Vehicle tracker unit providing variable frequency transmission and related methods

• US 20020158778A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• 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 6,765,499 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 unit may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller cooperating with the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for determining vehicle position information and for periodically sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station. Furthermore, the controller may vary a period between successive sendings of vehicle position information based upon a triggering event. By way of example, the triggering event may include a vehicle speed exceeding a threshold, a period change signal from the monitoring station, and/or the passing of time. Additionally, the controller may include a memory for storing the vehicle position information, and the triggering event may include the memory reaching a predetermined capacity.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for determining vehicle position information and for periodically sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

said controller varying a period between successive sendings of vehicle position information based upon a triggering event.

2. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the triggering event comprises a vehicle speed exceeding a threshold.

3. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the triggering event comprises receiving a period change signal from the monitoring atation.

4. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the triggering event comprises passing of time.

5. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller comprises a memory for storing the vehicle position information, and wherein the triggering event comprises said memory reaching a predetermined capacity.

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

7. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 6 further comprising at least one visual indicator cooperating with said GPS device for indicating a number of GPS satellites currently accessible.

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

9. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 8 further comprising at least one visual indicator cooperating with said cellular telephone communications device for indicating communications with a cellular base station.

10. A vehicle tracking unit comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for determining vehicle position information and for periodically sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

said controller varying a period between successive sendings of vehicle position information based upon a triggering event comprising at least one of a vehicle speed exceeding a threshold and receiving a period change signal from the monitoring station.

11. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of the vehicle speed exceeding the threshold, receiving the period change signal from the monitoring station, and passing of time.

12. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein said controller comprises a memory for storing the vehicle position information;

and wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of the vehicle speed exceeding the threshold, receiving the period change signal from the monitoring station, and said memory reaching a predetermined capacity.

13. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

14. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 13 further comprising at least one visual indicator cooperating with said GPS device for indicating a number of GPS satellites currently accessible.

15. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 10 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

16. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 further comprising at least one visual indicator cooperating with said cellular telephone communications device for indicating communications with a cellular base station.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the triggering event comprises-a vehicle speed exceeding a threshold.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the triggering event comprises receiving a period change signal from the monitoring station.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein the triggering event comprises passing of time.

21. The method according to claim 17 further comprising storing the vehicle position information in a memory prior to sending;

and wherein the triggering event comprises the memory reaching a predetermined capacity.

17. A vehicle tracking method comprising:

determining vehicle position information for a vehicle;

periodically sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station; and

varying a period between successive sendings of vehicle position information based upon a triggering event.