Methods and systems related to asset identification triggered geofencing

• US 9,378,480 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Morgan, Gerald A., Macheca, Christopher M., Schwarz, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US13/827,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: coupling a tracking device to a vehicle being part of a dealer inventory, the vehicle having an identification number; associating the identification number with the tracking device; creating a geo-fence boundary containing a location of the vehicle; and sending a first message to a lien-holder indicating the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence boundary.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

coupling a tracking device to a vehicle, the vehicle having an identification number;

associating the identification number with the tracking device;

creating a geo-fence boundary containing a location of the tracking device;

monitoring location of the tracking device relative to the geo-fence boundary;

detecting coupling of the tracking device to a different vehicle, the coupling determined by way of detecting communicative coupling to a computer system of the different vehicle; and

responsive to the coupling to the different vehicle;

sending a first message from the tracking device indicating coupling of the tracking device to the different vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the geo-fence boundary further comprises creating by at least one method selected from the group consisting of:

creating responsive to the association of the identification number; and

creating the geo-fence responsive to a command from a financing entity having an interest in the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the identification number with the tracking device further comprises:

coupling the tracking device to a computer system of the vehicle; and

reading a manufacturer assigned vehicle identification number (VIN) by the tracking device from the computer system of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the identification number with the tracking device further comprises providing the identification number to the tracking device by way of a portable electronic device communicatively coupled to the tracking device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting communicative coupling to the computer system of the different vehicle further comprises receiving an identification number of the different vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the first message further comprises sending the message to an operations center.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending a second message from the operations center to a lien-holder of the vehicle that the tracking device has been tampered with.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the first message further comprises sending the first message from the tracking device to a lien-holder.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before associating the identification number with the tracking device, determining the identification number by way of at least one selected from the group consisting of:

reading a bar code;

reading a quick response code;

reading a radio frequency identification chip;

receiving the identification number by way of a input device communicatively coupled to the tracking device.

9. A tracking device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor; and

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to the processor;

the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive an identification number of a vehicle to which the system is coupled;

create a geo-fence boundary, where the geo-fence boundary contains a location of the tracking device when the geo-fence is created;

monitor location of the tracking device relative to the geo-fence boundary, the monitoring by way of the GPS receiver;

send a boundary violation message to a lien-holder by way of the wireless transceiver if the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence boundary; and

send a tamper message to the lien-holder by way of the wireless transceiver if the tracking device is coupled to a computer system of a different vehicle, the coupling without authorization.

10. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor creates the geo-fence boundary, the program causes the processor to create the geo-fence boundary responsive to receipt of the identification number of the vehicle.

11. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor creates the geo-fence boundary, the program causes the processor to create the geo-fence boundary responsive to a command from a lien-holder on the vehicle.

12. The tracking device of claim 9 further comprising:

a connector configured to couple to an onboard diagnostic version II (OBD-II) port of a vehicle, electrical conductors of the connector communicatively coupled to the processor; and

wherein when the processor receives the identification number, the program causes the processor to receive a manufacturer assigned vehicle identification number across the connector.

13. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor receives the identification number, the program causes the processor to receive the identification number from a portable computing device communicatively coupled to the tracking device.

14. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor sends the boundary violation message, the program causes the processor to send the boundary violation message to an operations center by way of the wireless transceiver.

15. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor sends the boundary violation message, the program causes the processor to send the boundary violation message to a lien-holder by way of the wireless transceiver.

16. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein when the processor sends, the program causes the processor to send the boundary violation message if the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence boundary and not returned within a predetermined period of time designated for a test drive of the vehicle.

17. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

receive a test-drive message indicating the vehicle is to be taken for a test drive; and

expand the geo-fence boundary responsive to the test-drive message.

18. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein the program further causes the processor to detect tampering by detection of loss of communicative coupling to the computer system of the vehicle.

22. The tracking device of claim 9 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

receive a test drive message indicating the vehicle is to be taken for a test drive wherein the test drive message indicates a driver age of sixteen years or less; and

reduce the geo-fence boundary responsive to the test drive message.

19. A method comprising:

coupling a tracking device to a vehicle, the vehicle having an identification number;

associating the identification with the tracking device;

creating a geo-fence boundary containing a location of the tracking device;

monitoring location of the vehicle relative to the geo-fence boundary by way of the tracking device;

disassociating the tracking device in response to no longer having a need to track the vehicle;

sending a first message from the tracking device.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

associate an identification number of a vehicle coupled to the tracking device with the tracking device;

create a geo-fence boundary containing a location of the tracking device;

monitor location of the tracking device relative to the geo-fence boundary;

detect coupling of the tracking device to a different vehicle, the coupling determined by way of detecting communicative coupling to a computer system of the different vehicle; and

responsive to the coupling to the different vehicle;

send a first message from the tracking device indicating coupling of the tracking device to the different vehicle.