US6741187B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle tracker providing vehicle alarm alert features and related methods
Assignee: Omega Patents LLC
•
Filing: 2002-03-25
•
Granted: 2004-05-25
•
Expires: 2022-03-25
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type including at least one vehicle sensor may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station. Furthermore, the controller may cooperate with the wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor. Additionally, the controller may stop sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth E. Flick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:42
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R25/00; B60R25/01; B60R25/04; B60R25/10; B60R25/102; B60R25/104; B60R25/30; B60R25/33; G; G07; G07C; G07C5/00; G07C5/008; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/20; G08G1/205; B60R2325/00; B60R2325/20; B60R2325/202; B60R2325/205; B60W2550/402; B60W; B60W2556/00; B60W2556/45; B60W2556/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking unit comprising: a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station; said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking unit comprising: a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station; said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller is resettable to again send an alarm indication alert.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 2 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes; and wherein said controller is reset upon being switched between armed and disarmed modes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch; and wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the ignition switch.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is controllable by a remote transmitter; and wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor being controlled by the remote transmitter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon a signal from the monitoring station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 3 wherein said controller also cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send an alert message to the monitoring station based upon the vehicle changing location while said controller is in the armed mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said controller stops sending of further alarm indications upon reaching the predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 further comprising a housing; and wherein said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device, and said controller are carried by said housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of alarm indication alerts is in a range of one to five alarm indication alerts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 12 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 1 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle siren, a vehicle parking light, a vehicle headlight, a vehicle turning direction indicator, a vehicle hazard light, a vehicle door switch, and a vehicle dome light.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
126 words
A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking unit comprising: a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station; said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof; said controller stopping sending of further alarm indications upon reaching the predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time, and said controller being resettable to again send an alarm indication alert.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
126 words
A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle tracking unit comprising: a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to said wireless communications device and said vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station; said controller cooperating with said wireless communications device to send an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station based upon the at least one vehicle sensor, said controller stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof; said controller stopping sending of further alarm indications upon reaching the predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time, and said controller being resettable to again send an alarm indication alert.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes; and wherein said controller is reset upon being switched between armed and disarmed modes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16 wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch; and wherein said controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes based upon the ignition switch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is controllable by a remote transmitter; and wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor being controlled by the remote transmitter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16 wherein said controller switches between armed and disarmed modes based upon a signal from the monitoring station.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 16 wherein said controller also cooperates with said vehicle position determining device and said wireless communications device to send an alert message to the monitoring station based upon the vehicle changing location while said controller is in the armed mode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 further comprising a housing; and wherein said vehicle position determining device, said wireless communications device, and said controller are carried by said housing.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the predetermined number of alarm indication alerts is in a range of one to five alarm indication alerts.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said vehicle position determining device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein said wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone communications device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 24 wherein said cellular telephone communications device communicates over a cellular control channel.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
51 words
The vehicle tracking unit according to claim 15 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor comprises at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle siren, a vehicle parking light, a vehicle headlight, a vehicle turning direction indicator, a vehicle hazard light, a vehicle door switch, and a vehicle dome light.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
98 words
A vehicle tracking method for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor and a vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station, the method comprising: sending an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station using the controller and the wireless communications device and based upon the at least one vehicle sensor; and stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
98 words
A vehicle tracking method for a vehicle of a type comprising at least one vehicle sensor and a vehicle tracking unit comprising a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device, and a controller connected to the wireless communications device and the vehicle position determining device for sending vehicle position information to a monitoring station, the method comprising: sending an alarm indication alert to the monitoring station using the controller and the wireless communications device and based upon the at least one vehicle sensor; and stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 27 further comprising resetting the controller to again send an alarm indication alert.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 28 wherein the controller is switchable between armed and disarmed modes; and wherein resetting comprises resetting the controller based upon switching between armed and disarmed modes.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 29 wherein the vehicle comprises an ignition switch; and wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon the ignition switch.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 29 wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is controllable by a remote transmitter; and wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon the at least one vehicle sensor being controlled by the remote transmitter.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 29 wherein switching comprises switching between armed and disarmed modes based upon a signal from the monitoring station.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method according to claim 29 further comprising using the controller, the vehicle position determining device, and the wireless communications device to send an alert message to the monitoring station based upon the vehicle changing location while the controller is in the armed mode.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 27 wherein stopping comprises stopping sending of further alarm indication alerts upon reaching a predetermined number thereof occurring within a predetermined time.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 27 wherein the predetermined number of alarm indication alerts is in a range of one to five alarm indication alerts.
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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) | 2007-05-25 | 2007-11-24 | 2008-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-05-25 | 2011-11-24 | 2012-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-05-25 | 2015-11-24 | 2016-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |