VIN based accelerometer threshold

• US 8,977,426 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Inventors: Cawse, Neil Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US13/507,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.6, 701/70, 701/79, 701/110, 701/486, 701/502
• US Class Current: 701/33.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a vehicular telemetry system for determining accelerometer thresholds based upon decoding a vehicle identification number (VIN).

Claims

1. A method of determining a VIN based accelerometer threshold for a vehicular telemetry system comprising the steps of:

receiving a VIN,

decoding said VIN,

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN, and

establishing said VIN based accelerometer threshold as said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said decoding said VIN further decodes from said VIN a vehicle identifier field.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said vehicle identifier field includes at least one component of installed options, engine, or transmission.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein a weight is associated with said at least one component.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is associated with a sum of weight of all components.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein sensitivity is associated with a sum of weight of said vehicle components.

7. A method as in claim 2 wherein said decoding said VIN is based upon said vehicle descriptor field and a vehicle identifier field.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein said decoding said VIN reveals a vehicle descriptor field, said vehicle descriptor field includes at least one vehicle component of a platform, model, body style, or engine type.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein a weight is associated with each of said at least one vehicle component.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is associated with a sum of weight of all components.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein sensitivity is associated with a sum of weight of all components.

12. A method as in claim 1 further including a step of saving a digital record of said VIN and said VIN based accelerometer threshold.

13. A method as in claim 12 further providing said VIN based accelerometer threshold from said digital record upon request.

14. A method as in claim 12 wherein if said accelerometer is over reading or under reading for a VIN, refine said VIN based accelerometer threshold and update said digital record of said VIN with a refined VIN based accelerometer threshold.

15. A method as is claim 1 further providing said VIN based accelerometer threshold upon request.

16. A method of setting a VIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising the steps of:

receiving a VIN,

if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is available for said VIN, set said VIN based accelerometer threshold in said vehicular telemetry system,

if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

decode said VIN

determine one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decode said VIN, and

set said VIN based accelerometer threshold to one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein said decode said VIN includes determining vehicular components from a vehicle descriptor field and determining a weight of said vehicle components.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is determined by a sum of weight of said vehicle components.

19. A method as in claim 17 wherein said decode said VIN further decodes from said VIN a vehicle identifier.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein said vehicle identifier field includes vehicular components and determining a weight of said vehicular components.

21. A method as in claim 17 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is based upon a range of weight of said vehicle components.

22. An apparatus for setting a VIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising:

a microprocessor,

memory,

an accelerometer, and

an interface to a vehicle network communication bus,

said microprocessor for communication with said accelerometer, said microprocessor for communication with said interface to said vehicle network communication bus

said microprocessor and memory for receiving a VIN from said interface to a vehicle network communication bus,

said microprocessor and memory determining if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is available for said VIN and capable of setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold, and said microprocessor and memory determining if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

if said VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

decoding said VIN,

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN, and

setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold to one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold.

23. An apparatus as in claim 22 wherein decoding said VIN reveals a vehicle descriptor field and vehicle components.

24. An apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said microprocessor and memory further capable for determining a weight of said vehicle components.

25. An apparatus as in claim 24 wherein said microprocessor and memory further capable for determining said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is based upon a weight of said vehicle components.

26. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein said microprocessor and memory further capable for determining said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is based upon a range of weight of said vehicle components.

27. An apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said interface to a vehicle network communication bus is a electronic interface.

28. An apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said interface to a vehicle network communication bus is a telecommunication signal interface.

29. A method of setting a VIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising the steps of:

receiving VIN data in a vehicular system,

creating a first message in said vehicular system and sending said first message to a remote system requesting an accelerometer threshold with said VIN data,

receiving in a remote device said first message requesting an accelerometer threshold with said VIN data,

if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

said remote system decoding said VIN,

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN,

creating a second message in said remote system and sending said second message providing one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said VIN data to said vehicular system,

receiving said second message providing said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold in said vehicular system and setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold.

30. A method as in claim 29 wherein said decoding said VIN reveals a vehicle descriptor field that includes vehicle components.

31. A method as in claim 30 wherein said decoding said VIN reveals vehicle components associated with weight.

32. A method as in claim 31 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is determined based upon a weight of said vehicle components.

33. A method as in claim 29 wherein said remote system determines a VIN based accelerometer threshold from a digital record.

34. An apparatus for setting a VIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising:

a vehicular system, and

a remote system,

said vehicular system for receiving VIN data,

said vehicular system for creating a first message and sending said first message to said remote system requesting an accelerometer threshold with said VIN data,

said remote system for receiving said first message requesting an accelerometer threshold with said VIN data,

if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

said remote system decoding said VIN

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN,

said remote system for creating a second message providing said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said VIN data and sending said second message to said vehicular system, and

said vehicular system for receiving said second message providing said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold in said vehicular system and setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold.

35. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said remote system further decodes from said YIN a vehicle identifier field.

36. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said vehicle identifier field further includes at least one component of installed options and said remote system associates weight with said at least one component.

37. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said decoding said VIN reveals a vehicle descriptor field that identifies vehicular components from said VIN data.

38. An apparatus as in claim 37 wherein said vehicle components are associated with weight.

39. An apparatus as in claim 38 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is determined based upon a sum of weight of said vehicle components.

40. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said remote system determines a VIN based accelerometer threshold from a digital record.

41. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said remote system is a server.

42. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said remote system is a computer.

43. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said remote system is a hand held system.

44. A method of setting a YIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising the steps of:

creating a first message in a remote system and sending said first message to a vehicular system requesting VIN data,

receiving said first message in said vehicular system, said vehicular system obtaining VIN data, creating and sending a second message with VIN data to said remote system,

receiving said second message with VIN data in said remote system,

said remote system determining if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

said remote system decoding said VIN,

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN,

creating a third message in said remote system and sending said third message to said vehicular system with said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific accelerometer threshold,

receiving said third message with said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific accelerometer threshold in said vehicular system and setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold in said vehicular system.

45. A method as in claim 44 wherein said decoding said VIN reveals a vehicle descriptor field and type of vehicle and vehicle components from said VIN data.

46. A method as in claim 45 wherein said vehicle components are associated with weight.

47. A method as in claim 46 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is determined based upon a sum of weight of said vehicle components.

48. A method as in claim 44 further including determining in said remote system a VIN based accelerometer threshold from a digital record.

49. An apparatus for setting a VIN based accelerometer threshold in a vehicular telemetry system comprising:

a vehicular system, and

a remote system,

said remote system for creating a first message and sending said first message to said vehicular system requesting VIN data,

said vehicular system receiving said first message, said vehicular system obtaining VIN data, for creating and for sending a second message with VIN data to said remote system,

said remote system for receiving said second message with VIN data

said remote system determining if a VIN based accelerometer threshold is not available for said VIN,

said remote system decoding said VIN,

determining one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold based upon said decoding said VIN,

creating a third message and sending said third message to said vehicular system with said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold, and

said vehicular system for receiving said third message with said one of a generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or a specific vehicle accelerometer threshold and said vehicular system setting said VIN based accelerometer threshold.

50. An apparatus as in claim 49 wherein said remote system determines vehicle components from said decoding said VIN.

51. An apparatus as in claim 50 where said vehicle components are associated with weight.

52. An apparatus as in claim 51 wherein said generic vehicle accelerometer threshold or said specific vehicle accelerometer threshold is determined based upon a weight of said vehicle components.

53. An apparatus as in claim 49 within said remote system further determines a VIN based accelerometer threshold from a digital record.

54. An apparatus as in claim 49 wherein said remote system is a server.

55. An apparatus as in claim 49 wherein said remote system is a computer.

56. An apparatus as in claim 49 wherein said remote system is a hand held device.