled to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein when the processor monitors, the program causes the processor to:

read data indicative of current location of the vehicle from a position monitoring device coupled to the vehicle; and

determine whether the vehicle has moved outside the geo-fence boundary.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein when the processor reads the data indicative of location, the instructions cause the processor to read the data indicative of current location over the wireless network interface.

15. An onboard device comprising:

a processor mechanically coupled to a vehicle;

a global positioning system (GPS) module communicatively coupled to the processor, the GPS module configured to receive position data from GPS satellites;

a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor, the storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a signal indicative of activation of location monitoring using the GPS module; and

then

read data indicative of current position from the GPS module; and

then

define a geo-fence boundary surrounding the GPS module based on the data indicative of current location; and

then

monitor the GPS module location with respect to the geo-fence boundary.

16. The onboard device of claim 15 further comprising:

a wireless network interface communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to, when the GPS module is moved outside the geo-fence boundary, send an alert to remotely located operations center, the sending over the wireless network interface.

17. The onboard device of claim 15 further comprising:

a first wireless network interface communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein when the processor receives the signal indicative of activation, the instructions cause the processor to receive over the first wireless network interface.

18. The onboard device of claim 17 further comprising:

a second wireless network interface communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to, when the GPS module is moved outside the geo-fence boundary, send an alert over the second wireless network interface to a remotely located operations center.

19. An onboard device comprising:

a processor mechanically coupled to a vehicle;

a global positioning system (GPS) module communicatively coupled to the processor, the GPS module configured to receive position data from GPS satellites;

a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor, the storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a signal indicative of activation of location monitoring using the GPS module;

read data indicative of current position from the GPS module;

define a geo-fence boundary surrounding the GPS module based on the data indicative of current location;

monitor the GPS module location with respect to the qeo-fence boundary;

a wireless network interface communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein when the processor receives the signal indicative of activation, the instructions cause the processor to;

detect a wireless signal indicating proximity of a portable device carried by an operator associated with the GPS model, the detection by way of the wireless network interface; and

then

detect loss of the wireless signal indicating proximity of the portable device.