Appliance diagnostic information via a wireless communication link

• US 10,083,548 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiaverini, Marc Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US13/606,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 701 31, 701 315, 1 315
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Wireless communication takes place between a first computing device and an appliance having a data center including diagnostic data. A subset of the diagnostic data may be communicated to a first server using a communications network and in turn information associated with the subset of the diagnostic data may be communicated to a second server. The second server then provides feedback to the first server that may be at least partially communicated to the first computing device. Wireless communication may also take place between a second computing device and the appliance, the second computing device selectively receiving a different subset of the diagnostic data. Subsets of different diagnostic data from different computing devices may result in a larger subset of the diagnostic data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, input indicating that the device is in a position to establish communication with a diagnostic data center, located within an appliance, via a near field communication tag,

the near field communication tag being located within the appliance, and

the diagnostic data center having diagnostic data associated with operation of the appliance;

establishing, by the device and based on receiving the input, a wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag;

sending, by the device and based on establishing the wireless communication, authentication information to a first server;

receiving, by the device, authorization information based on the device being authenticated, by the first server, to communicate with the diagnostic data center;

receiving, by the device and based on receiving the authorization information, a set of diagnostic data from the diagnostic data center;

communicating, by the device, at least a subset of the first set of diagnostic data to the first server by way of a communications network,

computing device information associated with the subset of the set of diagnostic data being distributed from the first server to a second server; and

receiving, by the device, feedback from the second server based on the computing device information,

the feedback including a particular application based on a determination that a pre-existing application will not fix a fault within the appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, where establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag comprises:

establishing a two-way wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag comprises:

establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on a magnetic field being induced in the device by the near field communication tag.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a near field communication handshake; and

wherein establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag comprises;

establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on performing the near field communication handshake.

5. The method of claim 1, where the set of diagnostic data is a first set of diagnostic data;

where the computing device information is first computing device information;

where the wireless communication is a first wireless communication;

where the feedback is first feedback; and

where the method further comprises;

establishing a second wireless communication between a computing device and the appliance based on the computing device being within a predetermined geographic range of the appliance;

receiving a second set of diagnostic data from the appliance by way of the second wireless communication;

communicating at least a subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device;

distributing second computing device information associated with the subset of the second set of diagnostic data;

receiving second feedback in response to the second computing device information; and

providing the second feedback to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of:

the subset of the first set of diagnostic data is different from the subset of the second set of diagnostic data, or

the first computing device information is different from the second computing device information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second feedback received in response to the second computing device information is from the second server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein communicating at least the subset of the second set of diagnostic data comprises:

communicating at least the subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device to another server, different from the first server,

the first server and the other server being connected; and

wherein the method further comprises;

combining the subset of the first set of diagnostic data and the subset of the second set of diagnostic data to comprise a third subset of diagnostic data from the diagnostic data center of the appliance.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein communicating at least the subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device comprises:

communicating at least the subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device to the first server.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the subset of the first set of diagnostic data and the subset of the second set of diagnostic data are combined to comprise a third subset of total diagnostic data from the diagnostic data center of the appliance.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the second wireless communication comprises Wi-Fi.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

conducting the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication concurrently.

13. The method of claim 1, where the computing device information is first computing device information;

and

where the method further comprises;

receiving additional feedback from a third server in response to diagnostic information from the appliance,

the third server having second computing device information,

the second computing device information being different from the first computing device information based on a dissimilar distribution from the first server to the third server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third server is at least one of:

a government server,

an advertisement server,

a fleet management server, or

an insurance company server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance is a vehicle and the set of diagnostic data includes information regarding at least one of:

battery status,

battery charge,

fuel consumption,

fuel level,

mileage,

transmission speed,

engine speed,

tire pressure,

speed,

temperature,

oil pressure,

air flow,

pitch,

yaw,

roll, or

acceleration.

16. A device comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive input indicating that the device is in a position to establish communication with a diagnostic data center, located within an appliance, via a near field communication tag,

the near field communication tag being located within the appliance, and

the diagnostic data center having diagnostic data associated with operation of the appliance;

establish, based on receiving the input, a wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag;

send, based on establishing the wireless communication, authentication information to a first server;

receive authorization information based on the device being authenticated, by the first server, to communicate with the diagnostic data center;

receive, based on receiving the authorization information, a set of diagnostic data from the diagnostic data center;

communicate at least a subset of the set of diagnostic data to the first server by way of a communications network,

computing device information associated with the subset of the set of diagnostic data being distributed from the first server to a second server; and

receive feedback from the second server based on the computing device information,

the feedback including a particular application based on a determination that a pre-existing application will not fix a fault within the appliance.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein, when establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, the processor is to:

establish a two-way wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein, when establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, the processor is to:

establish the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on a magnetic field being induced in the device by the near field communication tag.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein, when establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, the processor is to:

establish the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on performing a near field communication handshake.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the wireless communication is a first wireless communication;

wherein the set of diagnostic data is a first set of diagnostic data;

wherein the computing device information is a first computing device information;

wherein the feedback is first feedback; and

wherein the processor is further to;

establish a second wireless communication between a computing device and the appliance based on the computing device being within a predetermined geographic range of the appliance;

receive a second set of diagnostic data from the appliance by way of the second wireless communication;

communicate at least a subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device;

distribute second computing device information associated with the subset of the second set of diagnostic data;

receive second feedback in response to the second computing device information; and

provide the second feedback to the computing device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive input indicating that the device is in a position to establish communication with a diagnostic data center, located within an appliance, via a near field communication tag,

the near field communication tag being located within the appliance, and

the diagnostic data center having diagnostic data associated with operation of the appliance;

establish, based on receiving the input, a wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag;

send, based on establishing the wireless communication, authentication information to a first server;

receive authorization information based on the device being authenticated, by the first server, to communicate with the diagnostic data center;

receive, based on receiving the authorization information, a set of diagnostic data from the diagnostic data center;

communicate at least a subset of the set of diagnostic data to the first server by way of a communications network,

computing device information associated with the subset of the set of diagnostic data being distributed from the first server to a second server; and

receive feedback from the second server based on the computing device information,

the feedback including a particular application based on a determination that a pre-existing application will not fix a fault within the appliance.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed that cause the one or more processors to establish the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, cause the one or more processors to:

establish a two-way wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more instructions, when establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, cause the one or more processors to:

establish the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on a magnetic field being induced in the device by the near field communication tag.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more instructions, when establishing the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag, cause the one or more processors to:

establish the wireless communication between the device and the diagnostic data center via the near field communication tag based on performing a near field communication handshake.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the wireless communication is a first wireless communication;

wherein the set of diagnostic data is a first set of diagnostic data;

wherein the computing device information is a first computing device information;

wherein the feedback is first feedback; and

wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to;

establish a second wireless communication between a computing device and the appliance based on the computing device being within a second predetermined geographic range of the appliance;

receive a second set of diagnostic data from the appliance by way of the second wireless communication;

communicate at least a subset of the second set of diagnostic data from the computing device;

distribute second computing device information associated with the subset of the second set of diagnostic data;

receive second feedback in response to the second computing device information; and

provide the second feedback to the computing device.