Vehicle immobilisation system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a vehicle immobilisation device. The device is arranged to be fitted in a vehicle so as to be in local wireless communication with a tracking unit fitted in the same vehicle. Furthermore, the device is configured to immobilise or cause the immobilisation of the vehicle when communication with the tracking unit is lost.

Description

[0001] VEHICLE IMMOBILISATION SYSTEM

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] THIS INVENTION is in the field of devices and systems for monitoring and detecting the jamming of vehicles and immobilisation of vehicles.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0005] Currently, the vehicle tracking industry faces significant challenges in dealing with signal jamming technology used by car thieves during vehicle hijacking or theft incidents. When a jamming device is employed, it leads to a loss of communication between the tracking device and the tracking system platform, rendering the conventional GSM tracking systems ineffective in sending immobilization commands or real-time location updates. As a result, the vehicle recovery process relies on the fitment of backup RFID or GSM tracking devices that can activate and communicate after the jamming has ceased.

[0006] The backup RFID solution does offer the potential for vehicle recovery, but often only after the vehicle has already been driven to a remote and secluded location by the thieves. As a result, by the time the tracking system resumes communication, the vehicle is typically found in a stripped-down state, rendering it difficult to recover intact or prevent significant losses. Vehicle thieves have developed a well-established process to exploit the limitations of current tracking systems. After hijacking or stealing a vehicle, they initiate signal jamming to block communication and tracking signals. Once the jamming is active, they proceed to drive the stolen vehicle to a secluded location, where they can identify and remove the primary GSM tracking device to avoid further detection. Given that jamming time is limited due to various factors, such as power supply constraints or the risk of getting noticed, the thieves eventually stop jamming, allowing them to proceed with their illicit activities without further hindrance.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that will ameliorate at least some of the abovementioned problems.

[0008] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle immobilisation device or a vehicle immobilisation arrangement, the device or arrangement being arranged to be fitted in a vehicle so as to be in local wireless communication with a tracking unit fitted in the vehicle, the device or arrangement configured to either automatically immobilise the vehicle, or cause the immobilisation of the vehicle, when communication with the tracking unit is lost, or initiate gradual immobilisation of the vehicle when communication with the tracking unit is lost.

[0010] The device or arrangement may include a wireless communication module arranged in wireless communication with the tracking unit. The wireless communication module may be in communication with the tracking unit by a communication protocol such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency and the like. The wireless communication module may be a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Radio Frequency module.

[0011] The device or arrangement may also be in communication (via suitable wires) with an engine of the vehicle to receive a signal of whether the engine is an on or off state.

[0012] The device or arrangement may further include a sensor that is arranged to sense or detect a predefined / measurable parameter of the vehicle. The sensor may be a motion sensor such as an accelerometer, vibration or acoustic sensor, or an optical sensor.

[0013] In another version, the device or arrangement may be arranged to receive the speed or acceleration of the vehicle from the tracking unit through the local wireless communication between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module.

[0014] The device or arrangement may comprise a controller / relay that is in communication with, or coupled to one or more of an ignition system, fuel system, accelerator pedal and brakes of the vehicle.

[0015] The device or arrangement may be connected to a vehicle bus, such as a Controller Area Network bus and may be arranged to communicate with an engine control unit of the vehicle, for example to transmit an immobilization signal to the engine control unit which causes the engine control unit to immobilise the vehicle.

[0016] The device or arrangement may further comprise suitable circuitry that is connected to the wireless communication module, controller, and sensor.

[0017] The device or arrangement may further comprise a processor and a memory device containing instructions which are arranged to cause the processor to actuate the relay / controller or cause the device or arrangement to communicate with the engine control unit of the vehicle.

[0018] The instructions may be arranged to cause the processor to: determine a state of an engine of the vehicle whether the engine is on or off; detect whether a communication signal is established between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module (for example, detect whether the communication module is paired with the tracking unit), when the engine is in an on state and a communication signal is lost between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, further cause the processor to: receive motion data of the vehicle from the sensor and / or tracking unit; actuate the controller to immobilise the vehicle by disabling at least one or more of a starter motor, fuel system, accelerator pedal of the vehicle, ignition system of the vehicle, and / or cause the device or arrangement to communicate, via the vehicle bus, with the engine control unit to immobilise the engine, and / or actuate the controller to activate or gradually activate the brakes of the vehicle.

[0019] The actuation of the relay / controller may result in the reduction in the acceleration of the vehicle over a predefined period until the vehicle comes to a halt (i.e. , the acceleration of the vehicle is substantially zero) or the vehicle’s acceleration is reduced to a predefined / target acceleration, and once the vehicle is halted or the vehicle’s acceleration has been reduced to the target acceleration. The device may be in the form of a single, self-contained device or unit arranged to be fitted in the vehicle. In another embodiment, the arrangement may be in the form of multiple standalone units which makeup the device and are in communication with one another and arranged to be fitted in a vehicle to achieve the objects of the invention.

[0020] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of immobilising a vehicle, the method comprising: immobilising a vehicle when local wireless communication is lost between a tracking unit fitted in the vehicle and a wireless communication module fitted in the same vehicle.

[0021] The method may accordingly include providing a vehicle immobilisation device or vehicle immobilisation arrangement, wherein the device or arrangement including the wireless communication module for communicating wirelessly with the tracking unit.

[0022] The device or arrangement may include a motion sensor for detecting a measurable motion related parameter of the vehicle, such as acceleration or speed.

[0023] The device or arrangement may also comprise a control ler / relay arranged to be commanded / actuated to immobilise the vehicle.

[0024] The device or arrangement may also include at least one processor and at least one memory device containing suitable instructions for causing the at least one processor to perform operation in accordance with the object / s of the invention.

[0025] The method may further include receiving a state of an engine of a vehicle to establish whether the engine is in an on or off state.

[0026] The method may further include: determining, by means of the at least one processor, a state of an engine of the vehicle whether the engine is on or off; determining, by means of the at least one processor, whether a local communication signal is established between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, wherein when the engine is in an on-state and a local communication signal is lost between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, the method may include receiving, by means of the at least one processor, motion data of the vehicle from the sensor and / or tracking unit, and immobilising the vehicle by: disabling, by means of the at least one processor and / or relay, at least one or more of a starter motor, fuel system, accelerator pedal of the vehicle, ignition system of the vehicle, commanding, by means of the at least one processor, the engine control unit to immobilise the engine, and / or actuating the controller / relay to activate or gradually activate the brakes of the vehicle.

[0027] The immobilisation of the fuel system may include cutting off the fuel supply and disabling the accelerator pedal so as to reduce the acceleration of the vehicle or gradually reduce the acceleration of the vehicle over a predefined period until the vehicle comes to a halt (i.e., the acceleration of the vehicle is substantially zero) or the vehicle’s acceleration is reduced to a predefined / target acceleration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] The objects of this invention and the manner of obtaining them, will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be better understood, by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 shows a high-level network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 shows a high-level computer-implemented method in accordance with the invention; and

[0031] Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example form of a computer system in which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

[0033] The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognise that many changes can be made to the embodiment described, while still attaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be attained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilising other features. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognise that modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not a limitation thereof.

[0034] It will be appreciated that the phrase “for example,” “such as”, and variants thereof describe non-limiting embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter. Reference in the specification to “one example embodiment”, “another example embodiment”, “some example embodiment”, or variants thereof means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) is included in at least one embodiment of the presently disclosed subject matter. Thus, the use of the phrase “one example embodiment”, “another example embodiment”, “some example embodiment”, or variants thereof does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s).

[0035] Unless otherwise stated, some features of the subject matter described herein, which are, described in the context of separate embodiments for purposes of clarity, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Similarly, various features of the subject matter disclosed herein which are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is provided a network 12 incorporating a vehicle immobilisation device in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention which is generally indicated by reference number 10. The vehicle immobilisation device 10 is fitted in a vehicle 16 and arranged in local wireless communication with a tracking unit 18 fitted in the same vehicle 12. The device 10 is generally in the form of a single, self-contained device or unit that is surreptitiously fitted in the vehicle 12.

[0037] In another version of the invention, there may be provided a vehicle immobilisation arrangement which comprises multiple, separate units which make up the device 10, wherein the multiple units are fitted across the vehicle 16 and in communication with one another to achieve the objects of the invention as will be described below.

[0038] In this specification, the term “local communication” shall mean communication between devices that are fitted to the same vehicle irrespective of the actual location of the devices in the vehicle.

[0039] To this end, the network 12 comprises at least one endpoint user device 24 that is in communication with the device 10 and a remote tracking server / platform 26 by a communication network 14. Although only one endpoint device 24 is shown, it will be appreciated that other endpoint devices (not shown) may be in communication with the device 10 via the communication network 14.

[0040] The communications network 14 may comprise one or more different types of communication networks. In this regard, the communication networks may be one or more of the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), various types of telephone networks (e.g., Public Switch Telephone Networks (PSTN) with Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology) or mobile networks (e.g., Global System Mobile (GSM) communication, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and other suitable mobile telecommunication network technologies), or any combination thereof. It will be noted that communication within the network may achieved via suitable wireless or hard-wired communication technologies and / or standards (e.g., wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi®), 4G, long-term evolution (LTETM), WiMAX, 5G, and the like). In some example embodiments, the device 10 may be coupled to other elements of the communication network 14 via dedicated communication channels, for example, secure communication networks in the form of encrypted communication lines (e.g. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption).

[0041] The endpoint device 24 may comprise one or more computer processors and a computer memory (including transitory computer memory and / or non-transitory computer memory), configured to perform various data processing operations. The endpoint device 24 also includes a network communication interface (not shown) to connect to the device 10 via the communication network 14. Examples of the device represented by the endpoint device 24 may be selected from a group comprising a personal computer, portable computer, smartphone, tablet, notepad, a smart watch, dedicated server computer devices, any type of communication device, and / or other suitable computing devices. It will be appreciated that in some example embodiments, the endpoint device 24 may be connected to the communication network 14 via an intranet, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the Internet, a cellular network, and / or other suitable network communication technology.

[0042] The device 10 is configured to either automatically immobilise the vehicle when a local communication signal is lost between the device 10 and the tracking unit 18 or initiate the gradual immobilisation of the vehicle 16 when a communication signal is lost between the device 10 and the tracking unit 18.

[0043] The device 10 includes a wireless communication module (not shown) arranged in local wireless communication with the tracking unit 18. The wireless communication module (not shown) may be in communication with the tracking unit 18 by a communication protocol such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the like. The wireless communication module (not shown) may be a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Radio Frequency module. For example, the wireless communication module may be a Bluetooth module that is paired with the tracking unit 18 via a Bluetooth communication protocol.

[0044] The device 10 is also in communication (via suitable wires) with an engine of the vehicle 16 to receive a signal of whether the engine is on or off. In another embodiment, the status of the engine may be received as communication data by the device 10 via wireless communication between the wireless communication module (not shown) and the tracking unit 18.

[0045] The device 10 comprises suitable circuitry that accommodates a processor 20 and a memory device 22 containing instructions which are arranged to cause the processor 20 to perform various operations as will be described below.

[0046] The processor 20 may be one or more processors in the form of programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform actions by operating on input data and generating an output. The processor, as well as any computing device referred to herein, may be any kind of electronic device with data processing capabilities including, by way of non-limiting example, a general processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other electronic computing device comprising one or more processors of any kind, or any combination thereof. For brevity, steps described as being performed by the device 10 may be steps which are effectively performed by the processor and vice versa unless otherwise indicated. It will be appreciated that the memory device 22 may be in the form of computer-readable medium including system memory and including random access memory (RAM) devices, cache memories, non-volatile or back-up memories such as programmable or flash memories, read-only memories (ROM), etc. In addition, the memory device may be considered to include memory storage physically located elsewhere in the device 10, e.g., any cache memory in the processor as well as any storage capacity used as a virtual memory, e.g., as stored on a mass storage device.

[0047] Though not illustrated, it will be appreciated that the device 10 may comprise one or more user input devices and one or more output devices such as LED lights that switch off to indicate when there is a connection loss between the tracking unit and wireless communication module and switch on to indicate that local communication, via the pairing of the tracking unit 18 and the wireless communication module (not shown) of the device 10, is established between the tracking unit 18 and the wireless communication module (not shown).

[0048] It will be appreciated that the computer programs executable by the processor 20 may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. The computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. The program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a mark-up language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). The computer program can be deployed remotely from a remote tracking server / platform 26, over the communication network 14, to be executed by the processor 20 and can be updated remotely from the tracking server 26 via the communication network 14.

[0049] The computer programs may be stored in the memory device 22 or in memory provided in the processor 20. Though not illustrated or discussed herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the field of the invention that the device 10 may comprise a plurality of logic components, electronics, driver circuits, peripheral devices, etc., not described herein for brevity.

[0050] The vehicle 16 may comprise a sensor (not shown) that is in communication with the device 10. The sensor (not shown) may be arranged to sense or detect a predefined / measurable parameter of the vehicle 12. The sensor (not shown) is a motion sensor such as, an accelerometer, vibration or acoustic sensor, or an optical sensor. Alternatively, the device 10 may comprise the sensor (not shown).

[0051] In a version where an accelerometer is used, the accelerometer will continuously calculate an estimated vehicle speed / acceleration (in conjunction with continuous calibration polling from the information / data received from the tracking unit 18 to ensure accuracy in the calculated estimated speed / acceleration).

[0052] In another version where the motion sensor is a vibration sensor, the vibration sensor will detect motion in the vehicle 16 and transmit the motion data to the device 10 and the instructions in the memory device 22 will cause the processor 20 to determine a rough estimation of vehicle speed, or the vibration sensor may be capable of determining the vehicle speed and communicating the estimated vehicle speed with the processor 20.

[0053] In a version where the motion sensor is an optical sensor, the optical sensor would measure the speed of the vehicle 16 based on a moving part on the vehicle 16 such as the prop shaft, axle or rim, and would detect rotation by either shining light onto the moving part and using a light sensor to detect pulses directed into the light sensor by a piece of reflective material attached to the rotating component of the vehicle or by detecting an object attached to a moving part breaking a beam between the light and the light sensor. The estimated speed would then be communicated to the processor 20.

[0054] In another version, the motion sensor may be an image capturing means such as a camera mounted in a position facing either the ground or a moving part of the vehicle. The images obtained from the camera are transmitted to the processor 20 to identify motion by comparing successive frames of an image to determine an estimated speed of the vehicle 12.

[0055] In another version, the device 10 is arranged to receive the speed or acceleration of the vehicle 16 from the tracking unit 18 through the data that is shared by the tracking unit 18 and the device 10 via the local wireless communication between the tracking unit 18 and the wireless communication module (not shown).

[0056] The device 10 further comprises a controller / relay (not shown) that is coupled to one or more of an ignition, fuel system, accelerator pedal and brakes of the vehicle 12.

[0057] The device 10 is also arranged to be connected to a vehicle bus, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus so as to communicate with an engine control unit of the vehicle 12, for example to transmit an immobilization signal / command to the engine control unit (ECU) which causes the engine control unit to immobilise the engine of the vehicle. Typically, the device 10 can use standard CAN bus codes or disrupt any data that is being sent to the ECU by other components in the vehicle to cause the device 10 to immobilise the vehicle 12.

[0058] As mentioned above, the device 10 comprises suitable circuitry that is also connected to the wireless communication module (not shown), controller (not shown), and motion sensor (not shown).

[0059] In use, the device 10 is arranged to communicate either wirelessly or via suitable wires with the engine of the vehicle 16 to determine whether the engine of the vehicle 16 is in an on or off state. Alternatively, the status of the engine may be obtained from the data that is being transferred between the tracking unit 18 and the device 10 via the wireless communication module (not shown). Alternately, the status of the engine may be obtained from the data that is being transferred between the vehicle 16 and the device 10 via the CAN bus. The instructions in the memory device 22 are therefore arranged to cause the processor 20 to perform the following operations: determine a state of the engine of the vehicle 16 whether the engine is on or off; detect whether a local communication signal is established between the tracking unit 18 and the wireless communication module (not shown); when the engine is in an on state and a local communication signal is lost between the tracking unit 18 and the wireless communication module (not shown), further cause the processor 20 to receive motion data of the vehicle 16 from the sensor (not shown) and / or tracking unit 18, and immobilise the vehicle 16 by disabling at least one or more of a starter motor, fuel system, accelerator pedal, and / or ignition system of the vehicle or cause the device 10 to communicate with the engine control unit, via the CAN bus, to immobilise the engine.

[0060] In causing the device 10 or processor 20 to immobilise the vehicle 16, the processor 20 may cause actuation of the controller (not shown) to abruptly reduce the acceleration of the vehicle or gradually reduce the acceleration of the vehicle over a predefined period until the vehicle comes to a halt (i.e. , the acceleration of the vehicle is substantially zero) or the vehicle’s acceleration is reduced to a predefined / target acceleration. For example, the processor 20 may receive acceleration data from the motion sensor (not shown) and when the acceleration of the vehicle is 120 km / hr, the processor 20 may cause the controller (not shown) to activate the brakes, cut off the fuel supply by communication with the fuel system of the vehicle, and / or deactivate the accelerator pedal of the vehicle through communicating with the relay / switches installed or existing in the vehicle 16, for over a predefined period of time, until the vehicle speed is reduced to, for example, a target acceleration of about 30km / hr, at which point the device 10 or processor 20 thereof may then be arranged to disable at least the ignition system and / or engine of the vehicle 16.

[0061] In the unlikely event of immobilisation of the vehicle 16 when not being jammed, for example if there is a loss in communication between the device 10 and the tracking unit 18 other than the tracking unit 18 being jammed, the controller / relay (not shown) can be overridden using the endpoint device 24. The user of the endpoint device 24 may transmit a deactivate command using the endpoint device 24 that will cause the processor 20 to instruct the relay to be displaced to its rest, inactive position in which the ignition system, fuel system, accelerator pedal, motor starter, engine and / or brakes are restored to normal operation. An authentication code may be transmitted by the server 26 or device 10 to the endpoint device 24 to require the user to authenticate the transmittal of the deactivation command. Similarly, the endpoint device 24 can send an immobilisation command to the device 10 in which, irrespective of whether a signal is established or lost between the device 10 and the tracking unit 18, the immobilisation command would causes the processor 20 to actuate the relay to be displaced to an immobilisation position in which the ignition system, fuel system, accelerator pedal, motor starter, and / or brakes are immobilised and / or the processor 20 would command the engine to immobilise via sending an immobilisation command (i.e. , code) to the engine control unit. Similarly, the server 26 can also perform the actions of remotely immobilising the vehicle 16 or overriding the relay (not shown). It will be appreciated that the immobilisation of the vehicle 16 by the device 10, server 26, and / or endpoint device 24 as mentioned above may also be implemented by suitable commands being sent to the engine via the CAN bus.

[0062] The Applicant believes that the device 10 as described herein offers a compelling solution to overcome the shortcomings of existing tracking systems. By establishing a unique “handshake” with the tracking unit 18 and incorporating a motion sensor (not shown) such as an accelerometer, the device 10 can autonomously identify slow vehicle movement indicative of a theft situation even during periods of lost communication between a tracking unit 18 and tracking platform / server 26. This unique feature allows the device 10 that is locally connected to the tracking unit 18 to immobilize the vehicle 16, in conditions where signal loss between the device 10 and tracking unit 18 is detected.

[0063] Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings where a high-level flow diagram of a method in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 100. It will be appreciated that the example method 100 may be implemented by systems and means not described herein. However, by way of a non-limiting example, reference will be made to the method 100 as being implemented by way of the device 10, as described above.

[0064] Accordingly, the method 100 comprises the step of: 102 - immobilising a vehicle when local wireless communication is lost between a tracking unit fitted in the vehicle and a wireless communication module fitted in the same vehicle.

[0065] Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings which shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example of a computer system 200 within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In other example embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked example embodiment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or ridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated for convenience, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines, including virtual machines, that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. In any event, the example computer system 200 includes a processor 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory 204 and a static memory 206, which communicate with each other via a bus 208. The computer system 200 may further include a video display unit 210 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 200 also includes an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (Ul) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse, or touchpad), a disk drive unit 216, a signal generation device 218 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 220.

[0066] The disk drive unit 216 includes a non-transitory machine-readable medium 222 storing one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software 224) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 224 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 204 and / or within the processor 202 during execution thereof by the computer system 200, the main memory 204 and the processor 202 also constituting machine-readable media. The software 224 may further be transmitted or received over a network 226 via the network interface device 220 utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Although the machine-readable medium 222 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may refer to a single medium or multiple medium (e.g., a centralized or distributed memory store, and / or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" may also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" may accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals.

[0067] While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment and / or example thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of and equivalents to these embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle immobilisation device, the device being arranged to be fitted in a vehicle so as to be in local wireless communication with a tracking unit fitted in the same vehicle, the device configured to immobilise or cause the immobilisation of the vehicle when communication with the tracking unit is lost.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising a wireless communication module arranged in wireless communication with the tracking unit.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication module is in communication with the tracking unit by a communication protocol selected from a group comprising Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Radio Frequency, preferably Bluetooth.

4. The device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Radio Frequency module, preferably a Bluetooth module.

5. The device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a sensor that is arranged to sense or detect a measurable parameter of the vehicle.SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor such as an accelerometer, vibration or acoustic sensor, or an optical sensor.

7. The device according to any of claims 1 to 6, comprising a controller or a relay that is in communication with, or coupled to one or more of an ignition system, fuel system, accelerator pedal, and brakes of the vehicle.

8. The device according to claim 7 when dependent on any one of claims 5 to 6, comprising a processor and a memory device in communication with the processor, wherein the memory device containing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to: determine whether the engine is in an on or off state either through communication of the device with the tracking unit or communication between the device and the vehicle; detect whether a communication signal is established between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module; wherein, when the engine is in the on state and a communication signal is lost between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, further cause the processor to: receive motion data of the vehicle from the tracking unit, a sensor fitted in the vehicle, and / or the sensor comprised in the device; and actuate the relay or controller to disable at least one or more of the fuel system, accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and ignition system of the vehicle,SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)command an engine control unit of the vehicle to immobilise the engine via communication of the device with the vehicle, and / or actuate the relay or controller to activate or gradually activate the brakes of the vehicle.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein actuation of the relay or controller results in the reduction in the acceleration of the vehicle over a predefined period until the vehicle comes to a halt or the vehicle’s acceleration is reduced to a predefined / target acceleration10. A method of immobilising a vehicle, the method comprising: immobilising the vehicle when local wireless communication is lost between a tracking unit fitted in the vehicle and a wireless communication module fitted in the same vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising providing a vehicle immobilisation device, wherein the device comprising the wireless communication module for communicating wirelessly with the tracking unit.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory device in communication with the at least one processor, wherein the method comprising:SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)determining, by means of the at least one processor whether an engine of the vehicle is in an on or off state either through communication of the device with the tracking unit or communication between the device and the vehicle; determining, by means of the at least one processor, whether a local communication signal is established between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, wherein, when the engine is in the on state and the local communication signal is lost between the tracking unit and the wireless communication module, the method further comprising: receiving, by means of the at least one processor, motion data of the vehicle from the tracking unit, a sensor fitted in the vehicle, and / or a sensor comprised in the device, and disabling, by means of a relay or a controller of the device, at least one or more of the fuel system, accelerator pedal of the vehicle, ignition system of the vehicle, and / or commanding, by means of the at least one processor, an engine control unit of the vehicle to immobilise the engine via communication of the device with the vehicle, and / or actuating the relay or controller to activate or gradually activate the brakes of the vehicle.SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

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