Vehicle Location & Tracking

Lot Summary

With a 2007 priority date, the disclosed portfolio describes an apparatus, systems, and methods broadly related to vehicle location and detection. The technology automatically captures and stores the last parked location of the user’s vehicle and, upon prompt by the user, guides user back to vehicle via a handheld unit (e.g., smartphone), including the following:

Abstract (US 8,392,118)
The invention comprises a method of locating a vehicle, comprising: a) connecting a removable
locator device to the vehicle, said locator device automatically noting when it has been connected to
the vehicle and then using locating technology to retrieve, at regular intervals, location coordinates
for the current location of said locator device, said location coordinates approximating the location
of the vehicle; b) sensing a loss of connection between the locator device and the vehicle; c)
automatically storing, as a waypoint on the locator device, the last location coordinates retrieved
prior to sensing said loss of connection; and, d) removing the locator device from the vehicle to
enable use of the locator device to return to the stored waypoint, wherein the stored waypoint
represents the approximate location of the vehicle.

Abstract (US 8,560,222)
Methods of locating a vehicle are disclosed. Location coordinates are received at regular intervals via
a handheld locator device for the current location of the handheld locator device. The handheld
locator device detects the cessation of the presence of the vehicle. The location coordinates lastreceived
before the detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle are stored
automatically, and represent the approximate location of the parked vehicle when the cessation of
the presence of the vehicle is detected.

Due Diligence

Patent Number	File History
8,392,118	fh8392118.pdf
8,521,419	fh8521419.pdf
8,560,222	fh8560222.pdf
9,562,769	fh9562769.pdf