Vehicle locating and communicating method and apparatus using cellular telephone network
AssigneeBy-Word Technologies, Inc.
InventorLarry C. Wortham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for locating and communicating with vehicles is provided, including at least one mobile cellular unit connected to at least one microprocessor and installed within a vehicle. The microprocessor interrogates the mobile cellular unit to obtain location information from an overhead message stream transmitted from cellular telephone transmitter sites. The location is displayed on a display located in the vehicle or the microprocessor periodically instructs the mobile cellular unit to initiate a call to a host controller and, upon receipt of transmitting instructions from the host controller, transmits the location information for display on a screen connected to the host controller.
Claims11
A system for locating and communicating with a vehicle by a cellular telephone system, said cellular telephone system emitting data containing cellular telephone system information, comprising:
- a remote host controller coupled to the cellular telephone system having a display for displaying communications and geographic location data transmitted from the vehicle;
- a cellular transceiver within the vehicle;
- and
- a controller in the vehicle connected to said cellular transceiver wherein said controller interprets the data received from said cellular telephone system and determines geographic location data transmitted from the cellular telephone system providing communication services to said cellular transceiver said controller further communicating with said remote host controller and transmitting the geographic location data, said remote host controller receiving and processing the geographic location data for determining an approximate geographic location of the vehicle and for displaying the approximate geographic location of the vehicle on said display.
A method for locating a vehicle equipped with a cellular transceiver using a cellular telephone system, said cellular telephone system including a transmitter emitting data containing cellular telephone system information, comprising the steps of:
- determining geographic location data from said cellular telephone system information;
- establishing a communications link between the cellular transceiver and a remote host controller having a display;
- transmitting to said remote host controller the identity of said vehicle and geographic location data;
- determining an approximate geographic location of said vehicle by interpreting said geographic location data;
- and
- graphically displaying on said display the approximate geographic location of said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.