Device for locating a vehicle and method of generating vehicle location information

1. A locator device for locating a vehicle, comprising:

a satellite positioning location interface;

a dead-reckoning location module;

a processing circuit coupling the satellite positioning location interface and the dead-reckoning location module;

wherein the dead-reckoning location module receives a first rear wheel speed and a second rear wheel speed from an anti-lock braking system,

wherein the dead-reckoning location module determines a vehicle heading based on the first rear wheel speed, the second rear wheel speed, a first rear wheel radius, a second rear wheel radius, and a distance between the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel,

wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the location data of the vehicle to be the location data provided by the dead-reckoning location module when poor satellite signal reception is detected;

wherein the dead-reckoning location module is calibrated using a Kalman filter when the vehicle is detected to be in an extensive area of good satellite signal reception conditions, and wherein the Kalman filter estimates at least one of the radii of the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel and a difference in the radii between the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel.

2. The locator device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locator device comprises a mobile communication interface configured to transmit location data of the vehicle to an emergency call center.

3. The locator device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mobile communication interface is configured to transmit location data automatically over a predetermined time interval.

4. The locator device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein calibrating the dead-reckoning location module includes the application a Kalman filter.

5. The locator device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine a vehicle location based on both data from the dead-reckoning location module and data from the satellite positioning location interface.

6. A method for generating location data of a vehicle with the aid of a locator device, the method comprising:

in response to determining, using a processing circuit, that the vehicle is in an area of poor satellite signal reception conditions, generating location data of the vehicle via a dead-reckoning location module, and

in response to determining, using the processing circuit, that the vehicle is in an extensive area of good satellite signal reception conditions, calibrating the dead-reckoning location module by estimating, using a Kalman filter and information from a satellite positioning location interface, at least one of the radii of the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel and a difference in the radii between the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel,

wherein generating the location data of the vehicle via the dead-reckoning location module includes:

measuring a first rear wheel speed and a second rear wheel speed from an anti-lock braking system; and

calculating a vehicle heading based on the first rear wheel speed, the second rear wheel speed, a first rear wheel radius, a second rear wheel radius, and a distance between the first rear wheel and the second rear wheel,

and wherein the processing circuit is coupled to the satellite positioning location interface and the dead-reckoning location module.

7. The location data generation method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising transmitting, using a mobile communication interface coupled to the locator device, the location data of the vehicle in response to receiving a command signal.

8. The location data generation method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the location data of the vehicle is transmitted automatically over a predetermined time interval.

9. The location data generation method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the calibration of the dead-reckoning location module includes applying a Kalman filter.

10. The location data generation method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises merging data from the dead-reckoning location module and from the satellite positioning location interface.