US2007194881A1PendingUtilityA1

Enforcing payment schedules

42
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Feb 7, 2006Filed: Feb 7, 2006Published: Aug 23, 2007
Est. expiryFeb 7, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Stanley G. SchwarzChristopher M. MachecaMichael Glancy
G01S 19/13G06Q 10/08B60R 25/102H04W 4/021G06Q 30/0283G06Q 20/14G06Q 40/12G06Q 20/102G06Q 10/06B60R 25/33B60R 25/04B60R 25/045B60R 25/104
42
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

A payment schedule enforcement system and method cause various actions to be taken in response to nonpayment by the debtor. Such actions include remotely activating an alert message, disabling a vehicle or other product, or the like. Upon occurrence of a specified event, a message is sent to a remotely located device, such as one installed in a vehicle or other product. The remotely located device is configured so that it can disable the vehicle (for example by disabling the starter circuitry) upon receipt of the message from the operations center.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for remotely disabling a product in response to an event, comprising: 
 detecting a trigger event; and    responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product in order to disable the product.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disabling the product comprises preventing the product from operating.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disabling the product comprises preventing a feature of the product from operating.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger event comprises a payment deadline.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message to a device comprises transmitting the message wirelessly.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message to a device comprises transmitting the message via the Internet.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message to a device comprises transmitting the message via a power line.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises a vehicle.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises one selected from the group consisting of: 
 an appliance;    a computing device;    a telecommunication device;    a handheld computer; and    a personal digital assistant.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitted message causes the device to output a warning concerning disablement.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to an external agent.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the external agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: 
 a repossession agent;    a credit issuer;    a credit reporting agency;    a lender;    a roadside assistance provider; and    a seller of the product.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a message from the device.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the received message was entered by the operator of the product associated with the device.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving location information from the device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to an external agent, the message comprising the received location information.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message instructs the device to disable the product at a specified time in the event no additional messages are received by the device.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, outputting by the device an alert to indicate disablement of the product.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alert comprises one selected from the group consisting of a visual alert, an auditory alert, and a voice alert.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is able to receive input from a user and provide output to a user.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is able to receive voice input from a user and provide voice output to a user.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 responsive to detection of a second trigger event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product in order to re-enable the product.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second trigger event represents user entry of payment information.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second trigger event represents user entry of payment information at a credit card reader.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the credit card reader is coupled to the product.  
     
     
         26 . A method for remotely enabling a feature of a product in response to an event, comprising: 
 detecting a trigger event; and    responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product in order to enable the feature of the product.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the product comprises a vehicle, and the feature of the product is associated with an onboard device installed in the vehicle.  
     
     
         28 . A method for enforcing a payment schedule for a product, comprising: 
 receiving a payment schedule;    detecting a trigger event associated with the payment schedule;    responsive to detection of the event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the trigger event comprises an impending payment deadline, and wherein the message instructs the device to output a warning.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the warning comprises an auditory warning.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the warning comprises a visual warning.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the trigger event comprises a payment deadline, and wherein the message instructs the device to disable the product.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the trigger event comprises a payment deadline, and wherein the message instructs the device to output a warning and further to disable the product after a predefined period of time if no additional message is received.  
     
     
         34 . A method for transmitting a message to a remotely located product, comprising: 
 at an operations center, detecting a trigger event associated with the product;    responsive to detection of the event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product, wherein the transmitted message causes the device to perform at least one selected from the group consisting of: 
 disabling the product; and  
 outputting a message concerning operation of the product.  
   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the message comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: 
 a warning of possible disablement;    notification of available enhancement;    notification of available upgrade;    notification of available additional product; and    instructions regarding the use of the product.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising, responsive to detection of the event, transmitting a message to an external agent concerning the trigger event for the product.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising, responsive to detection of the event: 
 detecting a location of the product; and    transmitting a message to an external agent concerning the trigger event for the product, the message to the external agent comprising location information for the product.    
     
     
         38 . A method for remotely disabling a product in response to an event, comprising: 
 receiving, at a device coupled to the product, a message from an operations center; and    responsive to receiving the message, disabling the product.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the product comprises a vehicle.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the product comprises one selected from the group consisting of: 
 an appliance;    a computing device;    a telecommunication device;    a handheld computer; and    a personal digital assistant.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising, prior to disabling the product, outputting a warning concerning impending disablement.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising, responsive to receiving the message, transmitting location information to the operations center.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second message from the operations center; and    responsive to receiving the second message, re-enabling the product.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 receiving payment information; and    transmitting payment information to the operations center.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein receiving payment information comprises receiving payment information via a credit card reader.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the credit card reader is coupled to the device.  
     
     
         47 . A computer program product for remotely disabling a product in response to an event, comprising: 
 a computer-readable medium; and    computer program code, encoded on the medium, for: 
 detecting a trigger event; and  
 responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to a device coupled to the product in order to disable the product.  
   
     
     
         48 . The computer program product of  claim 47 , wherein the computer program code for disabling the product comprises computer program code for preventing the product from operating.  
     
     
         49 . The computer program product of  claim 47 , wherein the computer program code for disabling the product comprises computer program code for preventing a feature of the product from operating.  
     
     
         50 . The computer program product of  claim 47 , wherein the trigger event comprises a payment deadline.  
     
     
         51 . The computer program product of  claim 47 , wherein the transmitted message causes the device to output a warning concerning disablement.  
     
     
         52 . The computer program product of  claim 47 , further comprising computer program code for, responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to an external agent.  
     
     
         53 . The computer program product of  claim 52 , wherein the external agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: 
 a repossession agent;    a credit issuer;    a credit reporting agency;    a lender;    a roadside assistance provider; and    a seller of the product.    
     
     
         54 . A system for remotely disabling a product in response to an event, comprising: 
 a device coupled to the product, for disabling the product in response to receiving a message;    processing logic for detecting a trigger event; and    a messaging component, coupled to the processing logic, for responsive to detection of the trigger event, transmitting a message to the device to disable the product.    
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the trigger event comprises a payment deadline.  
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the messaging component transmits the message to the device wirelessly.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the messaging component transmits the message to the device via the Internet.  
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the messaging component transmits the message to the device via a power line.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the product comprises a vehicle.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the product comprises one selected from the group consisting of: 
 an appliance;    a computing device;    a telecommunication device;    a handheld computer; and    a personal digital assistant.    
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the transmitted message causes the device to output a warning concerning disablement.  
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the messaging component further transmits a message to an external agent.  
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein the external agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: 
 a repossession agent;    a credit issuer;    a credit reporting agency;    a lender;    a roadside assistance provider; and    a seller of the product.    
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the messaging component further receives location information from the device.  
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the messaging component further transmits a message to an external agent, the message comprising the received location information.  
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 54 , further comprising: 
 a payment component installed at the product, for receiving payment information; and    a second messaging component, installed at the product, for transmitting payment information to the processing logic.    
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the payment component comprises a credit card reader.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2007194881A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.