Vehicle tracker, mileage-time monitor and calibrator
AssigneeTrimble Navigation Limited
InventorsJohn F. Schipper, Eric B. Rodal, James M. Janky, David J. Cowl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for monitoring location and speed of a vehicle, using a location determination system such as GPS, GLONASS or LORAN and an optional odometer or speedometer, for determining and recording the locations and times at which vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed for at least a threshold time (called a "vehicle arrest event"). Vehicle arrest event locations, times and time intervals are stored and/or printed to provide trip and mileage records and for efficiency monitoring. A vehicle odometer and/or speedometer can also be calibrated and/or corrected using this approach.
Claims24
Apparatus for calibration of at least one of a vehicle odometer and a vehicle speedometer, the apparatus comprising:
- a location determination (LD) unit, transported by a vehicle, that receives and processes LD signals to determine location coordinates of present location L and speed v of the LD unit at one or more selected observation times;
- and at least one of:
- a distance measuring mechanism that receives signals from the vehicle and estimates and records distance traveled by the vehicle from a selected earlier time t.sub.0 to the present time;
- and
- a speed measuring mechanism that receives signals from the vehicle and estimates and records the present speed of the vehicle at a sequence of selected times t.sub.i.
A method for calibrating at least one of a vehicle odometer and a vehicle speedometer, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving and processing location determination (LD) signals at an LD unit, transported by a vehicle, to determine location coordinates of present location L and speed v of the LD unit at one or more selected observation times;
- and
- receiving and recording at least one of:
- distance measuring signals from the vehicle that provide an estimate of distance traveled by the vehicle from a selected earlier time t.sub.0 to the present time;
- and
- speed measuring signals from the vehicle that provide an estimate of the present speed of the vehicle at a sequence of selected times t.sub.i.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.