Selective vehicle tracking and vehicle routing

Abstract

A vehicle monitoring system permits a user to designate some usage as personal, such that the location of the vehicle is not tracked (or not recorded or not reported). The user can designate the usage as personal in terms of time of day or day of the week or in terms of geographic areas. Optionally, in calculating a route, the system may take into account a safety index; i.e. which route is safer. The system may also take into account which route will consume less energy, particularly where the vehicle is an electric vehicle, which has different efficiencies in certain types of road conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle monitoring system comprising:
 a location-determining device;   a communication device;   a processor programmed to transmit a plurality of locations as determined by the location-determining device over the communication device, the processor programmed to receive a user selection of locations not to transmit, the processor programmed not to transmit the user selection of locations, wherein the user selection of locations is based upon time of day, wherein the processor monitors driver data indicative of driver behavior and transmits the driver data via the communication device, and wherein the processor transmits the driver data even when the processor does not transmit location, wherein the user selection of locations is a selected geographic area, wherein the user selection of locations is based upon day of the week.   
     
     
         2 . A method for monitoring a vehicle including the steps of:
 a) monitoring locations of a vehicle over time;   b) receiving a user selection of criteria when the locations should not be reported; and   c) transmitting locations monitored in step a), but not locations meeting the criteria.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further including the steps of:
 monitoring data indicative of driving behavior; and 
 transmitting data indicative of driving behavior including driving behavior meeting the criteria. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the criteria includes time of day. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the criteria includes a geographic area. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the criteria includes day of the week. 
     
     
         7 . A method for monitoring a vehicle including the steps of:
 a) monitoring a vehicle over time;   b) receiving a user selection of criteria that indicates personal usage of the vehicle; and   c) monitoring the vehicle differently based upon criteria that indicates personal usage.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step c) includes the step of transmitting vehicle locations but not transmitting vehicle locations during personal usage. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step c) includes monitoring energy consumption separately for personal usage. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring driver behavior. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring driver behavior during personal usage and during non-personal usage, and wherein step c) includes monitoring vehicle locations, but not monitoring vehicle locations during personal usage. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein personal usage is indicated by time of day, day of the week or geographic location. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring distance driven during both personal usage and during non-personal usage, and wherein step c) includes monitoring vehicle locations, but not monitoring vehicle locations during personal usage. 
     
     
         14 . A method for calculating a route from an origin to a destination via roads in a road map database based upon relative costs, wherein the relative costs include travel time and energy consumption, wherein the energy consumption is based upon the type of vehicle, wherein the type of vehicle includes whether the vehicle is electric, wherein the route is calculated to avoid hills and frequent stops. 
     
     
         15 . A method for monitoring a vehicle including the steps of:
 a) monitoring a vehicle over time;   b) automatically identifying criteria indicating personal usage of the vehicle; and   c) monitoring the vehicle differently based upon criteria that indicates personal usage.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step c) includes the step of transmitting vehicle locations but not transmitting vehicle locations during personal usage. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step c) includes monitoring energy consumption separately for personal usage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring driver behavior. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring driver behavior during personal usage and during non-personal usage, and wherein step c) includes monitoring vehicle locations, but not monitoring vehicle locations during personal usage. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step a) includes the step of monitoring distance driven during both personal usage and during non-personal usage, and wherein step c) includes monitoring vehicle locations, but not monitoring vehicle locations during personal usage.