Patent · US Expired

Vehicle location system

US5777580A · kind A · utility

248Cited by
7References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 1, 1995
Grant dateJul 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 1, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S2205/008
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Method and apparatus for determining vehicle present location using a location determination system (LDS), such as GPS, GLONASS, Loran or an inertial navigation system, that receives LDS signals from two or more sources. An LDS signal antenna and receiver/processor, an interrogation signal (IS) receiver means and IS responder means are electrically connected and carried on the vehicle. When a vehicle trigger event occurs, a specified vehicle IS is broadcast and is received by the IS receiver means. The IS receiver means causes the LDS receiver/processor to obtain vehicle present location information and to provide such information for the IS responder means, for transmission to an IS contact receiver (selected based upon vehicle present location). The IS receiver means and IS responder means are independently selected to be a cellular phone receiver, a paging signal receiver, a WAN/LAN workstation, or an Earth-satellite-Earth radiowave link, such as ORBCOMM.SM.. Optionally, the LDS receiver/processor is kept in a "sleeper" mode, to conserve power until the IS receiver receives and responds to the specified IS, or is periodically activated to update the LDS antenna present location.…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.