Methods and systems related to establishing geo-fence boundaries

• US 8,581,712 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Morgan, Gerald A., Schwarz, Stanley G., Frank, Jeffrey H., Macheca, Christopher M., Glancy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/490,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.19, 340/989, 340/436, 340/425.5, 340/426.22, 340/426.18, 340/426.2, 340/426.1, 340/426.36, 340/539.13, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• 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 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

Establishing geo-fence Boundaries. At least some embodiments involve detecting a vehicle has been in a collision, establishing a geo-fence boundary for the vehicle responsive to the detecting, monitoring a movement of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence boundary, and issuing an alert if movement of the vehicle outside the geo-fence boundary is indicative of improperly departing a scene of the collision.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle has been in a collision;

establishing a geo-fence boundary for the vehicle responsive to the detecting;

monitoring a movement of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence boundary; and

issuing an alert if movement of the vehicle outside the geo-fence boundary is indicative of improperly departing a scene of the collision.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the vehicle has been in a collision further comprises detecting the collision based on receiving a notification by way of a wireless transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the vehicle has been in a collision further comprises detecting the collision based on Global Position System monitoring of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting the collision by Global Position System monitoring further comprises detecting based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined value; and

a change of direction of the vehicle in a z-plane exceeding a predetermined value within a predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the vehicle has been in a collision further comprises detecting the collision based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

information read from a computer system of the vehicle;

information related to airbag deployment;

information related to a fuel relay shutoff;

a change in pressure on a driver'"'"'s seat; and

a change in pressure against a driver'"'"'s headrest.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the vehicle has been in a collision further comprises detecting the collision based on movement detected by a three-axis accelerometer associated with the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein detecting the collision by the three-axis accelerometer further comprises detecting based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined value; and

a change of direction of the vehicle in a z-plane exceeding a predetermined value within a predetermined time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the vehicle has been in a collision further comprises detecting the collision based on a sound proximate to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein detecting the collision based on a sound further comprises detecting the sound being at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an audible sound;

a sound of breaking glass; and

a sound of collapsing metal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the alert further comprises issuing the alert when movement of the vehicle outside the geo-fence boundary is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

within a predetermined period of time;

without first coming to a complete stop;

without opening the driver'"'"'s side door; and

without turning off the ignition.

11. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

detect a vehicle has been in a collision;

establish a geo-fence boundary for the vehicle; and

issue an alert if movement of the vehicle outside the geo-fence is indicative of improperly exiting a scene of the collision.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive a wireless transmission;

wherein when the processor detects, the program causes the processor to detect based on receiving a notification by way of the receiver.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the processor;

wherein when the processor detects, the program causes the processor to detect the collision based on location data read from the Global Position System receiver.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein when the processor detects, the program causes the processor to detect based on at least one selected from the group of:

a deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined value; and

a change of direction of the vehicle in the z-plane exceeding a predetermined value within a predetermined time.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a connector configured to couple to a computer system of a vehicle;

wherein when the processor detects the vehicle has been in a collision, the program causes the processor to detect based on at least one selected from the group consisting of;

information read from a computer system of the vehicle;

information related to airbag deployment;

information related to a fuel relay shutoff;

a change in pressure on a driver'"'"'s seat; and

a change in pressure against a driver'"'"'s headrest.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a three-axis accelerometer coupled to the processor;

wherein when the processor detects the vehicle has been in a collision, the program causes the processor to detect the collision based on movement detected by the three-axis accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein when the processor detects the vehicle has been in a collision, the program causes the process further to detect based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

deceleration rate of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined value; and

a change of direction of the vehicle in the z-plane exceeding a predetermined value within a predetermined time.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone coupled to the processor;

wherein when the processor detects the vehicle has been in a collision, the processor further detects the collision based on a sound proximate to the vehicle received by the microphone.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein when the processor detects the vehicle has been in a collision, the program causes the processor to recognize is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a sound of breaking glass; and

a sound of collapsing metal.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein when the processor issues the alert, the program causes the processor to issue the alert when movement of the vehicle outside the geo-fence boundary is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

within a predetermined period of time;

without first coming to a complete stop;

without opening the driver'"'"'s side door; and

without turning off the ignition.

21. The system of claim 11 wherein the system is an electronic device physically coupled to a vehicle.