Truck communication system

• US 6,026,292 A
• Filed: 08/19/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc., Transcommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Helms, Robert V., Doyle, Thomas F., Coppinger, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldetatios, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US08/914,102
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 455/38.1, 455/38.4, 455/345, 455/517, 455/227, 455/228, 455/410, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/12.1, 455/560, 455/426, 455/408, 455/412, 455/413, 455/422, 455/415, 379/93.24, 705/30, 705/40, 705/400
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A system and method for sending e-mail messages between an authorized user connected to a publicly accessible computer network system and a vehicle occupant using a private communication system having different messaging formats. E-mail messages are received by an interface, converted into an appropriate format, and transmitted to an intended user or vehicle occupant if a sufficient balance exists in an account associated with the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A system for sending e-mail messages between an authorized user connected to a publicly accessible computer network system and a vehicle occupant using a private communication system having different messaging formats, comprising:

an interface for sending e-mail messages between said publicly accessible computer network system and said private communication system, each of said e-mail messages comprising a message and at least an identification number corresponding to a vehicle occupant;

accounting means for adjusting an account associated with said vehicle occupant prior to sending said e-mail messages to said authorized user or to said vehicle occupant;

translation means for converting said e-mail messages from a format compatible with said publicly accessible computer network system into a format compatible with said private communication system and for converting said e-mail messages from a format compatible with said private communication system into a format compatible with said publicly accessible computer network system; and

means for transmitting and receiving said e-mail messages to and from a mobile communication terminal located on a vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the accounting means comprises:

means for determining an account balance associated with each of said e-mails; and

means for preventing an e-mail message from being delivered if said account balance corresponding to said e-mail message lacks at least a predetermined balance.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said accounting means comprises means for adjusting a credit card account associated with said vehicle occupant.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said accounting means comprises means for adjusting a payroll account associated with said vehicle occupant.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile terminal is further for allowing said vehicle occupant to register with said private communication system.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for storing said e-mail messages if said e-mail messages are not delivered to said vehicle occupant or to said authorized user.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for entering a code by said vehicle occupant, said code for preventing unwanted e-mail messages from being delivered to said vehicle occupant.

8. A method for sending e-mail messages between an authorized user connected to a publicly accessible computer network system and a vehicle occupant using a private communication system having different messaging formats, comprising the steps of:

receiving an e-mail message by an interface, from either said authorized user or from said vehicle occupant, said e-mail message comprising a message, and at least an identification code corresponding to said vehicle occupant;

determining if a sufficient balance exists in an account associated with said vehicle occupant prior to sending said e-mail message to said authorized user or to said vehicle occupant;

adjusting said account by a predetermined amount;

converting said e-mail message to a format compatible with said publicly accessible computer network system if said e-mail message originated from said private communication system;

converting said e-mail message to a format compatible with said private communication system if said e-mail message originated from said publicly accessible computer network system;

transmitting said converted e-mail message to a mobile communication terminal associated with said vehicle occupant if said converted e-mail message originated from said publicly accessible computer network; and

sending said converted e-mail message to said publicly accessible computer network if said e-mail message originated from said private communication system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of adjusting said account by a predetermined amount comprises the step of subtracting an amount proportional to a length of said e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of adjusting said account by a predetermined amount comprises the step of subtracting an amount equal to at least a billing-rate multiplied by a character count of said e-mail message.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

storing said e-mail message for a predetermined amount of time if said balance is not greater or equal to a predetermined amount.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

determining if said account is a prepaid account or a postpaid account;

billing said account if said account is a postpaid account.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

entering a code by a vehicle occupant, said code for preventing unauthorized e-mail from being transmitted to said mobile communication terminal;

checking said e-mail message for said code; and

preventing said e-mail message from being transmitted to said mobile communication terminal if said e-mail message does not comprise said code.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

storing said e-mail message if said code has been entered and said e-mail message does not comprise said code.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

alerting said vehicle occupant that an unauthorized e-mail message was received by said private communication system if said code has been entered by said vehicle occupant and said e-mail message does not comprise said code.