Methods and systems of maintaining and monitoring vehicle tracking device inventories

• US 8,650,098 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CalAmp Corporation
• Original Assignee: CalAmp Corporation
• Inventors: Rangel, Juan A., Chen, Gallin
• Primary Examiner(s): Thein, M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racic, Milena
• Application Number:
  US12/366,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28- 29
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods of tracking an installer'"'"'s inventory of vehicle tracking devices performed by the supplier of the devices are provided. Inventory levels of the devices are checked based on activation and/or registration of a tracking device and a subsequent stock-out notification is sent to the installer based on the checked inventory level.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an inventory of vehicle tracking devices, comprising:

registering a tracking device with a supplier using the tracking device by transmitting an electronic installation message using the tracking device to an inventory tracking server when the inventory tracking device is installed, wherein;

the tracking device was issued to an installer by the supplier and the supplier is different and remote from the installer;

the electronic installation message comprises a unique identifier, assigned by the supplier, for the vehicle tracking device transmitting the electronic installation message; and

the supplier maintains an inventory tracking server comprising at least one installer account, where an installer account comprises at least one unique identifier for vehicle tracking devices assigned to a particular installer by the supplier;

verifying an inventory of tracking devices of the installer by the supplier based on the electronic installation message using the inventory tracking server, where verifying an inventory of tracking devices comprises identifying the installer'"'"'s level of vehicle tracking devices based on the received serial numbers and the vehicle tracking devices assigned to the installer account associated with the installer by the supplier; and

notifying the installer of a low inventory via an electronic message initiated by the supplier using the inventory tracking server when a set threshold is reached or exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising installing the tracking device by the installer and supplying the tracking device by the supplier.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising installing the tracking device into a vehicle and purchasing the vehicle by a vehicle operator being different from the installer and the supplier.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising purchasing the installed tracking device by the vehicle operator.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising installing the tracking device into a vehicle and renting the vehicle by a vehicle operator being different from the installer and the supplier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the tracking device further comprises supplying power to the tracking device and transmitting an electronic power-up communication to the inventory tracking server by the tracking device, upon receiving the supplied power.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the tracking device further comprises acquiring a global positioning satellite signal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting an electronic installation message to the inventory tracking server is performed using a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein verifying the inventory of tracking devices of the installer is performed after registration with the inventory tracking server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a tracking device with a vehicle and wherein registering the tracking device further comprises profiling the tracking device by the installer to identify the tracking device relative to the associated vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein verifying the inventory of tracking devices of the installer further comprises querying records of a database, correlating a record from the queried records to the registered tracking device and the installer, retrieving an inventory level from the correlated record, comparing the retrieved inventory level to the set threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the inventory of tracking devices of the installer is verified after registration of the tracking device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting the set threshold by the installer or the supplier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the installer further comprises sending an electronic message from the inventory tracking server to a client processor of the installer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the installer further comprises sending an electronic message from the inventory tracking server to a client processor of the supplier, the supplier sending an electronic message to a client processor of the installer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an electronic uninstallation message to the inventory tracking server using the tracking device, where the electronic uninstallation message indicates that the tracking device has been recovered by the installer; and

updating the inventory of tracking devices held by the installer based on the electronic uninstallation message using the inventory tracking server, where the updated inventory of tracking devices indicates that the installer has the tracking device in the installer'"'"'s inventory.

17. A vehicle tracking device inventory tracking system comprising:

a vehicle tracking device associated with an installer, where the vehicle tracking device is issued to the installer by a supplier;

a server in electronic communication with the vehicle tracking device associated with the supplier, where;

the supplier is different and remote from the installer;

the server comprises at least one an installer account; and

an installer account comprises at least one unique identifier for vehicle tracking devices assigned to a particular installer by the supplier; and

a client processor accessible by the installer and in network communication with the server to receive electronic communications from the server, at least one of the electronic communications being a notification message from the supplier of a low inventory status of the vehicle tracking devices associated with the installer;

wherein the vehicle tracking device is configured to transmit an electronic installation message to the server associated with the supplier when the vehicle tracking device is installed by the installer, where the electronic installation message comprises a unique identifier, assigned by the supplier, for the vehicle tracking device transmitting the electronic installation message;

wherein the server is configured to verify the inventory status of the vehicle tracking devices for the installer account associated with the installer based on the electronic installation message, where verifying an inventory of tracking devices comprises identifying the installer'"'"'s level of vehicle tracking devices based on the received serial numbers and the vehicle tracking devices assigned to the installer account associated with the installer by the supplier; and

wherein the server is configured to notify the client processor of a low inventory via an electronic message initiated by the supplier using the inventory tracking server when a set threshold is reached or exceeded.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the server is controlled by a supplier, the supplier being different from the installer and arranged to supply vehicle tracking devices to the installer.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the vehicle tracking device is registered by an installer and the registration is verified by the server.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the server stores vehicle tracking device inventory information including a vehicle tracking device inventory level associated with the installer and the server compares the vehicle tracking device inventory level relative to a set threshold limit after verifying registration of tracking device.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising a vehicle tracking device database coupled to the server and including records on vehicle tracking devices of the installer.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the client processor communicates to the server via the vehicle tracking device database.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the vehicle tracking device is configured to transmit an electronic uninstallation message upon removal of the vehicle tracking device by the installer; and

the inventory status of the installer with the supplier is updated to reflect the recovered vehicle tracking device based on the electronic uninstallation message.