초록 ▼

Generally, the present invention automatically monitors the travel of vehicles in response to requests from users at remote locations. In this regard, a user at a remote location submits a vehicle indicator (such as a bus number, for example) and a location indicator (such as a bus stop number, for

Generally, the present invention automatically monitors the travel of vehicles in response to requests from users at remote locations. In this regard, a user at a remote location submits a vehicle indicator (such as a bus number, for example) and a location indicator (such as a bus stop number, for example) to a data manager at a vehicle tracking system. The data manager automatically retrieves travel data and location data based on the vehicle indicator and the location indicator. The travel data indicates the current location of the vehicle identified by the vehicle value, and the location data represents a location along the vehicle's route of travel. The data manager then compares the travel data and the location data in order to determine whether the vehicle is a predetermined proximity from the location represented by the location data. When the vehicle is a predetermined proximity from the location identified by the location data (i.e., arrival of the vehicle at the location is imminent), the data manager automatically transmits a notification message to the user at the remote location.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for automatically reporting upon travel status of vehicles in response to activation requests by users at remote locations, comprising:a data manager configured to receive an activation request, said activation request including a vehicle indicator and a location indicator, said data man

1. A system for automatically reporting upon travel status of vehicles in response to activation requests by users at remote locations, comprising:a data manager configured to receive an activation request, said activation request including a vehicle indicator and a location indicator, said data manager further configured to automatically correlate said vehicle indicator with a vehicle and said location indicator with a location along a route of travel of said vehicle, to automatically identify a proximity based on said location indicator, to track travel of said vehicle based on travel data received from said vehicle, said travel data identifying said vehicle, and to automatically transmit a message in response to a determination that said vehicle is within said identified proximity; and a communications interface configured to receive said activation request from a user at a remote location, to automatically transmit said activation request to said data manager, to receive said message from said data manager, and to transmit said message to said user. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communications interface is one or more telephone interface devices.3. The system of claim 1, wherein said identified proximity is defined by time.4. The system of claim 1, wherein said identified proximity is defined by distance.5. The system of claim 1, wherein said identified proximity is defined by a predetermined location along said route of travel.6. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a bus and said location is a bus stop.7. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle indicator identifies said vehicle and said location indicator identifies said location.8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle manager configured to transmit travel data to said data manager via a control channel of a cellular network.9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle manager configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager via a voice channel of a cellular network.10. The system of claim 1, wherein said data manager further comprises a monitoring mechanism configured to receive said travel data from said vehicle, to compare said travel data with a coordinate value indicating a proximity of said location, and to correlate said travel data with said coordinate value based on said vehicle indicator and said location indicator.11. The system of claim 1, wherein said activation request includes contact information identifying a user communication device associated with said user, and wherein said communications interface is further configured to transmit said message to said user communications device based on said contact information.12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:a location sensor coupled to said vehicle and configured to determine a location of said sensor, said location sensor further configured to transmit signals based on locations determined by said location sensor; and a vehicle manager coupled to said location sensor and configured to wirelessly transmit said travel data, said travel data based on said signals transmitted from said location sensor. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein said vehicle manager is configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager in response to a determination that said vehicle is off schedule, and wherein said data manager, in tracking said vehicle, is configured to assume that said vehicle is on schedule unless said data manager receives said travel data transmitted from said vehicle.14. A system, comprising:a data manager configured to receive a vehicle indicator and a location indicator, to identify a proximity based on said location indicator, to identify a vehicle based on said vehicle indicator, to monitor travel of said vehicle, to analyze travel data indicative of whether said vehicle is within said proximity, to determine whether to transmit a message based on said travel data and said vehicle indicator, and to transmit said message in response to a determination that said vehicle is within said proximity; and a communications interface configured to receive said vehicle indicator and said location indicator from a user at a remote location, to transmit said vehicle indicator and said location indicator to said data manager, to receive said message from said data manager, and to transmit said message to said user. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said communications interface is one or more telephone interface devices.16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a vehicle manager configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager via a control channel of a cellular network.17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a vehicle manager configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager via a voice channel of a cellular network.18. The system of claim 14, wherein said identified proximity is defined by time.19. The system of claim 14, wherein said identified proximity is defined by distance.20. The system of claim 14, wherein said identified proximity corresponds with a predetermined location along said route of travel.21. The system of claim 14, wherein said vehicle is a bus and said location is a bus stop.22. The system of claim 14, wherein said vehicle indicator identifies said vehicle and said location indicator identifies said location.23. The system of claim 14, further comprising:a location sensor coupled to said vehicle and configured to determine a location of said sensor, said location sensor further configured to transmit signals based on locations determined by said location sensor; and a vehicle manager coupled to said location sensor and configured to wirelessly transmit said travel data, said travel data based on said signals transmitted from said location sensor. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein said vehicle manager is configured to transmit said travel data in response to a determination that said vehicle is off schedule, and wherein said data manager, in tracking said vehicle, is configured to assume that said vehicle is on schedule unless said data manager receives said travel data transmitted from said vehicle.25. A system for automatically reporting upon travel status of vehicles in response to activation requests by users at remote locations, comprising:means for receiving an activation request from a user at a remote location, said activation request including a vehicle indicator and a location indicator; means for identifying a vehicle based on said vehicle indicator; means for identifying a location based on said location indicator; means for specifying a proximity based on said location; means for monitoring travel of said vehicle; means for analyzing travel data indicative of whether said vehicle is within said specified proximity; means for determining whether to transmit a message to said user based on said analyzing means and said vehicle indicator; and means for transmitting said message to said user based on said determining means. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein said activation request, further includes contact information and wherein said system further comprises:means for storing said contact information; and means for retrieving said contact information in response to a determination by said determining means to transmit said message, wherein said transmitting means transmits said message based on said contact information. 27. The system of claim 25, further comprising a means for communicating said travel data via a control channel associated with a cellular network.28. The system of claim 27, wherein said communicating means includes a means for changing an identifier associated with said communicating means.29. The system of claim 27, wherein said communicating means includes a means for appending said travel data to a feature request.30. A method for automatically activating vehicle status reporting within a vehicle tracking system, comprising the steps of:receiving a vehicle indicator and a location indicator from a user at a remote location; identifying a vehicle based on said vehicle indicator; identifying a proximity based on said location indicator; receiving travel data identifying said vehicle and indicating a location of said vehicle; monitoring travel of said vehicle based on said travel data; determining, based on said monitoring step, whether said vehicle is within said proximity; and transmitting a message to said user in response to a determination in said determining step that said vehicle is within said proximity. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein said monitoring step further comprises the step of:assuming that said vehicle is traveling along a route at a predetermined rate of travel until said receiving step. 32. The method of claim 30, wherein said receiving a vehicle indicator and a location indicator step includes the step of receiving, from said user, an activation request that includes said vehicle indicator, said location indicator, and contact information, and wherein said transmitting step includes the step oftransmitting said message based on said contact information. 33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of communicating said travel data via a data channel associated with a cellular network.34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of changing an identifier associated with a communications device transmitting said travel data.35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of appending said travel data to a cellular feature request.36. A method for enabling reporting of impending vehicle arrivals, comprising the steps of:receiving a vehicle indicator and a location indicator from a remote user, said vehicle indicator identifying a vehicle and said location indicator indicating a location along a route of travel of said vehicle; identifying a proximity based on said location indicator; monitoring travel of said vehicle as said vehicle travels along said route; and transmitting a message to said user, based on said monitoring step, when said vehicle is within said proximity. 37. A system for automatically monitoring and reporting upon travel status of vehicles in response to an activation request by users at remote locations, comprising:a data manager configured to receive a vehicle indicator and a location indicator, to automatically correlate said vehicle indicator with a vehicle and said location indicator with a location along a route of travel of said vehicle, and to transmit a message in response to a determination that said vehicle is within a predetermined proximity of said location; and a communications interface configured to receive said vehicle indicator and said location indicator from a user at a remote location, to transmit said vehicle indicator and said location indicator to said data manager, and to receive said message from said data manager and to transmit said message to said user. 38. The system of claim 37, wherein said vehicle indicator and said location indicator are included in an activation request that also includes contact information identifying a remote communication device associated with said user, wherein said communications interface is further configured to transmit said message based on said contact information.39. The system of claim 37, further comprising:a location sensor coupled to said vehicle and configured to determine a location of said sensor, said location sensor further configured to transmit signals based on locations determined by said location sensor; and a vehicle manager coupled to said location sensor and configured to wirelessly transmit travel data to said data manager, said travel data based on said signals transmitted from said location sensor. 40. The system of claim 39, wherein said vehicle manager is configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager in response to a determination that said vehicle is off schedule, and wherein said data manager is configured to assume that said vehicle is on schedule unless said data manager receives said travel data.41. A system, comprising:a data manager configured to receive a vehicle indicator and a location indicator, to retrieve location data based on said location indicator, to correlate said location data with travel data based on said vehicle indicator, to compare said location data to said travel data, and to transmit a message in response to a determination that said vehicle is a predetermined proximity from a first location along a route of travel of said vehicle, said location data indicating said first location and said travel data indicating a second location of said vehicle along said route of travel; and a communications interface configured to receive said vehicle indicator and said location indicator from a user at a remote location, to transmit said vehicle indicator and said location indicator to said data manager, to receive said message from said data manager, and to transmit said message to said user. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein said vehicle indicator and said location indicator are included in an activation request that also includes contact information identifying a remote communication device associated with said user, wherein said communications interface is further configured to transmit said message based on said contact information.43. The system of claim 41, further comprising:a location sensor coupled to said vehicle and configured to determine a location of said sensor, said location sensor further configured to transmit signals based on locations determined by said location sensor; and a vehicle manager coupled to said location sensor and configured to wirelessly transmit travel data to said data manager, said travel data based on said signals transmitted from said location sensor. 44. The system of claim 43, wherein said vehicle manager is configured to transmit said travel data to said data manager in response to a determination that said vehicle is off schedule, and wherein said data manager is configured to assume that said vehicle is on schedule unless said data manager receives said travel data.45. A method for automatically activating a vehicle tracking system, comprising the steps of:receiving a vehicle indicator and a location indicator from a user at a remote location; identifying a vehicle based on said vehicle indicator; monitoring travel of said vehicle; retrieving location data based on said location indicator; comparing said location data to travel data associated with said vehicle; determining whether said vehicle is within a predetermined proximity of a location defined in data by said location data; and transmitting a message to said user in response to a determination in said determining step that said vehicle is within said predetermined proximity of said location. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein said monitoring step further comprises the steps of:receiving a notification message from said vehicle; assuming that said vehicle is traveling along a predetermined route at a predetermined rate of travel until said receiving step; and determining a location of said vehicle based on said assuming step. 47. The method of claim 45, wherein said receiving a vehicle indicator and a location indicator step includes the step of receiving, from said user, an activation request that includes said vehicle indicator, said location indicator, and contact information, and wherein said transmitting step includes the step of transmitting said message based on said contact information.