Vehicle tracker including variable frequency transmission and related methods

• US 6,737,989 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, John
• Application Number:
  US10/105,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/426.2, 340/992, 340/539.32, 340/539.21, 340/426.19, 340/995.23, 340/995.21, 701/209
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/202 Personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• 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 25/104 characterised by the type of theft warning signal, e.g. visual or audible signals with special characteristics
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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 tracking unit for a vehicle may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller cooperating with the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station. The controller may store a user selected reference location and send the vehicle position information based upon the vehicle moving beyond a radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location. More particularly, the vehicle position information may be sent a threshold time after the vehicle moves beyond the radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location if the vehicle has not moved back within the radial threshold distance. Additionally, the vehicle tracking unit may further include at least one input device to be positioned within the vehicle for setting the user selected reference location.

Claims

1. A tracking unit for a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle position determining device;

a wireless communications device;

a controller cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station, said controller storing a user selected reference location; and

at least one input device to be positioned within the vehicle for setting the user selected reference location;

said controller sending the vehicle position information based upon the vehicle moving beyond a radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location.

2. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the radial threshold distance is less than about five miles.

3. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle position information is sent a threshold time after the vehicle moves beyond the radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location if the vehicle has not moved back within the radial threshold distance;

and wherein said at least one input device also permits user setting of the threshold time, and the threshold time is set by at least one of said monitoring station and said at least one input device.

4. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein the threshold time is less than about thirty minutes.

5. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said at least one input device comprises at least one of a switch, a keyboard, and a keypad.

6. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller comprises at least one memory for storing the user selected reference location and vehicle position information therein.

7. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said at least one input device cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said controller to set a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location.

8. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller also sets the user selected reference location based upon at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

9. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 8 wherein said controller cooperates with said vehicle position determining device to set a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location based upon the at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

10. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 8 wherein the at least one signal includes the user selected reference location.

11. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

12. A tracking unit for a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

said controller storing a user selected reference location;

said controller also sending the vehicle position information a threshold time after the vehicle moves beyond a radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location if the vehicle has not moved back within the radial threshold distance.

13. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein the radial threshold distance is less than about five miles.

14. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein the threshold time is less than about thirty minutes.

15. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein the vehicle tracking unit further comprises at least one input device to be positioned within the vehicle for permitting user setting of the threshold time.

16. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said at least one input device comprises at least one of a switch, a keyboard, and a keypad.

17. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein the threshold time is set by the monitoring station.

18. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein said controller comprises at least one memory for storing the user selected reference location and vehicle position information therein.

19. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein said controller sets the user selected reference location based upon at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

20. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 19 wherein said controller cooperates with said vehicle position determining device to set a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location based upon the at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

21. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 19 wherein the at least one signal includes the user selected reference location.

22. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

23. A tracking unit for a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communication device, and a controller cooperating with said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device to determine and send vehicle position information to a monitoring station;

said controller storing a user selected reference location;

said controller also sending the vehicle position information based upon the vehicle moving beyond a radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location.

24. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 23 wherein the radial threshold distance is less than about five miles.

25. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 23 wherein the vehicle position information is sent a threshold time after the vehicle moves beyond the radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location if the vehicle has not moved back within the radial threshold distance;

and further comprising at least one input device to be positioned within the vehicle for setting the user selected reference location.

26. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 25 wherein the threshold time is less than about thirty minutes.

27. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 25 wherein said at least one input device also permits user setting of the threshold time.

28. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 25 wherein said at least one input device comprises at least one of a switch, a keyboard, and a keypad.

29. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 25 wherein the threshold time is set by the monitoring station.

30. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 25 wherein said at least one input device cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said controller to set a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location.

31. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 23 wherein said controller comprises at least one memory for storing the user selected reference location and vehicle position information therein.

32. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 23 wherein said controller sets the user selected reference location based upon at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

33. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 32 wherein said controller cooperates with said vehicle position determining device to set a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location based upon the at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

34. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 32 wherein the at least one signal includes the user selected reference location.

35. The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 23 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

36. A method for tracking a vehicle using a vehicle tracking unit to be carried by the vehicle, the method comprising:

storing a user selected reference location for the vehicle tracking unit;

determining vehicle position information using the vehicle tracking unit; and

sending vehicle position information from the vehicle tracking unit to a monitoring station based upon the vehicle moving beyond a radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the radial threshold distance is less than about five miles.

38. The method according to claim 36 wherein sending comprises sending vehicle position information a threshold time after the vehicle moves beyond the radial threshold distance from the user selected reference location if the vehicle has not moved back within the radial threshold distance.

39. The method according to claim 38 wherein the threshold time is less than about thirty minutes.

40. The method according to claim 38 further comprising setting the threshold time using at least one input device positioned within the vehicle.

41. The method according to claim 40 wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a switch, a keyboard, and a keypad.

42. The method according to claim 38 further comprising receiving a signal from the monitoring station and setting the threshold time based thereon.

43. The method according to claim 36 further comprising setting the user selected reference location based upon at least one input device positioned within the vehicle.

44. The method according to claim 43 wherein setting further comprises setting a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location based upon the at least one input device.

45. The method according to claim 44 wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a switch, a keyboard, and a keypad.

46. The method according to claim 36 further comprising setting the user selected reference location based upon at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

47. The method according to claim 46 wherein setting further comprises setting a current vehicle position as the user selected reference location based upon the at least one signal provided by the monitoring station.

48. The method according to claim 46 wherein the at least one signal includes the user selected reference location.