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US 11,634,069 B2Granted
Connected vehicle location tracking in taillight
OwnerXing Yanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses of a highly sensitive and reliable IoT location tracking device in a form factor of a vehicle taillight. The tracking device replaces the existing taillight and comprises custom-designed GPS and Cellular antennae that are specially integrated with a novel dual-PCBA structure and an anti-theft tactile switch detection mechanism. The purposes of the new methods and apparatuses are to achieve the following: (1) improved reliability of signal reception and transmission with taillight integration; (2) improved electronic shielding of the processor board and PCB (printed circuit board) assembly; (3) high sensitivity of the new GPS and cellular antennae geometry and dimension design; (4) novel anti-theft security and better vehicle tracking management.
Claims20
A method of tracking a vehicle's location in a wireless network, comprising:
- replacing the vehicle's existing tail light fixture with a tracking device that also works as a new tail light fixture;
- wherein the tracking device comprises an external tail light cover, lighting generation board, electricity storage device, processor board, antenna to transmit and receive signals in the wireless network, and position sensor with its antenna;
- wherein the electricity storage device, boards, antennae, position sensor, and anti-theft mechanism are all hosted inside the new tail light fixture;
- wherein the device gets power from the vehicle, and the electricity storage device gets charged by the vehicle when the vehicle is turned on, and the device gets power only from the electricity storage device when the vehicle is turned off or the device is disconnected from the vehicle;
- mounting at least one of the antennae between the external tail light cover and the lighting generation board;
- wherein the antenna is inside or onto the external tail light cover;
- placing the processor board further away from the external tail light cover than the lighting generation board;
- placing the electricity storage device further away from the external tail light cover than the lighting generation board;
- wherein the vehicle's location is detected by the position sensor and its antenna, and the position information is transmitted through the wireless network.
6 more elements
A method of tracking an unpowered vehicle's location in a wireless network, comprising:
- replacing the vehicle's existing tail light fixture with a tracking device that also works as a new tail light fixture, the vehicle can be removably connected to a powered vehicle and receive electrical power for the tail light fixture only from the powered vehicle;
- wherein the tracking device comprises an external tail light cover, lighting generation board, electricity storage device, processor board, antenna to transmit and receive signals in the wireless network, anti-theft mechanism, and position sensor with its antenna;
- wherein the electricity storage device, boards, antennae, position sensor, and anti-theft mechanism are all hosted inside the new tail light fixture;
- wherein the device gets electricity from the unpowered vehicle, and the electricity storage device gets charged by the unpowered vehicle when it is turned on and connected with the powered vehicle, and the device gets power from the electricity storage device only when the unpowered vehicle is turned off or disconnected from the powered vehicle, or the device is disconnected from the unpowered vehicle;
- wherein the device disconnection is detected by and triggers the anti-theft mechanism;
- enabling the anti-theft mechanism to detect when the tracking device loses power from the vehicle;
- determining the unpowered vehicle's location as the following:
- the current location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the device always has electricity;
- the last location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the device still has electricity, but the electricity storage device is not being charged any more or the anti-theft mechanism is triggered;
- or
- the last location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the device loses electricity;
- and
- transmitting the unpowered vehicle's location information through the wireless network whenever the device has electricity.
10 more elements
An apparatus for tracking a powered or unpowered vehicle's location in a wireless network, which replaces the vehicle's existing tail light fixture with a new tail light fixture, comprising:
- an external tail light cover of the vehicle;
- a lighting generation board;
- an electricity storage device;
- a processor board;
- a position sensor and its antenna;
- an antenna to transmit and receive signals in the wireless network;
- wherein at least one of the antennae is mounted between the external tail light cover and lighting generation board;
- wherein the antenna is inside or onto the external tail light cover;
- wherein the processor board is placed further away from the external cover than the lighting generation board;
- wherein the electricity storage device is placed further away from the external cover than the lighting generation board;
- wherein the unpowered vehicle can be removably connected to another powered vehicle and receive electrical power for the tail light fixture only from the powered vehicle;
- an anti-theft mechanism;
- wherein the anti-theft mechanism detects when the tracking apparatus loses power from the vehicle;
- wherein the electricity storage device, boards, antennae, position sensor, and anti-theft mechanism are all hosted inside the place where the existing tail light fixture was previously installed;
- wherein the apparatus gets electricity from the vehicle, and the electricity storage device gets charged by the vehicle when it is turned on and connected with a powered vehicle if it is an unpowered vehicle, and the apparatus gets power from the electricity storage device only when the unpowered vehicle is turned off or disconnected from the powered vehicle, or the apparatus is disconnected from the unpowered vehicle;
- wherein the unpowered vehicle's location is determined by the current location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the apparatus has electricity, the last location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the apparatus still has electricity, but the electricity storage device is not being charged any more or the anti-theft mechanism is triggered, or the last location detected by the position sensor and its antenna when the apparatus loses electricity;
- wherein the position information is transmitted through the wireless network whenever the apparatus has electricity.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.