Procon, Inc.

Acr Electronics, Inc.

Vetronix Telematics LLC

Ventronix Corporation

Ronald D Bishop

Brian M Boling

Scott P Morgan

Christopher Paul Hoffman

Timothy C Welch

Gordon W Johnston

Darryl T Brown

R Clark Lindberg

Kenneth M Dodd

The application describes a system for notifying a vehicle owner regarding service due for a vehicle based on the vehicle's accumulated mileage. The system determines vehicle mileage based on GPS data, determines whether the mileage has exceeded a threshold, transmits a wireless signal from the vehicle to a notification service provider computer when the threshold is exceeded, and sends a notice from the notification service provider to the dealer and/or customer to indicate that vehicle service is due.

Automobile mileage notification system

An emergency locator beacon testing and communication system is described. The system uses privately-owned Local User Terminals which provide direct feeds to a privately-operated beacon information processor having dedicated on-line servers for consolidating and providing access to beacon test information. The system receives beacon signals relayed through the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, correlates the beacons' unique identification numbers (UIN's) in the received signals to the UIN's of beacons known to be undergoing testing, collects the data transmitted by beacons under test, and displays beacon test results in a useful format on a user-friendly website.

Apparatus and method for testing emergency locator beacons

An emergency event reporting system combines emergency event detection means with a wireless beacon capable of communicating with the Cospas-Sarsat search-and-rescue satellite system. The system provides for the association of a beacon's unique identification number (UIN) with a third-party monitoring service to which the emergency event message is to be reported. In this way, civilian emergency events can be reliably handled without overwhelming limited government search and rescue resources. Several applications of the system are disclosed, which include reporting alarm messages from home and business security systems and crash alerts indicating the deployment of a vehicle air bag during a vehicle crash.

Global emergency alert notification system

The invention provides an emergency communication device capable of transmitting an emergency alert signal using more than one wireless communication system. When a commercial wireless carrier network is available, the device transmits the emergency alert signal to a central monitoring service via the wireless carrier network. When no wireless carrier network is available, the device transmits the emergency alert signal to an emergency search and rescue (SAR) satellite system. The device includes a first transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal to the SAR satellite system, a receiver for receiving location determination signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and a second transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal by way of the wireless carrier network. In preferred embodiments, the first transmitter is a personal locator beacon transmitter compatible with the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system and the second transmitter is a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) transmitter.

Locator beacon system having global communication capability

A mass occupant notification (MON) system includes an alert source, a first communication network, a MON supervisory system, a second communication network, a satellite radio broadcast network (SRBN) system and a plurality of MON communication units. The alert source, such as a telephone, personal computer or emergency sensor system, generates an alert signal containing information regarding an emergency situation. The first communication network communicates the alert signal from the alert source to the MON supervisory system. The MON supervisory system receives the alert signal and generates an alert message which includes audio message data and destination data. The destination data indicates a destination of the audio message data. The audio message data may contain a voice announcement providing information or instructions regarding the emergency situation. The second communication network communicates the alert message from the MON supervisory system to the SRBN system. The SRBN system extracts the destination data and the audio message data from the alert message, formats the audio message data for transmission via a satellite uplink, and transmits the audio message data via the satellite uplink to SRBN satellites. One or more of the MON communication units receive the audio message data transmitted from the SRBN satellites and generate an analog audio signal based on the audio message data.

Mass occupant emergency notification system using satellite radio downlink

Carabineer wireless communication device

A portable emergency communication device includes a first receiver for receiving location determination signals from the global positioning satellite (GPS) system, and a second receiver for receiving incoming signals from a subscriber-based satellite radio system, such as the Sirius or XM satellite radio service providers. The device includes a transmitter for transmitting outgoing signals to a search and rescue satellite system, such as the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. The incoming signals are encoded with preprogrammed queries and prompts that are displayed on a display device on the emergency communication device. The outgoing signals are encoded with location coordinates of the device and preprogrammed messages that respond to queries encoded in the incoming signals. The emergency communication device operates in a communication system wherein the search and rescue satellite system is linked by a communication network to a private search and rescue coordination center, which is linked by a communication network to the satellite radio service provider. In this manner, the invention provides a closed-loop communication system enabling two-way communication between the emergency communication device and the search and rescue coordination center.

Two-way distress alert and emergency location apparatus and method

An apparatus and method designed for use with a vehicle that remotely activates an audio warning device prior to disabling the ability for the driver to start the vehicle. The apparatus is installed in the vehicle and includes a special pager receiver that decodes paging messages sent from a paging transmitter site. The pager receiver is electrically connected to a controller which interprets the coded message. An in-vehicle digital radio transmitter then sends a wireless transmission to digital radio receivers installed in the vehicle. Each digital radio receiver is incorporated in a package that includes an electrical connection to an electromagnetic relay. The relay is plugged into the electrical circuits of the vehicle which activate certain devices or functions, such as the starter motor, ignition system, power door locks, headlamps, horn, and other system that may use electrical relays. The digital radio receivers decode the transmissions from the in-vehicle transmitter and decide whether to open or close their respective relays, thus disabling or enabling certain devices or functions in the vehicle. The invention finds applicability for use by lender institutions in order to disable vehicles when the owner has not kept his account current.

Method and apparatus for enabling and disabling certain functions of an automobile

A system installed in an automobile or other vehicle includes a master pager receiver unit or acknowledgment pager receiver/transmitter which receives paging messages sent from a paging transmitter site. The master unit is also in wireless communication with a set of slave units installed in the vehicle which include electronic switches and are programmed to control relays or other in-vehicle devices upon receipt of appropriate commands from the in-vehicle master unit. The slave units may include transceivers which allow the master unit to receive acknowledgment signals indicating that its commands were followed. The paging transmitter in the master unit also allows transmission of an acknowledgment signal to the paging transmitter site. The system provides a method and apparatus for communicating with specific electrical and mechanical components in the vehicle in order to access, monitor, disable and/or enable certain functions, features, and accessories in the vehicle. Audio and/or visual warning devices can also be used to deliver messages to the owner/operator of the vehicle, such as manufacturer recall notices. When the slave unit hears a specific code it opens or closes a switch that is connected to a specific electrical circuit and thus disables and enables functions of the automobile that are associated with that electrical circuit. The main receiver and/or standalone receiver of the system may also contain wiring harnesses that can be used to wire the main receiver directly to the relays in the automobile. One application of the invention is to remotely activate an audio warning device prior to disabling the ability for the driver to start the automobile by disabling the starter motor.

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Trabuco Canyon, CA, United States of America

Ronald D Bishop