Automobile mileage notification system

• US 9,008,894 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bishop, Ronald D., Boling, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US12/187,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

The application describes a system for notifying a vehicle owner regarding service due for a vehicle based on the vehicle'"'"'s accumulated mileage. The system determines vehicle mileage based on GPS data, determines whether the mileage has exceeded a threshold, transmits a wireless signal from the vehicle to a notification service provider computer when the threshold is exceeded, and sends a notice from the notification service provider to the dealer and/or customer to indicate that vehicle service is due.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing notification when a vehicle mileage threshold has been exceeded, the apparatus comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining cumulative distance traveled by a vehicle based on changes in vehicle location coordinates;

a memory device for storing the cumulative distance and one or more mileage threshold values;

a wireless transceiver for transmitting a notification signal via a wireless communication network to indicate when the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle exceeds the one or more mileage threshold values;

a processor for accessing the cumulative distance and the one or more mileage threshold values from the memory device, for comparing the cumulative distance to the one or more mileage threshold values, and for automatically activating the wireless transceiver to transmit the notification signal when the processor determines that the cumulative distance exceeds the one or more mileage threshold values;

a housing in which the GPS receiver, the memory device, the processor and the wireless transceiver are contained, the housing configured to be mounted within a passenger compartment or an engine compartment of the vehicle; and

an On-Board Diagnostics connector for connecting to a mating connector in the vehicle, wherein the processor is operable to access a vehicle identification number of the vehicle via the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) connector, and wherein the wireless transceiver is operable to transmit the vehicle identification number in the notification signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory device stores a first mileage threshold corresponding to a mileage interval at which a first vehicle service should be performed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is operable to receive a mileage reset signal, and the processor is operable to reset the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle to a predetermined value when the reset signal is received.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is operable to receive a mileage threshold change signal, and the processor is operable to change one or more of the mileage threshold values stored in the memory device when the mileage threshold change signal is received.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory device stores at least one identification number that uniquely identifies the apparatus or the vehicle in which the apparatus is installed.

6. A computer-implemented method for providing notification of a vehicle service interval based on vehicle mileage, the method comprising:

(a) using a location determination receiver in a vehicle, determining location coordinates of the vehicle over time;

(b) using a computer processor in the vehicle, determining cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle based on the location coordinates of the vehicle over time;

(c) using the computer processor in the vehicle, storing a mileage threshold value in a memory device in the vehicle;

(d) using the computer processor in the vehicle, comparing the mileage threshold value to the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle;

(e) using the computer processor in the vehicle, accessing a vehicle identification number from a vehicle data bus in the vehicle;

(f) using a wireless transceiver in the vehicle, transmitting a notification signal from the vehicle to a notification service provider when the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle exceeds the mileage threshold value, wherein the notification signal includes the vehicle identification number for identifying the vehicle from which the notification signal was transmitted;

(g) using a computer processor associated with the notification service provider, comparing the vehicle identification number to records stored in a central database maintained by the notification service provider to determine an identity of an automotive maintenance service provider to be notified regarding the mileage of the vehicle; and

(h) using the computer processor associated with the notification service provider, sending notification information to the automotive maintenance service provider to notify the automotive maintenance service provider that vehicle maintenance service is due based on the mileage of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (e) comprises the computer processor in the vehicle accessing the vehicle identification number via an On-Board Diagnostics connector in the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

(i) using the computer processor associated with the notification service provider, comparing the vehicle identification number to records stored in the central database to determine an identity of the owner of the vehicle from which the notification signal was transmitted, wherein

step (h) further comprises sending the notification information to the automotive maintenance service provider using the computer processor associated with the notification service provider, wherein the notification information includes the identity of the owner of the vehicle.

9. A computer-implemented method for providing notification of a vehicle service interval based on vehicle mileage, the method comprising:

(a) determining location information of a vehicle over time using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver in the vehicle;

(b) determining cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle based solely on the location information determined by the GPS receiver;

(c) accessing a vehicle identification number from a vehicle data bus in the vehicle;

(d) storing a mileage threshold value in a central database maintained by a notification service provider;

(e) automatically and periodically transmitting a notification signal from the vehicle to the notification service provider, wherein the notification signal includes the vehicle identification number for identifying the vehicle from which the notification signal was transmitted and an accumulated mileage value indicative of the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle;

(f) comparing the mileage threshold value stored in the central database to the accumulated mileage value transmitted from the vehicle;

(g) comparing the vehicle identification number transmitted from the vehicle to records stored in the central database to determine an identity of an automotive maintenance service provider to be notified regarding the mileage of the vehicle; and

(h) sending notification information to the automotive maintenance service provider to notify the automotive maintenance service provider that vehicle maintenance service is due based on the mileage of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (c) comprises accessing the vehicle identification number via an On-Board Diagnostics connector in the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

(i) comparing the vehicle identification number to records stored in the central database to determine an identity of the owner of the vehicle from which the notification signal was transmitted, wherein

step (h) further comprises sending the notification information to the automotive maintenance service provider, wherein the notification information includes the identity of the owner of the vehicle.