Vehicle Location Monitoring via Mobile Wireless Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle tracking systems rely on call centers for monitoring vehicle location, which may not provide real-time updates or allow for direct user control, especially when the user is away from the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A method where a vehicle telematics unit establishes a short-range wireless communication with a mobile device, sending location information and allowing the user to receive navigational routes or control options, including alerting on vehicle movement and providing control services like slowing or stopping the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vehicle tracking is performed through call centers, then vehicle location monitoring is achieved, but real-time updates and direct user control are not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vehicle tracking function from the call center environment and relocates it to the user's mobile device. The telematics unit communicates vehicle location data directly to the mobile device, eliminating the intermediary call center step and enabling users to monitor and control their vehicles in real-time without requiring call center intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to independently monitor and control their vehicles through the mobile device application. Users can receive real-time location updates, view vehicle status, and execute control commands (such as locking/unlocking doors or activating alarms) directly from their mobile devices without requiring call center operator assistance, thus achieving self-service vehicle management.
2Reliability
If telematics units continuously transmit location data, then real-time monitoring is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous transmission, the telematics unit transmits vehicle location data at periodic intervals to the mobile device. This periodic communication approach maintains real-time monitoring capability while significantly reducing the energy consumption of the telematics unit compared to continuous data transmission.
3Ease of operation
If short-range wireless communication is used between vehicle and mobile device, then direct user control is enabled, but communication range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device acts as an intermediary between the vehicle's telematics unit and the user. It receives vehicle location and status data via short-range wireless communication from the telematics unit, then uses longer-range cellular or wireless networks to communicate with remote servers and other users, effectively extending the communication range while maintaining direct control capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for monitoring vehicle position includes receiving vehicle location information at a mobile wireless device via short-range communication from the vehicle, storing the received vehicle location information at the wireless mobile device, receiving a request from a user of the wireless mobile device for a navigational route to the vehicle, determining the location of the wireless mobile device, and providing at the wireless mobile device the navigational route between the wireless mobile device and the vehicle based on the wireless mobile device location and vehicle location. This can be helpful where a user has parked his or her car and thereafter needs assistance locating where it is parked.