Automobile tracking and anti-theft system
First Claim
1. A computerized system for determining the theft of a vehicle wherein a system subscriber maintains a remote computer terminal, said system comprising:
- a web host connected to a wide area web network, said web host having a computer readable medium;
a location unit for being carried by the vehicle for calculating the location of the vehicle at any given time and transmitting a low power digital location data packet having location data, wherein the data packet includes only protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS data, including latitude and longitude; and
a computer program having instructions embodied in computer readable code residing on said web host for receiving a tracking request from the subscriber, transmitting a tracking call to said location unit, receiving back the low power digital location data packet having location data from said location unit representing the current position of the vehicle automatically in response to said tracking request, and transmitting the location data regarding the current position of the vehicle to said subscriber whereby the location of the automobile is displayed at the subscriber'"'"'s terminal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computerized system deters theft of a vehicle where a subscriber maintains a remote computer terminal. A web host is connected to a wide area web network and includes a computer readable medium. A location unit is carried by the vehicle and calculates the location of the vehicle at any given time and transmits a low power digital location data packet having location data. A computer program has instructions embodied in computer readable code on the web host and receives a tracking request from a subscriber and transmits a tracking call to the location unit. The low power digital location data packet is transmitted from the location unit and represents the current position of the vehicle.
136 Citations
44 Claims
-
1. A computerized system for determining the theft of a vehicle wherein a system subscriber maintains a remote computer terminal, said system comprising:
-
a web host connected to a wide area web network, said web host having a computer readable medium;
a location unit for being carried by the vehicle for calculating the location of the vehicle at any given time and transmitting a low power digital location data packet having location data, wherein the data packet includes only protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS data, including latitude and longitude; and
a computer program having instructions embodied in computer readable code residing on said web host for receiving a tracking request from the subscriber, transmitting a tracking call to said location unit, receiving back the low power digital location data packet having location data from said location unit representing the current position of the vehicle automatically in response to said tracking request, and transmitting the location data regarding the current position of the vehicle to said subscriber whereby the location of the automobile is displayed at the subscriber'"'"'s terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
input instructions for receiving said tracking request signal from the remote user via the Internet, said tracking request having a location unit identification;
processing instructions for receiving said tracking request and processing and routing said tracking request;
communication-instructions-initializing-wireless-communication with the location unit;
location instructions responsive to said processing instructions for generating said tracking call and outputting said call to the location unit and for receiving said location data from said location unit; and
a display module for outputting said location data for display of the location unit'"'"'s position by the the remote user via the Internet.
-
-
3. The system of claim 2 wherein input instructions are contained in an input module, said communications instructions are contained in a communications module, said location instructions are contained in a location module, and said display instructions are contained in a display module;
- and including a main processing module for calling said communication, location, and display modules to carry out their respective instructions.
-
4. The system of claim 3 wherein validation instructions are contained in a validation module called by said main module.
-
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer readable instructions include:
formatting instructions for formatting said location data into a display map of the current location of the location unit, and display instructions for outputting said map to the remote user via the Internet.
-
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said display map includes a position indicator indicating the current location.
-
7. The system of claim 1 wherein said tracking request includes a unit identification number, and said computer readable instructions include:
validation instructions for comparing said unit identification number to an access code stored on said web host, and said instructions allowing said input instructions to generate said tracking call when said unit identification number corresponds to an authorized access code.
-
8. The system of claim 1 wherein said location unit comprises:
-
an enclosure;
a location chip carried within the enclosure for receiving raw geo-position information;
a processor for receiving said raw geo-position information and generating personal location data representing the position of the unit;
a transceiver for transmitting said location data to a remote station in response to a call signal being received from said remote station;
said processor controlling said transceiver to transmit said location data in response to automatically answering said call signal from said remote station; and
a power supply for supplying power to said location chip, said processor and said transceiver.
-
-
9. The system of claim 8 wherein said location chip is a GPS chip for receiving geo-position information from a global positioning system.
-
10. The system of claim 8 wherein a computer readable medium is included within said processor and including:
-
a set of computer instructions embodied in said computer readable medium wherein said instructions perform the steps of;
detecting a tracking request;
requesting tracking information signals from said location chip;
generating location data from said tracking information signals; and
,providing said location data for transmission to a remote location.
-
-
11. The system of claim 10 wherein said instructions include means embodied in computer readable code for returning said processor to a standby mode after transmission of said location data to said remote location.
-
12. The system of claim 8 wherein said location data is embodied in a digital signal containing digital data only, and having no audio signal.
-
13. The device of claim 12 wherein said digital signal includes a digital record which includes access code data identifying a specific object to which the device is assigned, and location data.
-
14. The system of claim 1 where said location unit is carried by a dealer vehicle tag which may be affixed to the vehicle in the same manner as a license plate.
-
15. The system of claim 14 including tamper resistant locking means for securing said dealer tag to the vehicle.
-
16. The system of claim 14 including a protector key automatically transmitting location data to the web host in the event of an unauthorized removal of the dealer tag from the vehicle.
-
17. The system of claim 14 wherein said location unit is incorporated into one of said dealer tag and frame surrounding the dealer tag in an integral inconspicuous manner.
-
18. A system for deterring and preventing theft of a vehicle from a system subscriber who affixes a location unit to the vehicle whose theft is to be deterred wherein said location unit calculates the location of the vehicle at ay given time, wherein said location unit includes a processor and transmitter to transmit a low power digital location data packet having location data, and a memory for storing a plurality of previous position readings, said processor operative for automatically retrieving position readings stored in memory upon receipt of a tracking request, said system comprising:
-
a web host connected to a wide area web network, said web host having a computer readable medium;
said web host being accessible by the subscriber from a remote computer terminal;
a computer program residing on said web host for receiving a tracking request from a dealer and transmitting a tracking call to the location unit carried by the vehicle; and
said computer program including instructions embodied in computer readable code for automatically transmitting said tracking call, receiving the low power digital location data packet having location data, including retrieved position readings stored in memory, from the location unit in response to said tracking call, and transmitting location data regarding the current position of the vehicle to the subscriber'"'"'s terminal where the current location of the vehicle is displayed and a prior path or track of the location unit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 41, 42)
input instructions for receiving said tracking request signal from the remote user via the Internet, said tracking request having a location unit identification;
processing instructions for receiving said tracking request and processing and routing said tracking request;
communication instructions initializing wireless communication with the location unit;
location instructions responsive to said processing instructions for generating said tracking call and outputting said call to the location unit and for receiving said location data from said location unit; and
a display module for outputting said location data for display of the location unit'"'"'s position by the the remote user via the Internet.
-
-
22. The system of claim 18 wherein said computer readable instructions include:
formatting instructions for formatting said location data into a display map of the current location of the location unit, and display instructions for outputting said map to the remote user via the Internet.
-
23. The system of claim 22 wherein said display map includes a position indicator indicating the current location.
-
24. The system of claim 18 wherein said tracking request includes a unit identification number, and said computer readable instructions include:
validation instructions for comparing said unit identification number to an access code stored on said web host, and said instructions allowing said input instructions to generate said tracking call when said unit identification number corresponds to an authorized access code.
-
25. The system of claim 18 wherein a computer readable medium is included within said processor and including:
-
a set of computer instructions embodied in said computer readable medium wherein said instructions perform the steps of;
detecting a tracking request;
requesting tracking information signals from said location chip;
generating location data from said tracking information signals; and
,providing said location data for transmission to a remote location.
-
-
26. The system of claim 18 wherein said location data is embodied in a digital signal containing digital data only, and having no audio signal.
-
27. The system of claim 18 wherein said location unit includes a processor and transceiver;
- and said processor including instruction embodied in computer readable code so that said location unit automatically answers a tracking call, transmits said location data to said web host, hangs up, and returns to a standby mode.
-
41. A computerized system according to claim 18, wherein said location data of said low power digital location data packet transmitted from said location unit comprises one of at least longitude, latitude and an identifier number for the subscriber/vehicle.
-
42. A computerized system according to claim 18, wherein said location data of said low power digital location data packet transmitted from said location unit comprises data to be later processed for determining the vehicle location.
-
28. A method of deterring theft of vehicles from automobile dealers wherein said dealers have computer terminals with displays, said method comprising:
-
providing a web host connectable to a plurality of the dealer terminals concurrently;
providing a plurality of location units for affixation to the vehicles located at the dealer lots;
receiving a tracking request at said web host initiated at said dealer'"'"'s terminal seeking the present location of a vehicle;
transmitting a tracking call to the location unit whose location is desired in response to receiving said tracking request;
receiving a low power digital location data packet having location, wherein the data packet includes only protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS data, including latitude and longitude, data at said web host from the location unit representing the current location of the vehicle in response to said tracking call; and
transmitting said location data to the computer terminal of the dealer for display of the current location of the vehicle on the dealer'"'"'s terminal display. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
said computer program includes the steps of automatically transmitting said tracking call, receiving location data from the location unit in response to said tracking call, and transmitting the location data to the computer terminal of the subscriber where the current location of the vehicle is displayed.
-
-
34. The method of claim 33 wherein said computer program includes instructions which include the steps of:
-
receiving said tracking request signal from the remote user via the Internet, said tracking request having a location unit identification;
receiving said tracking request and processing and routing said tracking request;
initializing wireless communication with the location unit;
processing instructions for generating said tracking call and outputting said call to the location unit and for receiving said location data from said location unit, and outputting said location data for display of the location unit'"'"'s position by the the remote user via the Internet.
-
-
35. The method of claim 28 including providing concurrent access to said web host from a plurality of subscribers for sending out concurrent tracking calls to a plurality of respective location units carried by vehicles sought to be located.
-
36. A method of deterring theft of vehicles from automobile dealers wherein said dealers have computer terminals with displays, said method comprising;
-
subscribing to a web host accessible from the dealer terminal;
assigning a location unit to the vehicle whose theft is to be deterred by physically placing the location unit on the vehicle, wherein said location unit includes a processor and transmitter operable for transmitting a low power digital location data packet having location data, and a memory for storing a plurality of previous position readings, said processor operative for automatically retrieving position readings stored in memory upon receipt of a tracking request;
initiating a tracking request at said dealer terminal which is transmitted to said web host whereby a tracking call is transmitted from said web host to the location unit assigned to the vehicle and low power digital packet having location data representing the location of the vehicle is transmitted to said web host from the location unit; and
receiving said location data, including retrieved position readings stored in memory at said dealer terminal and displaying the location of the vehicle on the dealer'"'"'s terminal display and a prior path or track of the location unit claims. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44)
-
Specification