Monitoring vehicle positions

• US 6,285,953 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minorplant Limited
• Original Assignee: Minorplant Limited
• Inventors: Morris, Jeffrey C., Harrison, Christopher G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/254,879
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 342/42, 342/46, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/450, 342/47
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A data monitoring apparatus uses a GPS receiver, micro controller, a plurality of sensors and actuators, a memory, a radio transmitter and a data communication antennae. The apparatus accumulates real-time data concerning position and time and other operational parameters of a geographically mobile object for example a vehicle for transmission to a monitoring station. Transmission channel utility may be improved through transmission of accumulated historical data to a separate monitoring station.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a geographically moveable object, said method comprising:

substantially continuously receiving geographic position data at said geographically moveable object;

recording a first set of data representing the absolute geographic position of said object at a first position;

creating relative position data from a difference between the absolute position data of a given position and the position data of a different preceding recorded position; and

recording a second set of position data representing a second position of said object relative to said first position.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising recording subsequent sets of relative position data representing subsequent positions of said object relative to an earlier recorded position.

3. A method as in claim 1, in which said absolute position data comprises two n-bit words and said relative position data comprises a one n-bit word.

4. A method as in claim 3 in which n=22.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising recording corresponding time and date data associated with said position data.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said position data is recorded at intervals ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said position data is stored at intervals ranging from 2 minutes to 10 minutes.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the movable object is a vehicle and recording of said data is initiated by the vehicle ignition being activated.

9. A method as in claim 1, in which a further set of data representing the absolute geographic position of said object is recorded in response to the movement of the vehicle ceasing.

10. A method as in claim 1, in which further data is recorded in response to operational events of said movable objects, said data representing at least one of said operational events.

11. A method as in claim 10, in which position data is recorded in association said at least one of said operational events data, said position data representing the geographical position at which said event occurred.

12. A method as in claim 1, further comprising transmitting said recorded data to a base station to provide a history of the movement of said object at said base station.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein said recorded positional data is transmitted in response to a periodic or an aperiodic signal.

14. A method as in claim 12, in which said transmitting of said position data is activated in response to a signal generated in response to an operation of said moveable object.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein said transmitting is activated in response to a received interrogation signal.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein said transmission of data from said geographically moveable object commences in response to a received geographical position data.

17. A method as in claim 13, in which the transmitting of said recorded data is performed at predetermined time intervals.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the transmitting of recorded data is performed over an open radio channel.

19. A method as in claim 13, wherein the transmitting of position data comprises transmission over a mobile telephone communications channel.

20. A method as in claim 1, in which said geographic position data is data created by a Geographic Positioning System (GPS).

21. Apparatus for monitoring a geographically moveable object, said apparatus comprising:

means for substantially continuously receiving geographic position data at said geographically moveable object;

means for recording a first set of data representing the absolute geographic position of said object at said first position;

means for creating relative position data from a difference between an absolute position data of a given position and the position data of a different preceding recorded position; and

means for recording a second set of position data representing a second position of said object relative to said first position.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising means for recording subsequent sets of relative position data representing subsequent positions of said object relative to the immediately preceding recorded position.

23. Apparatus as in claim 21, in which said absolute position data comprises two n-bit words and said relative position data comprises a one n-bit word.

24. Apparatus as in claim 23, in which a number n of said n-bit words is equal to a value of twenty-two.

25. Apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising means for recording a corresponding time/date data associated with said position data.

26. Apparatus as in claim 21, arranged to record said position data of intervals ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

27. Apparatus as in claim 21, arranged to record said position data at intervals ranging from 2 minutes to 10 minutes.

28. Apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the movable object is a vehicle and the recording of said data is initiated by the vehicle ignition being activated.

29. Apparatus as in claim 21, arranged to record a further set of data, representing the absolute geographic position of said object, in response to the movement of the vehicle ceasing.

30. Apparatus as in claim 21, in which further data is recorded in response to operational events of said movable object, said data representing at least one of said operational events.

31. Apparatus as in claim 30, in which position data is recorded in association said at least one of said operational events data, said position data representing the geographical position at which said event occurred.

32. Apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising means for transmitting said recorded data to a base station to provide a history of the movement of said object at said base station.

33. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said transmitting means is operable to transmit recorded positional data in response to a periodic or an aperiodic signal.

34. Apparatus as in claim 32, in which said transmitting means is operable to transmit said position data in response to a signal generated as a result of an operation of said moveable object.

35. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said transmitting means is operable to transmit said data in response to a received interrogation signal.

36. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said transmitting means is operable to transmit said data in response to a received geographical position data.

37. Apparatus as in claim 32, in which the transmitting means transmits said data at predetermined time intervals.

38. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein the transmitting means utilizes an open radio channel to transmit said data.

39. Apparatus as in claim 32, wherein the transmitting means utilizes a mobile telephone communications channel to transmit said data.

40. Apparatus as in claim 32, in which said geographic position data is data created by a Geographic Positioning System (GPS).

41. A method of monitoring a geographically moving object, said method comprising:

(a) generating n-bit digital data signals representing a sequence of absolute geographic positions of said object and recording at least one of said n-bit signals;

(b) generating a series of m-bit digital data signals, each representing a relative object geographic position based on a calculated difference between one of said further n-bit digital data signals and an earlier generated n-bit digital data signal, m being an integer that is less than n; and

(c) recording said m-bit digital data signals thereby reducing the amount of recorded data representing historical past geographical positions of said object.

42. Apparatus for monitoring a geographically moving object, said means comprising:

(a) means for generating n-bit digital data signals representing a sequence of absolute geographic positions of said object and recording at least one of said n-bit signals;

(b) means for generating a series of m-bit digital data signals, each representing a relative object geographic position based on a calculated difference between one of said n-bit digital data signals and an earlier generated n-bit digital data signal, m being an integer that is less than n; and

(c) means for recording said m-bit digital data signals thereby reducing the amount of recorded data representing historical past geographical positions of said object.