Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Utility Patent
1999-07-14
2001-01-02
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S030000, C701S115000, C340S901000
Utility Patent
active
06169943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems for remotely controlling access to motor vehicles; and to systems for transmitting operational information from a motor vehicle to remote diagnostic equipment.
Motor vehicles are controlled by on-board computers which store data regarding operation of the engine and other components on the vehicle. When the motor vehicle is taken to a repair facility for servicing, a vehicle analyzer computer system can be connected by a cable to the on-board computers. This enables the stored data to be transferred from vehicle to the analyzer computer system for electronic diagnosis of the motor vehicle operating problems.
Although sophisticated diagnosis can be performed by such vehicle analyzer computer systems, that diagnosis may be carried out only after the vehicle has been taken to the repair facility. Nevertheless, there are times when the vehicle is not capable of being driven and it is desirable to perform the diagnosis at a location that is remote from a repair facility.
Automobiles have other electronic systems, such as remote keyless entry (RKE) systems that use a small radio frequency (RF) transmitter to initiate various vehicle functions. This RF transmitter, often having the shape of a key ring fob, has a number of push button switches allowing the driver to control functions, such as lock and unlock the doors, arm a security system or open the trunk. These transmitters also have been proposed to control starting the vehicle engine. When a given push button switch is operated, the transmitter sends an RF signal which carries a digital identification code and a designation of the function to be performed. A receiver in the vehicle receives the transmitter signal, verifies that the identification code designates an authorized transmitter for that particular vehicle and if so, signals the vehicle control circuits to perform the prescribed function.
Although the identification code provides security against unauthorized persons gaining access to the motor vehicle, concern has been expressed that someone with a radio receiver and a digital signal analyzer could eavesdrop on the radio transmissions and obtain the security numbers. Particular brands of vehicles use a specific single radio frequency. Thus a thief could “stake out” a valuable vehicle to await the return of the driver and learn the transmission necessary to operate the vehicle. Those security numbers then could be utilized to steal that vehicle at a later point in time. Thus, as the technology available to thieves advances, so too must the signal processing employed by the RKE system. Therefore, there exists a need for a more secure radio frequency system that allows remote control of vehicle functions.
Bidirectional radio frequency communication has been used for some time in cordless telephones. The term “cordless telephone” as used in the telecommunication industry, means a telephone comprising a base station and a hand-held transceiver unit. The base station is connected by wires to a terrestrial telephone line serving the owner's premises. A hand-held transceiver carried by the user communicates by radio frequency signals with the single base station that is up to approximately 300 meters away.
The Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) protocol was developed in the mid-1980's as a pan-European standard for cordless telephones and has been adapted for use outside the European Union. The DECT standard protocol has been used for simultaneous bidirectional communication between a base station and a hand-held transceiver of cordless telephones. This standard utilizes ten frequencies for communication. The exchange of signals over each frequency is divided into frames
10
each having twenty-four slots as shown in FIG.
1
. The twelve slots in the first half
14
of each frame are used for communication from a hand-held transceiver to the associated base station, while the twelve slots in the second frame half
16
are used for communication from the base station and the hand-held transceiver. It should be noted that different regions of the world have implemented the DECT protocol is slightly different manners. For example, in some regions the frequencies and the number of time slots in each message frame may differ.
When a user desires to use activates the cordless telephone to make an outgoing call, the hand-held transceiver searches for a frequency that has a matching slots in each frame half which are not being used by another cordless telephone system. This is accomplished by the hand-held transceiver listening for digital signals being sent in each slot of the frame at each of the assigned frequencies. When a vacant pair of slots, such as
18
and
19
, is found, the hand-held transceiver sends a message initiation signal on the selected frequency during slot
18
in the first half of a message frame.
While the hand-held transceiver is performing these functions, the base station is scanning the ten frequencies and listening during each of the twelve slots in the first half
14
of the message frames at each frequency. When the base station hears a message initiation signal that is addressed to it, i.e. containing the proper identification data, the base station sends a response to the transceiver in the associated slot
19
in the second half of a frame at the same frequency and bidirectional communication is established. A reverse procedure occurs when the base station receives an incoming call via the terrestrial telephone line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to provide a system for remotely diagnosing malfunctions of a motor vehicle.
Another object is to provide a communication link for transmitting operational data from a motor vehicle to a remotely located diagnostic computer system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication link.
Still another object is to utilize a hand-held, wireless remote control, of the type used to lock and unlock doors of the motor vehicle, to relay operational data to the diagnostic computer system.
These and other objectives are satisfied by a method for diagnosing a problem in a vehicle which has a memory that stores operational data regarding the vehicle's performance. When the vehicle malfunctions, a control circuit transmits that operational data from the vehicle. Preferably the operational data is transmitted by a radio frequency signal using the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications protocol.
The operational data is received at a telephone which transfers the operational data via a common carrier communication network from the cordless telephone to a diagnostic computer system. The diagnostic computer system analyzing the operational data to diagnose the problem in the vehicle.
In the preferred method, the results of the diagnostic analysis is transferred from the computer system to the telephone via the telephone network. Then, the telephone transmits the results to the control circuit in the vehicle. The control circuit may present the results to a person at the vehicle or the results can cause the control circuit to take corrective action.
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Leligne Christophe
Lhomme Francois
Simon Marc R.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Eaton Corporation
Haas George E.
Hernandez Olga
Quarles & Brady
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