Method and apparatus for vehicle tracking

• US 9,057,614 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Giuli, Thomas J., Ross, Joseph N., Schunder, Mark, Alexander, Thomas Richard, Rork, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/065,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 701/66, 701/300, 701/465, 701/117, 701/301, 340/993, 340/994, 340/995.13, 340/502
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A computer-implemented tracking method includes receiving a tracking request at a vehicle associated computing system (VACS). The method also includes authenticating the tracking request and determining a vehicle location via a GPS in communication with the VACS. The method further includes transmitting the vehicle location from the VACS to a tracking request associated computing system (TRACS). The method also includes monitoring the vehicle for at least one delay-event. The method additionally includes transmitting data corresponding to the delay event to the TRACS, contingent on the occurrence of at least one delay-event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a tracking request associated computing system (TRACS), data associated with a vehicle-delay event, including at least vehicle coordinates;

determining, using the TRACS, if a location-type can be correlated with the vehicle coordinates;

estimating a delay associated with the location-type, using the TRACS;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based on the estimated delay; and

conveying the estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the location-type; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the TRACS, at least one photograph or video clip from at least one vehicle camera;

conveying the at least one photograph or video clip to the requesting party;

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the conveyed at least one photograph or video clip; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the vehicle has resumed travel;

contingent on determining the vehicle has resumed travel, adjusting an estimated arrival time; and

conveying the adjusted estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel;

contingent on determining the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel, adjusting the estimated delay;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based at least in part on the adjusted estimated delay to obtain an extended arrival time; and

conveying the extended arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a tracking request associated computing system (TRACS), data associated with a vehicle-delay event, including at least vehicle coordinates;

determining, using the TRACS, if a location-type can be correlated with the vehicle coordinates;

estimating a delay associated with the location-type, using the TRACS;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based on the estimated delay; and

conveying the estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the location-type; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the TRACS, at least one photograph or video clip from at least one vehicle camera;

conveying the at least one photograph or video clip to the requesting party;

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the conveyed at least one photograph or video clip; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if the vehicle has resumed travel;

contingent on determining the vehicle has resumed travel, adjusting an estimated arrival time; and

conveying the adjusted estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel;

contingent on determining the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel, adjusting the estimated delay;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based at least in part on the adjusted estimated delay to obtain an extended arrival time; and

conveying the extended arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a tracking request associated computing system (TRACS), data associated with a vehicle-delay event, including at least vehicle coordinates;

determining, using the TRACS, if a location-type can be correlated with the vehicle coordinates;

estimating a delay associated with the location-type, using the TRACS;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based on the estimated delay; and

conveying the estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the location-type; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the TRACS, at least one photograph or video clip from at least one vehicle camera;

conveying the at least one photograph or video clip to the requesting party;

asking the requesting party to identify a delay associated with the conveyed at least one photograph or video clip; and

using the identified delay as the estimated delay.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if the vehicle has resumed travel;

contingent on determining the vehicle has resumed travel, adjusting an estimated arrival time; and

conveying the adjusted estimated arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel;

contingent on determining the estimated delay has elapsed and the vehicle has not resumed travel, adjusting the estimated delay;

adjusting an estimated arrival time based at least in part on the adjusted estimated delay to obtain an extended arrival time; and

conveying the extended arrival time from the TRACS to a requesting party.