KR20160135264A - Automobile services system - Google Patents

Abstract

A system is provided for providing monitoring of vehicle conditions. The system may include a measurement device. The measuring device may be detachably connected to the vehicle. The system may include a computer. The computer may be located within the vehicle. The measuring device may comprise a connection to a computer. The system may include a receiver. The receiver can be configured to receive, from the measurement device, a measure of data corresponding to a property of the vehicle, and a critical measure corresponding to a desired data measurement level for the property of the vehicle. The system may include a processor. The processor may be configured to determine if the data measurement exceeds a threshold measurement; And instruct the transmitter to send an alert to the user that the data measure for the vehicle property has been exceeded.

Description

[0001] AUTOMOBILE SERVICES SYSTEM [0002]

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS < RTI ID = 0.0 >

This application claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. Provisional Application No. 61 / 955,469 entitled " Automobile Services System and Software ", filed on March 19, 2014, United States Patent and Trademark Office, No. 62 / 107,091 entitled "Automobile Services System and Software" filed on January 23, 2015, and Provisional Application No. 62 / 107,091, filed January 27, 2015, No. 108,355, entitled "Systems for determining an optimal fueling station ", the entire disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to monitoring vehicle performance using an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) device and providing the results to a user.

In general, the use of OBD devices is limited to machines or other individuals or companies that provide automotive service. However, the vehicle includes a built-in computer, which can enable the user to monitor the performance of the vehicle and data on the condition of the vehicle.

Accordingly, there is provided an apparatus that allows a user to set thresholds for one or more vehicle performance levels, as well as to remotely monitor the performance of the vehicle. Additionally, there is provided an apparatus, system, and method for enabling a user to remotely monitor the status of their vehicle through connection with an OBD device, which monitors the vehicle computer for one or more occurrences .

A system is provided for providing monitoring of vehicle conditions. The system may include a measurement device. The measuring device may be detachably connected to the vehicle. The system may include a computer. The computer may be located within the vehicle. The measuring device may comprise a connection to a computer. The system may include a receiver. The receiver can be configured to receive, from the measurement device, a measure of the data corresponding to the attribute of the vehicle, and a threshold measure corresponding to the desired data measurement level for the vehicle property. The system may include a processor. The processor may be configured to determine whether the data measure exceeds a threshold measure and may be configured to instruct the transmitter to send an alert to the user that the data measure for the vehicle attribute has been exceeded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the figures thereof.
Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary computer system and network in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
2A-2C show an exemplary apparatus according to the principles of the present invention.
Figures 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b show exemplary processes according to the principles of the present invention.
Figures 5 to 12 show exemplary information according to the principles of the present invention.

Apparatus, methods and media for provided car-related services are provided.

The present invention relates generally to automotive services, and more particularly to a system and apparatus for providing additional automotive services to a user.

The present invention includes providing a complete set of vehicle-related services by communicating vehicle-related information to users. The present invention includes a device plugged into the On-Board Diagnostics ("OBD ") - II port of any vehicle sold since 1996, - Used to deliver related services. Such a device reads information from a computer of the vehicle. The device may also include an accelerometer, GPS, wireless communication (e.g., GSM or CDMA), Near Field Communication (e.g., Bluetooth), WiFi or gyroscope.

On-board diagnostics is an automotive term that refers to the self-diagnostic and reporting capabilities of a vehicle. The OBD system provides the vehicle owner or repair technician with access to the status of various vehicle systems and sub-systems. At present, OBD is not used to a sufficient extent.

As can be appreciated, there is a need for systems and software that use OBD for additional functionality.

For illustrative purposes, the present invention may be described as part of a system. The OBD device may be described as being part of a system. The system may include one or more of the features of the apparatus shown or described herein. A system may include one or more OBD devices (hereinafter referred to as "OBD device" or "device"), one or more servers, and one or more computing devices (eg, mobile device or computer). It should be noted that the system is not limited to these devices, and may also include additional devices.

Embodiments of the present invention may include devices coupled with specialized software. For example, a user may trigger a set of functions to monitor information from the device and to alert the user if certain thresholds are reached or exceeded. This can be accomplished with a single click or toggling. The selection of one or more operating modes with a single click, for example, establishes a pre-determined set of thresholds and provides an alert for reaching or exceeding any of the thresholds.

In one embodiment, the present invention may include an apparatus. Such a device may be an OBD device. An OBD device may conform to the OBD-II standard, and may include software and hardware conforming to the OBD-II standard. The specifications of the OBD-II standard implemented by the EPA are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The OBD apparatus according to the present invention does not need to include only functions limited to these standards.

The device can include a connection and can be detachably connected to the vehicle. The device may be connected to the vehicle via a data port. The connection may be a plug-in connection, a USB port connection, a serial port connection, a pin connection, or any other suitable connection. The connection may also be a wireless connection using a protocol such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The device can interact with or communicate with the computer. The computer may be an on-board computer (also referred to as a "vehicle computer") located within the vehicle. The vehicle computer may be configured to measure one or more data points or parameters from the vehicle.

It should be noted that it is considered in the present invention to have an OBD device as a separate device plugged into or connected to a vehicle as well as an OBD device embedded in the vehicle. Thus, some or all of the features of the OBD device may be connected to the vehicle computer, integrated into the vehicle, or embedded within the vehicle computer itself.

The OBD device may be any suitable diagnostic device for use in a vehicle. The device may be a measuring device. The present invention is operable with standard OBD devices, as well as with OBD devices that include the unique features discussed in the present application.

An OBD device may include one or more processors, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, and any additional suitable components.

An OBD device may include one or more communication systems configured to operate over various communication protocols. The OBD device may be configured to operate using a GSM or GPRS network. The OBD device may be configured to operate using 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE or any other suitable connection technology. The OBD device may include one or more cellular or GPS antennas. OBD devices may include such things as short-range wireless communication hardware, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chipsets.

The OBD device may include an internal battery supply. The OBD device can draw power from external sources such as solar power, or draw power through a connection to a car port. The OBD device may be configured to draw power from a plurality of power sources.

The OBD device may be configured to support TCP, UDP, and FTP protocols. The OBD device may include an SMS connection, and may be configured to receive and transmit SMS messages. The OBD device may be configured and updated via any suitable communication protocols, such as those already described.

The OBD device may include firmware. The firmware may be configured to operate using predetermined communication protocols. Thus, the device may be configured to receive one or more commands. The commands may be changed to change the information collected, received and / or transmitted by the device. For example, the OBD device may receive a command or command for collecting information regarding the speed of the vehicle through a connection port with the vehicle computer. In yet another example, the OBD device may be instructed to collect data regarding the acceleration and position of the vehicle, and may be instructed to transmit information at predetermined intervals.

The use of the OBD device data can be optimized and thus the amount of data transmitted and received by the device is limited. Thus, according to the present invention, the OBD device can be instructed to send information to the server only in response to a specified event or event. For example, an OBD device can normally receive a continuous data report from a vehicle computer.

To reduce data usage, event-based reporting can be used. Rather than having the device send all information to the server at specific intervals (i.e., every 30 seconds), the events can be used to cause the device to automatically notify the server when the event occurred. For example, GPS coordinates may not be used every 10 seconds to know the exact path taken by the driver. Instead, a report can be provided whenever the vehicle changes heading, which will reduce the amount of data being transmitted. It should be noted that event-based reporting may be used with normal data transmission.

The system may include such a server as the server already described. A server may include one or more processors, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, and any additional suitable components. The OBD device can communicate with the server. The server can set up control over the OBD device. The OBD device indicates that the data received and / or processed by the OBD device has reached or exceeded a threshold (i.e., a speed threshold), or indicates that a threshold (i. E., A virtual fence) has been violated, or If it indicates that any event (motion detected in the vehicle by the onboard OBD gyroscope or accelerometer) has occurred, it can be commanded by the server to just send an alert to the server. In yet another example, the OBD may be instructed to send an alert only when a plurality of events have occurred (e.g., only when a speed limit threshold has been reached or exceeded and both the virtual fence has been incompatible / violated) .

Additional examples of data usage optimization of the OBD device may include issuing a message that the threshold has been violated and instructing the OBD to simply send the type of the breached threshold, or may include issuing specific data of the threshold violation (e.g., location, ≪ / RTI > time, duration, etc.).

OBD device data may be transmitted from the OBD device to the server or to a plurality of servers and / or computers via cellular networks, wireless networks, USB, infrared, NFC or any other suitable transport protocols. The OBD device may transmit data to the servers using any other suitable protocols such as UDP, UDP-C, TCP / IP, TU, and SMS.

Vehicle data retrieved from the vehicle computer by the OBD device may be processed at one or more locations. Various configurations of where and how to process vehicle data may be selected, programmed, or entered by the user or by the entity or entity responsible for managing the OBD device and its services.

In one embodiment, a user may program a command for processing data using the processor of the OBD device, or may send it to the OBD device. A user may send a series of instructions about how to process data received from a vehicle computer to a telephone, a mobile device, a smart phone, a computing device (e.g., a mobile device, laptop, desktop, or server), an application, The device can be used to transfer to the OBD device. For example, the OBD may be commanded to only transmit vehicle speed information if the vehicle exceeds any programmed speed threshold (e.g., 50 MPH). In yet another example, the OBD device may be instructed to monitor vehicle computer data to determine whether the driver in the vehicle has pressed the brake pedal.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the OBD device may be programmed via firmware, software, initial instructions, updated instructions, or may be programmed in any suitable manner to send specific information to the server. The instructions may include instructions for preventing the OBD device from processing the data and for transferring data to be processed to the OBD device.

For example, the device may receive an instruction to transfer all acceleration data to the server. The device may also receive an instruction to transmit acceleration data (or any other suitable data) at predetermined intervals. That is, the OBD can be instructed to transmit all deceleration data to the server at 30-second intervals. The OBD can also be customized to transmit all data relating to a particular parameter, such as deceleration data, while at the same time transmitting only predetermined / preset threshold violations for another parameter, for example, a speed threshold The speed data can be transmitted only when it is violated. For example, if the deceleration data (or any other parameter that can be processed by the OBD) is cyclical at 60 Hz, 30 Hz, 20 Hz, 5 Hz, 2 Hz, And may be transmitted at a periodic rate. The deceleration data may also be transmitted only if there is a change in these parameters. The deceleration data may also be transmitted at the next scheduled transmission time only if there are any changes. That is, if generic parameters or specific parameters can be transmitted at 30 Hz, and there are changes in the parameters between the possible transmissions, the transmissions will only be transmitted in the next scheduled transmission rather than immediately after the change in the parameters.

The OBD device can send unprocessed or processed data to the server. The server initially indicates to the OBD device which parameters to monitor, what data to send, and what interval to send the data. The server may process the data received from the OBD. The server can determine whether the threshold for the parameter has been reached or exceeded. The server may instruct the OBD to determine whether the threshold for the parameter has been reached or exceeded (or falls below the threshold) using the OBD processor. If the OBD processor determines that a threshold for a parameter has been reached or exceeded, then the OBD may also be instructed to send a message to the server ahead of or above the threshold.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the OBD device can be initialized. Initialization of the device may be performed prior to the first use of the OBD by the user.

An exemplary device initialization sequence may include (1) inputting an OBD device phone number (and / or other OBD identification information, such as IMEI, IP address, etc.) to the server; (2) sending an initial command to the device via, for example, SMS; And (3) setting the port, IP address, user name, password, APN, SMS number, and communication protocol of the device used when the OBD communicates.

In step 1, the OBD device can be assigned a unique telephone number. The telephone number enables the OBD device to communicate using standard telephone features (e.g., using voice communication, SMS or MMS messaging, or transmitting and receiving data using any suitable communication protocols) .

The device phone number associated with the OBD can be stored and associated with the program server. The program server may be one device that manages OBD devices in a plurality of vehicles, or a series of interconnected devices or servers.

In step 2, the server can send an initial command. The initial command can be sent to the OBD device. The OBD device can receive the SMS from the server. The initial command informs the OBD device of the IP address and the port of the server, and the OBD device can thereby communicate with the server. The initial command may also notify the OBD device of the user name and / or password for the server so that the OBD device may logon to the server. Depending on the selection, a password may be required. The user can access a graphical user interface ("GUI") that displays or uses information received from the OBD device. The GUI may be located on a user device such as a telephone or computing device. The user device may communicate with the server and / or OBD device, and any other suitable devices.

In step 3, the server may set the port, IP address, user name, password, APN, SMS number, and / or communication protocol for communicating with the device. According to the present invention, the OBD device can be plugged into a portal. The portal may be used initially to communicate initial information to the OBD device, to communicate with the device, and to set the information as described in steps 1 to 3. The portal may be a docking station, and the docking station may include a power supply unit for charging the OBD device. The docking station may be powered using any suitable power supply system.

The OBD device may accommodate a Subscriber Identity Model ("SIM") card. The SIM card can be programmed via a docking station, which can send commands to the OBD device.

After the initial sequence, the OBD device can be programmed by the server. This subsequent programming sequence includes (1) receiving a response from the OBD device for an initial command; (2) sending a command to the device to query the device firmware and model; (3) updating the OBD device table with the model type; (4) setting such thresholds as speed threshold, acceleration and deceleration thresholds, and virtual fence thresholds; (5) setting the device state to " onboarded " (i.e., communication with the server is established); (6) Notifying the owner of the device that the device is 'onboard'; And (7) sending a command to the OBD device to retrieve GPS coordinates for the vehicle.

In step 1 of the programming sequence, the OBD may indicate to the server that an initial command has been received. The OBD device may authenticate the commands. In step 2, the query may initiate a test sequence. In step 3, the device table may include a lookup table or any other suitable table stored in memory, initialize such a table, and store initial values in such a table. The table may be associated with an OBD device. Each OBD device may be associated with a unique look-up table. The lookup table can be located within the server. Each device may be stored with a model type associated with the device.

In step 4, the thresholds may be set using default parameters. The default parameters may include default thresholds based on one or more modes. Default parameters can be modified. The thresholds may also be customized thresholds input by the user. The user may enter thresholds via an application on a computer or smart phone associated with the OBD device and in direct or indirect communication with the OBD device. In step 5, the OBD device state may be set to onboard, which may indicate that the device is being properly executed. In step 6, the user may receive a notification that the device is onboard in any suitable manner. In step 7, the server may send a command to the OBD to determine the GPS coordinates of the vehicle using the OBD internal GPS antenna, the vehicle's GPS antenna, or any other suitable method.

The OBD device may include a memory module, a power source, a microprocessor, firmware, and one or more communication hardware chips (e.g., a Cat10 LTE modem, Intel's 7360 LTE modem, or Qualcomm's MDM9625 LTE modem) have. The OBD may be programmed with data collection instructions or may receive updated, modified or customized instructions at predetermined or customized intervals. The OBD can be connected to the OBD port in the vehicle using any suitable connection, such as a pin connection.

The OBD device may be programmed with data collection parameters. Such programming may be performed via firmware as programming software for the module firmware by connection to a PC or a docking port. The OBD can then be plugged into the pin or USB connection of the OBD II port of the vehicle.

The OBD can be configured to operate in various modes. These modes may operate sequentially, or a plurality of modes may be used simultaneously by the OBD.

In the first embodiment, the OBD can be used for vehicle pick-up and drop-off. In certain instances, a vehicle owner or operator (hereinafter referred to as "owner ", but also used to refer to an operator who is not the owner) may, for a temporary period, You may want to leave your car. However, the vehicle owner may want to monitor the vehicle, or may want to prevent the occurrence of certain events.

The owner may initiate a mode (also known as a valet parking mode herein) for monitoring the vehicle when it is under the protection and / or management of another person or entity. It should be noted that the valet parking mode is merely a reference name and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The owner can enter a number of parameters to be monitored. The parameters may have been entered by the owner before leaving the vehicle to the parking attendant. The parameters may be entered when handing off the vehicle to, for example, a valet parking party or another party. The parameters may be default parameters entered by the administrator of the OBD system, or may be default parameters entered by the owner.

The parameters may include maximum speed threshold, maximum acceleration threshold, virtual fence coordinates, and / or odometer thresholds. The virtual fence coordinates may include a radius of allowable positions for the vehicle while the valet parking mode is activated. For example, if all valet parking is activated, the virtual hedge includes points on the circumference of the circle of a certain radius around that point where the valet parking mode is activated. These radii can be, for example, 1 mile, 0.5 miles, 1 km, 0.5 km, and the like. The radius can also be larger or smaller depending on the nature of the valet parking. For example, if there is a parking lot within a certain radius of the dropoff location in a valet parking, the radius may be smaller and may surround the parking lot closely. The virtual fence coordinates may also or alternatively include a radius of unacceptable locations for the vehicle while both valet parking is active. The virtual fence coordinates may also include certain areas (e.g., a certain distance) in which the vehicle is not permitted even within an acceptable virtual fence area. The forbidden regions may include, for example, regions with higher crime rates than certain thresholds or areas with crimes associated with the vehicle (e.g., carjacking, vehicle theft, etc.). For example, the server and / or the OBD device may be configured so that any portion of the virtual fenced area is different from the other parts of the virtual fenced area (or the national average, city average, state average (or other threshold) of 20% (or other percentage) of the higher crime rate, and if so, the region may be excluded from the virtual fenced area. Demographic information, including variables such as the number of vehicle accidents and census data, may also be used in conjunction with the crime rate, or may be used separately from the crime rate.

The owner may initiate the valet parking mode at that point when the owner intends to take over the vehicle, or before taking over the vehicle, or after the vehicle has been taken over. The valet parking mode may be initiated by toggling the switch or by pressing a button as is done on a smartphone application to initiate the valet parking mode.

When the valet parking mode is initiated, the OBD monitors the vehicle for a violation of one or more thresholds. When a threshold violation is detected, the OBD has data including one or more of the type of threshold violation (i. E., A virtual hedge violation), duration of violation, frequency of violation, current position of the vehicle, The message can be sent to the server. In this case, the server can send an alert to the owner if a violation exists.

The owner can receive an alert from the user with information about the threshold violation. The owner can instruct the server to send threshold violation alerts in real-time when each event occurs. Alternatively, the owner may instruct the server to send threshold violation alerts collectively, e.g., when there is a certain number of alerts (i.e., five alerts), to collectively transmit them, (E.g., every hour, every minute, etc.) at a time interval (e.g., every hour, every hour, etc.).

The OBD device may be further operable to provide a system for facilitating the retrieval of a valet parked or parked vehicle. The search steps include (1) a customer order for searching for a vehicle; (2) the identification of a valet parking establishment or parking establishment responsible for the vehicle, where the valet parking establishment or the parking establishment responsible for the vehicle may be a prior input by the user or the valet parking establishment, Or by determining the GPS position of the vehicle.

The OBD device may be operable to provide a system for facilitating the drop-off of the vehicle to be parked. These steps include: (1) leaving the vehicle at an arbitrary position; (2) initiating an application to request a pickup at a particular location; (3) searching or identifying a valet parking business or a parking business to park the vehicle; (4) relocating the vehicle's holding authority; (5) initiating the valet parking mode, if desired; And (5) optionally, informing the user that the vehicle is parked.

The OBD device may be used to facilitate user pick-up of the parked vehicle. According to the principles of embodiments of the present invention, the system comprises the following steps: (a) initiating a function in a vehicle search application and / or an application, such as, for example, on a telephone or computer; (b) requesting the preparation of the vehicle for the search and pickup of the vehicle; (c) identifying a valet parking establishment / valet parking assistant at a location where the vehicle is parked; And (d) sending a message to the business / aide to prepare the vehicle for pickup, to facilitate a process for searching for a valet parked vehicle.

In the previous step (a), the application may include a function of interfacing with the OBD device. Thus, the application can be configured to search the GPS of the vehicle (which will be provided to the application via the OBD) using the GPS receiver located in the OBD device or located in the vehicle itself. The application may also have previously stored GPS coordinates of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the vehicle, such as when the owner drops the vehicle to the parking facility. Moreover, the owner can manually enter the parking area or facility address and location within the application. The owner can also enter the name of the parking facility or the name of the nearby business facility / place, select a name for the business facility, and / or select any point on the map.

The application may be configured to use the telephone or computer communication systems to transmit the message. Thus, in step (b), the application may receive input from a user to search for a vehicle. The application can then determine the location of the vehicle and can start step (c). In step (c), the application may determine a valet parking establishment associated with the parked vehicle. For example, using GPS coordinates of a parked vehicle, the application can use the database to determine which entity is owning or operating the parking facility at that location. In yet another example, an application may access the owner of the facility through public records or mapping software. The application can also determine the contact information of the operator at the location and contact the parking facility in step (d).

The contacts in step (d) may include telephone calls, text messages or e-mails, which may include pre-programmed details of the vehicle and / or vehicle ID / parking ticket.

At this time, the application can remotely activate the OBD device. Alternatively, the OBD device may be instructed to actively track not only the location of the vehicle but also when the ignition is activated. This function allows the owner of the vehicle to determine the estimated time at which the vehicle is ready for pickup. For example, if the OBD device determines that the ignition device is activated, the OBD device may send a message to the server, in which case the server sends an alert to the owner. Accordingly, the owner can know within a few minutes that the vehicle will be ready for pickup. The server and / or the OBD can estimate the amount of time required to drive the vehicle from the current position of the vehicle to the pickup position and notify the user of such time. Even before the ignition device is turned on, the server can use data on how long it typically takes for a particular valet parking establishment to turn on the ignition device from a vehicle request and provide a time estimate based on this data .

The sequence for tracking the vehicle using the OBD device may be: (1) the driver of the vehicle delivers their vehicle to the valet parking / parking assistant; (2) activating the vehicle monitoring mode using the application to monitor the position, speed and various additional attributes of the vehicle as the vehicle is being delivered (these attributes can be remotely monitored remotely through the application This allows the driver to recognize if the vehicle has moved outside the virtual fence or has exceeded a certain speed (eg, other parameters / variables), and can optionally receive an alarm ); (3) when the vehicle monitoring mode is started, the server receives the initial value of the corresponding mode; (4) the server queries the OBD device for the current location of the device / vehicle; (5) the server receives the location of the vehicle; (6) the server creates a virtual fence having a radius anywhere around the current location and / or the planned location of the vehicle (e.g., the location of the valet parking place); (7) the server translates the radius of the virtual fence into a plurality of GPS coordinates and populates and links these coordinates on a map within the application; (8) the server generates a speed threshold for the vehicle (the speed threshold may be based, for example, on the speed limit on a particular road); (9) the server generates acceleration and / or deceleration thresholds for the vehicle; (10) Instructing the OBD to send an alert to send a message to the server if the server violates one or more of the thresholds; And (11) receiving an alert that the threshold is violated if the user receives a message from the server that the threshold is violated, either as a popup in the application, as an SMS message, or in any other suitable format .

It should be noted that, in step 6, the creation of the virtual fence may be performed using the filled parameters for the virtual fence. For example, the OBD device may be pre-programmed to have a radius of one mile. Such pre-programming can be performed at the device level or at the server level. In yet another example, a user may enter a customized virtual fence radius. In step 9, the speed threshold may be predetermined or customized by the driver.

There is provided an example of transforming a radius into virtual fence coordinates, this exemplary transformation comprising the steps of: (1) determining whether an inradius of the inscribed circle is used or a radius is used (inradius = A decision can be made to use the radius of the inscribed circle if the user's residence within that radius is desired, and if the user is outside (i. e., restricted radius (e.g., out-radius) may be used for the radius of the polygon point where the polygon is to remain in the area (e.g., A default value (e.g., six vertices, or any other suitable number) can be set for the number of vertices of each vertex, and each vertex is spaced apart by ' 360 degrees / vertices ' , And has six vertices, (3) For each vertex, the coordinates are computed by [r * cos (degrees), r * sin (degrees)] where vertex 1 is at 60 degrees, vertex 2 is at 120 degrees, (Where "r" represents a radius or radius of an inscribed circle, coordinates are provided in units of miles), and (4) coordinates are converted to latitude and longitude coordinates.

Exemplary formulas and codes for transforming a radius into virtual fence coordinates may include the following.

The following detailed description is a description of several modes for carrying out the embodiments of the present invention. This description should not be construed in a limiting sense, and since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims, the description is provided solely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Collectively, an embodiment of the present invention provides a system for providing vehicle-related services, the system including an on-board diagnostic device (OBD) including wireless communication, wherein the on- And the system also includes a program product comprising machine-readable program code, wherein the machine-readable program code causes the device to cause the device to perform the following process steps: Compiling data from the computer; Comparing the data with critical measurements; To inform the user when data transmitted from a computer of the vehicle exceeds critical measurements. It should be noted that the OBD device may continue to monitor vehicle computer data.

The data points (or parameters / variables) measured by the vehicle computer may include fuel level, engine coolant temperature, battery level, fuel pressure, engine RPM, vehicle speed, intake air temperature, oxygen sensor information, barometric pressure , Throttle position information, ambient air temperature, fuel type or air flow information, or any other suitable information. It should be noted that the OBD-II standard is used to control which OBD parameters are to be monitored by the vehicle computer, and that all OBD parameter IDs are considered in the present invention.

The OBD device may include a receiver. The receiver can receive the information. The information may be received from the server. The OBD device may receive information from the computer (e.g., data measured or monitored by the vehicle computer). The OBD device may also receive information and instructions from the server. The server may be located away from the device.

The server may send information and / or commands to the device. The information / instructions may include one or more variables, parameters, and / or thresholds.

According to the present invention, the user of the present invention can monitor the state of repair of the vehicle, the position, speed, acceleration, deceleration, and other vehicle-related information of the vehicle using the OBD apparatus. The OBD device may be plugged into a vehicle, and may include software, a GPS antenna, an accelerometer, and may include a cellular antenna for communicating data between the device and the server, the server then being able to communicate with the user . The server may communicate with the user by sending an alert to the user via alert activation and through a plurality of communication methods (including but not limited to telephone calls, text messages, email, ftp, etc.) . The software of the present invention allows users to use one-click functions to set various modes, thereby allowing the user to view information about the vehicle based on parameters that can be predetermined for each mode And alerts. Among other things, the present invention allows a user to easily receive and use vehicle-related information such as alerts, reports, and other information.

As noted above, the present invention may include an OBD device plugged into a vehicle. The OBD device collects information from the vehicle's on-board computer, and independently collects information (such as vehicle speed, position, acceleration, deceleration) in three dimensions To the server. Furthermore, the present invention may receive requests that require collection and reporting on the specific information when the OBD device is programmed to report specific information.

The user interface of the present invention may include a web site, a mobile app, an SMS message, a phone (and other communication methods), which allows users to select various modes using a single click, Mode is designed to deliver specific feedback to users or others. The intermediary server provides a method for communication between the user and the OBD device. In other words, the software transmits information to the OBD device, receives information from the OBD device, analyzes the information, and facilitates communication between the user and the website, mobile application, email, text message or person.

Methods of using the present invention include: (1) inserting an OBD device into a vehicle port; (2) subscribing to the OBD device monitoring service; (3) using a website, mobile application, SMS or voice communication to initiate programming sequence and calibration of the device.

Examples of modes in which the present invention may operate include the following.

Valet mode - The vehicle owner or driver can establish an alarm system for valet parking assistants or when the vehicle is being mismanaged in a parking lot. When the driver delivers their vehicle to the valet parking assistant, they can initiate the valet parking mode through the application. When this mode is activated, thresholds for, for example, speed, acceleration, deceleration, virtual fence and odometer are automatically configured. These thresholds may be preconfigured, or may be entered by the user. If the thresholds are violated, the user receives an alarm. For example, there are speed limits of 30 mph, a circular virtual fence of one mile, and certain acceleration thresholds.

Family safety mode. The user can establish several safety running thresholds. This can be established by toggling on or selecting the one-click function to activate that mode. This mode may activate predetermined or preconfigured safety thresholds, which may include, for example, speed, hard acceleration, hard deceleration, and preset virtual fences. When activated in the application, the application relays this activation to the server and sends a command to the OBD device to cause the server to begin monitoring the vehicle computer for any threshold violations. The OBD device may also be instructed to notify the server when it reaches or exceeds any of the thresholds. If the server receives an alert that the threshold has been reached or exceeded, the server may choose to send an alert to the user based on the user's predetermined threshold configurations. Certain embodiments of the present invention may also include more than one "Profile" that may be activated, and each profile may have different pre-determined thresholds, i.e., for user A, 55 MPH And specific virtual fence parameters and specific accelerometer readings or 65 MPH.

Towing Alerts. The user can remotely activate the monitoring of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is being towed or moved. The user can enable traction monitoring. When this mode is activated, the vehicle ignition device may be in an off state. It should be noted that traction monitoring may be activated even when the ignition device is on (such as when the OBD device detects a upward movement of the vehicle). The OBD device can then be commanded from the server to monitor the vehicle. It should be noted that in all modes, and in traction mode, OBD can utilize vehicle computer data, as well as data determined by OBD device hardware and software. In the traction mode, the OBD device can monitor for one or more states if the vehicle ignition device is off and not switched on. The OBD device may be configured to: (a) determine whether the accelerometer and / or GPS antenna / system and / or the gyroscope are reporting a tilt and / or elevation of the vehicle (e.g., Or whether the accelerometer and / or the gyroscope detect any change); (b) the vehicle is moving, or (c) there is a sudden change in acceleration. An accelerometer or gyroscope can be located in the vehicle itself, or embedded in an OBD device. Thus, the OBD apparatus can determine that the vehicle is moving or has an acceleration based on data retrieved from the vehicle computer when the ignition apparatus is in the off state. Alternatively, the OBD device may determine whether the vehicle is moving or accelerating based on the accelerometer and / or the gyroscope and / or the GPS antenna / system in the OBD device.

The OBD device may send a message to the server that motion has been detected when the ignition device is off. In one embodiment, the OBD device may send such a message only when sufficient motion is detected. Thus, the threshold for motion can include determining that motion has occurred for a sufficient duration, such as 30 seconds (or 20 seconds, or 15 seconds, or 10 seconds, or 5 seconds, or 3 seconds, or 1 Seconds) and / or there is sufficient acceleration (e.g., 3 m / s ^ 2 or 4 m / s ^ 2) for a longer period of time.

Attendance Mode. The user can activate monitoring of the vehicle associated with the OBD device. Attendance mode or school attendance mode can be used to monitor work, school, medical facility or other recurring appointments or time commitments. Thus, whenever an entity must travel to a particular location, the attendance mode can perform monitoring to ensure the attendance of the user. Additionally, it provides a function for ensuring the attendance of the user for an appropriate amount of time. The attendance mode may be activated by a first user who may be an administrator of the vehicle. The school attendance mode can be activated for each use, for example, each time the child uses the vehicle, the administrator activates the school attendance mode. Alternatively, the school attendance mode may be activated for a long period of time, such as weeks, months, or years.

Vehicle monitoring by an administrator of the OBD device can monitor a student or a child's vehicle. The administrator can establish acceptable routes for the vehicle. Acceptable routes can be established by the administrator by using the user interface. For example, the user interface can provide a map to the administrator, and the administrator can select one path (or multiple paths) and designate the path as acceptable. An administrator may also select one or more acceptable deviations, for example, to select a parallel road or block (e.g., in connection with traffic). Alternatively, the system may include thresholds for acceptable deviations, e.g., if a traffic situation is detected, one block (or two blocks, or three blocks, or four blocks) Or a mileage radius (e.g., 0.5 mile, or 1 mile, or 1.5 miles) is allowed. Traffic conditions can be detected by receiving such a traffic situation from a third party provider, or can be detected by analysis performed by an OBD device or server. For example, the server may receive information about the speed and location of the vehicle. This means that the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and / or the speed and / or location of such a vehicle compared to the speed of the vehicle on a previous journey on the road that was previously associated with (or stored in the OBD) . The server may consider a particular time of day in deciding whether the vehicle is in a traffic situation while ensuring a deviation from an acceptable path. That is, 30 MPH may be normal at 2 pm on weekdays, while 15 MPH may be normal at 5 pm on weekdays. The server may determine that the vehicle is at least 50% (or more) of the normal speed based on at least one of the following factors: location, date, time, weather, whether the day of the week is a holiday, 25%, or 75%). ≪ / RTI >

The administrator can establish acceptable paths to and from the student's school and provide monitoring and reporting on any divergence from the allowable paths. Monitoring and reporting on departure from the paths may include receiving information from the OBD device, and the OBD device may be programmed to detect a stoppage of the vehicle. Moreover, in one embodiment, the OBD device may analyze the traffic situation from publicly available traffic situation resources, such as a news site, a smartphone traffic application, or any other suitable traffic situation provider. The OBD device can then determine that an unacceptable outage has occurred if there is a vehicle outage when there is no detected traffic condition. OBD can also use its onboard accelerometer to determine sudden stop and delay. Thus, the device may detect a delay along a road and a delay of a time longer than a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, or 5 minutes). The predetermined number of minutes for the stop can be pre-configured by the system, or can be entered by the user. The number of minutes for stopping may be based on the maximum amount of time the red traffic lights can remain in the red state and the vehicle may consider the distance away from the traffic lights Because they can take time to move). The OBD device can alert the administrator if the vehicle leaves the school location at an unauthorized time, or if it moves out of the permitted path.

Carpool Mode and School Bus Mode. The user may enter one or more participants in the carpool or bus via any suitable method, such as on an application on a smartphone or at a web site. The carpool may be one or more entities sharing a vehicle. The carpool mode can monitor the drop-off and pickup positions of one or more entities in the carpool, set allowable paths and deviations for the carpool, and set the order of pick-up / drop-off for the carpool participants Monitor the progress of the vehicle along the carpool path, and report any changes to the route to the authorized carpool participants. The school bus mode can monitor a child's progress on the school bus for each user.

In one embodiment, the server may receive a carpool order for pick-up and / or drop-off from a user input to the user interface. The order of the pick-ups may be different from the drop-off sequence. In another alternative embodiment, the server may determine the order for the pick-up and the order for the drop-off. In this case, the user can adjust the order.

The server can send the order to the OBD device and can instruct the device to monitor the stopping points (e.g., drop-offs and pickups) of the vehicle. The OBD device may be instructed to monitor the location of the drop-offs and the pickups, as well as the order in which they occur. The OBD device may also be instructed to send a message to the server if the order and / or duration of the drop-offs and pickups differs from the pre-populated list. The OBD device can also transmit its location to the server using its onboard GPS antenna. The OBD device can transmit its location in real time or at predetermined intervals, such as every 30 seconds, or every minute, every two minutes, every three minutes, every four minutes, or every five minutes . The server can then send this information to one or more users, who can monitor the progress of the vehicle along the path and receive any changes or deviations from the path. The OBD device can also calculate the estimated time to each stop, and can transmit the estimated time to the server at a predetermined interval or in real time. The server can then send an alert to the user.

In one embodiment, such as commute bus mode, the user may send a query to determine the location of the child on the school bus. This location may be returned from the OBD device of the school bus. Alternatively, the location may be received from the child's cell phone. In another alternative embodiment, the location may be crowdsourced based on the GPS location of some or all of the phones of the children on the bus.

Follow mode. The system may allow a plurality of users to follow up with each other in their vehicles by generating a follow mode event to a predetermined or non-predetermined location and / or along a predetermined or predetermined path. Lt; / RTI > Each of the users can activate the follow mode, and the follow mode transmits a command for transmitting the position signal using the GPS antenna to the OBD device in the user's vehicle. When the user selects the follow mode, the users will be prompted to enter identification information for one or more other users. A leader can generate unique code that can be shared with potential followers. When followers enter these codes, they can see the leader's location. The system will inform the other user (s) of the request to allow them to participate in the follow mode event, and each user can accept this invitation individually and positively before their location is exposed to other participants . If they accept the invitation, each user's OBD device can transmit its location to the server using the onboard GPS antenna or via the phone's GPS antenna. The server can then aggregate the locations of all participants and display them on a map.

One of the users can designate himself as a leader (similar to a leader in a conference call). If the follow mode invitation (s) is accepted, all participants participating in the follow mode event may display a map showing the location of each participant participating in the follow mode event, or display a map showing only the location of the leader . The location may be determined based on GPS coordinates received from the OBD device for each participant, or may be determined based on GPS coordinates retrieved from the participant's phone.

If the event is to move to any pre-determined location, the path to that location may be located on a graphical user interface (GUI), along with the location of the leader and / or its pre-determined location and / , Can be displayed to participants as waypoints on the map. If the event is not to any predetermined location, the location of the reader and the individual user, or the location of the reader and all participants, may be displayed on the map.

Driving safety. When this mode is activated by the user, the system monitors to determine when the ignition device is on and when the speed of the vehicle exceeds a pre-determined threshold. The ignition device status is determined through the OBD device, and the OBD device receives the ignition device information from the vehicle computer. The speed of the vehicle can be determined using the accelerometer of the device, or it can be determined using an analysis of the vehicle computer information (e.g., including GPS coordinates) by the OBD. When the ignition device is activated and reaches or exceeds a pre-determined threshold, functions associated with the driver's e-mail, text messaging, and / or voice call on the person's cellular telephone associated with that particular vehicle are deactivated and / will be.

The OBD device is further operable to detect potholes. In one embodiment, the OBD includes a gyrometer and an accelerometer that detects changes in velocity and motion to detect the presence of portholes. Information about the location of the portholes is compiled and sent to the server, which is stored in the database on the server. The porthole information is then aggregated and provided to other users.

Safe Baby Mode ("SBM"). The user can activate this mode by toggling the switch, or by clicking on the option. This mode can be activated for a long period of time. For example, the SBM can be activated when the user brings the baby home from the hospital and can remain active for many years.

When in the active state, the SBM assists the user in monitoring their vehicles for children. Thus, when the user leaves the vehicle, checks are performed to ensure that no baby, infant, or child remains in the vehicle.

If the OBD device detects that the car ignition is stopped, the OBD may send a notification to the server, and the server sends an alert to the driver or to the person who activated the SBM. The notification can inform the driver that the vehicle has been turned off and can be presented as a pop-up alert in a smartphone application or on the phone, or presented as an email or SMS message, or the like.

If the driver or manager of this mode has not done so within a predetermined period of time such as, for example, 10 minutes, that all children have come out of the vehicle, the system will activate the microphone in the OBD device to hear the sound in the vehicle . If the OBD device detects such noise for a long period of time, which is determined by the system as being noise generated by a human, if the OBD device detects a noise level above the predetermined threshold, indicating the presence of the eye, and initiate a call to the responder (s). If the OBD device determines that there may be a human in the vehicle, the OBD device may be connected to a call center, and the call center may determine whether the human operator has a child in the vehicle based on the sound or image . The OBD device can also determine whether the human being is a child by analyzing the pitch of the sound and the breathing pattern, determine the words used through speech recognition, and so on. Thus, if, for example, the OBD and / or server determines that a person is speaking (e.g., on a telephone) and therefore speech recognition is able to determine the words to be used, whether the person is a baby or a baby Is determined. If the speech recognition software determines the words to be used, the OBD and the server may use the Flesch Reading Ease scale and / or the Flesch-Kincaid Grade scale to determine the age of the speaker -Level scale) can be used. Thus, for example, using this scale, it can be determined that the person speaking is five and therefore the child is still in the vehicle.

In the SBM, the OBD device may also include a temperature sensor. Thus, if the device determines that the temperature is starting to rise or increases significantly above a predetermined acceptable threshold level, the system may contact the emergency responders. In another alternative embodiment, if the temperature drops below a certain level, the OBD device may be commanded to turn on the heating system of the vehicle, and then trigger the turn on of the heating system of the vehicle. Likewise, if the temperature exceeds a predetermined predetermined level (e.g., 90 ° or 100 ° or 110 °), the OBD device may be commanded to turn on the vehicle's air conditioning system. The air conditioning or heating systems can be turned on by the OBD device.

The OBD device may also include a motion sensor, which may be used simultaneously with temperature sensors and / or microphones to detect the presence of a child, or may be used later. Additional features may include such a pressure sensor, such as a pressure sensor installed under a child's seat, which communicates with the OBD device (e.g., Bluetooth communication or Wi-Fi communication) and determines whether the child is seated or not, And is configured to instruct the device.

Thus, the SBM is operable to prevent inadvertent loss of a child or baby in the vehicle. The toggling on of the SBM mode commands the system to initiate a check on the child in the vehicle. Thus, the server receives an instruction to initiate the SBM from the user device. The system is then configured to receive an alert that the vehicle igniter is turned off when in the SBM. When the vehicle ignition device is stopped, the OBD device transmits a notification of such a thing to the server. Then, the server sends an instruction to the OBD device, or, alternatively, when the SBM is activated, the OBD device receives an instruction to determine that the driver or entity has emptied the vehicle. The OBD can determine if the Bluetooth connection between the vehicle and the mobile device has been terminated if the ignition device is turned off. Alternatively, the seat sensors may communicate with the OBD device and / or the server and may indicate whether there is somebody left in the vehicle.

The SBM may be used to detect movement sensors, video cameras such as video cameras mounted in or on OBD devices, infrared sensors located within an OBD device or vehicle, child voice or sound or any distress sounds And a pressure sensor in the child's car seat.

If the OBD determines that the child is within the vehicle from any of these sensors, then the notification sequence notifies the driver, as well as notifying the one or more emergency contacts entered by the user or stored in the OBD and / or server do. Alternatively or additionally, the system may notify the emergency authorities. Notifications can be made via SMS or phone calls.

In one embodiment, emergency services may only be notified when a dangerous condition is detected in the vehicle. Thus, even when a child is detected in the vehicle and the ignition device is off, the OBD can determine the temperature, the recent temperature drop or rise, the quality of the air in the vehicle, and other appropriate conditions. Emergency services may not be notified if the conditions are all appropriate. Instead, additional attempts can be made to contact the driver or owner. In this case, the emergency services may be notified only after, for example, five attempts, after 20 minutes, or any other appropriate number of times. If the temperature changes rapidly, liaison to emergency services may occur immediately.

In one embodiment, the following sequence: (1) determining a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on GPS coordinates of the vehicle; And (2) some or all of the child's presence in the vehicle and notifying the appropriate PSAP that assistance is needed may occur without any ordering. Notification of the local PSAP may occur with the OBD device communicating with the server and the server instructs the call center to talk to the local 911 / PSAP.

The server may send an instruction to the OBD device to remotely control some functions within the vehicle while waiting for the driver, guardian, or authority to increase the safety of the child. The OBD is capable of communicating with the vehicle's computer and can be used to turn the air conditioning or heating system on, to open or close the window, to turn on or turn off the light, and to lock or unlock the door Command.

The present invention also relates to a method and system for monitoring the use of a vehicle, such as predicting when an automotive battery will become scarce, planning a traffic based on a driving pattern, monitoring fuel usage and efficiency, Lt; / RTI >

Exemplary threshold calculations for the various modes may be as follows, where the unit of velocity thresholds below is miles per hour and the unit of acceleration thresholds and deceleration thresholds is the number of miles per hour (miles per hour per second).

Exemplary protocols are provided below.

The computer-based data processing systems and methods described above are provided for illustrative purposes only and may be implemented in any type of computer system or programming or processing environment or may be implemented in computer programs alone or in combination with hardware . The invention may also be embodied in software stored on a computer-readable medium and executed as a computer program in a general purpose computer or special purpose computer. For clarity of description, only those embodiments of the system associated with the present invention are described, and the detailed description of the present invention is omitted. For the same reason, the computer hardware is not described in further detail. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular computer language, program, or computer. The present invention may be practiced on a stand alone computer system or the invention may be practiced on a server computer system that can be accessed by a plurality of client computer systems interconnected through an intranet network or accessible by clients over the Internet It is also contemplated that it can be implemented. Additionally, many embodiments of the present invention find application in a wide range of industries. To the extent disclosed by the present application, software executed as a computer, a method embodied by the system, as well as a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for carrying out the method on a general purpose or special purpose computer, Are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, to the extent disclosed by this disclosure, a method, a system of apparatuses configured to implement the method, is within the scope of the present invention.

It should, of course, be understood that the foregoing is directed to the exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below.

Thus, a system for monitoring valet parking and / or parking facility use of a vehicle is provided. Such a system may include an apparatus or a method.

The system may include a server. The server can receive information from the user. A user may transmit information using a computer, web application, web site, smart phone, application, or any other suitable device.

The user can send a command to the server to start the valet parking mode. The start of valet parking may be selected by the user on the graphical user interface. The user may instruct the server to initiate a valet restriction function. Accordingly, the server may be configured to monitor vehicle usage, via data received from the onboard vehicle computer, for a violation of one or more predetermined thresholds such as speed, acceleration, deceleration, and virtual fence violation, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > OBD < / RTI >

The user can form a virtual fence around the position of the vehicle. In this case, the user may know that he wants to leave the vehicle in the parking facility for two days. The user may be concerned about the use of the vehicle or "joyriding" of the vehicle by one or more valet parking assistants. Thus, the user can send a request to the server to form a virtual fence. Alternatively, the setting of the valet parking mode can be preconfigured or customized to form a default virtual fence each time the corresponding mode is started. The virtual fence may include outer boundaries for the vehicle. The virtual fence may be formed to have a mileage radius, the mileage radius may be a default radius, or it may be customized by the user. For example, the server may instruct the OBD to monitor the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is moving more than 0.5 miles outside the radius of the virtual fence, where the center point is the current location of the vehicle, . If OBD determines that the mileage radius has been reached or exceeded, the OBD can send a message to the server, and the server can send an alert to the user that the radius has been reached or exceeded.

To initiate a search for a vehicle, the user may then send a message to search for the vehicle, or may select an option to search for the vehicle. In response, the server can send an inquiry to the OBD device. The query may be a location query to determine the current location of the vehicle. The query may include a request to search for a vehicle.

The location query may also include (1) querying the GPS location of the vehicle; (2) determining GPS coordinates of the vehicle from the OBD device and / or a GPS antenna located in the vehicle; And (3) transmitting GPS coordinates of the vehicle to the server.

The location query includes (1) querying the user's GPS location; (2) determining a user's GPS position from GPS information determined by a GPS antenna located within the user's mobile device; And (3) transmitting GPS coordinates of the user and / or vehicle to the server.

In response to the query, the server may receive the location of the vehicle. The response can be sent by a valet parking / parking facility. Alternatively, the server may query the location and the OBD device may respond with OBD / vehicle GPS coordinates. As a result, the server can form a virtual fence using the mileage radius. The mileage radius can then be converted into a plurality of GPS coordinates on the map. The mileage radius may be predetermined or may be entered by the user.

The system may transmit one or more virtual fence parameters from the server to the OBD device coupled to the vehicle. For example, the virtual fence parameters may include an allowable area within the virtual fence, an unallowable area outside the virtual fence, allowable or unacceptable areas at a particular time, or any other suitable parameters. The system may send a command to monitor the vehicle from the server to the OBD device. Monitoring may include monitoring the vehicle for one or more violations. Violations can be virtual fence violations. The OBD device may also be instructed to send an alert to the server if one or more of the virtual fence parameters are violated.

In one embodiment, the system may receive one or more parameter restriction thresholds for the vehicle. For example, the parameters may include speed, acceleration, deceleration, virtual hedge, specific time of day, duration, or any other suitable parameter. The threshold may be a threshold for limiting, for example, a speed greater than 60 MPH is limited.

The parameter limit thresholds may include one or more values. These values may be predetermined or entered by the user. The user may (1) transfer the parameters to the server; (2) sending a restriction on the parameter to the server, where the limit includes the threshold value; And (3) sending a command to the OBD device to monitor the parameter to determine if the threshold level is reached or exceeded.

The system can receive commands from the user. The user may enter commands into the application or any other suitable medium via the user interface. Then the command can be sent to the server. The command may be an instruction to activate parameter limit thresholds. Activation of the limiting thresholds may be requested by the user when using a valet parking or parking facility. The valet parking limitation function may cause the server to instruct the OBD device to monitor the vehicle for a violation of one or more parameter limit thresholds.

The system may send a speed query for the vehicle from the server to the OBD device coupled to the vehicle. The velocity query may request the velocity of the vehicle at multiple points in time to determine if the vehicle has increased in speed and has violated one or more parameter limit thresholds. The velocity query may include a first point of time and a second point of time and may be between the first point of time and the second point of time to determine whether the velocity threshold has been reached or exceeded at any point in time between the two points in time (From the server to the OBD device) for analyzing the speed information in the system. Accordingly, the server can receive a decision from the OBD device. This determination may include determining whether the speed threshold has been reached or exceeded, or whether the speed threshold has been reached or not.

If the OBD device determines that the speed threshold has been reached or exceeded between the first and second time points, the OBD device may send a message to the server with information about the speed violation. If the OBD device determines that it has not reached or exceeded the speed threshold between the first and second time points, the OBD may inhibit the transmission of data about the speed violation from the OBD device to the server. Alternatively, if a query is sent to the OBD to determine if the rate threshold is violated, the OBD device may send a message that no violations have occurred.

If the OBD determines that a speed threshold has been reached or exceeded between the first and second time points, the system may send an alert. An alert can be sent from the user server to the user. The alert may provide the user with information that the speed threshold has been reached or exceeded.

In one embodiment, the system is configured to: (1) receive one or more parameter limiting thresholds for the vehicle; (2) the system may receive a command from a user to activate the valet parking limitation function, wherein the valet parking limitation function corresponds to monitoring the vehicle for violating one or more parameter limitation thresholds; (3) The system may send an acceleration query to the vehicle from the server to the OBD device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the acceleration query includes a query to determine whether the vehicle violated one or more parameter limitation thresholds, (4) a first time point and a second time point; And (5) instructions for the OBD device to analyze the rate of velocity acceleration between the first and second time points to determine if the acceleration rate threshold has been reached or exceeded; And (6) the system can receive a decision from the OBD device, where (7) if the OBD determines that the acceleration rate threshold has been reached or exceeded between the first and second time points, The transmission of the message occurs; And (8) if the OBD determines that it has not reached or exceeded the acceleration rate threshold between the first and second time points, any message corresponding to the acceleration threshold from the OBD to the server is sent from the OBD device to the server does not exist.

Acceleration and deceleration can be calculated using one or more well-known algorithms or formulas for acceleration and / or deceleration.

A system is provided for monitoring valet parking assistants and parking facility usage of the vehicle. Such a system may include an apparatus and a method, and may provide monitoring of the vehicle condition when the vehicle is valet parked.

The system may include receiving an instruction from a user. The user command may request to initiate a specific mode, such as a valet parking monitoring mode. This mode may include a vehicle search mode to be used when requesting a search of the vehicle.

In the vehicle search mode, the system may receive a request from a user. The request may be a request to retrieve the vehicle. The request may be received by the server. The system can identify valet parking or parking businesses associated with the vehicle. The location may be the time the user requested to retrieve the vehicle, or the location of the vehicle at the time the user initiated the valet parking mode.

A valet parking or parking establishment can be determined by determining the GPS location. The GPS location may be the GPS location of the user's mobile device or the GPS location of the vehicle when the valet parking mode is activated. The system can determine the entity associated with the location of the vehicle and determine the contact information for that entity. The system may send a request to retrieve the vehicle from the server to the object. The request may include an instruction to the valet parking assistant to prepare the vehicle for pickup by the user. The request may also include an instruction to the valet parking assistant to bring the vehicle to a specific location (e.g., GPS coordinates entered by the user). For example, the user may instruct the valet parking person to retrieve the vehicle from one location, and to bring the vehicle to a completely different location.

The system may receive an estimated time at which the vehicle will be available for pickup, as well as the location from which the vehicle will be available for pickup. The system may provide the vehicle monitoring status to the user. The monitoring state may include the GPS coordinates of the vehicle, the state of the ignition device of the vehicle, and the movement of the vehicle. The movement of the vehicle may include whether the vehicle is moving, whether the vehicle has recently moved within a certain period of time (i.e., last 10 minutes), and real-time tracking of vehicle movement.

The system for providing monitoring of the vehicle condition when the vehicle is valet parked may also include a measurement device. The measuring device may be detachably connected to the vehicle. The system may also include a computer. The computer may include a connection to the measurement device. The computer may be located within the vehicle. The computer may be an onboard vehicle computer.

The system may also include a receiver. The receiver may be configured to receive a request from a user to search for a vehicle. The vehicle may be parked at a location managed by the valet parking entity.

The system may also include a processor. The processor may be configured to identify the entity responsible for the valet parking position. The processor may be configured to identify an entity based on GPS coordinates. An entity may be identified from GPS coordinates based on the system searching for a business facility at such coordinates using GPS coordinates. This can be accomplished using mapping software. The GPS coordinates of the object may be retrieved from the vehicle itself, retrieved from the GPS antenna in the OBD device, retrieved from the user's mobile device when the user activates the valet parking mode, Can be searched when manually entering a location.

The system may also include a transmitter. The transmitter may be configured to send a command to the entity for an assistant to search for the vehicle. The transmitter may also be configured to transmit GPS coordinates for the vehicle to the object. Throughout this specification, the transmitter and receiver may be transceivers.

The receiver may also be configured to receive from the entity an estimated time at which the vehicle will be ready for pickup. The transmitter may also be configured to transmit to the user an estimated time at which the vehicle will be ready for pickup and an estimated location of the vehicle.

The system can also receive tracking information on the location of the vehicle in real-time or at predetermined intervals. The system may also receive a message from the entity that the vehicle is ready for pickup.

A system for providing monitoring of a vehicle condition includes (1) a measurement device detachably connected to a vehicle; (2) the measuring device comprises a connection with a computer, the computer being located in the vehicle; (3) the system includes a receiver configured to receive a measurement of data corresponding to an attribute of the vehicle from the measurement device; (5) the system comprises a transmitter configured to transmit a critical measurement corresponding to a desired data measurement level for the vehicle property to the measurement device; And (6) the system includes a processor located within the measurement device, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a data measurement has reached or exceeded a threshold measurement, To the transmitter.

The system includes the following steps: (1) receiving a vehicle attribute; (2) receiving a threshold range for a measure of the vehicle property, wherein the threshold range includes an upper threshold measurement and a lower threshold measurement of the vehicle property; (3) receiving a measure of the vehicle property; (4) if the vehicle property measurement exceeds the upper critical measure, or falls below the lower critical measure, then the step of sending the alarm to the user may be performed, wherein the alarm is: (5) vehicle property; (6) measurements of vehicle properties; And (7) information corresponding to a measure of the vehicle property.

A system for setting and monitoring vehicle usage thresholds may include (1) a measurement device detachably connected to the vehicle; (2) the measuring device comprises a connection to a computer, the computer being located in the vehicle; (3) When the measuring device is connected to a computer, the measuring device receives the vehicle information from the computer; (4) the system may comprise a user device, the user device being configured to (5) send one or more instructions to a measurement device; (6) information; And (7) display information; (8) the system may include a server, the server comprises a receiver, and the receiver is configured to receive a plurality of thresholds, wherein each of the plurality of thresholds corresponds to an acceptable limit of the vehicle attribute ; (10) the receiver is configured to receive data from the measurement device; (11) the receiver is configured to receive instructions for monitoring data received from the measurement device, wherein the data corresponds to one or more vehicle attributes; (12) the server comprises a transmitter, and (13) the transmitter is configured to transmit a plurality of thresholds to the measurement device; (14) the transmitter is configured to command the measuring device; (15) the transmitter is configured to instruct the measurement device to compare data received from the vehicle computer with a threshold level; And (16) the transmitter is configured to instruct the measurement device to transmit a message of a threshold violation to the server if the data exceeds a threshold level.

In response to the server receiving the threshold violation message, the transmitter may also be configured to send an alert of a threshold violation to the user.

In one embodiment, specific information, such as a threshold for an attribute, may be received from the user via the user's mobile device and transmitted to the server. In yet another embodiment, certain information, such as another different threshold for the same or different attributes, may be programmed into the server via software.

In one embodiment, measurements of data corresponding to attributes of the vehicle are provided. The measurements may include (1) a threshold measurement corresponding to a desired data measurement level for a vehicle attribute; And (2) the processor is configured to determine if a data measure has reached or exceeded a threshold measure; The processor is configured to instruct the transmitter to send an alert to the user that the data measure for the vehicle property has been met or exceeded.

A system and method for infant monitoring of a vehicle using an OBD device is provided. The method and system may include one or more of the following steps: (1) receiving a selection from a user to activate the infant monitoring mode; (2) receiving an alarm from the OBD that the ignition device has been switched off; (3) there is a step of transmitting a message to the user; Here, the message is: (4) an alarm that the ignition device has been switched off; And (5) a query of whether the user has moved all children from the vehicle; (6) if the user does not respond to the query within a predetermined period of time, there is a step of sending a command to the OBD to activate the microphone; (7) if the microphone does not indicate that there is any noise greater than any predetermined threshold and there is still no response from the user, there is a step of transmitting an instruction to activate the temperature sensor; (8) if the temperature sensor indicates a temperature reading that is greater than or equal to any predetermined threshold, or less than any predetermined threshold, sending a command to the OBD device to activate heating or air conditioning systems; And (9) there is a step of contacting the emergency responders first responders.

It should be noted that some or all of the steps may be implemented, and the order of the steps may be changed. For example, only a temperature sensor may be used, or the temperature may be used prior to use of the microphone.

The system may also include transmitting location information to emergency first responders. The system can receive an alert that the ignition device is on but the car is idle for a long period of time. In response, the system may send a message to the user to determine if there are idle children in the vehicle. If there is no response, the system may activate some or all of the steps discussed above.

The system may receive a response to the query from the user. If the user moves all the children from the vehicle in response to the query, the system may receive a positive response from the user. In this case, the alert sequence may end and subsequent actions such as activating the sensors or contacting the emergency authority are not necessary.

The system can prioritize resources based on the determination of the urgency of each particular situation. For example, if there are two SBM alerts requesting an emergency operator to contact a local PSAP, and only one operator is available, When a falling temperature is detected, priority can be given to such a situation. This is just one example of how to prioritize. Prioritization systems are essential for handling emergencies. In another example, a PSAP has the ability to receive emergency information via the Internet or via e-mail, while another PSAP does not have such capability, Can be contacted first. It should be noted that the priority may be changed based on time, eye age, and a number of other factors.

The carpool mode can provide the ability to organize and organize the carpool movement. The system may include providing a template schedule (e. G., Weekly), wherein the template schedule is used by the system to create, for example, a weekly schedule that can be manipulated by the carpool participants . The carpool participants can create a week-unit template schedule for a week, which creates a schedule for the current week. This week can be editable. The following weeks may not be editable, because they have not yet been created based on the template schedule.

For carpools, the duration of the template schedule is one week, because carpools are often operated on a weekly basis. For example, one family is responsible for Mondays and Wednesdays, and another is responsible for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. This concept of using templates to generate weekly schedules applies to any scheduling system, and the units of time can be changed based on specific activities. For example, the week can start on a specific day, which means that the template refreshes the weekly schedule on a specific day, or the week can be a rolling week and seven days from the current day. .

The carpool may provide a plurality of waypoints with responsibilities assigned to one or more participants. A system is provided for managing the combination of waypoints and integration of carpool waypoints with other transport systems.

The carpool system provides the operator with an option to change the order or amount of carpool stops on the web application, along with the order of the waypoints stored as a template. Existing templates for a particular driver may be used for ordering stops for that driver. If no member of the driver's household is about to become part of a particular carpool run, the generation is deleted from the waypoint. If the address for a member of the carpool is changed, the waypoint / address for that member is changed.

If the members of the carpool group have the same waypoints, such waypoints are merged, and one of the waypoints is deleted, but the users are respectively associated with the remaining waypoints. If one of these members subsequently moves to a new address, the merging of the waypoints is canceled, and a new one with the appropriate user associated with that address is created.

In one embodiment, the system may detect a change in the waypoint based on the driver ' s path, without the driver notifying the system of the change. The notification may include sending an optional notification to users associated with the waypoint. The notification may include an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) to the waypoint.

An exemplary detection may include determining that there are five waypoints and that there are two paths to each waypoint. Based on the driver's path, if all eight paths to the four waypoints of the waypoints have been removed, the driver must go to the fifth waypoint. If all 10 paths are removed, it is known that the driver will not go anywhere in the waypoints. In order to remove the path and determine the waypoint, a path has to be defined (here, path = point A rotor virtual point to point B). To determine that the driver is out of the way, the system starts with the most probable or best route using any appropriate decision method, such as Waze or Google Maps data. The system can then create rectangular virtual fences all the way up to point A rotor point B. If the driver violates the path, the system can wait for a certain amount of time, such as, for example, 2 minutes, such as any appropriate period of time, and then use the mapping software to check the path from the current position to point B, And determines the change in the ETA. If the ETA has decreased by the amount of elapsed time plus a certain threshold, the user is still considered to be in the path. However, if the ETA has increased by a certain threshold, the driver is determined to be out of the path.

In one embodiment, the carpool system may be integrated with other transport modes. For example, if two passengers live close to each other on the same train, they can travel to the train station. By integrating the carpool system with the monitoring of the location of other transport vehicles, a hub and spoke system can be created. Moreover, GPS accuracy and arrival time can be used for planning or organizing transportation in a hub-and-spoke system.

In the carpool mode, if the driver departs on an unacceptable path, an alert is sent to other caregivers and / or schools. An alert can be sent at a predetermined time threshold or distance threshold, for example an alert can be sent if the deviation is greater than 5 minutes or greater than 0.5 miles. The alert can also include a statement that if you carpool you will be late for school, and you can include a corrected arrival estimate time.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that each of the foregoing steps will include computer implemented embodiments performed by one or more of the computer components described herein . For example, the delivery and computation of the thresholds may be performed electronically. Determination of threshold violations, monitoring parameters, and conveying threshold violations can be performed electronically. In at least one exemplary embodiment, all of the steps may be performed electronically, i.e., by a general purpose processor and a special purpose processor implemented in one or more computer systems, such as those described herein.

It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific embodiments and examples of this disclosure are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Will be understood and appreciated by those who possess it.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the various embodiments of the inventive system described herein are implemented as special purpose computers or general purpose computers that generally include various computer hardware as discussed in more detail below. Embodiments within the scope of the present invention also include computer-readable media for carrying or storing computer-executable instructions or data structures. Such computer-readable media can be any available media, accessible by a general purpose computer or special purpose computer, or downloadable over communication networks. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise physical storage media such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EEPROM, CD-ROM, DVD, or other optical disk storage, Magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, any type of removable non-volatile memories (e.g., Secure Digital, SD, flash memory, memory stick, etc.) Or any other medium which can be used to carry or store computer program code in the form of instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose computer or special purpose computer or by a mobile device.

When information is communicated or provided to a computer via a network or another communication connection (wired, wireless, or a combination of wired or wireless), the computer sees such connection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is suitably referred to and considered to be a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the foregoing should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. The computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data to cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device, e.g., a mobile device processor, to perform one particular function or group of functions .

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the features and embodiments of a suitable computing environment in which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. Although not required, the present invention is described in the general context of computer-executable instructions (e.g., program modules or engines), as described above, being executed by computers in networked environments. Such program modules may include flow charts, sequence diagrams, exemplary screen displays, and other techniques used by those skilled in the art to convey how to make and use such computer program modules 0.0 > and < / RTI > Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement abstract data types specified within a computer. The computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing the steps of the methods disclosed herein. These executable instructions or a specific sequence of related data structures represent examples of corresponding operations for implementing the functions described in these steps.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the invention may be practiced with other computer systems, including personal computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, networked PCs, , Mainframe computers, and the like, in a networked computing environment. The present invention is implemented in a distributed computing environment in which tasks are communicated over a communication network (by wired links, by wireless links, or by a combination of wired links or wireless links) And remote processing devices. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both the local memory storage device and the remote memory storage device.

An exemplary system for implementing the invention, which is not described, is in the form of a conventional computer including a processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus (which couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit) Lt; / RTI > The computer will typically include one or more magnetic hard disk drives (also referred to as "data stores" or "data storage" or other names) for reading and writing. Such drives and their associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage of computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer. Although the exemplary environment described herein uses magnetic hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks, other types of computer readable media for storing data may be used, including magnetic cassettes, flash Memory cards, digital video disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, RAMs, ROMs, and the like.

Computer program code embodying most of the functions described herein typically includes one or more program modules, which may be stored on a hard disk or other storage medium. Such program code, as is known to those skilled in the art, generally includes an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. A user may enter commands and information into a computer through a keyboard, a pointing device, a script (including computer program code written in a scripting language) or other input devices (not shown), such as a microphone. These input devices and other input devices are often connected to the processing units via known electrical, magnetic, or wireless connections.

A main computer that realizes multiple embodiments of the present invention will typically operate in any networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers or data sources, as described further below. The remote computers may be another personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop, a peer device, or other common network node, But may include many or all of the elements described above for the main computer system. The logic connections between the computers may be implemented in a computer system, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a wireless LAN (WLAN) . These networking environments are common in office-wide or enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet.

When used in a LAN or WLAN networking environment, the main computer system implementing the embodiments of the present invention is connected to the local network through a network interface or adapter. When used in a WAN or WLAN networking environment, a computer may include a modem, a wireless link, or other means for establishing communications over a wide area network such as the Internet. In a networked environment, program modules described for a computer, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the network connections described or shown herein are exemplary and other means of establishing communications over wide area networks or the Internet may be used.

An exemplary such system is shown in FIG. The computers (100) communicate with the server (13) via the network (110). A plurality of data sources 120-121 also communicate with the server 130, the processor 150, and / or other components (which are operable to calculate and / or transmit information) via the network 11. The server (s) 130 may be coupled to one or more storage devices 140, one or more processors 150, and software 160.

The calculations, and equivalents, described herein are performed electronically in a whole, in one embodiment. Other components and combinations of components may also be used to support the data processing and other computations described herein, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The server 130 may facilitate communicating data from the storage device 140 to the processor 150, transferring data from the processors 150, and communicating to the computers 100 have. Processor 150 may optionally include local storage or networked storage (not shown) that may be used to store temporal information or other information, or may communicate with such storage have. The software 160 may be locally installed in the computer 100 and the processor 150 and / or centrally supported to enable computation and application.

2A shows a top view of an OBD device 205 that may be used in accordance with the present invention. The OBD device 205 may include a plurality of electrical connectors or pins 201. The pins 201 may be configured to communicate with the OBD port of the vehicle. The OBD device 205 may be configured to receive diagnostic information from the OBD system of the vehicle.

2B shows a perspective view of the OBD device 205 as seen from the top and side surfaces thereof. 2C shows a side view of the OBD apparatus.

FIG. 3A shows an exemplary processor 301 for providing vehicle monitoring in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In step 303, an OBD device may be provided. At step 305, vehicle attributes may be received via the server. In step 307, the server may receive measurements of vehicle attributes from the OBD device. In step 309, a threshold range for measurements of vehicle attributes may be received by the server and / or the OBD device. In step 311, if the vehicle attribute has reached a critical measurement, an alert is sent to the user.

FIG. 3B shows an exemplary process 313 for sending alerts in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Process 313 provides information to be transmitted within the alert. The alert may include vehicle attributes 315, measurements of vehicle attributes 317, and information 319 corresponding to measurements of vehicle attributes.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary process 401 for activating a threshold monitoring and alarm system in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In step 403, the system may receive a command from the user to activate the restriction function. The command may be received via the server. In step 405, the system may receive one or more vehicle attributes via the server. In step 407, the system may receive a command through the server to monitor one or more of the vehicle attributes. In step 409, the system may send a command from the server to the OBD device. In step 411, the system may receive one or more acceptable threshold levels for vehicle attributes via the server. In step 413, the system may receive one or more unacceptable threshold levels for vehicle attributes through the server.

4B illustrates an exemplary process 415 for receiving alerts from an OBD device in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In step 417, the OBD device may monitor the vehicle computer for one or more vehicle attributes. Vehicle attributes can be programmed into the OBD device. In step 419, the OBD device may determine whether vehicle attribute threshold levels are not acceptable, e.g., exceeding a threshold level. In step 421, if the threshold levels are reached or if the threshold levels are not acceptable, the OBD device may send a message to the server. In step 423, an alert for the threshold level may be sent from the server to the user device.

Figure 5 shows an exemplary display 501 according to the present invention. Display 501 may be an alert displayed to the user in response to a threshold violation. 503 shows that area violations such as a virtual fence violation occurred in the "Family Mode" setting. The user has the option to select the violation and view 505 on the map. 507 is a background display showing other violations.

6 shows exemplary information 601 being monitored by the OBD device. Reference numeral 601 denotes a user display. In this embodiment, reference numeral 603 denotes fuel consumption information after the last refueling, and reference numeral 605 denotes the number of users provided during driving after the last refueling. In this case, 605 shows '100' as a perfect score during driving based on the algorithm. Details of the run for score calculation are shown at 607, 609, 611, and 613.

Figure 7 shows an exemplary configuration display 701 in accordance with the present invention. In this case, the user activated various functions that could be toggling on or off. Activation of these functions allows the user to receive alerts. The user may enter diagnostics 703, maintenance notifications 705, low battery alerts 707, tow alerts 709, low fuel level ) 711 were activated. Thus, if any of these thresholds or conditions are triggered, the user may receive a notification or alert.

Figure 8 shows an exemplary dashboard 801 in accordance with the present invention. Fuel level 811, battery level 809, and speed 807 are shown. Such information can be provided in real time. That is, the administrator of the vehicle and / or the OBD device can monitor the speed and other levels of the vehicle at any given time. A vehicle finder 813 is also provided, which shows the location of the vehicle at the time of its selection. The alert selector 815 displays one or more notifications and alerts, and trip info 817 displays different information about the move. The customer service selector 819 allows the user to contact the customer service within the application and to transmit information about the user's vehicle in a call. The Safe Teen 803 and Safe Family 805 are two modes that are toggling on, and the various thresholds that are activated are monitored.

Fig. 9 shows the result when the vehicle search 813 is selected, and shows a map 901. Fig. 905 is the location of the vehicle with the OBD device, 903 is additional map information, and 907 includes details such as date and time.

Figure 10 shows additional alerts in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 11 displays an alert 1101 with information 1103, where information 1103 includes detailed information about the violation, e.g., detected rate.

FIG. 12 displays yet another exemplary alert 1201, and display 1203 includes specific information for threshold violation detection. It should be noted that an approximate violation can be calculated in advance. Thus, in this case, the traffic patterns may indicate that even if the user leaves ten minutes before the appointment time, using the traffic data, the user may be assumed to arrive three minutes late.

In view of the foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be widely used and applied. While various embodiments have been described in the context of a preferred embodiment, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that additional embodiments, features, and methods of the present invention may be employed herein. It should be understood that many of the embodiments and variations of the present invention other than those described herein as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements and methods may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, And will be apparent from, or be reasonably apparent to, the present invention and the foregoing description. Moreover, any sequence (s) and / or temporal order of steps of the various processes described and claimed herein are those considered to be the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Although the steps of the various processes may be shown and described as occurring in any desired sequence or chronological order, any such sequence, or sequence of steps, as long as there is no such specific description to be performed in any particular sequence or order to achieve the intended result The steps of the processes are not limited to being performed in any particular sequence or order. In most cases, the steps of these processes may be performed in a variety of different sequences and sequences, while still within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, some steps may be performed simultaneously.

The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description only and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, It is not. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing teachings.

Embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it is directed to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated Selected and described. Alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, rather than being defined by the exemplary embodiments and the foregoing description set forth herein.

Although specific exemplary embodiments and embodiments are described herein, numerous alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments and embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims (20)

A method for setting valet attributes for a vehicle, the method comprising:
Receiving a command from a user to activate a valet restriction function;
Transmitting a location query for the current location of the vehicle from the sever to the OBD;
Receiving a position of the vehicle;
A method for forming a virtual fence, said virtual fence comprising outer boundaries for said vehicle, said virtual fence forming a virtual fence formed using a mileage radius ; And
And converting the mileage radius to a plurality of GPS coordinates. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > The method according to claim 1,
The OBD coupled to the vehicle
Virtual fence parameters (geofence parameters); And
Monitoring the vehicle for the presence of geofence violations and sending an alert to the server if the virtual fence parameters are breached
The method comprising the steps of: determining whether the valet parking attribute of the vehicle is valid; The method according to claim 1,
The location query includes:
Querying the GPS location of the vehicle;
Determining GPS coordinates from a GPS antenna located in the OBD; And
Transmitting the GPS coordinates to the server
Gt; a < / RTI > valet parking attribute for a vehicle. The method according to claim 1,
The location query includes:
Querying the GPS location of the user;
Determining a GPS position of the user from a GPS antenna located within the smartphone of the user; And
Transmitting the GPS coordinates to the server
Gt; a < / RTI > valet parking attribute for a vehicle. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein said virtual fence radius is predetermined by an automatic threshold input. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 13 > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein said virtual fence radius is pre-entered by a user. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 13 > A method for setting a valet parking attribute for a vehicle,
Receiving one or more parameter restriction thresholds for the vehicle;
Receiving a command from a user to activate a valet parking limitation function, wherein the valet parking limitation function is responsive to monitoring the vehicle for whether it violates one or more parameter limitation thresholds, Receiving an instruction from a user; And
And transmitting a speed query for the vehicle from the server to the OBD coupled to the vehicle,
Wherein the speed query includes a query to determine whether the vehicle violated the one or more parameter limitation thresholds,
A first time point and a second time point; And
Instructions for the OBD to analyze velocity information between the first and second points of time to determine whether the velocity threshold has been reached or exceeded at any point in time between the two points of view
Gt; a < / RTI > valet parking attribute for a vehicle. 8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising receiving from the OBD a determination as to whether the speed threshold has been reached or exceeded. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 19 > 9. The method of claim 8,
Sending a message from the OBD to the server if it determines that the OBD has reached or exceeded the speed threshold between the first time and the second time; And
If it is determined that the OBD has not reached or exceeded the speed threshold between the first time point and the second time point, it is determined that there is no transmission of data corresponding to the speed threshold value from the OBD to the server Gt; a < / RTI > 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the one or more parameter limiting thresholds include thresholds entered by the user. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 22 > 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the receiving the one or more parameter limiting thresholds further comprises:
Receiving parameters via user input;
Receiving a restriction on the parameter from the user;
And transmitting a command for monitoring the parameter to the OBD
≪ / RTI > further comprising the steps of: 8. The method of claim 7,
If the OBD determines that the speed threshold has been exceeded between the first point of time and the second point of time, the method further comprises transmitting from the server an alert to the user that the speed threshold has been exceeded Wherein the method comprises the steps of: CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A system for providing monitoring of vehicle conditions when a vehicle is parked,
A measurement device detachably connected to the vehicle;
A computer located in the vehicle;
A receiver; And
A processor,
The measuring device comprising a connection to the computer,
Wherein the receiver comprises:
A measurement of data corresponding to the attribute of the vehicle; And
A threshold measurement corresponding to a desired data measurement level for the vehicle attribute
And,
The processor
Determine whether the data measure exceeds the threshold measure; And
And instruct the transmitter to send an alert to the user that the data measure for the vehicle attribute has been exceeded. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 20 > 14. The method of claim 13,
Characterized in that the measuring device comprises an on board diagnostic device. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 13 > 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the data comprises data corresponding to an attribute of the vehicle, and wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of acceleration, deceleration, speed, distance, and position. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the threshold measure is input by a user. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 21 > 14. The method of claim 13,
The alert
The vehicle attribute;
A measure of the vehicle property; And
The number of times exceeding the threshold value
The system comprising: means for monitoring the state of the vehicle; 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the threshold is a threshold range for a measure of the vehicle attribute and the threshold range comprises an upper critical measure and a lower critical measure. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the receiver is further adapted to receive from the user a modification value of the vehicle attributes to monitor. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the receiver is further adapted to receive a modification value of the attribute threshold level from the user.

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