Vehicle tracker including battery monitoring feature and related methods
US6819269B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60W2556/50
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle tracking unit for a vehicle of a type including a vehicle battery and at least one vehicle security device may include a vehicle position determining device, a wireless communications device for communicating with a monitoring station and including a receiver and a transmitter, a back-up battery, and a battery sensing circuit for sensing a voltage of at least one of the back-up battery and the vehicle battery. Furthermore, the vehicle tracking unit may also include a security device detector circuit for the at least one vehicle security device, a controller cooperating with the wireless communications device, the security device detector circuit, and the vehicle position determining device for sending position and security signals to the monitoring station. In addition, the controller may also be connected to the battery sensing circuit for disabling operation of the receiver based upon the sensed battery voltage being below a threshold.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.