Rental/car-share vehicle access and management system and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- control hardware configured for use in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate instructions to the vehicle via the control hardware, the control hardware comprising;
a processor;
a wireless network interface configured to interface the processor with a wireless network; and
a vehicle interface configured to interface the processor with a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle, the vehicle interface comprising a plurality of CAN bus transceivers, each CAN bus transceiver configured to interface the processor with a CAN bus type of at least one vehicle type such that the plurality of CAN bus transceivers are configured to interface the processor with the CAN bus types of a plurality of different vehicle types in the aggregate;
wherein the processor is configured to (1) automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle through the vehicle interface, (2) automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from among the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier, and (3) communicate with the vehicle'"'"'s CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and operational method are disclosed that use control hardware resident in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle. The control hardware includes a processor configured to interface with a wireless network and the vehicle through, respectively, a wireless network interface and a vehicle interface. A plurality of CAN (control area network) bus transceivers may exist within the vehicle interface operable to allow the processor to interface with multiple vehicle types. The processor may then be configured to automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle though the vehicle interface and automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier. The processor can then communicate with the vehicle'"'"'s CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
control hardware configured for use in a vehicle to enable a remote computing system to wirelessly communicate instructions to the vehicle via the control hardware, the control hardware comprising; a processor; a wireless network interface configured to interface the processor with a wireless network; and a vehicle interface configured to interface the processor with a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle, the vehicle interface comprising a plurality of CAN bus transceivers, each CAN bus transceiver configured to interface the processor with a CAN bus type of at least one vehicle type such that the plurality of CAN bus transceivers are configured to interface the processor with the CAN bus types of a plurality of different vehicle types in the aggregate; wherein the processor is configured to (1) automatically detect an identifier for the vehicle through the vehicle interface, (2) automatically select a CAN bus transceiver from among the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier, and (3) communicate with the vehicle'"'"'s CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of using control hardware in a vehicle to support remote control of a function for the vehicle, the control hardware comprising (1) a processor, (2) a wireless network interface, and (3) a vehicle interface, the method comprising:
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interfacing the processor with a wireless network via the wireless network interface; interfacing the processor with a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle via the vehicle interface, the vehicle interface comprising a plurality of CAN bus transceivers, each CAN bus transceiver configured to interface the processor with a CAN bus type of at least one vehicle type such that the plurality of CAN bus transceivers are configured to interface the processor with the CAN bus types of a plurality of different vehicle types in the aggregate; the processor automatically detecting an identifier for the vehicle through the vehicle interface; the processor automatically selecting a CAN bus transceiver from among the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier; and the processor communicating with the vehicle'"'"'s CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver in order to control a vehicle function in response to data received over the wireless network via the wireless network interface. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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30. The method of 24 wherein the vehicle interface further comprises a physical connector, the method further comprising:
detachably connecting the control hardware with a vehicle bus connector of the vehicle via the physical connector.
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41. A network-based method for wireless remote control of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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authenticating that control hardware in the vehicle is authorized to access vehicle information and control vehicle functions, wherein the control hardware comprises (1) a processor, (2) a wireless network interface, and (3) a vehicle interface; interfacing the processor with a wireless network via the wireless network interface; interfacing the processor with a controller area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle via the vehicle interface, the vehicle interface comprising a plurality of CAN bus transceivers, each CAN bus transceiver configured to interface the processor with a CAN bus type of at least one vehicle type such that the plurality of CAN bus transceivers are configured to interface the processor with the CAN bus types of a plurality of different vehicle types in the aggregate; in response to the authenticating step resulting in a determination that the control hardware is authorized to access vehicle information and control vehicle functions, the processor (1) automatically detecting an identifier for the vehicle through the vehicle interface, (2) automatically selecting a CAN bus transceiver from among the plurality of CAN bus transceivers based on the detected identifier, and (3) communicating with the vehicle'"'"'s CAN bus via the selected CAN bus transceiver in order to control a vehicle function in response to data received over the wireless network via the wireless network interface. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification