Mileage tracking device

• US 7,966,112 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Morris Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Morris Jr
• Inventors: Morris, Robert E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/799,821
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/29, 701/33, 340/439, 340/438, 340/459
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Mileage tracking devices track a vehicle'"'"'s mileage. A top is hingedly attached to a bottom in a “clamshell” design. The front of the top has an LCD touchscreen, and the front of the bottom has a keypad. The rear of the top has a solar panel, and the rear of the bottom has a battery compartment enclosing a rechargeable battery. One side of the bottom has a USB port, and the opposing side of the bottom has a power port that receives one end of a car charger. Voice recognition software and data are stored in memory accessed by a microprocessor. The mileage tracking device provides calculator, calendar, address book, mileage log, and car maintenance functions. The LCD touchscreen displays the current date and time and the level of charge of the rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A mileage tracking device comprising:

a top having opposing ends, a front, and a rear;

a bottom having opposing ends, opposing sides, a front, and a rear with one of said opposing ends hingedly attached to one of said opposing ends of said top;

a display attached to said front of said top;

a keypad attached to said front of said bottom;

a microprocessor connected to said keypad and said display;

memory connected to said microprocessor, wherein said memory and said microprocessor perform calculator, calendar, address book, mileage log, and car maintenance tracking functions; and

wherein said mileage log function comprises entering and retrieving starting date and time, ending date and time, a vehicle'"'"'s starting odometer reading, a vehicle'"'"'s ending odometer reading, total miles traveled, and purpose/destination data using the keypad.

2. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, wherein said display is an LCD touchscreen.

3. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a data port attached to one of said opposing sides of said bottom.

4. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 3, wherein said data port is selected from the group consisting of Ethernet ports, USB ports, and FireWire ports.

5. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery compartment attached to said rear of said bottom; and

a battery removably enclosed by said battery compartment.

6. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 5, wherein said battery is rechargeable.

7. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 5, wherein said display displays the current date and time and the current charge of said battery.

8. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a solar panel attached to said rear of said top.

9. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a power port attached to one of said opposing sides of said rear.

10. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, wherein said calculator function comprises addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

11. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, wherein said calendar function comprises entering and retrieving one or more appointments with date, time, and location data.

12. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, wherein said address book function comprises entering and retrieving name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address data.

13. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, wherein said car maintenance function comprises entering and retrieving next oil change date, next tire rotation date, mileage interval between oil changes, and mileage interval between tire rotations data.

14. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 1, further comprising voice recognition software stored in said memory, wherein said mileage log function further comprises entering and retrieving starting date and time, ending date and time, a vehicle'"'"'s starting odometer reading, a vehicle'"'"'s ending odometer reading, total miles traveled, and purpose/destination data by speaking.

15. A mileage tracking device comprising:

a top having opposing ends, a front, and a rear;

a bottom having opposing ends, opposing sides, a front, and a rear with one of said opposing ends hingedly attached to one of said opposing ends of said top;

a display attached to said front of said top;

a keypad attached to said front of said bottom;

a microprocessor connected to said keypad and said display;

memory connected to said microprocessor, wherein said memory and said microprocessor perform calculator, calendar, address book, mileage log, and car maintenance tracking functions;

wherein said mileage log function comprises entering and retrieving starting date and time, ending date and time, a vehicles'"'"'s starting odometer reading, a vehicle'"'"'s ending odometer reading, total miles traveled, and purpose/destination data using the keypad; and

a docking station, wherein said docking station connects said microprocessor to a vehicle battery and a vehicle odometer of a vehicle.

16. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a data port attached to one of said opposing sides of said bottom;

a battery compartment attached to said rear of said bottom;

a battery removably enclosed by said battery compartment;

a solar panel attached to said rear of said top;

a power port attached to one of said opposing sides of said rear; and

a car charger having opposing ends, wherein one of said opposing ends is adapted to fit said power port and one of said opposing ends is adapted to fit a DC power outlet of a vehicle.

17. The mileage tracking device as defined in claim 15, wherein said car maintenance function comprises entering and retrieving next oil change date, next tire rotation date, mileage interval between oil changes, and mileage interval between tire rotations data.

18. A mileage tracking device comprising:

a top having opposing ends, a front, and a rear;

a bottom having opposing ends, opposing sides, a front, and a rear with one of said opposing ends hingedly attached to one of said opposing ends of said top;

a display attached to said front of said top;

a keypad attached to said front of said rear;

a microprocessor connected to said keypad and said display;

memory connected to said microprocessor, wherein said memory and said microprocessor perform calculator, calendar, address book, mileage log, and car maintenance tracking functions;

wherein said mileage log function comprises entering and retrieving starting date and time, ending date and time, a vehicle'"'"'s starting odometer reading, a vehicle'"'"'s ending odometer reading, total miles traveled, and purpose/destination data using the keypad;

voice recognition software stored in said memory, wherein said mileage log function further comprises entering, and retrieving starting date and time, ending date and time, a vehicle'"'"'s starting odometer reading, a vehicles ending odometer reading, total miles traveled, and purpose/destination data by speaking;

a data port attached to one of said opposing sides of said bottom;

a battery compartment attached to said rear of said bottom;

a battery removably enclosed by said battery compartment;

a solar panel attached to said rear of said top;

a power port attached to one of said opposing sides of said rear; and

a car charger having opposing ends, wherein one of said opposing ends is adapted to fit said power port and one of said opposing ends is adapted to fit a DC power outlet of a vehicle.