Patent ID: 8160656

Claim:
A system, comprising: a cellular transceiver for communicating cellular communications with a source of Telematics service via a cellular network; a satellite receiver for receiving satellite communications from the source via a satellite network; and at least one controller communicatively coupled to the cellular transceiver and the satellite receiver and configured to control the cellular transceiver and the satellite receiver to establish communication with the source using either one or both of the cellular network and the satellite network, the at least one controller configured to determine whether to use the cellular transceiver or the satellite receiver to communicate with the source, wherein if the cellular transceiver is determined to be used, the at least one controller is configured to operate in a cellular mode and is configured to receive a message in a first cellular communication communicated from the source to the cellular transceiver, wherein if the satellite receiver is determined to be used, the at least one controller is configured to operate in a satellite mode and is configured to receive a message in a first satellite communication communicated from the source to the satellite receiver, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to: configure an acknowledgment that the message received in the first satellite communication has been received in the satellite mode; and return, in a second cellular communication communicated, when the cellular transceiver is determined to be used, from the cellular transceiver to the source, the acknowledgment that the message has been received in the satellite mode; wherein the at least one controller is operatively coupled to a battery, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to: determine if a vehicle is turned off, and programmably control power from the battery to the cellular transceiver when the vehicle is turned off; and wherein to programmably control power from the battery to the cellular transceiver, the at least one controller is configured to: receive a discontinuous reception parameter from the cellular network with the cellular transceiver; and control supply of power from the battery to the cellular transceiver based on the discontinuous reception parameter.