Apparatus, systems, and methods for processing alerts relating to an in-vehicle control unit

• US 8,781,645 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamrick, Marvin R., Ingman, R. T. Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/932,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 342/82, 342/89, 340/902, 340/908, 340/425.5, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes provisions that allows information to be sent from the remote units to the central office and vice versa. The system also has safety features that promote the rapid dispatch of law enforcement personnel when requests for emergency assistance have been made from the remote units.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor associated with an alert call center, emergency data transmitted by an in-vehicle control unit in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving a signal that indicates that a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit has been activated, the emergency data comprising vehicle location information that indicates whether the vehicle is turned on, and data that indicates that the in-vehicle control unit has received an alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit;

determining, by the processor, whether the emergency data received at the alert call center was transmitted intentionally; and

contacting, by the processor, an emergency service to request that the emergency service send emergency assistance to the vehicle in response to a determination that the data was transmitted intentionally.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert call center communicates via a first transmission network and a second transmission network, and wherein the emergency data is received via the first transmission network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert call center communicates via a first transmission network and a second transmission network, and wherein the emergency data is received via the second transmission network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control unit exits a sleep mode in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving the alert signal from the remote alert transmitter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises initiating, by the processor, a communication to the vehicle to determine whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency was transmitted intentionally if the communication to the vehicle is not answered.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises querying a user associated with the vehicle for a password.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency data was transmitted intentionally if the alert call center does not receive the correct password.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the vehicle location information to the emergency service.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor associated with an alert call center, emergency data sent by an in-vehicle control unit in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving an alert signal from a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit, the emergency data comprising vehicle data that specifies whether a vehicle associated with the in-vehicle control unit is turned on, location information that specifies a location of the vehicle, and an indication that the in-vehicle control unit received the alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit;

determining, by the processor, whether the emergency data received at the alert call center was transmitted intentionally; and

prompting, by the processor, a user to contact an emergency service to request that the emergency service send emergency assistance to the vehicle in response to a determination that the data was transmitted intentionally.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert call center receives the emergency data over a first transmission network in response to the in-vehicle control unit determining that the emergency data is to be transmitted over the first transmission network, and wherein the alert call center receives the emergency data over a second transmission network in response to the in-vehicle control unit determining that the emergency data is to be transmitted over the second transmission network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises initiating a communication to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency was transmitted intentionally if the communication to the vehicle is not answered.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises querying a user associated with the vehicle for a password.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether the emergency data was transmitted intentionally comprises assuming that the emergency data was transmitted intentionally if the correct password is not received.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the location information to the emergency service.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor at an in-vehicle control unit, a signal that indicates that a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit has been activated, the signal being received from the remote alert transmitter;

generating, by the processor, emergency data in response to receiving the signal; and

transmitting, by the in-vehicle control unit, the emergency data to an alert call center, the emergency data comprising vehicle data that identifies whether the vehicle is turned on, data that indicates that the in-vehicle control unit has received an alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit, and location data that identifies a location of a vehicle associated with the in-vehicle control unit.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a request for a password, the request being received from the alert call center to determine if the emergency data was transmitted intentionally.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the emergency data is to be transmitted over a first transmission network, wherein transmitting the emergency data comprises transmitting the emergency data over the first transmission network to the alert call center.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the emergency data is to be transmitted over a second transmission network, wherein transmitting the emergency data comprises transmitting the emergency data over the second transmission network to the alert call center.