Methods and systems related to establishing geo-fence boundaries and collecting data

• US 8,659,404 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/545,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.19, 340/989, 340/436, 340/426.18, 340/425.5, 340/426.22, 340/426.2, 340/426.1, 340/426.36, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• 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 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Establishing geo-fence boundaries and collecting data. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary; establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary; collecting data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary; and detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary;

detecting a transition from the first political boundary to a second political boundary;

establishing a second geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the second political boundary;

collecting data regarding the vehicle movement within the second geo-fence boundary; and

detecting the vehicle has departed the second geo-fence boundary.

2. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary, the detecting by way of an on-board device coupled to the vehicle;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle within the first geo-fence boundary, the collecting by way of the on-board device;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first gee-fence boundary; and

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

3. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary, the detecting by way of an on-board device coupled to the vehicle;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle, the collecting by way of a processor at an operations center remote from the vehicle, the operations center coupled to the vehicle by way of a wireless network;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first pea-fence boundary; and

then

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary periodically, the periodically sending by way of the wireless network.

4. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary, the detecting by an operations center remote from the vehicle, the operations center coupled to the vehicle by way of a wireless network;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting an indication of mileage driven within the first political boundary, the collecting by way of an on-board device coupled to the vehicle;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary; and

then

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary by way of the wireless network.

5. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary, the detecting by an operations center remote from the vehicle, the operations center coupled to the vehicle by way of a wireless network;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to defecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting an indication of mileage driven within the first political boundary by way of the operations center;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary; and

then

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary by way of the operations center.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

determining an indication of mileage driven within the first political boundary, the determining by way of an on-board device coupled to the vehicle;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary; and

then

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

7. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

determining an indication of mileage driven within the first political boundary, the determining by way of a remote operations center coupled to the vehicle by way of a wireless network;

detecting the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary; and

then

sending the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

8. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

determining an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle within the first political boundary and

detecting the vehicle has departed the first pea-fence boundary.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining further comprises determining based on GPS data collected during movement of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein determining further comprises:

reading an odometer of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the first political boundary; and

then

reading the odometer of the vehicle when the vehicle departs the first political boundary.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein determining further comprises:

reading an odometer of the vehicle when the vehicle ignition is activated; and

then

reading the odometer of the vehicle when the vehicle ignition is deactivated.

12. A method comprising:

detecting a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establishing a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collecting data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary;

receiving a signal that indicates operability of an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, the receiving at an operations center and the signal received periodically over a first period of time;

determining absence of receipt of the signal in a second period of time following the first period of time;

issuing an alert responsive to the determining, the alert indicative of at least one selected from the group consisting of;

tampering with the onboard device; and

disablement of the onboard device.

13. 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary;

detect the vehicle is located within a second political boundary;

establish a second geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the second political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the second geo-fence boundary; and

detect the vehicle has departed the second geo-fence boundary.

14. As system comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is part of an onboard device coupled to a vehicle;

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

detect a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle within the first geo-fence boundary;

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary; and

then

send the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

15. A system comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is part of an on-board device coupled to a vehicle;

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

detect a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary, wherein the data is sent

periodically to an operations center remote from the vehicle and detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

16. A system comprising;

a processor, wherein the processor is part of an on-board device coupled to a vehicle;

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

detect a vehicle is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

17. A system comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is part of an operations center remote from a vehicle communicatively coupled by way of a wireless network;

a mapping module coupled to the 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

wherein when the processor collects, the program causes the processor to receive from the vehicle an indication of mileage driven; and

then

send the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

wherein when the processor collects, the program causes the processor to collect an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle; and

then

send the indication of mileage driven to a representative of the first political boundary.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein when the processor collects, the program further causes the processor to store data in an on-board device coupled to the vehicle.

21. 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary;

periodically send data indicative of a position of the vehicle to a remote operations center; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

22. A system comprising:

a processor;

a Global Positioning System receiver coupled to the 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect an indication of mileage driven by the vehicle within the first political boundary using the Global Positioning System receiver;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first geo-fence boundary; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

23. A system comprising:

a processor;

a wireless receiver coupled to the 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect an electronic reading on an odometer when the vehicle enters the first political boundary;

collect the electronic reading on the odometer when the vehicle departs the first political boundary;

receive data from the vehicle by way of the wireless receiver; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

24. As 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect an electronic reading on an odometer when the vehicle enters the first political boundary; and

then

collect the electronic reading on the odometer when the vehicle departs the first political boundary; and

detect the vehicle has departed the first geo-fence boundary.

25. As 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 is located within a first political boundary;

establish a first geo-fence boundary for the vehicle corresponding to the first political boundary, the establishing responsive to detecting the vehicle is within the first political boundary;

collect data regarding the vehicle movement within the first fence boundary;

receive a signal that indicates operability of an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, the receiving at an operations center and the signal received periodically over a first period of time;

determine absence of receipt of the signal in a second period of time following the first period of time;

issue an alert responsive to the determining, the alert indicative of at least one selected from the group consisting of;

tampering with the onboard device; and

disablement of the onboard device.