US 6,028,537 · Granted 2000-02-22
The 2000 Patent That Turned Cars Into Two-Way Communication Hubs
Imagine being able to talk to your car from your phone—asking where it is, unlocking it remotely, or calling for help when you break down. This patent describes the system that made all that possible by giving cars a brain (a processor) that can receive radio signals, talk back to you, know its own location, and control everything from the engine to the lights.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers a complete system architecture: a radio transceiver that sends and receives signals, a central processor that makes decisions, a location sensor, a user interface (like a display or buttons), and a connection to vehicle systems. What's protected here is the way all these pieces work together—the processor receiving radio commands and location data, then using that information to control vehicle functions like door locks, diagnostics, and emergency alerts. The claim also covers the ability to reprogram vehicle accessories remotely and establish two-way communication between the car and the outside world.
Why it matters
This patent arrived in 2000, right as cell phones were becoming common and before GPS navigation was standard in cars. It protected one of the first integrated systems that combined remote vehicle control, location tracking, and two-way communication—features that are now standard on every modern connected car. The patent covered the core architecture that enabled OnStar-style services and laid groundwork for modern telematics systems that insurers, manufacturers, and emergency services now rely on.
Real-world use
When you use your car's mobile app to unlock the doors, start the engine, or locate your car in a parking lot, you're using technology descended directly from this patent's design.
Original USPTO abstract
The vehicle communication and control system of the present invention includes a transceiver for sending and receiving RF signals, a processor coupled to the transceiver, a location identifying sensor coupled to the processor for supplying vehicle location data, a user interface coupled to the processor for providing information to a user and for enabling a user to input commands to be executed by the processor, and a vehicle accessory interface for coupling the processor to a vehicle accessory control circuit to enable the processor to issue commands to a vehicle accessory. The processor is preferably adapted to perform a wide variety of functions in response to user input commands, received RF signals, and other commands received from other vehicle accessories and components coupled to the system of the present invention through the vehicle system bus. Some of these functions include establishing a two-way communication link, requesting and providing location-specific information, enabling remote tracking of the vehicle, issuing an emergency request or a request for roadside assistance, requesting and receiving navigational information, remote control of vehicle functions, enabling remote diagnostics of the vehicle, and enabling reprogramming of various vehicle accessories and components.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,028,537
- Filing date
- 1997-06-13
- Grant date
- 2000-02-22
- Assignee
- Prince Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- SUMAN; MICHAEL J., WELLING; THOMAS L., ZEINSTRA; MARK L., LHAMON; RUSKIN T., NICHELSON; MATTHEW T.
- CPC class
- B60R25/102
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