System and method for real time wireless ECU monitoring and reprogramming

• US 10,614,640 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EZ Lynk SEZC
• Original Assignee: EZ Lynk SEZC
• Inventors: Gintz, Brad, Wood, Thomas, Savage, Frederick Hershel
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US16/049,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20190026962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems, and apparatus for managing firmware, settings, and parameters of an automotive controller using a local device, a client device, and a system server. The local device is connected to the automotive controller and is wirelessly connected to the client device. The client device is connected to the system server. The client device receives engine data from the local device that receives the engine data from the automotive controller and the client device sends the engine data to the server system. Firmware, settings, and parameter updates are selected with the client device, sent to the local device, and then sent to the automotive controller.

Claims

1. A system for delivering information from a vehicle connected to a network, the network including a server, a client device, a local device, a technician device, and a vehicle device, the system comprising:

a set of processors in the server, in the client device, in the local device and in the vehicle device;

a set of memories, each memory of the set of memories operably connected to at least one processor of the set of processors;

the set of memories including a set of instructions that, when executed causes the system to perform the steps of;

receiving, by the local device from the vehicle device, a set of raw vehicle data;

logging, by the local device, of the set of raw vehicle data to generate first logged vehicle data;

generating, by the client device, a first logged vehicle data request;

receiving, by the local device, the first logged vehicle data request;

sorting, by the local device, a first set of logged vehicle data based on the first logged vehicle data request to generate a first set of sorted logged vehicle data;

transmitting the first set of sorted logged vehicle data to the client device;

generating a second logged vehicle data request at the technician device;

sending the second logged vehicle data request to the server;

authorizing the second logged vehicle data request;

sending the second logged vehicle data request to the client device;

sending the second logged vehicle data request to the local device;

generating a second set of sorted logged vehicle data related to the second logged vehicle data request;

sending the second set of sorted logged vehicle data to the client device;

sending the second set of sorted logged vehicle data to the server; and

,

sending the second set of sorted logged vehicle data to the technician device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

receiving, by the client device, the first sorted logged vehicle data; and

,

displaying, by the client device, the first sorted logged vehicle data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the step of displaying further comprises:

displaying the first sorted logged vehicle data in a scrolling mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

generating, by the server, one or more of a customer list, a vehicle list and a function list;

sending the one or more of the customer list, the vehicle list and the function list to the technician device;

selecting, by the technician device, one or more of the customer list, the vehicle list and the function list;

sending, by the technician device, a function request from one or more of the customer list, the vehicle list and the function list; and

,

authorizing, by the server, the function request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

displaying the first set of sorted logged vehicle data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

generating, by the technician device, an active engine control unit (ECU) profile request;

transmitting, by the technician device, the active ECU profile request to the server;

receiving, by the local device, an active ECU profile request;

generating, by the local device, a set of ECU profile instructions;

transmitting, by the local device, the set of ECU profile instructions to the vehicle device;

receiving, by the local device, the active ECU profile from the vehicle device;

transmitting, by the client device, the active ECU profile to the server;

receiving, by the technician device, from the server the active ECU profile; and

,

displaying, by the technician device, the active ECU profile.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

generating, by one of the client device and the technician device, an available ECU profile request;

transmitting the available ECU profile request to the server;

receiving from the server and in response to the available ECU profile request, a plurality of available ECU profiles;

generating, by the technician device, an updated ECU profile from one available ECU profiles from the plurality of available ECU profiles;

transmitting, by the client device, the updated ECU profile to the local device;

receiving, by the local device, an updated ECU profile; and

,

transmitting, by the local device, the updated ECU profile instructions to the vehicle device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

displaying, by at least one of the client device and the technician device, the updated ECU profile with at least one of a graph view and a chart view;

displaying, by at least one of the client device and the technician device, the graph view with a number of dimensions based on a type of data selected;

displaying, by at least one of the client device and the technician device, the chart view as a table based on the type of data selected; and

,

generating the updated ECU profile based on one or more adjustments made to data displayed in one or more of the graph view and the chart view.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

generating, by one of the technician device and the client device, a start live vehicle data request;

transmitting the start live vehicle data request to the server;

receiving, by the local device, a start live vehicle data request;

transmitting, by the local device, a set of live vehicle data;

receiving the set of live vehicle data; and

,

displaying the set of live vehicle data.

10. The client device of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

generating, by at least one of the client device and the technician device, a stop live vehicle data request;

transmitting the stop live vehicle data request to the server;

receiving a stop live vehicle data request; and

,

stopping the step of transmitting the set of live vehicle data.

11. The client device of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of:

displaying, by at least one of the client device and the technician device, the set of live vehicle data in a scrolling mode.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sorted logged vehicle data includes one or more of:

off duty time, sleeper berth time, driving time, on-duty not driving time, annotations, driver'"'"'s location description and modifications, comments, commercial motor vehicle power unit numbers, mileage records, trailer numbers, shipping document numbers, driver hours of service (HOS) records, and driver'"'"'s records of duty (RODS).

13. A system for communicating, over a network, the network including a server, a vehicle device, a client device, a technician device, and a local device, the local device comprising:

a processor;

a memory operably connected to the processor;

a GSM module operably connected to the processor;

a first network connection to a mobile network established by the GSM module;

a second network connection to a vehicle network;

a third network connection to the vehicle device;

the memory including a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the local device to perform the steps of;

receiving vehicle data from the vehicle device over the third network connection;

generating logged vehicle data from the vehicle data;

receiving, from the client device, a logged vehicle data request over one of the first network connection and the second network connection;

sorting, by the local device, the logged vehicle data based on the logged vehicle data request to generate sorted logged vehicle data;

generating a logged vehicle data response to the logged vehicle data request that includes the sorted logged vehicle data;

transmitting the logged vehicle data response using a one of the first network connection and the second network connection;

receiving, from the client device, a second logged vehicle data request over one of the first network connection and the second network connection;

wherein,

the second logged vehicle data request is generated at the technician device;

the second logged vehicle data request is sent to the server;

the second logged vehicle data request is authorized; and

,

the second logged vehicle data request is sent to the client device;

generating a second logged vehicle data from the vehicle data;

generating a second logged vehicle data response to the second logged vehicle data request that includes the second logged vehicle data;

transmitting the second logged vehicle data response using one of the first network connection and the second network connection, to the client device;

wherein the client device transmits the second logged vehicle data response to the server; and

,

wherein the server transmits the second logged vehicle data response to the technician device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory includes further instructions that cause the local device to perform the steps of:

receiving, from the client device, a start live vehicle data request over one of the first network connection and the second network connection; and

,

transmitting a set of live vehicle data over one of the first network connection and the second network connection.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory includes further instructions that cause the local device to perform the steps of:

receiving, from the client device, a stop live vehicle data request over one of the first network connection and the second network connection; and

,

stopping transmission of the set of live vehicle data in response to the stop live vehicle data request.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory includes further instructions that cause the local device to perform the steps of:

receiving an active ECU profile request over one of the first network connection and the second network connection; and

,

transmitting an active ECU profile over the third network connection.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory includes further instructions that cause the local device to perform the steps of:

transmitting an active ECU profile alert to the server over one of the first network connection and the second network connection; and

,

displaying, at the technician device, an active ECU profile in response to the active ECU profile alert.

18. A system for delivering information from a vehicle connected to a network, the network including a server, a client device, a local devices technician device, and a vehicle device, the system comprising:

a first processor, in the server, operatively connected to a first memory;

a second processor, in the client device, operatively connected to a second memory;

the first processor held in wireless connection with the second processor by the network;

the local device further comprising a third processor operatively connected to a wifi adapter and a CAN BUS adapter;

the third processor held in operative communication with the vehicle device through the CAN BUS adapter and with the client device through the wifi adapter;

the first memory, the second memory and the third memory including a set of instructions that when executed causes the system to perform the steps of;

receiving, by the local device from the vehicle device, a set of raw vehicle data;

generating, by the client device, a first logged vehicle data request;

the first logged vehicle data request further comprising a request to organize the logged vehicle data according to one or more of a date, a time, a vehicle driving preprogrammed classification, a vehicle idling preprogrammed classification and a vehicle off preprogrammed classification;

receiving, by the local device, the first logged vehicle data request;

logging, by the local device, of the set of raw vehicle data to generate a first logged vehicle data;

sorting, by the local device, a first set of logged vehicle data based on the first logged vehicle data request to generate a first set of sorted logged vehicle data;

transmitting the first set of sorted logged vehicle data to the client device, . . . ,

generating, by the technician device, a second logged vehicle data request;

sending the second logged vehicle data request to the server;

authorizing the second logged vehicle data request;

receiving by the client device the second logged vehicle data request;

receiving by the local device, the second logged vehicle data request;

logging, by the local device, of the set of raw vehicle data to generate a second logged vehicle data;

sorting, by the local device, a second set of logged vehicle data based on the second logged vehicle data request to generate a second sorted logged vehicle data;

transmitting the second sorted logged vehicle data to the client device;

transmitting the second sorted logged vehicle data to the server; and

,

transmitting the second set of sorted logged vehicle data to the technician device.

19. A system for delivering information from a vehicle connected to a network, the network including a server, a client device, a local device, a technician device and a vehicle device, the system comprising:

a set of processors in the server, in the client device, in the local device and in the vehicle device;

a set of memories, each memory of the set of memories operably connected to at least one processor of the set of processors;

the set of memories including a set of instructions that, when executed causes the system to perform the steps of;

receiving, by the local device from the vehicle device, a set of raw vehicle data;

logging, by the local device, of the set of raw vehicle data to generate first logged vehicle data;

generating, by the client device, a first logged vehicle data request;

receiving, by the local device, the first logged vehicle data request;

sorting, by the local device, a first set of logged vehicle data based on the first logged vehicle data request to generate first sorted logged vehicle data; and

,

transmitting the first sorted logged vehicle data to the client device,

generating, by one of the technician device and the client device, a start live vehicle data request;

transmitting the start live vehicle data request to the server;

receiving, by the local device, a start live vehicle data request;

transmitting, by the local device, a set of live vehicle data;

receiving the set of live vehicle data; and

,

displaying the set of live vehicle data,

wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of;

generating, by at least one of the client device and the technician device,

a stop live vehicle data request;

transmitting the stop live vehicle data request to the server;

receiving a stop live vehicle data request; and

,

stopping the step of transmitting the set of live vehicle data,

wherein the set of instructions further causes the system to perform the steps of;

displaying, by at least one of the client device and the technician device,

the set of live vehicle data in a scrolling mode;

acquiring a valid token to use the system with the client device;

providing, with the local device, a certified log of vehicle data to the client device;

retrieving, with the client device, an authentication data from the local device to implement a security function;

sending the authentication data to the server;

receiving, with the client device, an authentication response from the server; and

when the authentication response includes a non-authorized authentication response shutting down at least one of the vehicle device and the local device.