Motor vehicle monitoring method for determining driver negligence of an engine

• US 9,299,109 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Carl Steffen Winiecki
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Carl Steffen Winiecki
• Inventors: Winiecki, Kenneth Carl Steffen
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Kito R
• Application Number:
  US14/705,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 701/29.1, 701/29.4, 701/29.8, 701/33.2, 701/33.3, 701/33.9, 701/34.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0666 Engine power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/303 with drums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A motor vehicle monitoring method for determining driver negligence is carried out by a company in order to determine a final assessment for the vehicle. The present invention enables the company to calculate an average revolutions per initial odometer value and an average revolutions per secondary odometer value, where the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is a direct indication about operating state of the vehicle or an action of an end user during a designated time period. Then the company is able to adjust the contact agreement for the designated time period upon the final assessment, wherein the responsible party that violates the contact agreement is only liable for the respective damages.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a vehicle for determining driver negligence, comprising:

(A) providing an odometer in a vehicle, the odometer generating representing a total distance traveled by a vehicle

(B) providing an engine control unit (ECU) and optionally a device connected to the ECU in the vehicle, the engine control unit generating an average revolutions per initial odometer value by repeatedly dividing a plurality of initial engine revolutions occurring a given time period by the initial odometer value;

(C) recording the initial odometer value and the average revolutions per initial odometer value for determining a designated time period;

(D) pressing a reset button linked to the odometer and the a total engine revolution counter, when the reset button is pressed, an average revolutions per secondary odometer value is generated by dividing a secondary odometer value by a secondary total engine revolution count value;

(E) releasing the vehicle to an end user for a length of time equal to the designated time period upon completion of a contract agreement;

(F) recording the secondary odometer value and the average revolutions per secondary odometer value for the designated time period;

(G) validating the secondary odometer value and the average revolutions per secondary odometer value of the vehicle for the designated time period, the validating comprising;

checking a control panel for a warning notification for odometer tampering, the warning notification indicating potential odometer irregularities;

storing an outlier value for the average revolutions per secondary odometer value within the ECU of the vehicle, the ECU detecting abnormal behavior of the average revolutions per secondary odometer value with respect to the secondary odometer value;

the outlier value being slightly higher than the maximum allowable average revolution per distance unit ARDU valve of the engine, where the outlier value is a threshold value to detect any odometer tampering of the vehicle;

if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value of the vehicle is greater than or equal to the outlier value within the designated time period, the ECU sends a warning signal to the control panel, causing the control panel to display a warning notification for odometer tampering, wherein the warning notification is only a visual notification;

the ECU sending the plurality of initial engine revolutions and the plurality of secondary engine revolutions into an external computing device with a communication mean comprising an on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector, a universal serial bus (USB), a local area wireless technology, cellular network, or another wireless technology;

the communication means exporting the plurality of initial engine revolutions and the plurality of secondary engine revolutions into the external computing device at regular intervals, the external communication means graphically displaying the plurality of secondary engine revolutions in a timeline graph, the timeline graph displaying a total number of warning notification and a total number of activation for the reset button for identifying unnecessary activities that may have been conducted during the designated time period; and

(H) determining a final assessment with a standard engine revolutions per distance unit upon the validation of the secondary odometer value and the average revolutions per secondary odometer value.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

recording a current odometer value and an average revolutions per current odometer value of the vehicle;

subtracting the initial odometer value from the current odometer value in order to conform the secondary odometer value; and

comparing the average revolutions per secondary odometer value with the standard engine revolutions per distance unit in order to determine the outcome of an engine warranty.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 comprises, wherein the engine warranty of the engine is voided as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is greater than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 comprises, wherein the engine warranty of the engine is accepted as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is lower than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

recording a current odometer value and an average revolutions per current odometer value of the vehicle;

subtracting the initial odometer value from the current odometer value in order to conform the secondary odometer value; and

comparing the average revolutions per secondary odometer value with the standard engine revolutions per distance unit in order to determine the outcome of a lease agreement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 comprises, wherein at least one surcharge is added to the lease agreement as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is greater than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 comprises, wherein at least one discount is added to the lease agreement as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is lower than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

recording a current odometer value and an average revolutions per current odometer value of the vehicle;

subtracting the initial odometer value from the current odometer value in order to conform the secondary odometer value; and

comparing the average revolutions per secondary odometer value with the standard engine revolutions per distance unit in order to determine the outcome of a rental agreement.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 comprises, wherein at least one surcharge is added to the car rental agreement as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is greater than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 comprises, wherein at least one discount is added to the car rental agreement as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is lower than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

recording a current odometer value and an average revolutions per current odometer value of the vehicle;

subtracting the initial odometer value from the current odometer value in order to conform the secondary odometer value; and

comparing the average revolutions per secondary odometer value with the standard engine revolutions per distance unit in order to determine the outcome of an insurance policy premium.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 comprises, wherein at least one surcharge is added to the insurance policy premium as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is greater than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 comprises, wherein at least one discount is added to the insurance policy premium as the final assessment, if the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is lower than the standard engine revolutions per distance unit.