CREDITOR ALERT WHEN A VEHICLE ENTERS AN IMPOUND LOT

Info

Publication number: 20150186991
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 31, 2013
Publication Date: Jul 2, 2015
Inventors: David M. Meyer (KNOXVILLE, TN), KYLE FJELSTAD (TRABUCO CANYON, CA)
Application Number: 14/145,914

Abstract

A method, a device and a system of creditor alert when a vehicle enters an impound lot are disclosed. In one aspect, a vehicle includes a vehicle having a tracking device to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle, a network, a tracking server to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle through the network, and an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a tracking server to determine whether the vehicle is within a boundary of an impound lot, and to generate an alert to a creditor device when the vehicle is within the boundary of the impound lot beyond a threshold amount of time. A database may be communicatively coupled with the impound alerting server. The database may have stored within a set of records comprising address information of a number of impound lot boundaries and/or associated meta data.

Description

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to vehicular tracking and, more particularly, to a method, a device and/or a system of creditor alert when a vehicle enters an impound lot.

BACKGROUND

A creditor (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) may extend credit to purchasers of vehicles. The vehicles may be subject to a loan obligation. For example, dealers, finance companies, and/or lenders may provide non-traditional vehicle loans to credit-challenged consumers. Conventional vehicle loans may be unavailable to these consumers. These credit-challenged consumers, may have a higher likelihood of their vehicles being towed to an impound lot when, for example, they get arrested and/or leave their vehicles where parking is prohibited.

The vehicle loan creditor may not receive notification that its financed vehicle has been towed to an impound lot until at least 30 days later, when its consumer has defaulted on the monthly vehicle financing payment. By then, impound lot charges, along with possible government fees and penalties, could have accrued to a significant expense. The vehicle loan creditor may have to pay the significant related fees before reclaiming the vehicle or be forced to assign title of the vehicle to the impound lot if the fees exceed the value of the vehicle.

SUMMARY

A method, a device and a system of creditor alert when a vehicle enters an impound lot are disclosed. In one aspect, a vehicle includes a vehicle having a tracking device to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle, a network, a tracking server to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle through the network, and an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a tracking server to determine whether the vehicle is within a boundary of an impound lot, and to generate an alert to a creditor device when the vehicle is within the boundary of the impound lot beyond a threshold amount of time.

A database may be communicatively coupled with the impound alerting server. The database may have stored within a set of records comprising address information of a number of impound lot boundaries and/or associated meta data. The associated meta data may include a lot name data, a lot address data, a lot contact information data, a lot phone number data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot fee data, a total incurred impound lot fee data, and/or a contact person data.

The tracking server may associate the impound alerting server and/or the vehicle with the creditor device. The tracking server may verify a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle. The tracking server may compare the current location of the vehicle with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots that are geocoded through the impound alerting server. The tracking server may create a time stamp associated with an entry date and/or entry time of the vehicle entering the impound lot.

The impound alerting server may determine a type of the impound lot. The impound alerting server may communicate the type of the impound lot to the creditor device. The type of the impound lot may be a police lot, a tow lot, a public impound lot, and/or a private lot. The impound alerting server may communicate the associated meta data to the creditor device based on the type of the impound lot. The creditor device may match a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle.

In another aspect, a method of a tracking server includes determining that a tracking device is installed in the vehicle, associating the tracking device with a creditor using a processor and/or a memory, verifying a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle, comparing the current location of the vehicle with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots, creating a time stamp associated with an entry date and/or an entry time of the vehicle entering an impound lot based on a geospatial location of the impound lot, and generating an alert message communicable to the creditor associated with the vehicle entering the impound lot.

It may be determined that the tracking device is positioned in an internally inconspicuous location in which the tracking device is not readily visible to an occupant of the vehicle. In addition, it may be determined that the tracking device is coupled to a power source, such that the tracking device is operable to determine a location of the vehicle and/or transmit location information to the creditor. A motor of the vehicle may be disabled if motion is detected for a removal and/or a disablement of the tracking device. The method may generate a first alert message if the tracking device is disabled in the vehicle. The method may communicate the first alert message to the creditor. The method may generate a second alert message if the vehicle enters the impound lot. The method may communicate the second alert message to the creditor. The method may generate a disablement pushpin based on the first alert message. The method may generate an impound pushpin based on the second alert message.

The method may place the disablement pushpin and/or the impound pushpin in a map view of the tracking server. A creditor may be provided access to the map view based on authenticated access credentials. The method may verify through a network associated with the tracking server that the second alert message associated with the vehicle entering the impound lot is trusted. The method may permit the creditor and/or the impound lot to bi-directionally communicate through the tracking server to verify that the vehicle is in the impound lot and/or to verify an event data related to the vehicle entering the impound lot. The method may automatically remind the creditor of the first alert message and/or the second alert message after a predetermined threshold number of days that the vehicle remains in the impound lot. The method may trigger a verification of a loan status of the vehicle. Further, the event data may be provided to the creditor including any of the vehicle data, an impound lot data, and/or a government data associated with the vehicle, a debtor, and/or a driver of the vehicle at a time of impoundment.

The creditor may verify the loan status comprising of a loan balance, a loan payment due date, a most recent loan payment, a loan payment history, a related loan by the vehicle loan debtor, and/or related loan information. The method may generate to the creditor the vehicle data comprising of a year, a make, a model and/or a color of the vehicle, an associated vehicle loan consumer name, the vehicle loan consumer contact information. The method may provide to the creditor the impound lot data comprising of an impound lot address data, a contact person data, a contact information data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot fee data, a total incurred impound lot fee data. In addition, the method may automatically provide for the creditor the government data comprising of a vehicle code violation, a vehicle citation ticket number, a vehicle citation penalty, a driver citation ticket number, a policy activity associated with the driver, and/or the policy activity associated with the debtor.

A priority chart may be populated when multiple vehicles associated with the creditor are in the impound lots based on the threshold number of days that the vehicle is in the impound lot, a car payment history, a vehicle value, a net equity in the vehicle, a type of impound lot location, an impound lot fee associated with the vehicle. A score may be assigned within a predetermined scoring system to each vehicle in the impound lot based on the vehicle summary data. In addition, a decision tree may be generated. The vehicle loan creditor actions may be recommended (based on the score of the vehicle) to perform dialing to the vehicle loan consumer through a one-button dialer containing the consumer's telephone information to communicate with the consumer, communicating with a person associated with the vehicle loan consumer if the vehicle loan consumer cannot be reached, dispatching a recovery agent to inspect the vehicle in the impound lot to assess its condition, and/or retrieving the vehicle out of the impound lot.

A set of impound lot addresses each associated with a vehicle owner may be geocoded in a neighborhood surrounding the data processing system. The set of impound lot addresses each associated with the vehicle owner may be prepopulated. A map view may be generated to simultaneously provide the current locations of vehicles associated with the vehicle loan creditor in relation to their surrounding impound lots.

In yet another embodiment, a system includes a vehicle having a tracking device to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle, a network, a tracking server to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle through the network, and an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a tracking server to determine whether the vehicle is within a boundary of an impound lot, and/or to generate an alert to a creditor device when the vehicle is within the boundary of the impound lot beyond a threshold amount of time. In this embodiment, the impound alerting server communicates the associated metadata to the creditor device based on the type of the impound lot. The creditor device matches a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle in this embodiment.

The methods, system, and/or apparatuses disclosed herein may be implemented in any means for achieving various aspects, and may be executed in a form of machine readable medium embodying a set of instruction that, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform any of the operations disclosed herein. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a network view of an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a vehicle having a tracking device that is subject to a loan obligation of a creditor, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a set of modules that are communicatively coupled to the impound alerting server of FIG. 1 (e.g., modules may be internal to the impound alerting server), according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a process flow of generating an alert message to the creditor associated with the vehicle of FIG. 1 entering an impound lot, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a user interface view of an impounded car tracking device associated with the creditor of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a critical path flow diagram of analyzing the vehicle of FIG. 1 entering the impound lot, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a map view of a set of impound lots in a geospatial vicinity of a primary home address and a primary work address of an owner of the vehicle of FIG. 1 that is subject to the loan obligation, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method, a device and a system of creditor alert when a vehicle enters an impound lot are disclosed. Example embodiments, as described below, may be used to provide a method, a system and/or a device for verifying a set of geospatial coordinates associated with the location of the vehicle and creating a timestamp associated with a vehicle entering an impound lot broadcasted through the vehicle tracking server using a network to automatically distribute an alert message to the vehicle loan creditor associated with the vehicle of the vehicle entering the impound lot.

Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a network view of an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a vehicle having a tracking device that is subject to a loan obligation of a creditor, according to one embodiment.

In one aspect, a vehicle 104 includes a vehicle 104 having a tracking device 102 to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle 104, a network 103, a tracking server 100 to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle 104 through the network 103, and an impound alerting server 101 communicatively coupled with a tracking server 100 to determine whether the vehicle 104 is within a boundary 105 of an impound lot 106, and to generate an alert to a creditor 108 device (e.g., any of the impounded car tracking devices 110A-N) when the vehicle 104 is within the boundary 105 of the impound lot 106 beyond a threshold amount of time.

A database 114 may be communicatively coupled with the impound alerting server 101. The database 114 may have stored within a set of records comprising address information of a number of impound lot 106 boundaries and/or associated metadata 115. The associated metadata 115 may include a lot name data, a lot address data, a lot contact information data, a lot phone number data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot 106 fee data, a total incurred impound lot 106 fee data, and/or a contact person data.

The tracking server 100 may associate the impound alerting server 101 and/or the vehicle 104 with the creditor 108 device e.g., any of the impounded car tracking devices 110A-N). The tracking server 100 may verify a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle 104. The tracking server 100 may compare the current location of the vehicle 104 with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots (e.g., other impound lots in a geospatial vicinity of the impound lot 106) that are geocoded through the impound alerting server 101. The tracking server 100 may create a time stamp associated with an entry date and/or entry time of the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106.

The impound alerting server 101 may determine a type of the impound lot 106. The impound alerting server 101 may communicate the type of the impound lot 106 to the creditor 108 device. The type of the impound lot 106 may be a police lot, a tow lot, a public impound lot 106, and/or a private lot. The impound alerting server 101 may communicate the associated metadata 115 to the creditor 108 device based on the type of the impound lot 106. The creditor 108 device may match a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle 104.

In another aspect, a method of a tracking server 100 includes determining that a tracking device 102 is installed in the vehicle 104, associating the tracking device 102 with a creditor 108 using a processor 116 and/or a memory 118, verifying a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle 104, comparing the current location of the vehicle 104 with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots (e.g., other impound lots in a geospatial vicinity of the impound lot 106), creating a time stamp associated with an entry date and/or an entry time of the vehicle 104 entering an impound lot 106 based on a geospatial location of the impound lot 106, and generating an alert message communicable to the creditor 108 associated with the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106.

It may be determined that the tracking device 102 is positioned in an internally inconspicuous location in which the tracking device 102 is not readily visible to an occupant of the vehicle 104. In addition, it may be determined that the tracking device 102 is coupled to a power source, such that the tracking device 102 is operable to determine a location of the vehicle 104 and/or transmit location information to the creditor 108. A motor of the vehicle 104 may be disabled if motion is detected for a removal and/or a disablement of the tracking device 102. The method may generate a first alert message 117 if the tracking device 102 is disabled in the vehicle 104. The method may communicate the first alert message 117 to the creditor 108. The method may generate a second alert message 119 if the vehicle 104 enters the impound lot 106. The method may communicate the second alert message 119 to the creditor 108. The method may generate a disablement pushpin based on the first alert message 117. The method may generate an impound pushpin based on the second alert message 119.

The method may place the disablement pushpin and/or the impound pushpin in a map view 121 of the tracking server 100. A creditor 108 may be provided access to the map view 121 based on authenticated access credentials. The method may verify through a network 103 associated with the tracking server 100 that the second alert message 119 associated with the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106 is trusted. The method may permit the creditor 108 and/or the impound lot 106 to bi-directionally communicate through the tracking server 100 to verify that the vehicle 104 is in the impound lot 106 and/or to verify an event data related to the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106. The method may automatically remind the creditor 108 of the first alert message 117 and/or the second alert message 119 after a predetermined threshold number of days that the vehicle 104 remains in the impound lot 106. The method may trigger a verification of a loan status of the vehicle 104. Further, the event data may be provided to the creditor 108 including any of the vehicle 104 data, an impound lot 106 data, and/or a government data associated with the vehicle 104, a debtor, and/or a driver of the vehicle 104 at a time of impoundment.

The creditor 108 may verify the loan status comprising of a loan balance, a loan payment due date, a most recent loan payment, a loan payment history, a related loan by the vehicle 104 loan debtor, and/or related loan information. The method may generate to the creditor 108 the vehicle 104 data comprising of a year, a make, a model and/or a color of the vehicle 104, an associated vehicle 104 loan consumer name, the vehicle 104 loan consumer contact information. The method may provide to the creditor 108 the impound lot 106 data comprising of an impound lot 106 address data, a contact person data, a contact information data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot 106 fee data, a total incurred impound lot 106 fee data. In addition, the method may automatically provide for the creditor 108 the government data comprising of a vehicle 104 code violation, a vehicle 104 citation ticket number, a vehicle 104 citation penalty, a driver citation ticket number, a policy activity associated with the driver, and/or the policy activity associated with the debtor.

A priority chart may be populated when multiple vehicles associated with the creditor 108 are in the impound lot 106 based on the threshold number of days that the vehicle 104 is in the impound lot 106, a car payment history, a vehicle 104 value, a net equity in the vehicle 104, a type of impound lot 106 location, an impound lot 106 fee associated with the vehicle 104. A score may be assigned within a predetermined scoring system to each vehicle 104 in the impound lot 106 based on the vehicle 104 summary data. In addition, a decision tree may be generated. The vehicle 104 loan creditor 108 actions may be recommended (based on the score of the vehicle) to perform dialing to the vehicle 104 loan consumer through a one-button dialer containing the consumer's telephone information to communicate with the consumer, communicating with a person associated with the vehicle 104 loan consumer if the vehicle 104 loan consumer cannot be reached, dispatching a recovery agent to inspect the vehicle 104 in the impound lot 106 to assess its condition, and/or retrieving the vehicle 104 out of the impound lot 106.

A set of impound lot 106 addresses each associated with a vehicle 104 owner may be geocoded in a neighborhood surrounding the data processing system. The set of impound lot 106 addresses each associated with the vehicle 104 owner may be prepopulated. A map view 121 may be generated to simultaneously provide the current locations of vehicles associated with the vehicle 104 loan creditor 108 in relation to their surrounding impound lots (e.g., other impound lots in a geospatial vicinity of the impound lot 106).

In yet another embodiment, a system includes a vehicle 104 having a tracking device 102 to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle 104, a network 103, a tracking server 100 to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle 104 through the network 103, and an impound alerting server 101 communicatively coupled with a tracking server 100 to determine whether the vehicle 104 is within a boundary 105 of an impound lot 106, and/or to generate an alert to a creditor 108 device when the vehicle 104 is within the boundary 105 of the impound lot 106 beyond a threshold amount of time. In this embodiment, the impound alerting server 101 communicates the associated metadata 115 to the creditor 108 device based on the type of the impound lot 106. The creditor 108 device matches a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle 104 in this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a network view 150 of an impound alerting server 101 having a processor 116, a memory 118, and/or database 114. The tracking server 100 may be communicatively coupled (e.g. through network 103) with a tracking device 102 associated with vehicle 104 when the vehicle 104 enters an impound lot 106. Particularly, FIG. 1 illustrates a tracking server 100 according to one or more embodiments. The embodiment of FIG. 1 describes a tracking server 100, a network 103, a tracking device 102, a vehicle 104, an impound lot 106, a creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor), an of the impounded car tracking devices 110 (e.g., including a tablet device 110A, a mobile phone 110B, and a laptop 110N) (e.g. a computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, etc.), a cellular network 112, a database 114, a processor 116, and a memory 118.

The tracking device 102 may be physically associated with the vehicle 104 (e.g. may be positioned in the vehicle 104 in an internally inconspicuous location in which the tracking device 102 is not readily visible to a vehicle occupant). For example, the position of the tracking device 102 may couple to the vehicle 104's power source, allowing simultaneous access to location of the vehicle and the ability to disable a vehicle motor if the tracking device 102 is removed and/or disabled.

The tracking device 102 may then be associated with a creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) via the network 103 through the tracking server 100. The tracking device 102 may transmit metadata 115 (e.g. geospatial coordinates and/or time stamp, vehicle status, vehicle tracking device status, etc.) through a network 103 to the tracking server 100. In one embodiment the tracking device 102 may determine the vehicle 104 has entered the impound lot 106 upon which the tracking device 102 may automatically transmit metadata 115 to the tracking server 100 through the network 103.

The tracking server 100 may comprise a database 114, a processor 116, and a memory 118, according to the embodiment of FIG. 1. The tracking server 100 may be one or more server side data processing systems (e.g. web servers operating in concert with each other) that operate in a manner that may receive a set of vehicle geospatial coordinates and/or a time stamp communicatively coupled with the tracking device 102. The tracking server 100 may then generate an automatic alert message (e.g. vehicle motor disablement, vehicle tracking device removal, geospatial coordinates and/or time stamp upon entering impound lot) and/or broadcast the automatic alert message to the impounded car tracking devices associated with the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) and/or the impound lot data processing system through the network 103. In one embodiment, the tracking server 100 may generate an automatic alert message through the cellular network 112 to the impounded car tracking device 110A-N associated with the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) and/or the impound lot data processing system 120 (e.g., may be the impound car tracking devices 110A-N).

The automatic alert message may be presented to the impounded car tracking device 110A-N and/or impound lot data processing system as an alert pushpin which may then be automatically distributed to any devices (e.g. desktop computer, laptop computer, table, smartphones, etc.) associated with the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor). The automatic alert message may be verified through an internet protocol based network associated with the impounded car tracking device 110A-N and/or impound lot data processing system to determine its trustworthiness.

FIG. 2 is a set of modules that are communicatively coupled to the impound alerting server of FIG. 1 (e.g., modules may be internal to the impound alerting server), according to one embodiment. Particularly, FIG. 2 is a detailed view 250 of the tracking server 100 comprising of a database 114, a memory 118, and/or a processor 116. Particularly FIG. 2 illustrates a generate alert message 202, a remind alert 204, a verify alert trusted 206, a permit bi-directional communication 208, a trigger loan status verification 210, a summarize vehicle data 212, a compare vehicle location with impound lots 214, a create time stamp 216, a geocode impound addresses 218, a prepopulate impound lot addresses 220, and a generate map view 121.

In one embodiment the tracking server 100 may transmit a generate alert message module 202 to impounded car tracking device 110A-N and/or impound lot data processing system upon receiving the tracking device 102 metadata 115. The tracking server 100 may send a remind alert module 204 to automatically remind the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) of the initial alert message after a predetermined number of days. To verify trustworthiness the generate alert message 202 and/or the remind alert module 204 may go through verify alert trusted module 206 (e.g. an internet protocol based network) before reaching the impounded car tracking device 110A-N and/or impound lot data processing system via the network 103.

The tracking server 100 may permit bi-directional communication module 208 between the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) and the impound lot 106 through the tracking server 100. Permit bi-directional communication module 208 may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to communicate through the tracking server 100 via the network 103 with the impound lot 106 to verify that the vehicle 104 is physically in the impound lot 106, and to verify vehicle metadata 115 (e.g. geospatial coordinates and/or time stamp, vehicle status, vehicle tracking device status, etc.). The tracking server 100 may trigger loan status verification module 210 which generates the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) loan information. For example, loan information may contain a loan balance, a loan payment due date, a most recent loan payment, a loan payment history, a related loan by the vehicle loan consumer, and/or related loan information. The tracking server 100 may also generate summarize vehicle data module 212 to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor). Summarize vehicle data module 212 may comprise of a year, a make, a model, a color of the vehicle 104, an associated vehicle loan consumer name, and/or a vehicle loan consumer contact info.

In another embodiment, the tracking server 100 may compare vehicle location with impound lots module 214 possibly with vehicle metadata 115 comprising of the geospatial coordinates of the vehicle 104 and a set of pre-seeded geospatial coordinates associated with a set of surrounding impound lots. This may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to determine which impound lot the vehicle 104 is located. The tracking server 100 may also create time stamp module 216, which may comprise of an entry date and/or entry time of the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106.

The tracking server 100 may geocode impound addresses module 218 into a set associated with a vehicle owner in a neighborhood surrounding the data processing system (e.g. the impound lot data processing system). The tracking server 100 may then prepopulate impound lot addresses module 220, which may then be used to generate map view 121, possibly comprising of data providing current locations of vehicles associated with the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) in relation to the impound lot 106.

FIG. 3 is a process flow of generating an alert message to the creditor associated with the vehicle of FIG. 1 entering an impound lot, according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a process flow 350 to provide a method, a system and/or a device for verifying a set of geospatial coordinates associated with the location of the vehicle 104 and creating a time stamp 216 associated with the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106 broadcasted through the tracking server 100 using a network 103 to automatically distribute an alert message 202 to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) associated with the vehicle 104 of the vehicle 104 entering the impound lot 106. The process flow 350 may start with 304: install tracking device 102 in an inconspicuous location in the vehicle 104. Then in 306 the tracking device 102 may be associated to the impounded car tracking device 110A-N (e.g. communicatively coupled via the tracking server 100 and/or the network 103; this may allow tracking device 102 metadata 115 to be exchanged to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor).)

Next in 308 there may be comparison of a set of geospatial coordinates associated with the location of the vehicle 104 with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding the impound lot 106. This comparison may help determine whether or not the vehicle 104 has entered the impound lot 106. In 310 creation of a time stamp associated with a creation date and/or creation time of the vehicle 104 upon entering an impound lot 106 may then be generated through a data processing system (e.g. impounded car tracking device 110A-N and/or impound lot data processing system) based on a geospatial location of the impound lot 106. Next in 312 upon entering the impound lot 106 the tracking device 102 may generate an alert message module 202 to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) associated with the vehicle 104. Lastly in FIG. 3 314 bi-directional communication 208 may allow verification through the tracking server 100 to the impound lot data processing system that the vehicle 104 is actually physically in the impound lot 106.

FIG. 4 is a user interface view of an impounded car tracking device associated with the creditor of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a user interface view 450 that explains how a user (e.g. creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor)) may view pertinent information on the desktop computer, laptop computer, smartphone or tablet. Pertinent information may comprise of a list of impounded vehicles 402, an assigned score 404, a vehicle summary of FIG. 2 (e.g. vehicle data, vehicle loan status, impound lot data, government data), a decision tree 408, a dismiss option 410, a reminder in 5 days option 412, a priority option 414, and/or a verify info option 418.

The assigned score 404 may be given to vehicles associated with the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor), and may be used to determine a priority level of each vehicle. The priority level may be based on the threshold number of days that the vehicle 104 is in the impound lot 106, a car payment history, a vehicle value, a net equity in the vehicle, a type of impound lot location, and/or an impound lot fee associated with the vehicle. The assigned score 404 may be used by the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to help make a decision on the decision tree 408, which may comprise of a dispatch recovery agent 420, a retrieve vehicle 422, and/or a dial to consumer 424. The dispatch recovery agent 420 may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to communicate with a recovery agent to inspect the vehicle 104 in the impound lot 106 to assess its condition, and may retrieve the vehicle 104 out of the impound lot 106. The retrieve vehicle 422 may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to communicate with a person associated with the vehicle loan consumer if the vehicle loan consumer cannot be reached (e.g. a family member, a friend). And the dial to consumer 424 may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to dial the vehicle loan consumer and directly communicate with that individual.

In one embodiment the dismiss 410 may allow the vehicle loan creditor to dismiss the generate alert message 202 in FIG. 2 and/or the remind alert module 204 also in FIG. 2, generated from the tracking server 100 (FIG. 1). The reminder in 5 days 412 may allow the vehicle loan creditor to delay actions for 5 days. Priority option 414 may allow the vehicle loan creditor to adjust the priority level of the vehicle 104. Verify info may allow the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) to request verification of the trustworthiness of the generate alert message 202 and/or the remind alert 204 (e.g. through an internet protocol based network associated with the data processing system of the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor)).

FIG. 5 is a critical path flow diagram of analyzing the vehicle of FIG. 1 entering the impound lot, according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a critical path view 550 illustrating a flow based on time and origin in which critical operations in establishing alerts and metadata 115 between the tracking device 102, the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor), the tracking server 100, and/or the impound lot data processing system. The critical path view 550 may comprise of a send alert message of the vehicle entering impound lot 502, a distribute alert message 504, a receive alert message of vehicle entering impound lot 506, a reminder alert after threshold no. of days 508, a verification request and notice of vehicle being in the impound lot 510, and/or a receive summary data of impounded vehicle 512.

First the tracking device 102 may send alert message of the vehicle entering impound lot 502 to the tracking server 100, which may then distribute alert message 504 to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) and/or reminder alert after threshold no. of days 508. The creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) may then receive alert message of vehicle entering impound lot 506, and may request verification from the impound lot data processing system. The impound lot data processing system may then receive verification request and notice of vehicle being in the impound lot 510, and may then generate summarize vehicle data 212 to the creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor). The creditor 108 (e.g., a vehicle loan creditor) may then receive summary data of impounded vehicle 512.

It will be understood that the vehicle 104 may be impounded by government agencies (e.g., municipalities) when (1) there are unresolved parking violation(s) of a certain age, (2) above a total fine threshold, and/or (3) during the violation of a parking ordinance (“tow away zone”). The registrant of the vehicle may have certain unresolved moving violation sin some jurisdictions, as part of repossession of a vehicle by a lessor or lender. The process for impoundment may include (A) an owner or operator may create the legal basis for impoundment as above (failure to make payments, illegal vehicle usage, etc.) (B) A grant of authority to impound may be made either implicitly or explicitly (see below) (C) An agency that has the legal authority to execute impoundment may locate the vehicle. The agency may take possession of the vehicle and tow to the impoundment lot 106. If the owner or operator of the vehicle 104 does not clear the issue (payment, etc.), after a certain defined period, the vehicle may be sold at auction. After deducting the costs of the auction, the impoundment process, and any other fees from the sale price, the remainder may be returned the owner of the vehicle 104. In the various embodiments herein, any of the processes above may be possible.

FIG. 6 is a map view of a set of impound lots in a geospatial vicinity of a primary home address and a primary work address of an owner of the vehicle of FIG. 1 that is subject to the loan obligation, according to one embodiment. In FIG. 6, an impound lot 600 is illustrated as being adjacent to a home address of a vehicle loan consumer (e.g., debtor) 606. In addition, a different impound lot (e.g., preseeded and geocoded) 602 is shown as being adjacent to a work address of the vehicle loan consumer in 604.

An example embodiment will now be described. A creditor ‘Joe's Lending Service’ may provide a loan to Jack Donaldson, a construction worker. Jack may purchase a used Honda Accord from Sammy's Automotive Wonders in Santa Monica, Calif. Jack may use his new Honda Accord to get to work every day at the Pier. However, after a night of heavy drinking, Jack may be arrested. His Honda Accord, left at the Old Dusty Bar on Main Street may be towed to an impound lot nearby. Fortunately for Joe's Lending Service, they may quickly realize that Jack's car has been towed because they may subscribe to the Spireon Impound Lot notification service.

Not only did Jack's Honda Accord have tracking information so that Joe's Lending Service could keep track of the collateralized car sold to Jack through Spireon's tracking service, they were able to quickly determine that Jack's car was now in a police impound lot because of the various embodiments described herein. Joe's Lending timely recovered the vehicle by paying for just a single day of impounded time, rather than the additional daily rate of $250 per day. Fortunately, Jack was able to get his car back after coming out on bail the next week, and get to work at the construction site on time by Monday morning in a sober state when his girlfriend Janice was able to drive Jack to work in his reacquired Honda Accord. As a result, Jack is able to continue making his usual $250 a month payments to Joe's Lending Service, and all parties benefit because Jack keeps his job and car, and Joe's Lending gets a paying customer because of the technologies described herein.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a tracking device to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle;

a network;

a tracking server to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle through the network; and

an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a tracking server to determine whether the vehicle is within a boundary of an impound lot, and to generate an alert to a creditor device when the vehicle is within the boundary of the impound lot beyond a threshold amount of time.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a database communicatively coupled with the impound alerting server having a set of records comprising address information of a plurality of impound lot boundaries and associated meta data, and

wherein the associated meta data include at least one of a lot name data, a lot address data, a lot contact information data, a lot phone number data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot fee data, a total incurred impound lot fee data, and a contact person data.

3. The system of claim 2:

wherein the tracking server to associate the impound alerting server and the vehicle with the creditor device, and

wherein the tracking server to verify a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3:

wherein the tracking server to compare the current location of the vehicle with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots that are geocoded through the impound alerting server, and

wherein the tracking server to create a time stamp associated with an entry date and entry time of the vehicle entering the impound lot.

5. The system of claim 4:

wherein the impound alerting server to determine a type of the impound lot,

wherein the impound alerting server to communicate the type of the impound lot to the creditor device, and

wherein the type of the impound lot is at least one of a police lot, a tow lot, a public impound lot, and a private lot.

6. The system of claim 5:

wherein the impound alerting server to communicate the associated meta data to the creditor device based on the type of the impound lot.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the creditor device to match a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle.

8. A method of a tracking server comprising:

determining that a tracking device is installed in the vehicle;

associating the tracking device with a creditor using a processor and a memory;

verifying a set of geospatial coordinates associated with a current location of the vehicle;

comparing the current location of the vehicle with a set of geospatial locations of surrounding impound lots;

creating a time stamp associated with an entry date and an entry time of the vehicle entering an impound lot based on a geospatial location of the impound lot; and

generating an alert message communicable to the creditor associated with the vehicle entering the impound lot.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining that the tracking device is positioned in an internally inconspicuous location in which the tracking device is not readily visible to an occupant of the vehicle;

determining that the tracking device is coupled to a power source, such that the tracking device is operable to determine a location of the vehicle and transmit location information to the creditor; and

disabling a motor of the vehicle if motion is detected for at least one of a removal and a disablement of the tracking device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

generating a first alert message if the tracking device is disabled in the vehicle;

communicating the first alert message to the creditor;

generating a second alert message if the vehicle enters the impound lot; and

communicate the second alert message to the creditor;

generating a disablement pushpin based on the first alert message;

generating an impound pushpin based on the second alert message;

placing the disablement pushpin and the impound pushpin in a map view of the tracking server; and

providing the creditor access to the map view based on authenticated access credentials.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

verifying through a network associated with the tracking server that the second alert message associated with the vehicle entering the impound lot is trusted; and

permitting the creditor and the impound lot to bi-directionally communicate through the tracking server to verify that the vehicle is in the impound lot and to verify an event data related to the vehicle entering the impound lot.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

reminding automatically the creditor of at least one of the first alert message and the second alert message after a predetermined threshold number of days that the vehicle remains in the impound lot;

triggering a verification of a loan status of the vehicle; and

providing the event data comprising at least one of the vehicle data, an impound lot data, and a government data associated with at least one of the vehicle, a debtor, and a driver of the vehicle at a time of impoundment.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

verifying to the creditor at least one of the loan status comprising of a loan balance, a loan payment due date, a most recent loan payment, a loan payment history, a related loan by the vehicle loan debtor, and related loan information;

generating to the creditor at least one of the vehicle data comprising of a year, a make, a model and a color of the vehicle, an associated vehicle loan consumer name, the vehicle loan consumer contact information;

providing to the creditor at least one of the impound lot data comprising of an impound lot address data, a contact person data, a contact information data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot fee data, a total incurred impound lot fee data; and

automatically provide for the creditor at least one of the government data comprising of a vehicle code violation, a vehicle citation ticket number, a vehicle citation penalty, a driver citation ticket number, a policy activity associated with the driver, and the policy activity associated with the debtor.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

populating a priority chart when multiple vehicles associated with the creditor are in the impound lots based on at least one of the threshold number of days that the vehicle is in the impound lot, a car payment history, a vehicle value, a net equity in the vehicle, a type of impound lot location, an impound lot fee associated with the vehicle; and

assigning a score within a predetermined scoring system to each vehicle in the impound lot based on the vehicle summary data; and

generating a decision tree, wherein, the vehicle loan creditor actions are recommended, based on the score of the vehicle, to perform at least one of dialing to the vehicle loan consumer through a one-button dialer containing the consumer's telephone information to communicate with the consumer, communicating with a person associated with the vehicle loan consumer if the vehicle loan consumer cannot be reached, dispatching a recovery agent to inspect the vehicle in the impound lot to assess its condition, and retrieving the vehicle out of the impound lot.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

geocoding a set of impound lot addresses each associated with a vehicle owner in a neighborhood surrounding the data processing system;

prepopulating the set of impound lot addresses each associated with the vehicle owner; and

generating a map view to simultaneously provide the current locations of vehicles associated with the vehicle loan creditor in relation to their surrounding impound lots.

16. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a tracking device to determine a present geospatial location of the vehicle;

a network;

a tracking server to periodically receive the present geospatial location of the vehicle through the network; and

an impound alerting server communicatively coupled with a tracking server to determine whether the vehicle is within a boundary of an impound lot, and to generate an alert to a creditor device when the vehicle is within the boundary of the impound lot beyond a threshold amount of time,

wherein the impound alerting server to communicate the associated meta data to the creditor device based on the type of the impound lot, and

wherein the creditor device to match a loan payment status with an owner of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a database communicatively coupled with the impound alerting server having a set of records comprising address information of a plurality of impound lot boundaries and associated meta data, and

wherein the associated meta data include at least one of a lot name data, a lot address data, a lot contact information data, a lot phone number data, an hours of operation data, a towing fee data, a daily incurring impound lot fee data, a total incurred impound lot fee data, and a contact person data.

18. The system of claim 17: