Patent ID: 7024308

Claim:
In a system including a first telematic unit incorporated within a stolen vehicle, a call center, and a second telematic unit incorporated with a police vehicle, a method for real-time routing to the stolen vehicle, the method comprising: operating the first telematic unit to determine a first GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle, and to communicate the first GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle to the call center; operating the call center to communicate the first GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle to the second telematic unit; operating the second telematic unit to determine a second GPS coordinates of the police vehicle; operating the second telematic unit to calculate a first complete route from the second GPS coordinates to the first GPS coordinates; operating the second telematic unit to calculate a first partial route extending from the second GPS coordinates along the first complete route; operating the first telematic unit to determine a third GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle, and to communicate the third GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle to the call center prior to the police vehicle traversing the first partial route; operating the call center to communicate the third GPS coordinates of the stolen vehicle to the second telematic unit prior to the police vehicle traversing the first partial route; operating the second telematic unit to determine a fourth GPS coordinates of the police vehicle prior to the police vehicle traversing the first partial route; operating the second telematic unit to calculate a second complete route from the fourth GPS coordinates to the third GPS coordinates prior to the police vehicle traversing the first partial route; and operating the second telematic unit to calculate a second partial route extending from the fourth GPS coordinates along the second complete route.