GB2429100A

GB2429100A - Vehicle monitoring system

Info

Publication number: GB2429100A
Application number: GB0516334A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Morris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-09
Filing date: 2005-08-09
Publication date: 2007-02-14
Also published as: GB0516334D0

Abstract

A vehicle monitoring system comprises an on vehicle device 4 which registers at least the speed and location of the vehicle and is in communication with a remote server 6. In a first embodiment, the device tracks the speed and location of the vehicle and is preferably arranged to determine if the speed of the vehicle is in excess of the speed limit for that location. If the speed limit is exceeded the device may issue a signal 8 to the remote server 6 which can issue a speeding ticket. The device may issue a warning to the driver when the speed limit is exceeded. This warning may be audible or visual. A warning may also be issued as the driver approaches a speed limit area. The device may also contain a tamper proof sensor to emit a signal if the device is tampered with. In another embodiment, the device may be used to control the speed of the vehicle by issuing a signal to at least one of the engine management system, gearbox or brake control (Fig 2). In a further embodiment, the device may comprise wireless internet access to display traffic alerts for the surrounding area. In a yet further embodiment remote server may track a stolen car.

Description

VEHICLE TRACKING SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a system for monitoring the location and speed of a vehicle.

Vehicle speeds are most commonly monitored by speed cameras located in various positions along stretches of road, the cameras detecting the speed of the vehicle by emitting radar or laser beams. A speeding fine is then issued to vehicles detected travelling faster than the speed limit. These cameras can be costly to install and maintain and, in addition to general maintenance, speed cameras may also be subject to vandalism.

These cameras are fixed in specific points and can therefore only be used to determine the speed of a vehicle in specific locations and do not discourage drivers from speeding in between cameras. The presence of speed cameras at the side of the road can also encourage sudden braking as a speeding driver sees the camera ahead. This can be hazardous for other vehicles on the road and the unpredictable driving can lead to accidents.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server, the system arranged to monitor at least the location of the vehicle.

The device may be a GPS receiver and the system may further be arranged to monitor the speed of the vehicle. The device may track at least one of the location and speed of the vehicle and send this information to the remote server. The device may have speed limits stored in a memory and may be arranged to track the location and speed of the vehicle and emit a signal if the speed of the vehicle increases above the speed limit. The emitted signal may then be logged by the remote server and a speeding ticket may be issued without the need for roadside speed cameras.

Alternatively, the remote server may track at least one of the location and speed of all vehicles. Maps of all speed limits may be stored on the server and the system may be arranged to issue a speeding ticket if the server registers a vehicle speed above the respective speed limit. The system may be arranged to measure an instantaneous speed or alternatively, may determine an average speed over a period of time.

The system therefore enables the speed of a vehicle to be tracked at any location since it is not dependent on the specific location of a speed camera.

Preferably, each on-board device may be registered to a particular vehicle.

The system may further be arranged to control the speed of the vehicle.

This may be done by sending a signal to the vehicle engine management system, the gearbox control or the brake control. Preferably, the system may limit the speed of the vehicle if the vehicle speed increases above the speed limit. The system may also be arranged to reduce the speed of a vehicle until the vehicle comes to a stop. For example, if the police are in pursuit of a vehicle fitted with the on-board device, they may reduce the speed of the vehicle to a safe speed or bring the vehicle to a stop, allowing them to reach the vehicle.

The system may also be arranged to warn drivers of the speed limit of the area they are entering, a change in the speed limit, or to alert them if the speed of the vehicle increases above the respective speed limit. The warning may be either a voice command or a visual display and may be issued in advance of the change in speed limit. This allows the driver to adjust the speed of the vehicle gradually and safely before entering the new speed limit.

Additionally, the system may comprise wireless Internet access to the server providing access to traffic data. A voice command or visual display may be used to alert drivers to accidents or traffic delays in the surrounding area.

The system may also be used to track the location of stolen cars and the device may further comprise a tamper proof sensor. If the device is tampered with in any way, a signal may be sent to the server, alerting a central control room to the interference.

The system may further be arranged to alert people to the location of the vehicle. For example, a driver may alert emergency services to their position in an emergency. The system may comprise a user input to enable the driver to issue the alert and the user input may cause the system to transmit a signal indicative of the location of the vehicle. The alert may be issued direct to the emergency services, or alternatively may be issued to a central control system.

The system may also be used to monitor the mileage covered by a vehicle over a period of time. The system may also monitor the type of roads used by the driver by comparing the vehicle location to maps of roads stored in the system. This information may then be used in road tax calculations or for issuing toll charges.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle with on-board device in communication with a remote server; and Figure 2 shows the on-board device connected to the vehicle control systems.

Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle monitoring system 1 comprises a device 4 installed in a vehicle 2 and a remote server 6. The device 4 emits signals 8, which are detected by the server 6. In one embodiment, device 4 is a GPS receiver, which is registered for the particular vehicle in which it is installed. The device 4 tracks the location of the vehicle 2 over time and, from this calculates and monitors the vehicle speed. Maps of all routes and their respective speed limits are stored in the memory of the device 4 and the speed of the vehicle 2 is compared to the speed limit at the vehicle's location. If the speed of the vehicle 2 exceeds the speed limit, the device emits a signal 8. This signal 8 is logged by the remote server 6 and a speeding ticket can be issued to the registered vehicle owner.

In an alternative embodiment, device 4 sends a signal 8 to the server 6 at regular intervals, such as once a second, indicating its position using GPS. This allows the server 6 to track the position and speed of the vehicle 2. Road maps and their associated speed limits are stored in the memory of the server 6. Any vehicle 2 exceeding the speed limit for its location is detected and a speeding ticket is issued to the registered vehicle owner. The instantaneous speed of the vehicle can be recorded or, alternatively, the average speed of the vehicle over a period of time can be monitored. Specifically, the speed of the vehicle can be calculated by measuring the distance between the vehicles position at two consecutive position sampling times to determine the instantaneous speed, or the average speed over a higher number of consecutive position sampling times determined. This increases the accuracy of the speed measurements, and also can be used to avoid detection of speeding when the vehicle only exceeds the speed limit for a very short period, if this is desired.

The system 1 removes the need for roadside speed cameras and therefore reduces the costs incurred by these devices and reduces the risk of vehicles braking suddenly when seeing the cameras and causing accidents.

The vehicle information, such as vehicle movements over a period of time and speeds, can be stored in either the memory of the device 4 or the memory of the server 6. This vehicle information may be stored for 1 day or alternatively may be stored for a much longer period of time. The maximum amount of vehicle information stored will depend on the memory size of the device 4 or server 6. This information could, for example, be used to monitor frequent speeding offenders.

The system 1 is also used to warn drivers of a change in speed limit or to inform them of the speed limit in their current location. The position of the vehicle 2 is tracked by the device 4 or the server 6 and compared to maps and speed limit data stored in the memory of either the server 6 or device 4. A voice command or visual display alerts the driver to a change in speed limit. Preferably, both the position of the vehicle 2 and direction of travel are monitored by either the device 4 or the server 6. This information is then compared to maps and speed limit data allowing an approaching speed limit change to be detected in advance. An alert is issued in advance of the speed limit change to allow the vehicle driver to reduce the speed of the vehicle 2 safely, minimising the risks caused by sudden unpredictable braking. Alternatively, the appropriate speed limit is announced or displayed to the driver of the vehicle 2 at regular time intervals. A warning can also be issued if the server 6 or device 4 detects the vehicle speed increasing above the speed limit for the location of the vehicle 2.

Referring to Figure 2, in one embodiment, the system 1 is arranged to be able to control the speed of the vehicle 2. The GPS device 4 is linked to the engine management system 10, the gearbox control 12 and the brake control 14. If the device 4 or server 6 detects the vehicle 2 exceeding the speed limit for the location of the vehicle 2, the device 4 overrides the driver operated vehicle controls to reduce the speed of the vehicle 2. This is done using any one or more of the gearbox control 12, brake control 14 and the engine management system 10.

The system can also be used by the police. For example, if the police are in pursuit of a vehicle, they can send a signal to the server 6 with information about the vehicle they want to track. The server 6 then detects signals 8 emitted by the device 4 installed in that particular vehicle 2. The location, speed and direction of travel are monitored using GPS and the information can be sent back to the police. In some circumstances, the police can then use the server 6 and device 4 to take control of the vehicle 2 to reduce the speed of the vehicle to a safe speed or to bring the vehicle 2 to a halt.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the system 1 is used to warn drivers of traffic accidents or delays. The device 4 installed in the vehicle 2 has wireless Inlernet access to a server 6 containing traffic data. Signals 8 are emitted by the device 4 at regular intervals and are detected by the server 6, allowing the server 6 to monitor the position and direction of travel of the vehicle 2. The information is compared to traffic data in the direction in which the vehicle 2 is travelling. If a delay or other problem is detected, a signal is emitted from the server 6 to the vehicle 2, warning the driver of approaching delays in the surrounding area. The warning could be a voice announcement or alternatively could be a visual display inside the vehicle 2. The system 1 can also be used to suggest alternative routes. For example, a map showing alternative routes avoiding traffic delays could be displayed on a screen in the vehicle 2.

Since the device 4 is registered for a particular vehicle 2, the system 1 can also be used to track the movement of stolen cars. The device 4 emits a signal 8 at regular intervals that is detected by the server 6, enabling the server 6 to track the vehicle's location and direction of travel.

As a security measure, the device 4 installed in a particular vehicle 2 can be fitted with a tamper proof sensor. If the device 4 is tampered with in any way, the device 4 produces a signal. This signal may be sent to the server 6 and may send an alert to a main control room.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a user input to enable the driver or passenger to alert someone to the location of the vehicle. The user input comprises a button located on or near the dashboard of the vehicle or another suitable device. When the button is pressed, the system identifies the current position of the vehicle from GPS, encodes that position as data and emits a signal including the data.

In one arrangement the signal is transmitted to the control system server 6, which is arranged to transmit another signal to the emergency services alerting them to the location of the vehicle. In an alternative arrangement, the data signal is transmitted directly to a server of the emergency services, which outputs the data to alert the emergency services to the location of the vehicle.

The system can also monitor the mileage of a vehicle over a period of time and use this information to calculate road tax or issue toll charges, for example. The device 4 installed in the vehicle emits a signal 8 at regular intervals, indicating its position as determined by GPS and the time at which the vehicle is in that position. In one embodiment, the signals are detected by a server 6, which tracks the location and movement of the vehicle. The server system monitors the total mileage covered by the vehicle over a period of time, for example a month, six months or a year. This data is then used to calculate the road tax due to be paid by the vehicle driver for each period.

If the road tax system is arranged such that other factors affect the road tax payable, such as the times at which the vehicle uses the roads, including time of day and day of the week, or the speeds at which the vehicle travels, then this data can also be recorded by the device 4 or the server 6 and stored with mileage data, so that it can also be used to determine the final road tax bill.

The location and movement of the vehicle are also compared to road maps containing information about the status of each road. In one arrangement, road maps are stored in the device 4 and the signal 8 emitted by the device 4 contains information indicative of the type of road on which the vehicle is travelling. In another arrangement, the road maps are stored in the memory of the server 6 and the signal 8 received from the device 4 is compared to these maps to determine the type of roads used by the driver.

This information can then be used, for example, to issue toll charges since the system will detect a vehicle travelling on a toll road and will monitor the distance travelled along that road. An appropriate charge is then issued to the registered owner of the vehicle, for example using an automatic debiting system or the issue of a bill or invoice.

It will be appreciated that other vehicle data can be monitored by this system and that the system could be used in other ways, for example to log other traffic offences or to monitor traffic patterns.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server, the system arranged to monitor at least the location and speed of the vehicle and to register a vehicle speed above a predetermined limit.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the device tracks at least the location and speed of the vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the device has speed limits stored in a memory and is arranged to emit a signal if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed limit for the vehicle location.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the emitted signal is logged by the remote server and a speeding ticket is issued.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the remote server tracks at least the location and speed of all vehicles.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein maps of all speed limits are stored on the server and wherein the system is arranged to issue a speeding ticket if the server registers a vehicle speed above the respective speed limit.

7. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the on-board device is registered to a particular vehicle.

8. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is arranged to control the speed of the vehicle.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the system is arranged to limit the speed of the vehicle if the vehicle speed increases above a speed limit.

10. A system according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the speed of the vehicle is controlled by a signal sent to at least one of the vehicle engine management system, the gearbox control and the brake control.

11. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is further arranged to warn a driver of the speed limit of the area they are entering or a change in the speed limit.

12. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is further arranged to alert a driver if the speed of the vehicle increases above the speed limit.

13. A system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the warning is a voice command.

14. A system according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the warning is a visual display.

15. A system according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the warning is issued in advance of a change in speed limit.

16. A system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a wireless Internet access to the server providing access to traffic data.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein a voice command or visual display alerts drivers to accidents or traffic delays in the surrounding area.

18. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is further arranged to track the location of a stolen car.

19. A system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a tamper proof sensor arranged to emit a signal if the device is tampered with.

20. A system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a driver input arranged to cause the system to transmit a signal indicative of the location of the vehicle.

21. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is arranged to monitor the distance travelled by the vehicle over a period of time and to use the distance to calculate road tax.

22. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server and wireless Internet access to the server providing access to traffic data, the system being arranged to alert drivers to accidents or traffic delays.

23. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server, the system being arranged to track the location of a stolen car.

24. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server and a tamper proof sensor, the tamper proof sensor being arranged to emit a signal if the device is tampered with.

25. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server and a driver input arranged to cause the system to transmit a signal indicative of the location of the vehicle.

26. A vehicle monitoring system comprising an on-board device in communication with a remote server, the system being arranged to monitor the distance travelled by the vehicle over a period of time and wherein the distance is used in road tax calculations.

27. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.