Authenticating mobile device for on board diagnostic system access

• US 10,489,132 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bloomcamp, Eric M., Finnerty, Brian J., Uden, Jeffrey L., Werner, Shane R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US14/034,475
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method of updating an On Board Diagnostic system of a transportation vehicle comprises establishing On Board Diagnostic system access credentials for a mobile device linked to an account of a user of the transportation vehicle, wherein the access credentials are configured to serve as authorization information for access to the On Board Diagnostic system of the transportation vehicle and registering the mobile device to an On Board Diagnostic system access list. The method further comprises receiving the access credentials from the mobile device, authorizing the mobile device to access the On Board Diagnostic system of the transportation vehicle, receiving information about the transportation vehicle, and delivering an update to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to install the update on the On Board Diagnostic system.

Claims

1. A method of installing firmware in a transportation vehicle having an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, comprising:

registering a mobile device with an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system by the mobile device logging into the OBD system and inputting information including access credentials via user input to the OBD system to add the mobile device to an OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle, wherein the access credentials are used to verify that an authorized user is operating the mobile device, and wherein the OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle is stored on a server accessible through a wireless network;

in response to invocation of an application on the mobile device, sending, by the mobile device, a request to access the OBD system of the transportation vehicle, wherein the OBD system is configured to provide wireless access to the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device, a request for authorization from the OBD system;

sending, by the mobile device, authorization information to the OBD system in response to receiving the request for authorization, wherein the OBD system grants the mobile device access responsive to verifying that the mobile device is being operated by an authorized user based on the authorization information sent by the mobile device matching the access credentials in the OBD system access list established during registration; and

in response to the mobile device being granted access to the OBD system;

receiving, by the wireless network, recommended update information from the transportation vehicle, the recommended update information recommending a software update or a firmware update beneficial for the transportation vehicle;

receiving, on the mobile device based on the stored OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle, an update from the server in communication with the mobile device over the wireless network responsive to receipt of the recommended update information, the update corresponding to the software update or the firmware update indicated in the recommended update information as beneficial for the transportation vehicle; and

installing, by the mobile device, the update on the OBD system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the update comprises wirelessly transmitting the update from the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the update comprises delivering the update to the transportation vehicle through a direct connection of the mobile device with an OBD system port.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device receives updates that exceed a predetermined size from the server through a Wi-Fi connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending authorization information comprises sending pre-established access credentials linked to a profile of a user of the transportation vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the update was sent to the mobile device in response to receiving information about the transportation vehicle.

7. A method of updating an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of a transportation vehicle, comprising:

registering a mobile device with an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system by the mobile device logging into the OBD system and inputting information including access credentials via user input to the OBD system to add the mobile device to an OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle, the registering comprising establishing, by the OBD system, the access credentials for the mobile device linked to an account of a user of the transportation vehicle, wherein the access credentials are used to verify that an authorized user is operating the mobile device, and wherein the OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle is stored at a location accessible through a wireless network;

in response to invocation of an application on the mobile device, receiving, by the OBD system, a request to access the OBD system;

receiving, by the OBD system, the access credentials from the mobile device;

authorizing, by the OBD system, the mobile device to access the OBD system of the transportation vehicle responsive to verifying that the mobile device is being operated by an authorized user based on matching the received access credentials with the OBD system access list established during registration;

determining information about the transportation vehicle; and

in response to the mobile device being granted access to the OBD system;

transmitting, to the wireless network, recommended update information, the recommended update information recommending a software update or a firmware update beneficial for the transportation vehicle; and

receiving, by the OBD system, an update from the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to install the update on the OBD system responsive to receiving, from the wireless network based on the stored OBD system access list, the update corresponding to the software update or the firmware update indicated in the recommended update information as beneficial for the transportation vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the access credentials comprise at least one of a Personal Identification Number (PIN), an access code, a username and password combination, an account number, a password unaffiliated with a username, an image, personal information of the user, the correct answer to a predetermined question, a picture password, or a sequence password.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

10. The method claim 7, wherein the mobile device is one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or a tablet computer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein information about the transportation vehicle comprises at least one of error codes, warning information, information about the major systems of the transportation vehicle, information about the firmware of the OBD system, or other information about the OBD system.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the update delivered to the mobile device comprises firmware to be installed in the transportation vehicle.

13. A mobile device, comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver;

a processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to;

register the mobile device with an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of a transportation vehicle by the mobile device logging in to the OBD system and inputting information including access credentials via user input to the OBD system to add the mobile device to an OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle, wherein the access credentials are used to verify that an authorized user is operating the mobile device, and wherein the OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle is stored on a server accessible through a wireless network,

in response to a subsequent invocation of the application on the mobile device, initiate a request for access to the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system,

transmit authorization information to the OBD system in response to receiving an authorization request from the OBD system, wherein the OBD system grants the mobile device access responsive to verifying that the mobile device is being operated by an authorized user based on matching the authorization information transmitted by the mobile device with the access credentials in the OBD system access list established during registration,

receive diagnostic information from the OBD system, and

in response to the mobile device being granted access to the OBD system;

receive an update from a server in communication with the mobile device over the wireless network based on the stored OBD system access list responsive to the wireless network receiving recommended update information from the transportation vehicle, the update including a software update or a firmware update indicated in the recommended update information as being beneficial for the transportation vehicle, and

install the update to the OBD system.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein only devices listed on the OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle are eligible to be granted access to the OBD system of the transportation vehicle.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the OBD system access list for the transportation vehicle comprises mobile devices approved by a user of the transportation vehicle.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to upload the update to the transportation vehicle wirelessly.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein authorization information comprises at least one of personal access credentials, a Personal Identification Number (PIN), an access code, a username and password combination, an account number, a password unaffiliated with a username, an image, personal information of the user, the correct answer to a predetermined question, a picture password, or a sequence password.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the application further configures the processor to prompt a user to provide the authorization information in response to receiving the authorization request from a network.