Automatic moving vehicle alert

• US 6,211,818 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howard L. Zach Sr
• Original Assignee: Howard L. Zach Sr
• Inventors: Zach, Howard L. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US09/345,454
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 340/426
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• 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 25/33 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

Abstract

A tracking system capable of alerting emergency personnel to the location of a vehicle using the earth circling satellite system referred to as the Global Positioning System (GPS). Using this system an identification code is assigned to a vehicle to be tracked and this information is stored in a central Reporting Center or data station along with a continuous update of the GPS location time and specific identification for that vehicle. An emergency reporting system (VERS) having a vehicle emergency tracker (VET) is employed in each vehicle. Using the VET and the GPS it is possible to pinpoint the location of a specific vehicle that has previously been assigned a specific coded identification. A second substantially identical back up system hidden in the vehicle may be used to send a signal on the location of the vehicle and the time of day at that location and specific identifying data on the vehicle if no responsive signal is received back from the first system indicating the first system has been destroyed or damaged.

Claims

1. A vehicle tracking system to track the location on earth of a vehicle comprising:

a global positioning satellite system operatively orbiting the earth and usable to determine the location of a vehicle on the earth, said global positioning satellite system being capable of determining the location on earth of a vehicle and the time at that location;

a vehicle having an engine to propel said vehicle;

a first housing mounted on said vehicle, said first housing having a first computer chip connected to a first global positioning unit;

said first global positioning unit within said first housing operatively connected to said first computer chip and activated by a signal from said vehicle'"'"'s engine when the engine of said vehicle is operative;

said first global positioning unit being capable in an operative state to receive signals from said global positioning satellite system and to transmit signals to a satellite communication system when the vehicle'"'"'s engine is operative to determine the position of the vehicle on earth at a given time;

a data entry keyboard and a visual display operatively associated with said first computer chip, said first computer chip having specific identifying coded data associated with said chip that can be entered into said first computer chip from said data entry keyboard, said entered data when matched with the specific identifying coded data on said first computer chip indicating an authorized user is operating the vehicle;

a data base station remote from said first global positioning unit and responsive to receive and store data signals transmitted from the first global positioning unit to indicate the location on earth of the vehicle as determined by the global positioning satellite system and the time of day the vehicle is at that location;

a computer operatively associated with said data base station to receive data transmitted from said data base station, said data indicating the location of the vehicle and the time at that location, whereby said data base station can communicate with an outside entity regarding said received data;

a second housing mounted to said vehicle, said second housing having a second computer chip connected to a second global positioning unit that is operatively associated with said second computer chip;

said operative second computer chip and said second global positioning unit being operatively associated with said global positioning satellite system to process data indicating their location on earth at a given time;

said second computer chip and said second global positioning unit sending a signal to the first computer chip and said second global positioning unit requesting a return signal; and

said second computer chip and said second global positioning unit transmitting a signal to said data base station if no return signal is received from said first computer chip and first global positioning unit, said data base transmitted signal indicating the location of the vehicle and the time of day at that location.