PORTABLE VEHICLE TELEMATICS SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130226369A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: YORIO, Rudy, MARKO, Paul, WADIN, Craig, PATSIOKAS, Stelios, KELLEY, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/776,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A portable sensing and telematics device senses one or more conditions with respect to a vehicle and/or its occupant(s) and can communicate regarding, or in response to, the sensed condition to a remote entity (e.g., emergency responders, law enforcement agencies, other entities that monitor vehicle occupants or usage). An exemplary device can be integrated in, for example, a cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) configured to be connected to a vehicle cigarette lighter socket or auxiliary power socket. The portable sensing and telematics device can be connected to a tethered smartphone, interface with an in-vehicle modem or cellular phone, or incorporate smartphone or similar functionality within. Other form factors are possible. An exemplary device can be used in a wide variety of emergency sensing and response applications, as well as various monitoring applications and scenarios.

Claims

1. A portable telematics device, comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting one or more conditions of a vehicle and/or its occupant(s);

a communications interface;

an antenna;

a user interface,

circuitry arranged to process signals from the at least one sensor and a GPS device to obtain a position of the vehicle and/or its occupants and to facilitate telephonic communications; and

at least one of a power source and a cigarette lighter adapter.

2. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor includes one or more of an accelerometer, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 2-axis accelerometer, an accelerometer of range greater than 15 G, an accelerometer capable of measuring G forces up to a range of 15 G or higher, an accelerometer capable of measuring G forces up to a range of 25 G or higher, a vehicle rollover detector, an air bag deployment sensor, a spot locator, a personal safety or monitoring device, and a driver monitoring device.

3. The telematics device of claim 2, wherein additional sensors are located remotely from, and communicably connected to the device.

4. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein said communications interface is arranged to communicate with one or more of a remote monitoring system and a responder in response to one or more defined detected conditions.

5. The telematics device of claim 1, further comprising a USB charger.

6. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein said user interface includes a microphone and speaker, and a panic or emergency button, a phone button and an agent button.

7. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is arranged to receive at least GPS signals and to transceiver cellular communications data.

8. The telematics device of any of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to fit inside a cigarette lighter adapter, and is plugged into said adapter.

9. The telematics device of claim 8, further comprising a backup battery to provide power for the device to operate when vehicle power fails or is disconnected from the device.

10. The telematics device of claim 4, wherein said conditions include at least one of a vehicle crash and an occupant'"'"'s medical emergency.

11. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein said communications interface is arranged to communicate with one or more of a remote monitoring system and persons designated by a user in response to one or more defined detected conditions selected from the group consisting of:

a vehicle lift, an impact sustained to the vehicle when stationary, the vehicle leaving an area defined by a geo-fence, and the vehicle exceeding a defined speed for a defined time period.

12. The telematics device of claim 1, wherein said GPS device is one of integrated in the portable device and communicably connected to the portable device.

35. The telematics device of claim 2, wherein if said accelerometer is said 2-axis accelerometer, further comprising it having been aligned or calibrated based on its installation orientation in the device to measure lateral forces on the vehicle.

13. A portable telematics device, comprising:

at least one sensor for detecting one or more conditions of a vehicle and/or its occupant(s);

a microprocessor;

an antenna;

at least one communications link to a mobile terminal; and

at least one of a power source and a cigarette lighter adapter.

14. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein the device is configured to perform at least one of (i) obtain position sensing information from the mobile terminal, (ii) obtain position sensing information from a connected GPS device, and (iii) perform position sensing with an integrated GPS device.

15. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein said at least one communications link includes one or more of a Bluetooth link, a wireless link, an ad hoc wireless link, and a USB cable connection.

16. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein said at least one sensor includes one or more of an accelerometer, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 2-axis accelerometer, an accelerometer of range greater than 15 G, an accelerometer capable of measuring G forces up to a range of 15 G or higher, an accelerometer capable of measuring G forces up to a range of 25 G or higher, a vehicle rollover detector, an air bag deployment sensor, a spot locator, a personal safety or monitoring device, and a driver monitoring device.

17. The telematics device of claim 16, wherein additional sensors are located remotely from, and communicably connected to the device.

18. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein in operation a user interacts with the device via the mobile terminal.

19. The telematics device of claim 13, further comprising one or more of a USB charger and a phone modem.

20. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein said mobile terminal is provided with a telematics application that receives data from the device, and said mobile terminal is arranged to communicate with one or more of a remote monitoring system and a responder in response to one or more defined detected conditions.

21. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein said device further comprises at least one of:

(i) a microphone and speaker, (ii) a panic or emergency button, (iii) a phone button and (iv) an agent button.

22. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein the antenna is arranged to receive at least GPS signals.

23. The telematics device of any of claim 13, wherein the device is configured to fit inside a cigarette lighter adapter, and is plugged into said adapter.

24. The telematics device of claim 13, further comprising a backup battery to provide power to the device to operate when vehicle power fails or is disconnected from the device.

25. The telematics device of claim 20, wherein said conditions include at least one of a vehicle crash and an occupant'"'"'s medical emergency.

26. The telematics device of claim 20, wherein said mobile terminal is arranged to communicate with one or more of a remote monitoring system, emergency responders and persons designated by a user, in response to one or more defined detected conditions selected from the group consisting of:

a crash, a medical injury of a vehicle occupant, a vehicle lift, an impact sustained to the vehicle when stationary, the vehicle leaving an area defined by a geo-fence, the vehicle exceeding a defined speed for a defined time period.

27. The telematics device of claim 13, wherein said mobile terminal is communicably connected to a vehicle head unit.

28. The telematics device of claim 27, further comprising at least one of a wired and a wireless communications link from the device to the vehicle head unit.

29. The telematics device of claim 13, further comprising an SDARS receiver, and wherein said antenna is further arranged to receive SDARS signals.

30. The telematics device of claim 29, further comprising at least one of a wired and a wireless communications link from the device to the vehicle head unit, and wherein the device is arranged to communicate said SDARS audio content to said head unit.

31. The telematics device of claim 27, wherein said communicably connected includes one or more of a Bluetooth HFP link and a Bluetooth A2DP link.

32. The telematics device of claim 30, wherein audio content is sent from said mobile terminal to said vehicle head unit via a Bluetooth HFP link, and telephonic communications and telematics data from said portable device are sent from said mobile terminal to said vehicle head unit via a Bluetooth A2DP link.

33. The telematics device of claim 32, wherein both said Bluetooth HFP and said Bluetooth A2DP links can simultaneously operate, and wherein telephonic communications over said Bluetooth HFP link is prioritized.

34. The telematics device of claim 30, wherein said SDASRS audio content is sent over a wired link via FM modulation.

36. The telematics device of claim 16, wherein if said accelerometer is said 2-axis accelerometer, further comprising it having been aligned or calibrated based on its installation orientation in the device to measure lateral forces on the vehicle.