Cellular augmented vehicle alarm notification together with location services for position of an alarming vehicle

• US 7,825,780 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Pitt, Lance Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/295,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.2, 340/426.21, 340/426.19, 340/426.1, 340/426.18, 455/426.1, 709/203, 342/357.07, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/426.18
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• 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 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

A cellular alarm notification signal is received wirelessly from an alarming vehicle, and a position of a cellular transceiver of the alarming vehicle is requested and provided to police, security, emergency personnel, and/or surveillance cameras. A vehicle alarm notification is sent directly to the owner of a particular vehicle immediately upon alarm, or to the police, or to building security to dispatch an investigative team, or to a building surveillance company to activate or monitor a relevant security camera. In addition to the alarming status of the vehicle, the cellular alarm notification cellular call may provide a position of the alarming vehicle to the notified party, obtained through appropriate location services provided in a wireless system to satisfy requirements for responding in a personal emergency to a requesting public safety access point (PSAP).

Claims

1. A method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle, comprising:

receiving, at a remote intermediary alarm gateway, a wireless cellular alarm notification from an alarming vehicle, said remote intermediary alarm gateway being remote from said alarming vehicle;

requesting, via said remote intermediary alarm gateway, a geographic position of a cellular transceiver associated with said alarming vehicle from a positioning center remote from said alarming vehicle;

combining, at said remote intermediary alarm gateway, said wireless cellular alarm notification and said geographic position to formulate a vehicle alarm notification; and

transmitting said vehicle alarm notification from said remote intermediary alarm gateway to a pre-designated device.

2. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said vehicle alarm notification to a police dispatch center.

3. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said vehicle alarm notification to a pre-designated cell phone.

4. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said vehicle alarm notification to a security company responsible for said geographic position in which said alarming vehicle is parked.

5. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said vehicle alarm notification to a public safety access point (PSAP).

6. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said vehicle alarm notification to automatically activate surveillance by a camera having said alarming vehicle in view.

7. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said geographic position of said cellular transceiver is provided by a Mobile Position Center (MPC) in a CDMA network.

8. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said geographic position of said cellular transceiver is provided by a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in a GSM network.

9. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

permitting specification of at least one destination to receive said vehicle alarm notification.

10. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

permitting specification of a plurality of destinations to each receive said vehicle alarm notification.

11. The method for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

permitting specification of rules for relaying said transmitting said vehicle alarm notification.

12. Apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle, comprising:

means for receiving a wireless cellular alarm notification from an alarming vehicle at a remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from said alarming vehicle;

means for requesting, via said remote intermediary alarm gateway, a geographic position of a cellular transceiver of said alarming vehicle from a positioning center remote from said alarming vehicle;

means for combining, at said remote intermediary alarm gateway, said wireless cellular alarm notification and said geographic position to formulate a vehicle alarm notification; and

means for transmitting said vehicle alarm notification from said remote intermediary alarm gateway to a pre-designated device.

13. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing said vehicle alarm notification to a police dispatch center.

14. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing said vehicle alarm notification to a pre-designated cell phone.

15. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing said vehicle alarm notification to a security company responsible for said geographic position in which said alarming vehicle is parked.

16. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing said vehicle alarm notification to a public safety access point (PSAP).

17. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing said vehicle alarm notification to automatically activate surveillance by a camera having said alarming vehicle in view.

18. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, wherein:

said means for requesting said geographic position of a cellular transceiver from a Mobile Position Center (MPC) in a CDMA network.

19. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, wherein:

said means for requesting said geographic position of a cellular transceiver from a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in a GSM network.

20. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, wherein:

a plurality of destinations are specified to receive said vehicle alarm notification.

21. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, wherein:

said received cellular alarm notification corresponds to rules regarding transmitting said vehicle alarm notification to another destination.

22. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 12, wherein:

use of an alternate form of notification to a carrier is designated.

23. The apparatus for notifying a desired destination device of an alarming vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said alternate form of notification to a carrier is at least one of:

TCP/IP;

HTTP;

HTML;

Email; and

electronic pager.

24. A remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle, comprising:

an alarm receiving module to receive a wireless cellular alarm notification from said alarming vehicle;

an alarm request module to request a geographic position of a cellular transceiver associated with said alarming vehicle obtained from a positioning center remote from said alarming vehicle;

a combining module, at said remote intermediary alarm gateway, to combine said wireless cellular alarm notification and said geographic position to formulate a vehicle alarm notification; and

an alarm transmit module to transmit said vehicle alarm notification from said remote intermediary alarm gateway to a pre-designated device.

25. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a provider module to provide an alarm status and said geographic position of said alarming vehicle to a police dispatch center.

26. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a provider module to provide said vehicle alarm notification to a pre-designated cell phone.

27. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a provider module to provide said vehicle alarm notification to a security company responsible for said geographic position in which said alarming vehicle is parked.

28. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a provider module to provide said vehicle alarm notification to a public safety access point (PSAP).

29. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a provider module to provide said vehicle alarm notification to automatically activate surveillance by a camera having said alarming vehicle in view.

30. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, wherein:

said geographic position of said cellular transceiver is provided by a Mobile Position Center (MPC) in a CDMA network.

31. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, wherein:

said geographic position of said cellular transceiver is provided by a Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in a GSM network.

32. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a permit module to permit pre-designated of at least one destination to receive said vehicle alarm notification.

33. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a permit module to permit pre-designated of a plurality of destinations to each receive said vehicle alarm notification.

34. The remote intermediary alarm gateway remote from an alarming vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising:

a permit module to permit pre-designated of rules for transmitting said vehicle alarm notification.