Vehicle Monitoring Using Cellular Phones
Method and system for using a cell phone or PDA includes coupling the cell phone or PDA to a vehicle-resident computer, using the cell phone or PDA to provide information and providing the information from the cell phone or PDA to the vehicle-resident computer to enable the vehicle-resident computer to use the information. It can establish communications between the cell phone or PDA and a remote location to provide information obtained via the cell phone or PDA to the remote location. The cell phone or PDA can monitor received sounds at the cell phone or PDA, e.g., via a microphone, and analyze the received sounds and transmit a signal indicative of the received sounds to a remote facility. The cell phone or PDA may be trained to recognize the sounds of accidents and transmit an accident indication signal to the remote facility.
1 . A method of using a cell phone or PDA, comprising:
coupling the cell phone or PDA to a vehicle-resident computer;
using the cell phone or PDA to provide information; and
providing the information from the cell phone or PDA to the vehicle-resident computer to enable the vehicle-resident computer to use the information.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging the cell phone or PDA to send a signal to a remote location when its battery is low.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing communications between the cell phone or PDA and a remote location to provide information obtained via the cell phone or PDA to the remote location.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring received sounds at the cell phone or PDA and programming the cell phone or PDA to analyze the received sounds and transmit a signal indicative of the received sounds to a remote facility.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the cell phone or PDA is trained to recognize the sounds of accidents and transmit an accident indication signal to the remote facility.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is the location of the cell phone or PDA.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is information about an environment around the cell phone or PDA.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell phone or PDA includes a chemical sensor and the information is information about chemicals around the cell phone or PDA.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging an energy harvesting system in connection with the cell phone or PDA to generate energy to power the cell phone or PDA during movement of the vehicle.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information is information about a person carrying the cell phone or PDA.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging at least one sensor in association with the cell phone or PDA selected from a group of a temperature sensor, radiation sensor, optical sensor, humidity sensor, chemical sensor, biochemical sensor, biological sensor, acceleration sensor, velocity sensors, displacement sensor, location sensor, vibration sensor, acoustic sensor and pressure sensor.
12 . A system in a vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle-resident computer; and
an attachment device for coupling a cell phone or PDA to the vehicle-resident computer, the cell phone or PDA being arranged to generate and provide information to the vehicle-resident computer to enable the vehicle-resident computer to use the information.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the cell phone or PDA is arranged to send a signal to a remote location when its battery is low.
14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the cell phone or PDA is arranged to establish a communications channel with a remote location to provide information obtained via the cell phone or PDA to the remote location.
15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the cell phone or PDA includes a microphone and is arranged to monitor received sounds, analyze the received sounds and transmit a signal indicative of the received sounds to a remote facility.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the cell phone or PDA is trained to recognize the sounds of accidents and transmit an accident indication signal to the remote facility.
17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the information is the location of the cell phone or PDA or information about a person carrying the cell phone or PDA.
18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the cell phone or PDA includes an environment sensor or a chemical sensor and the information is information about the environment or chemicals around the cell phone or PDA.
19 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising an energy harvesting system in connection with the cell phone or PDA to generate energy to power the cell phone or PDA during movement of the vehicle.
20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the cell phone or PDA includes at least one sensor selected from a group of a temperature sensor, radiation sensor, optical sensor, humidity sensor, chemical sensor, biochemical sensor, biological sensor, acceleration sensor, velocity sensors, displacement sensor, location sensor, vibration sensor, acoustic sensor and pressure sensor.