Onboard Starter-Interrupt Device Incorporating Wireless Personal Area Network
First Claim
1. In a system for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, an onboard device located on a vehicle, the onboard device comprising:
- a wireless communications interface for communicating with an operations center remotely located with respect to the vehicle;
a personal area network interface for communicating with a wireless device via a personal area network; and
a processor, adapted to selectively disable the vehicle responsive to commands from at least one of the operations center and the wireless device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An onboard starter-interrupt device uses a Personal Area Network (PAN) to facilitate communication between a wireless device (such as a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA)) and the onboard device (also referred to interchangeably as a vehicle control device or a payment enforcement device) installed on a vehicle. The PAN can be implemented using, for example, the well-known Bluetooth protocol. The use of a PAN avoids the need for a visible keypad or other input device installed in the vehicle. The interface with the PAN also facilitates direct communication (including voice communication) using an existing cell phone. The interface with the PAN further allows a user or administrator to configure the operation of the onboard device using input/output components of the wireless device.
150 Citations
57 Claims
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1. In a system for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, an onboard device located on a vehicle, the onboard device comprising:
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a wireless communications interface for communicating with an operations center remotely located with respect to the vehicle; a personal area network interface for communicating with a wireless device via a personal area network; and a processor, adapted to selectively disable the vehicle responsive to commands from at least one of the operations center and the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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a wireless device; and an onboard device located on a vehicle, the onboard device comprising; a wireless communications interface for communicating with an operations center remotely located with respect to the vehicle; a personal area network interface for communicating with a wireless device via a personal area network; and a processor, adapted to selectively disable the vehicle responsive to commands from at least one of the operations center and the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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detecting a trigger event; transmitting a message from an operations center to a device located onboard a vehicle, the message indicating the trigger event, the onboard device being adapted to selectively disable the vehicle; transmitting a message from the onboard device to a wireless device via a personal area network; outputting, at the wireless device, an indication of the trigger event. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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detecting a trigger event; transmitting a message from an operations center to a wireless device, the message indicating the trigger event; transmitting a message, via a personal area network, from the wireless device to a device located onboard a vehicle, the onboard device being adapted to selectively disable the vehicle; outputting, at the wireless device, an indication of the trigger event. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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detecting a payment due event; transmitting a message from an operations center to a wireless device, the message indicating the trigger event; at the wireless device, prompting a user for payment; responsive to receiving user input indicating that payment has been made, transmitting payment information to the operations center; responsive to receiving user input indicating that payment has been made and responsive to the vehicle being currently disabled, transmitting a message via a personal area network to cause an onboard device to enable the vehicle; responsive to receiving no user input indicating that payment has been made, transmitting a nonpayment event to the operations center; and responsive to receiving no user input indicating that payment has been made and responsive to the vehicle being currently enabled, transmitting a message via a personal area network to cause an onboard device to disable the vehicle.
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40. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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at a wireless device, receiving user input indicating a payment; and responsive to receiving the user input indicating a payment; wirelessly transmitting payment information from the wireless device to an operations center; and transmitting a message, via a personal area network, to an onboard device to permit continued operation of a vehicle.
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41. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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initiating direct communication between a vehicle owner and an operations center via a wireless device; receiving, at the wireless device, a message from the operations center indicating that a vehicle'"'"'s operational status should change; transmitting, from the wireless device to an onboard device on the vehicle, via a personal area network, a message indicating that the vehicle'"'"'s operational status should change; and changing the operation status of the vehicle in response to the message.
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42. The method of 41, wherein changing the operational status of the vehicle in response to the message comprises disabling the vehicle.
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43. The method of 41, wherein changing the operational status of the vehicle in response to the message comprises enabling operation of the vehicle.
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44. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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initiating direct communication between a vehicle owner and an operations center via a wireless device; transmitting, from the operations center to an onboard device on the vehicle, a message indicating that the vehicle'"'"'s operational status should change; and changing the operational status of the vehicle in response to the message.
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45. The method of 44, wherein changing the operational status of the vehicle in response to the message comprises disabling the vehicle.
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46. The method of 44, wherein changing the operational status of the vehicle in response to the message comprises enabling operation of the vehicle.
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47. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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receiving user input of a password at a wireless device, the wireless device being adapted to communicate with an onboard device located on the vehicle via a personal area network; determining whether the password is valid; responsive to the password being valid, enabling continued operation of the vehicle; responsive to the password not being valid, disabling the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for enforcing payment schedules for a vehicle purchase, comprising:
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a) receiving user input of a password at a wireless device, the wireless device being adapted to communicate with an onboard device located on the vehicle via a personal area network; b) determining whether the password is valid; c) responsive to the password being valid, enabling continued operation of the vehicle; d) responsive to the password not being valid, and responsive to a maximum number of attempts being reached, disabling the vehicle; and e) responsive to the password not being valid, and responsive to a maximum number of attempts not being reached, prompting the user to re-enter the password at the wireless device, and repeating steps a) through e). - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A method for facilitating communication between a vehicle owner and a network operations center, comprising:
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receiving user input of a password at a wireless device, the wireless device being adapted to communicate with an onboard device located on the vehicle via a personal area network; determining whether the password is valid; responsive to the password being valid, enabling continued operation of the vehicle; responsive to the password not being valid, initiating a communication channel between the wireless device and a network operations center. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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57. A method for setting parameters for an onboard device adapted to selectively disable a vehicle, comprising:
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at a wireless device, receiving user input specifying at least one parameter for operation of the onboard device; transmitting, via a personal area network, a signal representing the at least one parameter to the onboard device; and at the onboard device, changing the at least one parameter according to the user input.
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Specification