Telematics Unit Disconnection Detection and Theft Alert

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicles' telematics units are often stolen and disconnected from the vehicle's electronics, making it difficult to track their location and notify authorities, as existing systems lack the ability to function independently after disconnection.

Innovation Solution

A telematics unit equipped with a processor and memory that senses disconnection events, gathers location data, and transmits it along with a theft alert to a remote facility using a backup battery and antenna, ensuring continuous operation even after being disconnected from the vehicle's power source or communications bus.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the telematics unit is wirelessly connected to remote parties and integrated with vehicle electronics, then it can track vehicle location and notify authorities, but thieves can disconnect it from vehicle electronics to render it unable to function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetelematics unit functionalityVSAvoidtheft risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting disconnection events before the telematics unit becomes completely non-functional. The processor monitors for disconnection events and proactively initiates location tracking and theft alert transmission, ensuring the system responds before the thief can fully disable or relocate the unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The processor acts as an intermediary between the disconnection event and the remote facility. It detects the disconnection, determines that it constitutes theft, and transmits both location data and theft alerts to the remote facility, bridging the gap between the compromised telematics unit and external authorities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the telematics unit is disconnected from vehicle power source and communications bus, then it cannot transmit location data and theft alerts, but it needs to continue functioning to enable recovery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetheft detection capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the essential theft detection and location tracking functions from the main vehicle power and communication infrastructure. By using a separate backup power source and maintaining independent operational capability, the critical security functions can operate even when the primary vehicle systems are disconnected or compromised.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes its operational parameters by switching from using vehicle power to backup power source upon detecting a disconnection event. This parameter change enables the telematics unit to maintain functionality under different power conditions, ensuring continuous theft detection and location tracking capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10363904B1System and method to detect telematics unit disconnection

Publication Date: 2019.07.30 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

One general aspect includes a telematics unit including: a memory configured to include a program and a processor configured to execute the program, where the program enables the processor to: sense a disconnection event; in response to the disconnection event being sensed, gather telematics unit location data, transmit the location data to a remote facility, and transmit a theft alert to a remote facility.