Method and system for interacting with a vehicle over a mobile radiotelephone network

• US 9,084,197 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murray, Toms, Jansson, Edward R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/043,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.12, 340/426.1, 340/426.2, 340/429.11, 340/429.19, 340/539.1, 455/99, 455/422, 701/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/403 Power supply in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A telemetry system coupled to a vehicle can communicate with a remote site using the overhead control channels of a wireless network, such as a cellular mobile radiotelephone network. The telemetry system can monitor or control aspects of the vehicle'"'"'s operations based on remote user input. The telemetry system can receive a command from a data processing center and, based on the command, perform an action at the vehicle such that a user can remotely interact with the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for managing power consumption for a transmitter-receiver pair that sends and receives information over a cellular network, that is attached to a vehicle, and that is powered by a battery of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

powering the transmitter-receiver pair while the battery is being recharged;

disconnecting power from a transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair after recharging of the battery has stopped;

monitoring the vehicle for an occurrence of a security event while power is disconnected from the transmitter; and

upon detecting the occurrence of the security event, restoring power to the transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of disconnecting power from the transmitter comprises disconnecting power from the transmitter-receiver pair, and

wherein restoring power to the transmitter comprises restoring power to the transmitter-receiver pair.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of disconnecting power from the transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair after recharging the battery has stopped comprises

disconnecting power when a timer of an electrical circuit has determined that a predetermined period of time has passed since recharging the battery stopped.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter-receiver pair communicates via pages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter-receiver pair practices overhead control channel communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein running the vehicle recharges the battery.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a microprocessor system comprising a power module, and

wherein the power module executes the steps of:

powering the transmitter-receiver pair while the battery is being recharged;

disconnecting power from the transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair after recharging of the battery has stopped;

monitoring the vehicle for the occurrence of the security event while power is disconnected from the transmitter; and

upon detecting the occurrence of the security event, restoring power to the transmitter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an automobile, and

wherein the transmitter-receiver pair comprises a cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery supplies power to major electrical systems of the vehicle.

10. A method for managing power consumption for a transmitter-receiver pair that communicates over a cellular network and is powered by a battery of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

powering the transmitter-receiver pair while recharging the battery;

disconnecting power from a transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair in response to ceasing to recharge the battery;

monitoring the vehicle for an occurrence of a security event while power is disconnected from the transmitter; and

upon detecting the occurrence of the security event, reconnecting power to the transmitter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of disconnecting power from the transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair in response to ceasing to recharge the battery comprises

disconnecting power from the transmitter when a predetermined amount of time has passed after ceasing to recharge the battery.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery is operative to start the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery is operative to turn a motor of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery is connected to a driver-controlled switch, the switch providing a state for running the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a telemetry system comprises the transmitter-receiver pair and a microprocessor system, and

wherein the microprocessor system causes execution of the steps of:

powering the transmitter-receiver pair while recharging the battery;

disconnecting power from the transmitter of the transmitter-receiver pair in response to ceasing to recharge the battery;

monitoring the vehicle for the occurrence of the security event while power is disconnected from the transmitter; and

upon detecting the occurrence of the security event, reconnecting power to the transmitter.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein running the vehicle recharges the battery.

17. A method for conserving energy consumption of a cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver connected to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the vehicle for a state transition resulting in a predetermined state for the vehicle;

responsive to detecting the state transition, using a timer to determine whether the predetermined state continues for a predetermined amount of time;

responsive to determining that the predetermined state has continued for the predetermined amount of time, placing the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver in a state of reduced energy consumption;

monitoring the vehicle for security threats while the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver is in the state of reduced energy consumption; and

responsive to detecting a security threat while the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver is in the state of reduced power consumption, changing the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver from the state of reduced energy consumption to a state of increased energy consumption.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the state transition comprises turning the vehicle off.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the state transition comprises storing the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the state transition comprises parking the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver consumes energy from an energy source when the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver is in the state of increased energy consumption, and

wherein the predetermined state for the vehicle comprises a state in which the vehicle does not replenishing the energy source.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein placing the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver in the state of reduced energy consumption comprises switching off a transmitter of the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver, and

wherein changing the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver from the state of reduced energy consumption to the state of increased energy consumption comprises switching on the transmitter of the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein changing the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver from the state of reduced energy consumption to the state of increased energy consumption comprises restoring power to a transmitter of the cellular mobile radiotelephone transceiver.