Assembly line control system and immobilizer data protocol and communication process flow

• US 20060066150A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Yoichi, Ye, Jeanette, Fukuda, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.300
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user

Abstract

A method and related apparatus are disclosed of guaranteeing VIN registration to a vehicle'"'"'s ECU. A vehicle identifier is entered into a production control system connected to a network. The entered vehicle identifier is compared with an expected vehicle identifier. If a match is obtained between the entered and expected vehicle identifiers, the vehicle identifier is sent from the production control system to a vehicle Immobilizer. A vehicle identifier acknowledgement is received at the production control system from the vehicle Immobilizer. The production control system verifies the vehicle identifier embedded in the acknowledgement. If a match is obtained, an information record associated with the vehicle identifier is sent from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer. An information record acknowledgement is received at the production control system from the vehicle Immobilizer. The production control system verifies the information record embedded in the acknowledgement. If a match is obtained, an authorization message is sent from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer. The vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the vehicle Immobilizer are written into an electronic control unit incorporated into the vehicle in response to the authorization message. The vehicle Immobilizer then continues to write other data into the vehicle'"'"'s ECU. After all the writing is complete, the vehicle Immobilizer reads from the vehicle'"'"'s ECU the vehicle identifier and the information record, and sends them back to the production control system for final verification. If the two pieces of information from the ECU match the two pieces of information held by the production control system, the production control system sends a complete message to the Immobilizer and records the VIN registration record in the central database. Upon receiving the complete message, the Immobilizer resumes to its ready state and the ECU data registration process is complete.

Claims

1. A method of registering data associated with a vehicle comprising the steps of:

entering a vehicle identifier into a production control system connected to a network;

sending the vehicle identifier and an associated information record from the production control system to a vehicle Immobilizer; and

writing the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the Immobilizer into an electronic control unit incorporated into the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, subsequent to the step of entering a vehicle identifier, performing the steps of:

comparing the entered vehicle identifier with an expected vehicle identifier;

if a match is obtained between the entered and expected vehicle identifiers, performing the step of sending the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of entering a vehicle identifier comprises scanning the vehicle identifier from a bar code associated with the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number and the information record comprises information on the model, type and options associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of entering into a production control system comprises entering into a client device which communicates between the Immobilizer and the network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to the step of writing, performing the steps of:

establishing a communications connection between the vehicle Immobilizer and the electronic control unit;

turning on the vehicle so as to enable the electronic control unit; and

actuating the Immobilizer to initiate the step of writing.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein, subsequent to the step of writing, performing the steps of:

reading back the vehicle identifier and the information record from the electronic control unit and sending them back to the production control system for verification;

if the sent vehicle identifier and the information record match those of the production control system;

sending a complete message from the Immobilizer to the production control system;

recording a VIN registration record in a central database.

disconnecting the communications connection between the vehicle Immobilizer and the electronic control unit; and

turning off the vehicle so as to disable the electronic control unit.

8. A method of registering data associated with a vehicle comprising the steps of:

entering a vehicle identifier into a production control system connected to a network;

comparing the entered vehicle identifier with an expected vehicle identifier;

if a match is obtained between the entered and expected vehicle identifiers, sending the vehicle identifier from the production control system to a vehicle Immobilizer;

receiving a vehicle identifier acknowledgement at the production control system from the vehicle Immobilizer;

sending an information record associated with the vehicle identifier from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer;

receiving an information record acknowledgement at the production control system from the vehicle Immobilizer;

sending an authorization message from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer;

writing the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the vehicle Immobilizer into an electronic control unit incorporated into the vehicle in response to the authorization message.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of entering a vehicle identifier comprises scanning the vehicle identifier from a bar code associated with the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number and the information record comprises information on the model, type and options associated with the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of entering into a production control system comprises entering into a client device which communicates between the Immobilizer and the network.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein, prior to the step of writing, performing the steps of:

establishing a communications connection between the vehicle Immobilizer and the electronic control unit;

turning on the vehicle so as to enable the electronic control unit; and

actuating the Immobilizer to initiate the step of writing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein, subsequent to the step of writing, performing the steps of:

reading back the vehicle identifier and the information record from the electronic control unit and sending them back to the production control system for verification;

if the sent vehicle identifier and the information record match those of the production control system;

sending a complete message from the Immobilizer to the production control system;

recording a VIN registration record in a central database; and

updating the expected vehicle identifier to correspond with a subsequent vehicle.

14. A system for registering vehicle data comprising:

a production control system connected to a network;

a vehicle Immobilizer for encoding data into an electronic control unit incorporated into the vehicle;

an entering implementation for entering a vehicle identifier into the production control system;

a sending implementation, incorporated into the production system, for sending the vehicle identifier and an associated information record from the production control system to the vehicle Immobilizer; and

a writing implementation, incorporated into the vehicle Immobilizer, for writing the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the vehicle Immobilizer into the electronic control unit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the production control system further comprises:

a comparing implementation for comparing the entered vehicle identifier with an expected vehicle identifier;

a determining implementation for determining if a match is obtained between the entered and expected vehicle identifiers, and for instructing the sending implementation to send the vehicle identifier and the associated information record to the vehicle Immobilizer.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a database for retaining a pre-populated table of expected vehicle identifiers and associated information records, for supplying expected vehicle identifiers to the comparing implementation;

an updating implementation for updating the expected identifier after the writing implementation writes the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the vehicle Immobilizer into the electronic control unit.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a network system for retaining the database and a client device for communicating with the vehicle Immobilizer.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the entering implementation comprises a bar code scanner scanning the vehicle identifier from a bar code associated with the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number and the information record comprises information on the model, type and options associated with the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the production control system comprises a client device for communicating between the Immobilizer and the network.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the writing implementation comprises:

a communications connection from the vehicle Immobilizer to the electronic control unit; and

a pushbutton actuator for actuating the Immobilizer to initiate the writing implementation.

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising a network system for monitoring vehicle production and providing a data set of expected vehicle identifiers and associated information records to the production control system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the production control system further comprises:

a comparing implementation for comparing the entered vehicle identifier with an expected vehicle identifier;

a determining implementation for determining if a match is obtained between the entered and expected vehicle identifiers, and for instructing the sending implementation to send the vehicle identifier and the associated information record to the vehicle Immobilizer.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the network system further comprises:

a database for retaining a pre-populated table of the expected vehicle identifiers and the associated information records, for supplying expected vehicle identifiers to the comparing implementation;

an updating implementation for updating the expected identifier after the writing implementation writes the vehicle identifier and the associated information record from the vehicle Immobilizer into the electronic control unit.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the entering implementation comprises a bar code scanner scanning the vehicle identifier from a bar code associated with the vehicle.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the vehicle identifier is a vehicle identification number and the information record comprises information on the model, type and options associated with the vehicle.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the production control system comprises a client device for communicating between the Immobilizer and the network.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the writing implementation comprises:

a communications connection from the vehicle Immobilizer to the electronic control unit; and

a pushbutton actuator for actuating the Immobilizer to initiate the writing implementation.