Law enforcement vehicle information authorization system

• US 8,744,412 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cazanas, Carlos A., Khan, Azam, Butz, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/823,771
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 701/117, 348/148, 340/933, 340/466, 340/426.28, 340/928, 340/426.11, 340/825.69, 702/122
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The various examples disclosed herein relate to systems, methods, and equipment that allow law enforcement to access vehicle identification information stored in a vehicle telematics unit, as well as other vehicle related information, wirelessly directly from a user'"'"'s vehicle without going through wireless mobile network using an authorization code. The authorization code allows authorized law enforcement personnel to communicate directly with the vehicle and gain access to vehicle information while still keeping the information private.

Claims

1. A telematics unit for a vehicle, comprising:

a network access device for communications via a wireless mobile communication network;

an emergency detector;

a telematics control unit responsive to an emergency detection by the detector, for controlling the network access device to initiate voice and/or telemetry communications with a call center of a telematics service provider from the vehicle through the wireless mobile communication network,

a memory accessible by the telematics control unit storing vehicle identification information and an authorization code;

a wireless transmitter controlled by the telematics control unit;

a wireless receiver for wireless reception of a vehicle identification request message; and

a system of one or more sensors for sensing location and velocity of the vehicle;

wherein in response to receipt of the vehicle identification request message, the telematics control unit is configured to;

determine whether or not the received vehicle identification request message contains the authorization code; and

upon determining that the received vehicle identification request message contains the authorization code, cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a message containing the vehicle identification information, and

wherein the telematics control unit is configured to send data regarding location and velocity of the vehicle as additional vehicle information.

2. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein:

the receiver is further configured to receive a request for the additional vehicle information, and

the telematics control unit is further configured to respond to the additional vehicle information request when the additional vehicle information request contains the authorization code, to cause the wireless transmitter to transmit a message containing the requested additional vehicle information.

3. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is configured to transmit the additional vehicle information in the transmitted message containing the vehicle identification information, the additional vehicle information being sent automatically without a separate request for additional information.

4. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the vehicle identification request message using a short range broadcast medium which has not gone through the wireless mobile communication network.

5. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the message containing the vehicle identification information using a short range broadcast medium not directed through the wireless mobile communication network.

6. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is configured to cause the vehicle to decelerate in response to a deceleration request in a received message containing the authorization code.

7. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein more than one authorization code is stored in the memory, each authorization code containing unique identifying information and associated rights to access information.

8. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein:

the network access device is configured to send a notification message through the wireless mobile communication network to the telematics service provider after the wireless transmitter transmits the message containing the vehicle identification information, and

the notification message contains the authorization code used in the received vehicle identification request message and/or the vehicle identification information.

9. The telematics unit of claim 2, wherein:

the network access device is configured to send a notification message through the wireless mobile communication network to the telematics service provider after the wireless transmitter transmits the message containing the requested additional vehicle information, and

the notification message contains the authorization code used in the additional vehicle information request, the requested additional vehicle information, and/or other information included in the message containing the requested additional vehicle information.

10. The telematics unit of claim 2, further comprising an onboard navigation unit wherein routing information as programmed in the onboard navigation system is sent following a request for such information in the additional vehicle information request.

11. The telematics unit of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, the user interface configured to alert a vehicle user of the vehicle identification request message and/or the authorization code used in the vehicle identification request message.

12. The telematics unit of claim 2, further comprising a user interface, the user interface configured to inform a vehicle user of the additional vehicle information request, the authorization code used in the additional vehicle information request, the requested additional vehicle information, and/or other information included in the message containing the requested additional vehicle information.

23. The telematics unit of claim 1, wherein the vehicle identification information includes a VIN number associated with the vehicle.

13. A vehicle identification method using a telematics unit,

the telematics unit comprising:

a network access device for communications via a wireless mobile communications network;

a telematics control unit, responsive to an emergency detection by the detector, for controlling the network access device to initiate voice and/or telemetry communications with a call center of a telematics service provider from the vehicle through the wireless communication network;

a memory accessible by the telematics control unit storing vehicle identification information and an authorization code;

a wireless transmitter controlled by the telematics control unit; and

a system of one or more sensors for sensing location and velocity of the vehicle,

the method comprising steps of;

receiving a vehicle identification request message wirelessly;

determining whether or not the received vehicle identification request message contains the authorization code; and

upon determining that the received vehicle identification request message contains the authorization code, causing the wireless transmitter to transmit a message containing the vehicle identification information and

wherein the telematics control unit is configured to send data regarding location and velocity of the vehicle as additional vehicle information.

14. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle identification request message is received wirelessly using a short range broadcast medium which has not gone through the wireless mobile communication network.

15. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, wherein the message containing the vehicle identification information is transmitted wirelessly using a short range broadcast medium not directed through the wireless mobile communication network.

16. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, further comprising alerting a user of a vehicle that the vehicle identification request message has been received, via a user interface located in the vehicle.

17. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, further comprising steps of:

receiving a request for the additional vehicle information message wirelessly,

determining whether the request for the additional vehicle information message contains the authorization code; and

upon determining that the request for the additional vehicle information message contains the authorization code, causing the wireless transmitter to transmit a message containing the additional vehicle information.

18. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, wherein additional vehicle information is included in the transmitted message containing the vehicle identification information.

19. The vehicle identification method of claim of claim 13, further comprising causing the vehicle to decelerate in response to a request to decelerate in a received request message containing the authorization code.

20. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, further comprising sending a message through the wireless mobile communication network to a call center of a telematics service provider to notify the call center that the vehicle identification request message has been received by the vehicle, the message to the call center including information requested in the vehicle identification request message and/or the authorization code in the vehicle identification request message.

21. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, further comprising steps of:

obtaining routing information from an onboard navigation system connected to the telematics unit, in response to a request for such information received in the vehicle identification request message, and

causing the wireless transmitter to send the routing information.

22. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, wherein more than one authorization code may be used, the authorization code identifying the party sending the vehicle identification request message.

24. The vehicle identification method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle identification information includes a VIN number associated with the vehicle.