Vehicle tracker including input/output features and related methods

• US 7,720,597 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: Omega Patents, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Flick, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/076,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/825.72, 340/988, 340/825.6, 340/5.2, 340/5.22, 340/5, 340/7, 340/5.23, 340/426.18, 340/426.19, 340/825.31, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/852.72, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/5.72, 340/5.3, 340/5.33, 340/466, 180/287, 455/456.5, 701/207, 701/213, 701/36, 307/10.3, 307/10.6, 307/9.1, 307/10.2, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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 1/127 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes a tracking unit and a function unit cooperating therewith. The tracking unit may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a tracking controller cooperating with the vehicle position determining device and the wireless communications device to send vehicle position information to a user. Further, the function unit may include at least one uniquely coded transmitter to be carried by a user, a receiver at the vehicle for receiving signals from the at least one uniquely coded transmitter, and a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the receiver for learning the at least one uniquely coded transmitter to permit control of a vehicle function by the user. The function controller may advantageously cooperate with the wireless communications device of the tracking unit for sending an alert indication of whether at least one new uniquely coded transmitter has been learned.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a tracking unit and a function unit cooperating therewith, said tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a tracking controller configured to cooperate with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send vehicle position information to a user;

said function unit comprising at least one uniquely coded transmitter to be carried by a user, a receiver at the vehicle for receiving signals from said at least one uniquely coded transmitter, and a function controller at the vehicle and connected to said receiver for learning the at least one uniquely coded transmitter to permit control of a vehicle function by the user;

said function controller configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device of said tracking unit to send an alert indication of whether at least one new uniquely coded transmitter has been learned.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 further comprising a local indicator connected to said function controller for providing a local indication of whether at least one uniquely coded transmitter has been learned.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle function is associated with at least one of starting of a vehicle engine, vehicle door locks, and vehicle security.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said function controller is configured to switch to a learning mode to permit learning of the at least one uniquely coded transmitter;

and wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication when the learning mode has been entered.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a passage of time since the learning mode has last been entered.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a change in a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a change in a code of at least one learned uniquely coded transmitter.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one uniquely coded transmitter comprises at least one of a uniquely coded remote transmitter, and a uniquely coded transponder transmitter.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

11. A vehicle control system comprising:

a tracking unit and a function unit cooperating therewith, said tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a tracking controller configured to cooperate with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send vehicle position information to a user;

said function unit comprising a biometric characteristic sensor for sensing a unique biometric characteristic of a user, and a function controller at the vehicle and connected to said biometric characteristic sensor for learning the unique biometric characteristic to permit control of a vehicle function by the user;

said function controller configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device of said tracking unit to send an alert indication of whether at least one new unique biometric characteristic has been learned.

12. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 further comprising a local indicator connected to said function controller for providing a local indication of whether the unique biometric characteristic has been learned.

13. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 wherein the vehicle function is associated with at least one of starting of a vehicle engine, vehicle door locks, and vehicle security.

14. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 wherein said function controller is configured to switch to a learning mode to permit learning of the unique biometric characteristic;

and wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication when the learning mode has been entered.

15. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a passage of time since the learning mode has last been entered.

16. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 wherein said function controller is configured to cooperate with said wireless communications device for sending the alert indication for a change in a number of learned unique biometric characteristics.

17. The vehicle control system according to claim 11 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device;

and

wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.

18. A vehicle control method for a vehicle comprising a vehicle tracking unit for sending vehicle position information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving signals from at least one uniquely coded transmitter at a receiver at the vehicle;

learning the at least one uniquely coded transmitter to permit control of a vehicle function by the user using a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the receiver; and

sending an alert indication of whether at least one new uniquely coded transmitter has been learned using the vehicle tracking unit.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising providing a local indication at the vehicle of whether at least one uniquely coded transmitter has been learned.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the vehicle function is associated with at least one of starting of a vehicle engine, vehicle door locks, and vehicle security.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein the function controller is configured to switch to a learning mode to permit learning of the at least one uniquely coded transmitter;

and wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication when the learning mode has been entered.

22. The method according to claim 18 wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication for a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters.

23. The method according to claim 18 wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication for a change in a number of learned uniquely coded transmitters.

24. The method according to claim 18 wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication for a change in a code of at least one learned uniquely coded transmitter.

25. A vehicle control method for a vehicle comprising a vehicle tracking unit for sending vehicle position information to a user, the method comprising:

sensing a unique biometric characteristic of a user using a biometric characteristic sensor at the vehicle;

learning the unique biometric characteristic to permit control of a vehicle function by the user using a function controller at the vehicle and connected to the biometric characteristic sensor; and

sending an alert indication of whether at least one new unique biometric characteristic has been learned using the vehicle tracking unit.

26. The method according to claim 25 further comprising providing a local indication of whether the unique biometric characteristic has been learned.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein the vehicle function is associated with at least one of starting of a vehicle engine, vehicle door locks, and vehicle security.

28. The method according to claim 25 wherein the function controller is configured to switch to a learning mode to permit learning of the unique biometric characteristic;

and wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication when the learning mode has been entered.

29. The method according to claim 25 wherein sending comprises sending the alert indication for a change in a number of learned unique biometric characteristics.