I would like to find an article, press release, news bit, PR, or
anything pertaining to the use of GPS for repossessing vehicle when a
loan is overdue, from 1997 back.  Anything from 1998 'til the present
doesn't help.  In other words, GPS based systems have long been used
to recover vehicles that have been stolen (like LoJack or On Star),
but I am looking for anyone or any GPS based system that was used to
locate a vehicle so they could repo it.

---

Clarification of Question by scyros-ga on 29 Jul 2002 16:51 PDT

A little claification - I am interested in finding a system, an ad, an
old PR piece or anything about someone proposing to use or someone
using a GPS location system for recovering a vehicle because the
payment wasn't made (in other words a repossession).  Even another
type of location systems besides GPS for the same purposes, like early
Multilateration or LMS systems.  For a piece that we can use, I will
multiply the List price by 10. Thanks, scyros@aircept.com

---

Request for Question Clarification by snapanswer-ga on 30 Jul 2002 18:37 PDT

I have found examples from current companies who emphasize the
advantage to lenders of placing a GPS system in cars.  They also
answer questions about privcay and legality in this regard.  However,
my impression from your question is that you are only interested in
pre-1998 data.

If you would be interested in current examples, please let me know,
and I will happily post what I found.

---

Clarification of Question by scyros-ga on 31 Jul 2002 16:29 PDT

There are many companies that provide this type of service today, or
push the benefit of GPS to lending institutions of car dealers today,
but I really need to find something from 1997 or earlier.  It is for
patent research, and anything after our patent in 1998 would not help
me.  Thanks very much for the effort!!.  -Steven

Hello and thank you for your question.

I found one item in Usenet (Discussion Groups) from 1996.  You'll have
to judge whether it is near enough to cause concern.  The writer
contemplates a radio signal interacting with a car's on-board
diagnostic computer ("OBD") to immobilize the vehicle if the owner has
defaulted on his car loan.  But he seems to contemplate the signal as
being ground-based, rather than GPS.
 
"From: xopher@ptd.net (xopher@ptd.net)
Subject: OBD info wanted (Big Brother automotive on-board
diagnostics?)
Newsgroups: alt.2600, rec.autos.tech
Date: 1996/03/02 
 
As far as I know I and II are in production now. Would like more info
on all three.

Fact:
OBD II turns on the "Check Engine" light under conditions like minor
misfires or low-quality gas 

Usenet rumors or facts? Please confirm or deny:
OBD III BROADCASTS VEHICLE SPEED, EMISSIONS,  & OTHER INFO TO REMOTE
ROADSIDE SENSORS 
---
GM is testing a system that would allow a car to be shutdown by a
remote radio signal "in case of theft"
Could this "feature" be used in case of late payment to GMAC?
Would this be a point at which buyers would say "NO" to technology?"

 OBD info wanted (Big Brother automotive on-board diagnostics?)March
2, 1996
http://tinyurl.com/11uu
  [if the above compressed link does not work for you, you can retrace
my steps by going to
http://groups.google.com 
selecting "advanced search" to limit the date range, and enter the
search terms
gps repossession]

Then a direct response to that item talks about GPS, but by then the
focus seems to have drifted away from the GMAC item.
 October 29, 1996
http://tinyurl.com/11v5


I hope this suits your needs.
Google Researcher
richard-ga

Quip, "Locating Vehicles via GPS How is it done?" Online posting (Oct 30,
1997). sci.geo.satellite-nav via Google Groups.
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=GPS+for+vehicle+1997&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF
-8&selm=63ae37%246jm%241%40news.eecs.umich.edu&rnum=2

scyros...

Here's an interesting PDF of IEEE Communications Magazine
* April 1998, which contains some references from 1997 at
the bottom, as well as a discussion of GPS and other systems
in relation to many uses, from 911 caller location, to 
location of strayed Alzheimers patients, to auto repossession.

Don't know if it will assist you, but it's one of very few
pages that show up in response to:


Google search:

repossession 1997 GPS system
://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=repossession+1997++GPS+system

Good hunting!

sublime1-ga

OOPS!

The link I referred to is:
http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:db2ZPjwLg8AC:www.sss-mag.com/pdf/e911.pdf+repossession+1997++GPS+system&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
(to view the .pdf as .html)

or, for the .pdf, itself:
http://www.sss-mag.com/pdf/e911.pdf

sublime1-ga