Abstract: Methods reduce the likelihood of an MPERS device falsely reporting a high acceleration event as a fall impact. The device stores acceleration data acquired before the high acceleration and afterward. If a number of samples of magnitude values from accelerometer sensors in the device acquired during as interval before the high acceleration that approach 0G exceeds a predetermined number, the high acceleration is deemed from a non-fall. Acceleration sensors can also indicate an orientation change before/after the high acceleration, and a barometric pressure sensor can do the same, to further characterize an event as a non-fall. A method compares current event data to composite data sets that have been determined from a plurality of empirically derived data sets of fall and non-fall events. High correlations can indicate falls, or non-falls, respectively. Further statistical analysis of data acquired after an event reduces the likelihood of falsely indicating a fall.

Abstract: Upon initial boot-up, a telematics device receives a PID map in response to a PID map request. The TCU may send multiple PID map requests for different mode and PID combinations over a vehicles communication bus, and then may append each received PID map to the already-received PID maps. The multiple PID maps appended to one another form a composite bit value, or composite PID map. The composite PID map is processed according to a hash algorithm, resulting in a pseudo-VIN. Upon subsequent boot-ups of the TCU, the TCU sends the multiple PID map requests over the vehicle's bus and generates a pseudo VIN following the same steps as it did at initial boot-up. The TCU compares the currently generated pseudo-VIN to the initial pseudo VIN; if it determines a mismatch, it sends a notification to an interested third party that indicates improper usage of the TCU.

Abstract: Software, at a networked central computer or at a wireless mobile user device, uses GPS coordinates of a mobile user device's current location to determine a polygon in which the GPS coordinates lie. Upon determining the polygon that surrounds the current location, the software can perform a task related to the polygon. Examples of tasks include: determining traffic camera images to display on the mobile user device based on the location, speed, and heading of the user device. The images can include advertisements that pertain to the general vicinity, or demographics of those typically in the vicinity, of the cameras' coverage area. Another task includes associating performance data from a vehicle, and stored in a table, for a given location with a corresponding polygon that surrounds the location; processing the data; and assigning a risk value to the polygon based on the corresponding performance data.

Abstract: In telematics device mounted to a vehicle, an auxiliary processor detects an interrupt from an accelerometer and forwards the interrupt to a main processor—the interrupt wakes up the processor from a sleep mode. The main processor may then compare vehicle voltage and/or a value for a speed parameter to predetermined criteria to determine whether the interrupt was a false positive or if the accelerometer missed a detection of a user cranking up the vehicle. The main processor may also enter a conditional state if monitored information meets a minimum threshold. During the conditional state, the processor may operate according to rules for a current operational state and also according to rules for a changed state. The threshold for deeming a changed operational state is higher than for entering a conditional state to evaluate whether a change of operational state (i.e., on to off, or off to on) occurred.

Abstract: An asset's TCU, or a mobile device coupled thereto, receives and stores geographical boundary definitions to a memory. A processor uses the boundary definition to determine an initial-location boundary based on the definition and the current location of the TCU at the time it received the boundary request message. As the TCU's GPS unit generates location information, the processor retrieves the initial-location boundary definition from the memory and compares the current location from the GPS receiver to it according to an algorithm. If the processor determines that the current location of the vehicle has crossed the boundary, the processor generates an alert message, which may be an e-mail, SMS, telephonic, internet, IM, or other electronic message indicating that an asset crossed the boundary, and sends it wirelessly using a transceiver to a central computer for further processing, or directly to another device, according to a notification destination identifier.

Abstract: Upon initial boot-up, a telematics device receives a PID map in response to a PID map request. The TCU may send multiple PID map requests for different mode and PID combinations over a vehicles communication bus, and then may append each received PID map to the already-received PID maps. The multiple PID maps appended to one another form a composite bit value, or composite PID map. The composite PID map is processed according to a hash algorithm, resulting in a pseudo-VIN. Upon subsequent boot-ups of the TCU, the TCU sends the multiple PID map requests over the vehicle's bus and generates a pseudo VIN following the same steps as it did at initial boot-up. The TCU compares the currently generated pseudo-VIN to the initial pseudo VIN; if it determines a mismatch, it sends a notification to an interested third party that indicates improper usage of the TCU.

Abstract: An asset's TCU, or a mobile device coupled thereto, receives and stores geographical boundary definitions to a memory. A processor uses the boundary definition to determine an initial-location boundary based on the definition and the current location of the TCU at the time it received the boundary request message. As the TCU's GPS unit generates location information, the processor retrieves the initial-location boundary definition from the memory and compares the current location from the GPS receiver to it according to an algorithm. If the processor determines that the current location of the vehicle has crossed the boundary, the processor generates an alert message, which may be an e-mail, SMS, telephonic, internet, IM, or other electronic message indicating that an asset crossed the boundary, and sends it wirelessly using a transceiver to a central computer for further processing, or directly to another device, according to a notification destination identifier.

Abstract: Upon initial boot-up, a telematics device receives a PID map in response to a PID map request. The TCU may send multiple PID map requests for different mode and PID combinations over a vehicles communication bus, and then may append each received PID map to the already-received PID maps. The multiple PID maps appended to one another form a composite bit value, or composite PID map. The composite PID map is processed according to a hash algorithm, resulting in a pseudo-VIN. Upon subsequent boot-ups of the TCU, the TCU sends the multiple PID map requests over the vehicle's bus and generates a pseudo VIN following the same steps as it did at initial boot-up. The TCU compares the currently generated pseudo-VIN to the initial pseudo VIN; if it determines a mismatch, it sends a notification to an interested third party that indicates improper usage of the TCU.

Abstract: In telematics device mounted to a vehicle, an auxiliary processor detects an interrupt from an accelerometer and forwards the interrupt to a main processor—the interrupt wakes up the processor from a sleep mode. The main processor may then compare vehicle voltage and/or a value for a speed parameter to predetermined criteria to determine whether the interrupt was a false positive or if the accelerometer missed a detection of a user cranking up the vehicle. The main processor may also enter a conditional state if monitored information meets a minimum threshold. During the conditional state, the processor may operate according to rules for a current operational state and also according to rules for a changed state. The threshold for deeming a changed operational state is higher than for entering a conditional state to evaluate whether a change of operational state (i.e., on to off, or off to on) occurred.

Abstract: In telematics device mounted to a vehicle, an auxiliary processor detects an interrupt from an accelerometer and forwards the interrupt to a main processor—the interrupt wakes up the processor from a sleep mode. The main processor may then compare vehicle voltage and/or a value for a speed parameter to predetermined criteria to determine whether the interrupt was a false positive or if the accelerometer missed a detection of a user cranking up the vehicle. The main processor may also enter a conditional state if monitored information meets a minimum threshold. During the conditional state, the processor may operate according to rules for a current operational state and also according to rules for a changed state. The threshold for deeming a changed operational state is higher than for entering a conditional state to evaluate whether a change of operational state (i.e., on to off, or off to on) occurred.

Abstract: An asset's TCU, or a mobile device coupled thereto, receives and stores geographical boundary definitions to a memory. A processor uses the boundary definition to determine an initial-location boundary based on the definition and the current location of the TCU at the time it received the boundary request message. As the TCU's GPS unit generates location information, the processor retrieves the initial-location boundary definition from the memory and compares the current location from the GPS receiver to it according to an algorithm. If the processor determines that the current location of the vehicle has crossed the boundary, the processor generates an alert message, which may be an e-mail, SMS, telephonic, internet, IM, or other electronic message indicating that an asset crossed the boundary, and sends it wirelessly using a transceiver to a central computer for further processing, or directly to another device, according to a notification destination identifier.

Abstract: An asset's TCU, or a mobile device coupled thereto, receives and stores geographical boundary definitions to a memory. A processor uses the boundary definition to determine an initial-location boundary based on the definition and the current location of the TCU at the time it received the boundary request message. As the TCU's GPS unit generates location information, the processor retrieves the initial-location boundary definition from the memory and compares the current location from the GPS receiver to it according to an algorithm. If the processor determines that the current location of the vehicle has crossed the boundary, the processor generates an alert message, which may be an e-mail, SMS, telephonic, interne, IM, or other electronic message indicating that an asset crossed the boundary, and sends it wirelessly using a transceiver to a central computer for further processing, or directly to another device, according to a notification destination identifier.

Abstract: Methods reduce the likelihood of an MPERS device falsely reporting a high acceleration event as a fall impact. The device stores acceleration data acquired before the high acceleration and afterward. If a number of samples of magnitude values from accelerometer sensors in the device acquired during as interval before the high acceleration that approach 0G exceeds a predetermined number, the high acceleration is deemed from a non-fall. Acceleration sensors can also indicate an orientation change before/after the high acceleration, and a barometric pressure sensor can do the same, to further characterize an event as a non-fall. A method compares current event data to composite data sets that have been determined from a plurality of empirically derived data sets of fall and non-fall events. High correlations can indicate falls, or non-falls, respectively. Further statistical analysis of data acquired after an event reduces the likelihood of falsely indicating a fall.

Abstract: An asset's TCU, or a mobile device coupled thereto, receives and stores geographical boundary definitions to a memory. A processor uses the boundary definition to determine an initial-location boundary based on the definition and the current location of the TCU at the time it received the boundary request message. As the TCU's GPS unit generates location information, the processor retrieves the initial-location boundary definition from the memory and compares the current location from the GPS receiver to it according to an algorithm. If the processor determines that the current location of the vehicle has crossed the boundary, the processor generates an alert message, which may be an e-mail, SMS, telephonic, interne, IM, or other electronic message indicating that an asset crossed the boundary, and sends it wirelessly using a transceiver to a central computer for further processing, or directly to another device, according to a notification destination identifier.

Abstract: A method calculates Euler's rotation angles used to transform sampled values from a referred coordinate frame of a three-axis accelerometer device fixed to a vehicle to a reference coordinate frame of the vehicle. The method determines two rotation angles while the vehicle is still and assumed not inclined with respect to gravity, so that only the transformed value corresponding to a vertical axis of the vehicle equals acceleration due to gravity. Then, data acquired from the sensors typically during a braking event and indicated by a vehicle diagnostic system, along with the other two rotation angles, are used in the first derivative of a second Euler's rotation equation to determine the remaining rotation angle. Data from the sensors is transformed by the three angles to the vehicle's coordinate frame and correlated with acceleration data derived from the diagnostic system to verify the rotation angles.

Abstract: Software, at a networked central computer or at a wireless mobile user device, uses GPS coordinates of a mobile user device's current location to determine a polygon in which the GPS coordinates lie. Upon determining the polygon that surrounds the current location, the software can perform a task related to the polygon. Examples of tasks include: determining traffic camera images to display on the mobile user device based on the location, speed, and heading of the user device. The images can include advertisements that pertain to the general vicinity, or demographics of those typically in the vicinity, of the cameras' coverage area. Another task includes associating performance data from a vehicle, and stored in a table, for a given location with a corresponding polygon that surrounds the location; processing the data; and assigning a risk value to the polygon based on the corresponding performance data.

Abstract: Upon initial boot-up, a telematics device receives a PID map in response to a PID map request. The TCU may send multiple PID map requests for different mode and PID combinations over a vehicles communication bus, and then may append each received PID map to the already-received PID maps. The multiple PID maps appended to one another form a composite bit value, or composite PID map. The composite PID map is processed according to a hash algorithm, resulting in a pseudo-VIN. Upon subsequent boot-ups of the TCU, the TCU sends the multiple PID map requests over the vehicle's bus and generates a pseudo VIN to following the same steps as it did at initial boot-up. The TCU compares the currently generated pseudo-VIN to the initial pseudo VIN; if it determines a mismatch, it sends a notification to an interested third party that indicates improper usage of the TCU.