System and Method for Locating a Vehicle

• US 20100318288A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Harris Korn
• Inventors: Korn, Harris, Chaggares, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

The invention comprises a method of locating a vehicle, comprising: a) connecting a removable locator device to the vehicle, said locator device automatically noting when it has been connected to the vehicle and then using locating technology to retrieve, at regular intervals, location coordinates for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location of the vehicle; b) sensing a loss of connection between the locator device and the vehicle; c) automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last location coordinates retrieved prior to sensing said loss of connection; and, d) removing the locator device from the vehicle to enable use of the locator device to return to the stored waypoint, wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of locating a vehicle, comprising:

a) automatically detecting the presence of the vehicle by a removable locator device and, in response, said locator device initiating the process of retrieving, at regular intervals, location coordinates for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location of the vehicle;

b) detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device;

c) upon detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device, automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last location coordinates retrieved prior to said detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle; and

,

d) removing the locator device from the vehicle to enable use of the locator device to return to the stored waypoint,

wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said locator device is an electronic device which uses GPS technology to determine its location coordinates, said electronic device being one of:

a commercial GPS receiver, a cell phone, a smartphone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said locator device is one of:

a cellular phone, a smartphone or a PDA and uses one of cellular phone or WiMAX locating technology to determine the location coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device is triggered by at least one of the following events:

the disconnection of the locator device from the vehicle power supply;

the cessation of vibrations associated with the vehicle engine running or the vehicle moving;

the sound of a vehicle door opening;

the cessation of engine or driver compartment noise;

the movement of the vehicle transmission lever into park, a voice activating command, and manual activation by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the locator device provides one or more of the following to guide the user back to the stored waypoint representing the approximate location of their vehicle:

a map, a set of text instructions, and a set of audio instructions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a second triggering event occurs when the user has returned to the waypoint representing the approximate location of their vehicle, the second triggering event causing the locator device to reset.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second triggering event is detection of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device.

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

14. A system for locating a parked vehicle, comprising a locator device having a means to automatically detect the presence of the vehicle and, in response, initiating the process of retrieving, at regular intervals, location coordinates for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location of the vehicle, and the locator device further including a means to detect the cessation of the presence of the vehicle, and automatically storing the last retrieved location coordinates as a waypoint representing the approximate location of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle by the locator device corresponds to a loss of external power supplied by the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said locator device is an electronic device which uses GPS technology to determine its location coordinates, said electronic device being one of:

a commercial GPS receiver, a cell phone, a smartphone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said locator device is one of:

a cellular phone, a smartphone or a PDA and uses one of cellular phone or WiMAX locating technology to determine the location coordinates.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the locator device includes an output device to provide one or more of the following to guide the user back to the stored waypoint representing the approximate location of their vehicle:

a map, a set of text instructions, and a set of audio instructions.

19. A method of locating a vehicle, comprising:

a) placing a beacon device in the vehicle, the beacon device being capable of wireless signal communication according to preset parameters;

b) detecting the presence of the beacon device on a removable locator device via the wireless signal;

c) automatically initiating locating technology in the locator device to establish current location coordinates for the locator device upon detecting the presence of the beacon device;

d) updating the current location coordinates of the locator device at regular intervals for as long as the locator device remains within signal range of the beacon device; and

,

e) automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last updated location coordinates upon the locator device ceasing to detect the presence of the beacon device, wherein the stored waypoint represents the approximate location of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said locator device is an electronic device which uses GPS technology to determine its location coordinates, said electronic device being one of:

a commercial GPS receiver, a cell phone, a smartphone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said locator device is one of:

a cellular phone, a smartphone or a PDA and uses one of cellular phone or WiMAX locating technology to obtain location information to set the location waypoint.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the beacon device awaits a signal from the locator device before emitting any signal.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the beacon device emits a periodic signal to be detected by the locator device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the beacon signal is emitted every 60 or fewer seconds.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the locator device provides one or more of the following to guide the user back to the stored waypoint representing the approximate location of their vehicle:

a map, a set of text instructions, and a set of audio instructions.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the locator device prompts the user to reset upon detecting the beacon signal, which occurs when the user returns to be within close range of the stored waypoint representing the vehicle'"'"'s approximate location.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the locator device automatically resets upon detecting the continued presence of the beacon signal for a fixed period of time.

48. The method of claim 19, wherein the locator device automatically resets upon detecting the continued presence of the beacon signal for a fixed period of time, which signal is only transmitted when said beacon is attached to a vehicle power supply and the vehicle is on.

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

37. A system for locating a parked vehicle, comprising:

a) a beacon device that is placed in the vehicle, the beacon device being capable of wireless signal broadcasting according to preset parameters; and

,

b) a locator device operative to detect the wireless signal of the beacon device, and to automatically initiate locating technology in the locator device to establish current location coordinates for the locator device upon detecting the wireless signal and to update its current location for as long as the locator device remains within signal range of the beacon device and to automatically record the last location as a waypoint upon ceasing to detect the wireless signal,

wherein the locator device denotes the waypoint as the approximate location of the parked vehicle.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein said locator device is an electronic device which uses GPS technology to determine its location coordinates, said electronic device being one of:

a commercial GPS receiver, a cell phone, a smartphone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

42. The system of claim 37, wherein said locator device uses one of cellular phone or WiMAX locating technology.

45. The system of claim 37, where a signal is emitted periodically by the beacon device.

46. The system of claim 45, where a signal is emitted every 60 or fewer seconds by the beacon device.

47. The system of claim 37, wherein the locator device includes an output device to provide one or more of the following to guide the user back to the stored waypoint representing the approximate location of their vehicle:

a map, a set of text instructions, and a set of audio instructions.

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

44. (canceled)