System for processing data acquired from vehicle diagnostic interface for vehicle inventory monitoring

• US 8,452,673 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boling, Brian M., Peachey, Ezra Timothy, Giammarco, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US12/849,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity includes a vehicle monitoring device, a database, and a central vehicle data server. The vehicle monitoring device includes a wireless modem, a processor, a GPS receiver, a vehicle diagnostics interface connector, and memory. These components are preferably enclosed in a small housing which may be installed beneath the dashboard of a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostics interface connector connects to the vehicle'"'"'s OBD interface which is electrically connected to the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostics processor. The device retrieves vehicle diagnostic data through the vehicle'"'"'s OBD interface based on the occurrence of certain events during the operation of the vehicle, such as ignition events, voltage change events, and location-based events, such as crossing a geofence boundary or exceeding a mileage or speed threshold. The device transmits the retrieved vehicle diagnostic data to the central vehicle data server via a wireless communication network. Vehicle inventories are managed in the database based on the information transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:

storing vehicle information in a database in association with lending entity identifiers, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle identification numbers (VINs) that uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entities have entity has provided financing, and wherein the lending entity identifiers uniquely identify identifies the lending entities entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

storing unique identification numbers (UINs) in the database in association with the lending entity identifier for each lending entity, wherein the unique identification numbers uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to each of the lending entities entity;

connecting a first vehicle monitoring device to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the first vehicle monitoring device having a first UIN that uniquely identifies the first vehicle monitoring device;

the first vehicle monitoring device accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, which vehicle data indicate at least the a first VIN of the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected;

the first vehicle monitoring device determining vehicle location data indicative of a location of the vehicle;

the first vehicle monitoring device wirelessly transmitting at least the first VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the first UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network;

receiving the first VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the first UIN of the vehicle monitoring device at a central vehicle data server that is connected to the communication network and is in communication with the database;

determining whether the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database; and

(i) upon determining that the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database, sending an exception message to the one or both of a lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device or to the and a lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the first VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

step (a) comprising storing wherein the vehicle information stored in the database which includes dealer location data indicating a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the a lending entity identified by the a lending entity identifier, and the method further comprises

(i) determining based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending an exception message to the a lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is not within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising storing information in the database indicating that the first vehicle monitoring device identified by the first UIN is connected to the vehicle identified by the first VIN associating the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising associating the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising removing the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device from an inactive device account in the database if it is determined that the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and it is also determined that the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring mileage of the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected and sending an exception message for the a lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle has exceeded a predefined mileage limit.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring speed of the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected and sending an exception message for the a lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle has exceeded a predefined speed limit.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising the first vehicle monitoring device performs performing steps (d), (e), and (f) every time the first vehicle monitoring device determines that an ignition switch in the vehicle has been turned ON or OFF, and the central vehicle data server generates generating an ignition report upon receipt of a transmission from the first vehicle monitoring device which transmission indicates that the ignition switch in the vehicle has been turned ON or OFF.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising the first vehicle monitoring device performs performing steps (d), (e), and (f) at periodic time intervals, and the central vehicle data server generates generating a check-in report upon receipt of a transmission from the first vehicle monitoring device at a periodic time interval.

11. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:

storing vehicle identification numbers (VINs) in a database in association with lending entity identifiers, wherein the VINs uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entities have entity has provided financing, and wherein the lending entity identifiers uniquely identify identifies the lending entities entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

storing dealer location data in the database in association with each of the lending entity identifiers, wherein the dealer location data indicates a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by at least one of the lending entities entity;

storing unique identification numbers (UINs) in the database in association with the lending entity identifier for each lending entity, wherein the UINs uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to each of the lending entities entity;

connecting a first vehicle monitoring device to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the first vehicle monitoring device having a first UIN that uniquely identifies the first vehicle monitoring device;

the first vehicle monitoring device accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, which vehicle data indicates at least the a first VIN of the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected;

the first vehicle monitoring device determining vehicle location data that indicate the location of the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected;

the first vehicle monitoring device wirelessly transmitting at least the first VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the first UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network;

receiving the first VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the first UIN of the vehicle monitoring device at a central vehicle data server that is connected to the communication network and is in communication with the database;

determining whether the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database;

determining based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location; and

when it is determined that the vehicle in which the first vehicle monitoring device is connected is within the predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the first VIN and the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database,

storing information associating in the database indicating that the first the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device having the first UIN is connected to the vehicle having the first VIN with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device, and

associating in the database the first UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location.

12. A system for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the system comprising:

a database for storing vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and unique identification numbers (UINs) in association with a lending entity identifier, wherein the VINs uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entity has provided financing, wherein the UINs uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to the lending entity, and wherein the lending entity identifier uniquely identifies the lending entity that provided the loans for the vehicles;

a vehicle monitoring device configured to connect to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the vehicle monitoring device comprising;

a processor for accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, wherein the vehicle data includes at least the VIN of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

a GPS receiver for determining vehicle location data indicating a location of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

a wireless modem for wirelessly transmitting at least the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network; and

memory for storing a UIN which uniquely identifies the vehicle monitoring device; and

a central vehicle data server connected to the communication network and in communication with the database, the central vehicle data server for receiving the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device, and for determining whether the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database, and if it is determined that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are not both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database, the central vehicle data server operable to send an exception message to one or both of the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device and the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the database stores dealer location data indicating a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the lending entity identified by the lending entity identifier; and

the central vehicle data server determines based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the central vehicle data server sends an exception message to the lending entity whose lending entity identifier is associated with the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is not within a predefined proximity of the dealer location.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the database associates the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the database associates the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the dealer location if it is determined that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database.

17. A method for keeping an inventory of vehicles that serve as collateral for loans provided by a lending entity, the method comprising:

storing vehicle information in a database in association with a lending entity identifier that uniquely identifies the lending entity that provided the loans for the vehicles, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle identification numbers (VINs) that uniquely identify particular vehicles for which the lending entity has provided financing, and wherein the vehicle information includes dealer location data indicating a dealer location at which a dealer is to sell vehicles for which loans have been provided by the lending entity identified by the lending entity identifier;

storing unique identification numbers (UINs) in the database in association with the lending entity identifier, wherein the unique identification numbers uniquely identify particular vehicle monitoring devices assigned to the lending entity;

connecting a vehicle monitoring device to an on-board diagnostics connector in a vehicle, the vehicle monitoring device having a UIN that uniquely identifies the vehicle monitoring device;

the vehicle monitoring device accessing vehicle data through the on-board diagnostics connector, which vehicle data indicates at least the VIN of the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected;

the vehicle monitoring device determining vehicle location data indicative of a location of the vehicle;

the vehicle monitoring device wirelessly transmitting at least the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device to a communication network;

receiving the VIN of the vehicle, the vehicle location data, and the UIN of the vehicle monitoring device at a central vehicle data server that is connected to the communication network and is in communication with the database;

determining whether the VIN and UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database;

(i) determining based on the vehicle location data and the dealer location data whether the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location; and

(j) upon determining that the vehicle in which the vehicle monitoring device is connected is within a predefined proximity of the dealer location, and that the VIN and the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device are both associated with one and the same lending entity identifier in the database, associating the UIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device with the VIN transmitted from the vehicle monitoring device in the database storing information in the database indicating that the vehicle monitoring device identified by the transmitted UIN is connected to the vehicle identified by the transmitted VIN.