Vehicle tracker including override feature and related methods

• US 20020154034A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,784,809 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 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle tracking system for a vehicle of a type including at least one vehicle sensor may include a vehicle tracking unit including a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device. Furthermore, the controller may cooperate with the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device to send an alert message based upon the at least one vehicle sensor. The controller may also be switchable to an override mode to prevent sending of the alert message based upon receiving an alert override message. The vehicle tracking system may further include a monitoring station for receiving the alert message and for sending the alert override message.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking system for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking system comprising:

a vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device;

said controller cooperating with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send an alert message based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller also being switchable to an override mode to prevent sending of the alert message based upon receiving an alert override message; and

a monitoring station for receiving the alert message and for sending the alert override message.

2. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein the alert message is sent when said controller is in the armed mode.

3. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein the alert message is sent when said controller is in the disarmed mode.

4. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller sends the alert message based upon the vehicle changing location.

5. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle tracking unit further comprises a housing, and wherein said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device, and said controller are carried by said housing.

6. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises a vehicle ignition switch.

7. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 6 wherein said controller disengages the override mode based upon the vehicle ignition switch being switched between on and off positions.

8. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises an operable vehicle device.

9. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 8 wherein said operable vehicle device is controllable by a transmitter to be carried by a user.

10. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 9 wherein said controller disengages the override mode based upon the operable vehicle device being controlled by the transmitter.

11. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 8 wherein said operable vehicle device comprises at least one of a vehicle alarm device, a keyless entry device, an engine starter interrupt device, and a remote starter device.

12. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said monitoring station is also for sending an override disengage message;

and wherein said controller cooperates with said wireless communications device to receive the override disengage message and disengage the override mode based thereon.

13. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 1 wherein said controller also cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send vehicle position information to said monitoring station.

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

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

16. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 15 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

17. The 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.

18. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 17 wherein said user interface comprises an Internet interface.

19. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 17 wherein said user interface comprises a telephone network interface.

30. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 19 wherein said monitoring station is also for sending an override disengage message;

and wherein said controller cooperates with said wireless communications device to receive the override disengage message and disengage the override mode based thereon.

20. A vehicle tracking system for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking system comprising:

a vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller for cooperating with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send vehicle position messages;

said controller cooperating with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send an alert message based upon the vehicle changing location and the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller also being switchable to an override mode to prevent sending of the alert message based upon receiving an alert override message; and

a monitoring station for receiving the vehicle position messages and the alert message, and for sending the alert override message.

21. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein the alert message is sent when said controller is in the armed mode.

22. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein the alert message is sent when said controller is in the disarmed mode.

23. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein said vehicle tracking unit further comprises a housing, and wherein said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device, and said controller are carried by said housing.

24. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises a vehicle ignition switch.

25. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 24 wherein said controller disengages the override mode based upon the vehicle ignition switch being switched between on and off positions.

26. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises an operable vehicle device.

27. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 26 wherein said operable vehicle device is controllable by a transmitter to be carried by a user.

28. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 27 wherein said controller disengages the override mode based upon the operable vehicle device being controlled by the transmitter.

29. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 26 wherein said operable vehicle device comprises at least one of a vehicle alarm device, a keyless entry device, an engine starter interrupt device, and a remote starter device.

31. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

32. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

33. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 32 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.

34. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 20 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.

35. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 34 wherein said user interface comprises an Internet interface.

36. The vehicle tracking system according to claim 34 wherein said user interface comprises a telephone network interface.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein the vehicle tracking unit is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein sending the alert message further comprises sending the alert message when the vehicle tracking unit is in the armed mode.

39. The method according to claim 37 wherein the vehicle tracking unit is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor;

and wherein sending the alert message further comprises sending the alert message when the vehicle tracking unit is in the disarmed mode.

40. The method according to claim 37 wherein sending the alert message further comprises sending the alert message also based upon the vehicle changing location.

41. The method according to claim 37 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises a vehicle ignition switch.

42. The method according to claim 41 further comprising disengaging the override mode based upon the vehicle ignition switch being switched between on and off positions.

43. The method according to claim 37 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises an operable vehicle device.

44. The method according to claim 43 wherein the operable vehicle device is controllable by a transmitter to be carried by a user.

45. The method according to claim 44 further comprising disengaging the override mode based upon the operable vehicle device being controlled by the transmitter.

46. The method according to claim 43 wherein the operable vehicle device comprises at least one of a vehicle alarm device, a keyless entry device, an engine starter interrupt device, and a remote starter device.

47. The method according to claim 37 further comprising sending vehicle position information from the vehicle tracking unit to the monitoring station.

48. The method according to claim 42 further comprising sending an override disengage message from the monitoring station to the vehicle tracking unit, and disengaging the override mode based upon the override disengage message.

37. A vehicle tracking method for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor and a vehicle tracking unit, the method comprising:

selectively sending an alert override message from the monitoring station to the vehicle tracking unit;

switching the vehicle tracking unit to an override mode based upon receiving the alert override message from the monitoring station; and

sending an alert message from the vehicle tracking unit to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor if the vehicle tracking unit is not in the override mode, and preventing sending of the alert message if the vehicle is in the override mode.