Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-14
2003-08-26
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C709S200000, C709S241000, C702S182000, C702S183000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C379S001010, C379S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611740
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to use of an internet-based system for diagnosing a vehicle's performance.
BACKGROUND
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires vehicle manufacturers to install on-board diagnostics (OBD-II) for monitoring light-duty automobiles and trucks beginning with model year 1996. OBD-II systems (e.g., microcontrollers and sensors) monitor the vehicle's electrical and mechanical systems and generate data that are processed by a vehicle's engine control unit (ECU) to detect any malfunction or deterioration in the vehicle's performance. Most ECUs transmit status and diagnostic information over a shared, standardized electronic buss in the vehicle. The buss effectively functions as an on-board computer network with many processors, each of which transmits and receives data. The primary computers in this network are the vehicle's electronic-control module (ECM) and power-control module (PCM). The ECM typically monitors engine functions (e.g., the cruise-control module, spark controller, exhaust/gas recirculator), while the PCM monitors the vehicle's power train (e.g., its engine, transmission, and braking systems). Data available from the ECM and PCM include vehicle speed, fuel level, engine temperature, and intake manifold pressure. In addition, in response to input data, the ECU also generates 5-digit ‘diagnostic trouble codes’ (DTCs) that indicate a specific problem with the vehicle. The presence of a DTC in the memory of a vehicle's ECU typically results in illumination of the ‘Service Engine Soon’ light present on the dashboard of most vehicles.
Data from the above-mentioned systems are made available through a standardized, serial 16-cavity connector referred to herein as an ‘OBD-II connector’. The OBD-II connector typically lies underneath the vehicle's dashboard. When a vehicle is serviced, data from the vehicle's ECM and/or PCM is typically queried using an external engine-diagnostic tool (commonly called a ‘scan tool’) that plugs into the OBD-IL connector. The vehicle's engine is turned on and data are transferred from the engine computer, through the OBD-II connector, and to the scan tool. The data are then displayed and analyzed to service the vehicle. Scan tools are typically only used to diagnose stationary vehicles or vehicles running on a dynamometer.
Some vehicle manufacturers also include complex electronic systems in their vehicles to access and analyze some of the above-described data. For example, General Motors includes a system called ‘On-Star’ in some of their high-end vehicles. On-Star collects and transmits data relating to these DTCs through a wireless network. On-Star systems are not connected through the OBD-II connector, but instead are wired directly to the vehicle's electronic system. This wiring process typically takes place when the vehicle is manufactured.
SUMMARY
Embodiments of the invention can provide a wireless, internet-based system for monitoring a vehicle. For example, embodiments of the invention can access data from a vehicle, analyze it, and make it available to organizations (e.g. an automotive dealership or service center) over the internet so that the vehicle's performance can be analyzed accurately and in real-time. Data are accessed through the same OBD-II connector used by conventional scan tools. In this way, the invention collects data similar to those collected by scan tools, only they are collected in real-time while the vehicle is actually being driven. The invention also provides an Internet-based web site to view these data. The web site also includes functionality to modify the type of data being collected, e.g. the type of diagnostic data or the frequency at which it is collected. The data can be collected and viewed over the Internet without having to bring the vehicle in for service. The data include, for example, DTCs and mechanical and electrical data stored in the vehicle's engine computer.
In one aspect, the invention features a system for monitoring operational characteristics of a vehicle. The system includes a computer in the vehicle, and a wireless appliance in electrical contact with the computer. The wireless appliance includes a data-transmission component configured to transmit data associated with the operational characteristics over a network to a host computer system, and to receive over the network data from the host computer system.
In another aspect, the invention features a device for monitoring operational characteristics of a vehicle. The device includes a wireless appliance including a data transmission component configured to communicate data associated with the operational characteristics over a network to a host computer.
In another aspect, the invention features a device for monitoring operational characteristics of a vehicle. The device includes a wireless appliance including a data transmission component configured to receive data associated with the operational characteristics over a network from a host computer.
In a further aspect, the invention features a system for monitoring operational characteristics of a vehicle. The system includes a host computer and a wireless appliance including a data transmission component configured to communicate data associated with the operational characteristics over a network to the host computer. In some embodiments, the wireless appliance is in the vehicle. In certain embodiments, the host computer is external to the vehicle.
In one aspect, the invention features a system for monitoring operational characteristics of a vehicle. The system includes a host computer and a wireless appliance including a data transmission component configured to receive data associated with the operational characteristics over a network from the host computer. In some embodiments, the wireless appliance is in the vehicle. In certain embodiments, the host computer is external to the vehicle.
Embodiments of the invention can include one or more of the following features and/or advantages.
The ‘wireless appliance’ used in the above-described invention features a data-transmitting component (e.g. a radio or cellular modem) that sends out the data packet over an existing wireless network (e.g., Cingular's Mobitex network). Such a wireless appliance is described in the application WIRELESS DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES, filed Feb. 1, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In embodiments, the communication software supported by the data-collection component features a schema component that identifies the diagnostic data to be collected from the vehicle's computer. The schema component features an address that describes a location of a diagnostic datum in the vehicle's computer memory. It can also describe a time or frequency that the data-collection component collects data from the vehicle's computer, or a time or frequency that the data-transmission component transmits an outgoing data packet. The schema component is typically an ASCII or binary data file that is configured to be processed by the communication software.
In the above-mentioned description, the term ‘supported’ means that an executable version of the communication software can run as a computer program on a microprocessor, microcontroller, or comparable, semiconductor-based device resident on the data-collection component.
The host computer system typically features at least one web-hosting computer that hosts the web site, and at least one, separate gateway computer that receives the outgoing data packet and sends the incoming data packet. In this embodiment the web site features a first web page that displays at least a single vehicle diagnostic datum. For example, the first web page can include data fields describing: i) a name of the diagnostic datum; ii) units corresponding to the diagnostic datum; and iii) a numerical value corresponding to the diagnostic datum. Multiple sets of diagnostic data, each received by the host computer system at a unique time
Banet Matthew J.
Borrego Diego
Lightner Bruce
Lowrey Larkin Hill
Myers Chuck
Black Thomas G.
Hale and Dorr LLP
Mancho Ronnie
NetworkCar
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