Motor vehicle performance monitor and method

Claim 1

A system for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising: a sensing module for sensing instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and for generating coded signals in accordance therewith; a computer for computing performance variables of the vehicle from the coded signals generated by the sensing module and storing coded representations of said performance variables in select memory locations; a short wave transmitter interfaced to said computer for transmitting and receiving interpretative signals to and from a remote monitor station; a receiver interfaced to said computer for receiving said interpretative signals from a satellite global positioning systems; said computer is programmed to (1) calculate the global position of the vehicle from the satellite signals, (2) store a coded representation of said global position in a select memory location, wherein said computer is programmed (3) control the transmission to a remote monitor station of said interpretative signals corresponding to said coded representations of said stored performance variables, (4) analyze said coded representations produced over a period of time, and (5) compute an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and store said evaluation code in a select memory location; and one or more roadside signaling devices which may be activated to instruct an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said computer makes an assessment that said vehicle is being operated in a poor driving condition.

Claim 2

A system for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising: a sensing module for sensing instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and for generating coded signals in accordance therewith; a computer for computing performance variables of the vehicle from the coded signals generated by the sensing module and storing coded representations of said performance variables in select memory locations; a short wave transmitter interfaced to said computer for transmitting and receiving interpretative signals to and from a remote monitor station; a receiver interfaced to said computer for receiving said interpretative signals from a satellite global positioning systems; said computer is programmed to (1) calculate the global position of the vehicle from the satellite signals, (2) store a coded representation of said global position in a select memory location, wherein said computer is programmed (3) control the transmission to a remote monitor station of said interpretative signals corresponding to said coded representations of said stored performance variables, (4) analyze said coded representations produced over a period of time, and (5) compute an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and store said evaluation code in a select memory location; and one or more roadside signaling devices which may be activated to instruct an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said computer makes an assessment that said vehicle is being operated in a poor driving condition.

Claim 12

A method for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: sensing the instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and generating coded acceleration signals in accordance therewith; using a digital computer to compute performance variables of the vehicle from said acceleration signals, and storing coded representations of said performance variables in select locations of a memory; analyzing said coded representations of said stored performance variables over a period of time, computing an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and storing said evaluation code in a select memory location; transmitting to a remote monitor station interpretative signals corresponding to said coded representations of said performance variables; transmitting an alert signal to said remote monitor station when an evaluation code is computed which corresponds to a predetermined poor vehicle driving performance; receiving signals from a satellite global positioning system, calculating the global position of the vehicle from said signals received from said satellite, and storing a coded representations of the global positions of said vehicle at a select locations of a memory in communication with said computer; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructing an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station.

Claim 13

A method for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: sensing the instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and generating coded acceleration signals in accordance therewith; using a digital computer to compute performance variables of the vehicle from said acceleration signals, and storing coded representations of said performance variables in select locations of a memory; analyzing said coded representations of said stored performance variables over a period of time, computing an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and storing said evaluation code in a select memory location; transmitting to a remote monitor station interpretative signals corresponding to said coded representations of said performance variables; transmitting an alert signal to said remote monitor station when an evaluation code is computed which corresponds to a predetermined poor vehicle driving performance; receiving signals from a satellite global positioning system, calculating the global position of the vehicle from said signals received from said satellite, and storing a coded representations of the global positions of said vehicle at a select locations of a memory in communication with said computer; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructing an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station.

Claim 22

A system for monitoring the movement of a motor vehicle controlled by an operator, comprising: (a) a motion sensing system associated with the vehicle for sensing acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and for generating variable sensing signals in accordance with said acceleration sensing; (b) a computer operable to receive and process said sensing signals and to generate vehicle performance code signals indicative of select performance variables of the vehicle during select time intervals of operation of the vehicle; (c) a memory for storing said vehicle performance code signals along with corresponding time-indicating code signals; (d) a transmitter associated with the vehicle for receiving and transmitting selected portions of said vehicle performance code signals and said time-indicating code signals generated by said computer; (e) a monitor station having a receiver for receiving coded information from said transmitter; (f) an identifying code generator for generating vehicle code identification signals identifying the vehicle or the operator; (g) control means for controlling said memory, said identifying code generator and said transmitter to effect the transmission of select code signals stored in said memory, and said vehicle code identification signals, to said monitor station; (h) indicating means associated with said monitor station for intelligibly indicating to a person information defined by said select code signals which are received by said monitor station receiver, said select code signals including coded information signals relating to the performance of the vehicle and said vehicle code identification signals; a global positioning system operable to receive signals from an earth satellite transmitting system; a global positioning computer for computing coordinate locations of the vehicle and processing said coordinate locations as global positioning code signals; electronic circuitry for short wave transmitting selected of said global positioning code signals along with said select information relating to said vehicle performance code signals; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructions an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when an alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station in response to a poor driving condition being sensed in said vehicle.

Claim 23

A system for monitoring the movement of a motor vehicle controlled by an operator, comprising: (a) a motion sensing system associated with the vehicle for sensing acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and for generating variable sensing signals in accordance with said acceleration sensing; (b) a computer operable to receive and process said sensing signals and to generate vehicle performance code signals indicative of select performance variables of the vehicle during select time intervals of operation of the vehicle; (c) a memory for storing said vehicle performance code signals along with corresponding time-indicating code signals; (d) a transmitter associated with the vehicle for receiving and transmitting selected portions of said vehicle performance code signals and said time-indicating code signals generated by said computer; (e) a monitor station having a receiver for receiving coded information from said transmitter; (f) an identifying code generator for generating vehicle code identification signals identifying the vehicle or the operator; (g) control means for controlling said memory, said identifying code generator and said transmitter to effect the transmission of select code signals stored in said memory, and said vehicle code identification signals, to said monitor station; (h) indicating means associated with said monitor station for intelligibly indicating to a person information defined by said select code signals which are received by said monitor station receiver, said select code signals including coded information signals relating to the performance of the vehicle and said vehicle code identification signals; a global positioning system operable to receive signals from an earth satellite transmitting system; a global positioning computer for computing coordinate locations of the vehicle and processing said coordinate locations as global positioning code signals; electronic circuitry for short wave transmitting selected of said global positioning code signals along with said select information relating to said vehicle performance code signals; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructions an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when an alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station in response to a poor driving condition being sensed in said vehicle.

Claim 31

A method for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: continuously sensing the instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and generating coded signals in accordance therewith; using a digital computer to compute performance variables of the vehicle based on an analysis of said acceleration signals, including the speed, direction and position of the vehicle; storing coded representations of said performance variables in select locations of a memory, along with associated time and date codes; analyzing the stored coded representations of said performance variables generated over a period of time, computing an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and storing said evaluation code at a select memory location; transmitting to a remote monitor station radio signals modulated with digital information corresponding to selected of said stored coded representations of said performance variables; transmitting an alert signal to said remote monitor station when an evaluation code is computed which corresponds to a predetermined poor vehicle driving performance; operating a global positioning system and effecting the selective computation of the coordinate locations of the vehicle and their transmission to said monitor station; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructing an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station.

Claim 32

A method for monitoring the performance and movements of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: continuously sensing the instantaneous acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in at least two directions, and generating coded signals in accordance therewith; using a digital computer to compute performance variables of the vehicle based on an analysis of said acceleration signals, including the speed, direction and position of the vehicle; storing coded representations of said performance variables in select locations of a memory, along with associated time and date codes; analyzing the stored coded representations of said performance variables generated over a period of time, computing an evaluation code corresponding to an assessment of vehicle driving performance, and storing said evaluation code at a select memory location; transmitting to a remote monitor station radio signals modulated with digital information corresponding to selected of said stored coded representations of said performance variables; transmitting an alert signal to said remote monitor station when an evaluation code is computed which corresponds to a predetermined poor vehicle driving performance; operating a global positioning system and effecting the selective computation of the coordinate locations of the vehicle and their transmission to said monitor station; and activating one or more roadside signaling devices instructing an operator of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when said alert signal is transmitted to said remote monitor station.