Remote vehicle system management

• US 20050131585A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Luskin, Eugene, Kizhnerman, David, Petrochuk, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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

A method includes collecting vehicle system data from one or more vehicle systems in a vehicle and generating a browsable network document including the vehicle system data from a vehicle-based network server. A vehicle-based system includes one or more vehicle systems collecting and using vehicle system data and a means for communicating the vehicle system data over a network for remotely managing the one or more vehicle systems.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating from a vehicle-based network server a browsable network document including vehicle system data from one or more vehicle systems;

providing the browsable network document over a network to enable remote viewing of the vehicle system data.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising collecting vehicle system data from one or more independent vehicle systems in a vehicle, each of the independent vehicle systems generating a distinct type of vehicle system data.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting the network document over a network.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a network request for the vehicle system data.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising relating vehicle system data from a first independent vehicle system to vehicle system data from a second independent vehicle system, each of the first independent vehicle system and the second independent vehicle system generating distinct vehicle system data.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising displaying a web page based on the browsable network document.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises generating a network document having an embedded object.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises populating a mark-up language document with the vehicle system data.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises creating an active server pages web page.

10. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the collecting operation comprises gathering vehicle system data from at least one of an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, a global positioning system (GPS), a vehicle video system, a vehicle security system, and an obstacle detection system.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising using the OBD system data and the GPS data to generate a map including a mark at a geographic location where an OBD event occurred.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving vehicle system configuration information to configure one or more of the vehicle systems.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the receiving operation comprises receiving at least one of vehicle user profile data, media data, vehicle diagnostics data, map data, and geographic information system data.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the receiving operation comprises receiving the vehicle system configuration information from a remote client.

15. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising storing the vehicle system data in a relational database.

16. A method comprising:

generating a user interface from a vehicle-based server, the user interface enabling a client to access data in the vehicle-based server; and

transmitting the user interface from the vehicle-based server over a network to the client.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising receiving a request for vehicle system data from the client.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising receiving vehicle system configuration data from the client.

19. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising collecting vehicle system data from a plurality of vehicle systems.

20. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising storing a plurality of vehicle system data in a relational database in the vehicle-based server.

21. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

collecting vehicle system data from two or more independent vehicle systems;

generating a web page including the vehicle system data; and

transmitting the web page from the vehicle-based server.

22. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the transmitting operation comprises transmitting the web page according to a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP).

23. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process comprising:

collecting vehicle system data from two or more vehicle systems in a vehicle;

generating a web page including the vehicle system data from a vehicle-based web server.

24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, the process further comprising transmitting the browsable network document over a network.

25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, the process further comprising receiving a network request for a subset of the vehicle system data.

26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, the process further comprising relating vehicle system data from a first independent vehicle system to vehicle system data from a second independent vehicle system.

27. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the generating operation comprises creating a hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

28. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the generating step comprises generating a web page having an embedded object.

29. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the generating step comprises creating an active server pages (ASP) web page.

30. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the collecting operation comprises retrieving vehicle system data from at least one of an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, a global positioning system (GPS), a vehicle video system, a vehicle security system, and an obstacle detection system.

31. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 30, the process further comprising using the OBD system data and the GPS data to generate a map including a mark at a geographic location on the map where an OBD event occurred.

32. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, the process further comprising receiving by the vehicle-based server, vehicle system configuration information to configure a vehicle system.

33. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32 wherein the receiving operation comprises receiving at least one of vehicle user profile data, media data, map data, and Geographic Information System (GIS) data.

34. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the collecting operation comprises storing the vehicle system data in a relational database.

35. A vehicle comprising:

a web server operable to gather vehicle system data from one or more independent vehicle systems in the vehicle and generate a browsable network document including the vehicle system data.

36. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the web server comprises a network transmitter transmitting the browsable network document over a network.

37. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the web server comprises a network receiver receiving a network request for a subset of the vehicle system data.

38. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the web server comprises processor-executable code that cause a processor to relate vehicle system data from a first vehicle system to vehicle system data from a second vehicle system.

39. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the browsable network document comprises a hypertext markup language document.

40. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the browsable network document includes an embedded object.

41. A vehicle as recited in claim 35 further comprising two or more of:

an on-board diagnostics (OBD) system;

a global positioning system (GPS);

a vehicle video source;

a vehicle security system; and

an obstacle detection system, wherein the OBD system, the GPS system, the vehicle video source, the vehicle security system, and the obstacle detection system are in communication with the web server.

42. A vehicle as recited in claim 35 further comprising a relational database storing data from the OBD system, the GPS system, the vehicle video source, the vehicle security system, and the obstacle detection system.

43. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, the web server further operable to configure one or more of the vehicle systems using vehicle system configuration data received from a remote client.

44. A vehicle as recited in claim 35, wherein the web server further comprises an encryption module operable to encrypt the browsable network document.

45. A vehicle-based system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle system interfaces collecting vehicle system data from two or more vehicle systems in a vehicle;

a web server generating a web page including the vehicle system data from plurality of vehicle system interfaces.

46. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 further comprising a network transmitter transmitting the web page over a network according to a network protocol.

47. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 further comprising a network receiver receiving a network request for a subset of the vehicle system data.

48. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 further comprising a vehicle data management module relating vehicle system data from a first independent vehicle system to vehicle system data from a second independent vehicle system.

49. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 wherein the web page comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

50. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 wherein the web page includes an embedded object.

51. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 wherein the web page comprises an active server pages (ASP) web page.

52. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 wherein the plurality of vehicle system interfaces comprise at least one of an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, a global positioning system (GPS), a vehicle video system, a vehicle security system, and an obstacle detection system.

53. A vehicle-based system as recited in claim 45 further comprising a relational database operable to create relations among vehicle system data from the plurality of vehicle system interfaces.

54. A vehicle-based computer-readable memory having a vehicle system data structure, the data structure comprising:

an on-board diagnostics (OBD) code field containing an OBD code logged during vehicle operation;

a vehicle location field containing data representing the vehicle location; and

a timestamp field containing data representing the time of the vehicle location and the OBD code, wherein the timestamp enables a computer to display an OBD symbol and the vehicle location on a web-browsable map.

55. A vehicle-based computer comprising:

a plurality of vehicle system interfaces receiving vehicle system data from a plurality of independent vehicle systems in a vehicle; and

means for generating a web page including vehicle system data from at least one of the plurality of independent vehicle systems in the vehicle.

56. A vehicle-based computer as recited in claim 55 wherein the means for generating comprises a vehicle-based web server.

57. A vehicle-based computer as recited in claim 55 wherein the means for generating comprises:

a vehicle-based web server; and

a runtime engine in communication with the server and operable to generate the web page.