Remote vehicle immobilizer

• US 10,843,659 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2020
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2020
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsara, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samsara Networks, Inc. (Samsara, Inc.)
• Inventors: Innocenzi, Michael Luis, Dykaar, Elias Ray, Dergosits, Maxwell Anton, Wiegand, Ingo Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US16/796,755
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/0405 from the external
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/30 Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A remote vehicle immobilizer is described. A network gateway device receives a command from a remote computing device to modify a configuration of an electronic switch from a first configuration to a second configuration. The electronic switch is positioned in a conducting path between a starter motor of the vehicle and a battery of the vehicle. In response to receiving the command, the network gateway device transmits a signal to the electronic switch via a two-way communication channel connecting the network gateway device to the electronic switch. The signal causes the electronic switch to modify the configuration of the electronic switch from the first configuration to the second configuration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network gateway device implemented in a vehicle, a command to modify a configuration of an electronic switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the electronic switch positioned within the vehicle in a conducting path between a starter motor of the vehicle and a battery of the vehicle, wherein the command is received from a remote computing device that is separate from the vehicle; and

in response to receiving the command, transmitting a signal to the electronic switch via a two-way communication channel connecting the network gateway device to the electronic switch, the signal causing the electronic switch to modify the configuration of the electronic switch from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein the first configuration of the electronic switch is a closed configuration creating an uninterrupted conducting path, and the second configuration of the electronic switch is an open configuration creating an interrupted conducting path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the network gateway device, a notification from a computing controller device connected to the electronic switch, the notification received via the two-way communication channel, the notification indicating occurrence of an attempted engine ignition of the vehicle; and

transmitting the notification to the remote computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor data includes data identifying a current operator of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that the current operator of the vehicle is not an authorized operator.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that a number of hours that the current operator of the vehicle has operated the vehicle meets or exceeds a threshold number of hours.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor data identifying the current operator of the vehicle is gathered by a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the network gateway device, sensor data to the remote computing device, the sensor data gathered by one or more sensors of the vehicle, wherein the remote computing device transmitted the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on the sensor data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor data includes geolocation data provides by a location sensor of the vehicle, the remote computing using the geolocation data to determine whether a current geographic location of the vehicle is within an authorized geographic location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that the current geographic location of the vehicle is not within the authorized geographic region.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor data includes data identifying a current blood alcohol level of a current operator of the vehicle and the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that the blood alcohol level of the current operator of the vehicle meets or exceeds a threshold blood alcohol level.

11. A network gateway device implemented in a vehicle, the network gateway device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the network gateway device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a command to modify a configuration of an electronic switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the electronic switch positioned within the vehicle in a conducting path between a starter motor of the vehicle and a battery of the vehicle, wherein the command is received from a remote computing device that is separate from the vehicle; and

in response to receiving the command, transmitting a signal to the electronic switch via a two-way communication channel connecting the network gateway device to the electronic switch, the signal causing the electronic switch to modify the configuration of the electronic switch from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein the first configuration of the electronic switch is a closed configuration creating an uninterrupted conducting path, and the second configuration of the electronic switch is an open configuration creating an interrupted conducting path.

12. The network gateway device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving a notification from a computing controller device connected to the electronic switch, the notification received via the two-way communication channel, the notification indicating occurrence of an attempted engine ignition of the vehicle; and

transmitting the notification to the remote computing device.

13. The network gateway device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

transmitting sensor data to the remote computing device, the sensor data gathered by one or more sensors of the vehicle, wherein the remote computing device transmitted the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on the sensor data.

14. The network gateway device of claim 13, wherein the sensor data includes geolocation data provides by a location sensor of the vehicle, the remote computing using the geolocation data to determine whether a current geographic location of the vehicle is within an authorized geographic location.

15. The network gateway device of claim 14, wherein the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that the current geographic location of the vehicle is not within the authorized geographic region.

16. The network gateway device of claim 13, wherein the sensor data includes data identifying a current operator of the vehicle.

17. The network gateway device of claim 16, wherein the remote computing device transmits the command to modify the configuration of the electronic switch based on a determination that the current operator of the vehicle is not an authorized operator.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a network gateway device implemented in a vehicle, cause the network gateway device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a command to modify a configuration of an electronic switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the electronic switch positioned within the vehicle in a conducting path between a starter motor of the vehicle and a battery of the vehicle, wherein the command is received from a remote computing device that is separate from the vehicle; and

in response to receiving the command, transmitting a signal to the electronic switch via a two-way communication channel connecting the network gateway device to the electronic switch, the signal causing the electronic switch to modify the configuration of the electronic switch from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein the first configuration of the electronic switch is a closed configuration creating an uninterrupted conducting path, and the second configuration of the electronic switch is an open configuration creating an interrupted conducting path.