Apparatus, systems, and methods for processing alerts relating to an in-vehicle control unit
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsMarvin R. Hamrick, R. T. Mitchell Ingman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes provisions that allows information to be sent from the remote units to the central office and vice versa. The system also has safety features that promote the rapid dispatch of law enforcement personnel when requests for emergency assistance have been made from the remote units.
Claims18
An in-vehicle control unit comprising:
- a computer processor;
- and
- a memory being in operative communication with the computer processor and having computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving an alert signal from a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit;
- obtaining location information indicating a location of the vehicle;
- and
- transmitting emergency data to an alert call center in response to receiving the alert signal from the remote alert transmitter, the emergency data comprising:
- the location information;
- vehicle data identifying expressly whether the vehicle is turned on or off;
- and
- an indication that the in-vehicle control unit has received the alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit.
A computer-implemented method, for processing, at an alert call center, an indication of an emergency associated with an in-vehicle control unit, comprising:
- receiving, by a computer processor of the alert call center, emergency data transmitted by the in-vehicle control unit in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving a signal indicating that a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit has been activated, the emergency data comprising:
- vehicle location information;
- vehicle data identifying expressly whether the vehicle is turned on or off;
- and
- data indicating that the in-vehicle control unit has received an alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit.
A computer-implemented method for processing, at an alert call center, an indication of an emergency associated with an in-vehicle control unit, comprising:
- receiving, by a computer processor of the alert call center, emergency data sent by the in-vehicle control unit in response to the in-vehicle control unit receiving an alert signal from a remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit, the emergency data comprising:
- vehicle data identifying expressly whether a vehicle associated with the in-vehicle control unit is turned on or off;
- location information comprising a location of the vehicle associated with the in-vehicle control unit;
- and
- an indication that the in-vehicle control unit received the alert signal from the remote alert transmitter associated with the in-vehicle control unit;
- wherein:
- the alert call center receives the emergency data over a first transmission network in response to the in-vehicle control unit determining that the emergency data should be transmitted over the first transmission network;
- and
- the alert call center receives the emergency data over a second transmission network in response to the in-vehicle control unit determining that the emergency data should be transmitted over the second transmission network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.