US6025774A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for retrieving vehicular collateral
Assignee: Spireon Inc
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Filing: 1998-06-24
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Granted: 2000-02-15
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Expires: 2018-06-24
Abstract
Abstract In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of securing collateral for a loan when indicated by a loan status wherein the collateral is a vehicle. The method provides for installing a transmitter within the vehicle. The transmitter is capable of transmitting locational data regarding the vehicle. The loan status is monitored for a default condition. A data link is established from a base terminal to the transmitter of the vehicle upon an occurrence of the default condition in the loan status. Locational data is transmitted from the transmitter of the vehicle to the base terminal via the data link. The location of the vehicle is determined from the locational data transmitted to the base terminal. Finally, the vehicle is confiscated.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark P. Forbes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:08
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R25/00; B60R25/30; B60R25/33; G; G01; G01S; G01S5/00; G01S5/0009; G01S5/0018; G01S5/0027; G06; G06Q; G06Q40/00; G06Q40/03; B60W; B60W2556/00; B60W2556/45; B60W2556/50; G01S2205/00; G01S2205/001; G01S2205/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of securing collateral for a loan when indicated by a loan status wherein the collateral comprises a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: (a) installing a transmitter within the vehicle, the transmitter being capable of transmitting locational data regarding the vehicle; (b) monitoring the loan status for a default condition; (c) establishing a data link from a base terminal to the transmitter of the vehicle upon an occurrence of the default condition in the loan status; (d) transmitting locational data from the transmitter of the vehicle to the base terminal via the data link; (e) determining the location of the vehicle from the locational data transmitted to the base terminal; and (f) confiscating the vehicle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of securing collateral for a loan when indicated by a loan status wherein the collateral comprises a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: (a) installing a transmitter within the vehicle, the transmitter being capable of transmitting locational data regarding the vehicle; (b) monitoring the loan status for a default condition; (c) establishing a data link from a base terminal to the transmitter of the vehicle upon an occurrence of the default condition in the loan status; (d) transmitting locational data from the transmitter of the vehicle to the base terminal via the data link; (e) determining the location of the vehicle from the locational data transmitted to the base terminal; and (f) confiscating the vehicle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of: (1) installing a base communication receiver within the vehicle, the base communication receiver being capable of receiving a transmit request signal; and step (c) further comprises the steps of: (1) establishing a data link from a base terminal to the base communication receiver upon an occurrence of the default condition in the loan status; and (2) receiving a transmit request signal from the base terminal with the base communication receiver via the data link.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 2 wherein step (c) further comprising the steps of: (1) establishing the data link from the base terminal to the base communication receiver at predetermined intervals prior to any occurrence of a default condition; and (2) transmitting locational data from the transmitter to the base terminal via the data link to verify the operation of the base communication receiver.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprising the steps of: (1) establishing the data link from the base terminal to the transmitter at predetermined intervals prior to any occurrence of a default condition; and (2) transmitting locational data from the transmitter to the base terminal via the data link to verify the operation of the transmitter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 4 wherein step (c) further comprising the step of: (3) receiving the locational data at the base terminal and storing the locational data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprising the step of: (1) monitoring the loan status for a delinquent condition; and step (c) further comprising the step of: (1) establishing a data link from a base terminal to the transmitter of the vehicle upon an occurrence of the delinquent condition in the loan status.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is capable of sensing any physical tampering therewith and transmitting a tamper signal in response to any sensed tampering, step (c) further comprises the step of: (1) establishing the data link from the base terminal to the transmitter upon the sensing of any physical tampering with the transmitter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprising the step of: (1) powering the transmitter with a rechargeable battery.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
83 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle having an alarm, step (a) further comprises the step of: (1) installing a base communication receiver within the vehicle, the base communication receiver being capable of receiving a vehicle alarm signal; and step (d) further comprises the step of: (1) transmitting a vehicle alarm signal from the base terminal to the base communication receiver via the data link; (2) receiving the vehicle alarm signal with the base communication receiver; and (3) enabling the vehicle alarm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of: (1) installing a base communication receiver within the vehicle, the base communication receiver being capable of receiving a vehicle deactivation signal; and step (d) further comprises the step of: (1) transmitting a deactivation signal from the base terminal to the base communication receiver via the data link; (2) receiving the deactivation signal with the base communication receiver; and (3) deactivating the vehicle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of: (1) installing a GPS positioning signal receiver; step (c) further comprises the steps of; (1) establishing a data link from a global positioning satellite (GPS) to the GPS positioning signal receiver; and (2) receiving a GPS positioning signal; and wherein the transmitted locational data being based upon the received GPS positioning signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is a cellular phone.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the base terminal is mobile.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 13 wherein step (e) further comprising the step of: (1) moving the base terminal to determine the location of the vehicle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the installing of the transmitter is effectuated during the vehicle manufacturing process.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-02-14 | 2003-08-16 | 2004-02-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-02-14 | 2007-08-16 | 2008-02-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-02-14 | 2011-08-16 | 2012-02-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |