Vehicle environmental regulatory compliance system and method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle

• US 20070276561A1
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opus Inspection, Inc. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Systech International LLC (Opus Group AB)
• Inventors: Geilen, Lothar, Tripathi, Pradeep
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• 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: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A vehicle environmental regulatory compliance system and method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle includes providing a vehicle unit having an adapter that is configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of a vehicle diagnostic system. The vehicle unit further includes a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory. The adapter is connected with the vehicle diagnostic port and receives vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters. The vehicle data is stored in the memory. When the vehicle is powered on a check is made to ensure that the adapter is connected with the same vehicle. A communication network is provided for two-way wireless communication with the vehicle unit. The communication network is made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. The vehicle wireless communication transceiver is activated with one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers when the vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A host computer system with access to the communication network receives vehicle data from the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A database accessed by the host computer system collects environmental regulatory compliance data. Environmental authority is provided access to the database to verify regulatory compliance.

Claims

1. A vehicle environmental regulatory compliance system for use with a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system including a diagnostic port, said vehicle environmental regulatory compliance system comprising:

a vehicle unit comprising an adapter configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of a vehicle diagnostic system for receiving vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters, said vehicle unit further comprising a vehicle wireless communication transceiver and a control for controlling said vehicle wireless communication transceiver, said control including memory for storing the vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters from a vehicle diagnostic system;

wherein said control is adapted to check to ensure that said adapter is on the same vehicle when the vehicle is powered on; and

a communication network for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle unit, said communication network made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers, wherein one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers is adapted to activate said vehicle wireless communication transceiver when that vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers to communicate vehicle data in said memory to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers; and

a host computer system with access to said communication network and a database accessed by said host computer system, said host computer system receiving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers, said database collecting environmental regulatory compliance data from the vehicle data received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers, wherein environmental authority can access environmental regulatory compliance from the environmental regulatory compliance data in said database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said communication network including network connection at said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with a wide area network, said wide area network retrieving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers and providing access to the retrieved vehicle data at locations remote from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said network connection comprises at least one chosen from a high speed installed connection, a wireless connection and a satellite connection.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein current vehicle data is compared with historical vehicle data to determine if the vehicle is operating outside of normal operation.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein a vehicle owner is provided access to said communication network for vehicle performance monitoring.

6. The system of claim 1 including a unique vehicle identification code, wherein said identification code is transmitted with the vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said vehicle data includes auxiliary data in addition to the exhaust emission parameters.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said control is programmable through said vehicle transceiver with code received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said communication network is adapted to track the geographic location of said vehicle unit.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said communication network includes cameras with said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers operable to capture images of vehicles communicating exhaust emission data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said control is adapted to check to ensure that said adapter is on the same vehicle when the vehicle is powered on by comparing current vehicle data with stored vehicle data.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle wireless communication transceiver communicates vehicle data to one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers without recurring communication charges between said vehicle unit and that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

13. A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system including a diagnostic port, said method comprising:

providing a vehicle unit comprising an adapter that is configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of a vehicle diagnostic system, said vehicle unit further comprising a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory;

connecting said adapter with the vehicle diagnostic port and receiving vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters with said adapter;

storing in said memory the vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters received from the vehicle diagnostic system;

checking when the vehicle is powered on to ensure that said adapter is connected with the same vehicle;

providing a communication network for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle unit, said communication network made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

activating said vehicle wireless communication transceiver with one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers when said vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

providing a host computer system with access to said communication network and receiving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said host computer system;

providing a database accessed by said host computer system;

collecting environmental regulatory compliance data with said database from vehicle data received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers; and

providing access by environmental authority to said database to verify regulatory compliance.

14. The method of claim 13 including providing a network connection at said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with a wide area network;

and

retrieving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said wide area network and providing access to the retrieved vehicle data with said host computer system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said network connection comprises at least one chosen from a high speed installed connection, a wireless connection and a satellite connection.

16. The method of claim 13 including comparing current vehicle data with historical vehicle data to determine if the vehicle is operating outside of normal operation.

17. The method of claim 13 including providing access by a vehicle owner to said database for vehicle performance monitoring.

18. The method of claim 13 including providing a unique vehicle identification code and transmitting said identification code with the vehicle data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said vehicle data includes auxiliary data in addition to the exhaust emission.

20. The method of claim 13 including programming said vehicle unit through said vehicle transceiver with code received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

21. The method of claim 13 including tracking the geographic location of said vehicle unit with said communication network.

22. The method of claim 13 including providing cameras with said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers and capturing images with said cameras of vehicles communicating exhaust emission data.

23. The method of claim 13 including checking to ensure that said adapter is on the same vehicle when the vehicle is powered on by comparing current vehicle data with stored vehicle data.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein said vehicle wireless communication transceiver communicates vehicle data to one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers without recurring communication charges between said vehicle unit and that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.