US 10,834,522 B2Granted

Telematics devices and systems

OwnerPranav Kumarinventor

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Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are provided of telematics devices and exemplary corresponding methods. In an exemplary embodiment, a telematics device generally includes at least one hub device having a wireless network interface and a short-range wireless communication interface, and one or more peripheral devices. Each peripheral device includes a short-range wireless communication device in wireless communication with the hub device and/or at least one other peripheral device. Each of the one or more peripheral devices includes a peripheral device identifier and is configured to periodically broadcast peripheral device information including the peripheral device identifier to be received by the hub device. The hub device is configured to analyze received peripheral device information and transmit a report based on the analyzed peripheral device information to a remote station. Other exemplary embodiments include a camera interface for a telematics device, a smart lock assembly for a trailer, and a trailer tracking system.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A smart lock system comprising a telematics device for a vehicle and a smart lock assembly for a trailer, the telematics device comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to transmit data from the telematics device to a remote station;
a satellite navigation system receiver configured to determine a location of the telematics device;
and
a camera interface adapted to couple to a camera to trigger the camera to obtain an image and to receive the obtained image from the camera;
wherein the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs;
wherein the telematics device is configured to transmit an event alert and the obtained image to the remote station;
wherein:
the specified event includes at least one of a detection of a towing of the vehicle and a detection of an unlocking of a trailer lock of a trailer of the vehicle where the camera is positioned at a top of the trailer;
and/or
the camera interface is coupled to a camera in a roof-top mounted antenna camera assembly mounted along a roof of the vehicle;
and/or
the camera interface includes a BLUETOOTH wireless connection interface;
and/or
the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs by sending a BLUETOOTH signal to the camera;
the smart lock assembly comprising:
a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism having a locked state and an unlocked state;
and
a short-range wireless communication device coupled to the locking mechanism and including a short-range wireless communication interface, the short-range wireless communication device configured to:
monitor the state of the locking mechanism;
transmit a monitored state of the locking mechanism to the telematics device via the short-range wireless communication interface;
and
in response to detection that the lock has been broken and/or unlocked, transmit an alert to the telematics device via the short-range wireless communication interface;
wherein the telematics device includes a short-range wireless communication interface in wireless communication with the short-range wireless communication interface of the smart lock assembly;
and
wherein the telematics device is configured to obtain the monitored state of the locking mechanism from the smart lock assembly via the short-range wireless communication interface of the telematics device, and to transmit the obtained state of the locking mechanism to the remote station.

22 more elements

A telematics device for a vehicle, the telematics device comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to transmit data from the telematics device to a remote station;
a satellite navigation system receiver configured to determine a location of the telematics device;
and
a camera interface adapted to couple to a camera to trigger the camera to obtain an image and to receive the obtained image from the camera;
wherein the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs;
wherein the telematics device is configured to transmit an event alert and the obtained image to the remote station;
wherein:
the specified event includes at least one of a detection of a towing of the vehicle and a detection of an unlocking of a trailer lock of a trailer of the vehicle where the camera is positioned at a top of the trailer;
and/or
the camera interface is coupled to a camera in a roof-top mounted antenna camera assembly mounted along a roof of the vehicle;
and/or
the camera interface includes a BLUETOOTH wireless connection interface;
and/or
the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs by sending a BLUETOOTH signal to the camera;
wherein:
the specified event includes a detection of an opening of a fuel cap of the vehicle where the camera is positioned near the fuel cap for obtaining an image of a person opening the fuel cap;
and
the telematics device is configured to detect an opening of a fuel cap via a fuel cap sensor and/or an on-board diagnostics (OBD-II) connection.

15 more elements

A telematics device for a vehicle, the telematics device comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to transmit data from the telematics device to a remote station;
a satellite navigation system receiver configured to determine a location of the telematics device;
and
a camera interface adapted to couple to a camera to trigger the camera to obtain an image and to receive the obtained image from the camera;
wherein the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs;
wherein the telematics device is configured to transmit an event alert and the obtained image to the remote station;
wherein:
the specified event includes at least one of a detection of a towing of the vehicle and a detection of an unlocking of a trailer lock of a trailer of the vehicle where the camera is positioned at a top of the trailer;
and/or
the camera interface is coupled to a camera in a roof-top mounted antenna camera assembly mounted along a roof of the vehicle;
and/or
the camera interface includes a BLUETOOTH wireless connection interface;
and/or
the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs by sending a BLUETOOTH signal to the camera;
wherein:
the specified event includes a detection of a towing of the vehicle;
the telematics device is configured to detect a towing of the vehicle when motion of the vehicle is detected while the vehicle's engine is turned off, whereupon the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image to allow confirmation that the vehicle is being towed.

14 more elements

A telematics device for a vehicle, the telematics device comprising:

a wireless network interface configured to transmit data from the telematics device to a remote station;
a satellite navigation system receiver configured to determine a location of the telematics device;
and
a camera interface adapted to couple to a camera to trigger the camera to obtain an image and to receive the obtained image from the camera;
wherein the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs;
wherein the telematics device is configured to transmit an event alert and the obtained image to the remote station;
wherein:
the specified event includes at least one of a detection of a towing of the vehicle and a detection of an unlocking of a trailer lock of a trailer of the vehicle where the camera is positioned at a top of the trailer;
and/or
the camera interface is coupled to a camera in a roof-top mounted antenna camera assembly mounted along a roof of the vehicle;
and/or
the camera interface includes a BLUETOOTH wireless connection interface;
and/or
the telematics device is configured to trigger the camera to obtain an image when a specified event occurs by sending a BLUETOOTH signal to the camera;
wherein the specified event includes a detection of an unlocking of a trailer lock of a trailer of the vehicle where the camera is positioned at a top of the trailer for obtaining an image of a person unlocking the trailer lock and/or opening a trailer door.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/157,509Filed 11 Oct 2018 · continuation
Priority: 1 Jul 2016
Published: US 2019/0045325 A17 Feb 2019
Granted: 10 Nov 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04W 4/021
Services making use of location information: services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
G08B 21/0269
Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child: system arrangements wherein the object is to…
G08B 21/0283
Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network: via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
G08B 25/009
Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems: signalling…

Family

Application15/200,374Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Jul 2016
US 2019/0045325 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Feb 2019
US 10,104,496 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0007504 A1Published application
US 10,834,522 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.