Patent ID: 7493211
Filing Date: 2009-02-17
Classification: G01S,G08G,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of automatically updating a set of geo-fences stored in the memory of a telematics system on a mobile asset that is wirelessly linked to a central station, wherein the telematics system has a location device and wherein one or more of the geo-fences of the set of geo-fences stored in the telematics system memory is a trigger geo-fence, comprising: determining the present location of the mobile asset with the location device; determining at the asset whether the present location of the mobile asset is located within the area defined by one of the one or more trigger geo-fences stored in the telematics system memory; and if the mobile asset is located within the area defined by one of the trigger geo-fences stored in the telematics system memory, updating via the wireless link the set of geo-fences stored in the telematics system memory based upon the present location of the asset and the trigger geo-fence within which the asset is located, by: determining a general direction the asset is traveling based upon the present location of the asset within the area defined by the trigger geo-fence within which the asset is located; selecting a replacement set of geo-fences based upon the general direction of the asset, such that the selected replacement set of geo-fences corresponds to areas in the general direction in which the asset is heading; and replacing the set of geo-fences stored in the telematics system memory with the replacement set of geo-fences; wherein the replacement set of geofences is selected from a library of sets of geo-fences stored on a storage device at the central station wherein at least one of the geo-fences in each of the sets of geo-fences in the library of geo-fences is a trigger geo-fence.