Vehicle tracker with power saving features and related methods

• US 20020008644A1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,512,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/202 Personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle tracking unit preferably includes a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, a back-up battery, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device. The vehicle position determining device, wireless communications device and controller may define a power load of the vehicle tracking unit. The controller may isolate the back-up battery from the power load as a voltage of the vehicle battery drops until reaching a threshold. After the threshold, the controller may cause the back-up battery to selectively power only a first portion of the power load while a second portion of the power load remains powered by the vehicle battery. The selectively powered portion from the back-up battery may be the wireless communications device, for example, which may have a higher operating voltage.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking system comprising:

a vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising a vehicle battery, said vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device, and a back-up battery;

said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device and said controller defining a power load of said vehicle tracking unit;

said controller isolating said back-up battery from the power load as a voltage of the vehicle battery drops until reaching a threshold after which said controller causes said back-up battery to selectively power only a first portion of the power load while a second portion of the power load remains powered by the vehicle battery; and

a monitoring station communicating with said vehicle tracking unit.

2. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device has a higher operating voltage than said vehicle position determining device;

and wherein the first portion of the power load is said wireless communications device.

3. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device has a higher operating voltage during transmission than said vehicle position determining device;

and wherein the first portion of the power load is said wireless communications device during transmission.

4. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller further reduces operation of the power load based upon dropping of the vehicle battery voltage.

5. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 4 wherein said controller restores operation of the power load based upon rising of the voltage of the vehicle battery.

6. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller further causes transmission of a low vehicle battery voltage alert to said monitoring station based upon the voltage of the vehicle battery falling bellow the threshold.

7. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller generates a remote start output to remote start an engine of the vehicle and recharge the vehicle battery based upon a remote start command from said monitoring station.

8. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

9. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

10. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 9 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

11. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring station comprises a user interface for accepting at least one command from a user and sending at least one alert to the user.

12. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 11 wherein said user interface comprises an Internet interface.

13. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 11 wherein said user interface comprises a telephone network interface.

14. A vehicle tracking unit for use with a vehicle comprising a vehicle battery, the vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device;

a wireless communications device;

a back-up battery; and

a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device and said controller defining a power load of said vehicle tracking unit;

said controller isolating said back-up battery from the power load as a voltage of the vehicle battery drops until reaching a threshold after which said controller causes said back-up battery to selectively power only a first portion of the power load while a second portion of the power load remains powered by the vehicle battery.

15. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said wireless communications device has a higher operating voltage than said vehicle position determining device;

and wherein the first portion of the power load is said wireless communications device.

16. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said wireless communications device has a higher operating voltage during transmission than said vehicle position determining device;

and wherein the first portion of the power load is said wireless communications device during transmission.

17. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said controller further reduces operation of the power load based upon dropping of the vehicle battery voltage.

18. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 17 wherein said controller restores operation of the power load based upon rising of the voltage of the vehicle battery.

19. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said controller further causes transmission of a low vehicle battery voltage alert based upon the voltage of the vehicle battery falling bellow the threshold.

20. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said controller generates a remote start output to remote start an engine of the vehicle and recharge the vehicle battery based upon receiving a remote start command.

21. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

22. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

23. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 22 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

24. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 14 wherein said monitoring station comprises a user interface for accepting at least one command from a user and sending at least one alert to the user.

25. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 24 wherein said user interface comprises an Internet interface.

26. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 24 wherein said user interface comprises a telephone network interface.

27. A vehicle tracking unit for use with a vehicle comprising a vehicle battery, the vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device;

a wireless communications device;

a back-up battery; and

a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device and said controller defining a power load of said vehicle tracking unit;

said wireless communications device having a relatively higher operating voltage than said vehicle position determining device and said controller;

said controller isolating said back-up battery from the power load as a voltage of the vehicle battery drops until reaching a threshold after which said controller causes said back-up battery to selectively power only said wireless communications device while said vehicle position determining device and said controller remain powered by the vehicle battery.

28. A vehicle tracking system according to claim 27 wherein said wireless communications device is selectively powered during transmission.

29. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 27 wherein said controller further reduces operation of the power load based upon dropping of the vehicle battery voltage.

30. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 29 wherein said controller restores operation of the power load based upon rising of the voltage of the vehicle battery.

31. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 27 wherein said controller further causes transmission of a low vehicle battery voltage alert based upon the voltage of the vehicle battery falling bellow the threshold.

32. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 27 wherein said controller generates a remote start output to remote start an engine of the vehicle and recharge the vehicle battery based upon receiving a remote start command.

33. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 27 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

34. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 27 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

35. A vehicle tracking unit according to claim 34 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

36. A method for operating a vehicle tracking unit in a vehicle comprising a vehicle battery, the vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a back-up battery, the method comprising:

isolating the back-up battery from powering the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device as a voltage of the vehicle battery drops until reaching a threshold; and

after reaching the threshold, selectively powering the wireless communications device with the back-up battery while the vehicle position determining device remains powered by the vehicle battery.

37. A method according to claim 36 wherein the wireless communications device is selectively powered during transmission.

38. A method according to claim 36 further comprising reducing operation of at least one of the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device based upon dropping of the vehicle battery voltage.

39. A method according to claim 38 further comprising restoring operation of the at least one of the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device based upon rising of the voltage of the vehicle battery.

40. A method according to claim 36 further comprising causing transmission of a low vehicle battery voltage alert based upon the voltage of the vehicle battery falling bellow the threshold.

41. A method according to claim 36 further comprising remotely start an engine of the vehicle and recharging the vehicle battery based upon receiving a remote start command.

42. A method according to claim 36 wherein the vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

43. A method according to claim 36 wherein the wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

44. A method according to claim 43 wherein the cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.