System and method for interfacing between an on-board diagnostic output and a distance measuring instrument input

• US 20090043444A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T.E.N. Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: North-Line Canada Ltd.
• Inventors: Gretchev, Val, Timothy, Bernard, Gretchev, Boris, Gettner, Don
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method and system for interfacing and communicating between an in-vehicle device such as an on board diagnostic (OBD) system in a vehicle and an existing distance measurement instrument (DMI) are provided. In one embodiment, the interface may send a plurality of vehicle speed requests to the OBD system to obtain a plurality of vehicle speed measurements, uses the plurality of vehicle speed measurements and time stamps associated therewith to compute a distance travelled during a time interval, converts the distance travelled to a series of pulses, and sends the series of pulses to the DMI.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing between an in-vehicle system and an existing distance measurement instrument (DMI) to provide distance measurements to said DMI, said method comprising:

communicating with said in-vehicle system to obtain data from which a distance that the vehicle has travelled can be ascertained;

using said data to determine said distance;

converting said distance to a series of pulses in a form familiar to said DMI; and

providing said series of pulses to said DMI.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said in-vehicle system comprises an on board diagnostic (OBD) system.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said communicating comprises sending a plurality of vehicle speed requests to said OBD system to obtain a plurality of vehicle speed measurements;

and wherein said distance is determined during a time interval using said plurality of vehicle speed measurements and time stamps associated therewith.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

accumulating fractional pulses over time and adding whole pulses to said series of pulses.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein communicating with said OBD system comprises using a processor to obtain said data by instructing an ELM chip to generate OBD messages, have said ELM chip send said OBD messages to said OBD system, have said ELM chip receive current speed measurements and have said ELM chip return said current speed measurements to said processor wherein said processor converts said data to an integer format and processes said data to obtain said distance.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing a set of visible LEDs and using said LEDs to indicate communication status information.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing an interface for an other computing device to enable either one or both of storing said data for later use or programming a processor configured to perform said method.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said in-vehicle system comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising obtaining additional data from an accelerometer and using said additional data to interpolate said distance for time periods where said data cannot be obtained from said GPS receiver.

10. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for causing a processor to perform the method according to claim 1.

11. An interface device for interfacing between an in-vehicle system and an existing DMI to provide distance measurements to said DMI;

said device comprising a first connection compatible with a connector for said in-vehicle system;

a second connection compatible with said existing DMI; and

a processor between said first and second connections, said processor being configured for;

communicating with said in-vehicle system using said first connection to obtain data from which a distance that the vehicle has travelled can be ascertained;

using said data to determine said distance;

converting said distance to a series of pulses in a form familiar to said DMI; and

providing said series of pulses to said DMI using said second connection.

12. The device according to claim 11 wherein said in-vehicle system comprises an on board diagnostic (OBD) system and said first connection is compatible with an OBD connector.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein said communicating comprises sending a plurality of vehicle speed requests to said OBD system to obtain a plurality of vehicle speed measurements;

and wherein said distance is determined during a time interval using said plurality of vehicle speed measurements and time stamps associated therewith.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein said processor is further configured for:

accumulating fractional pulses over time and adding whole pulses to said series of pulses.

15. The device according to claim 12 wherein communicating with said OBD system comprises:

having said processor;

obtain said data by instructing an ELM chip in said device to generate OBD messages, instruct said ELM chip to send said OBD messages to said OBD system, instruct said ELM chip to receive current speed measurements and instruct said ELM chip to return said current speed measurements to said processor wherein said processor is further configured to convert said data to an integer format and process said data in said integer format to obtain said distance.

16. The device according to claim 11 further comprising a set of visible LEDs and said processor further configured for using said LEDs to indicate communication status information.

17. The device according to claim 11 further comprising an interface for an other computing device to enable either one or both of storing said data for later use or programming said processor.

18. The device according to claim 11 wherein said in-vehicle system comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and said second connection is adapted to communicate with said GPS receiver.

19. The device according to claim 18 wherein said processor is further configured for obtaining additional data from an accelerometer and using said additional data to interpolate said distance for time periods where said data cannot be obtained from said GPS receiver.

20. The device according to claim 11 comprising a housing configured to connect directly to the existing DMI such that the DMI is adjacent to said housing.

21. The device according to claim 20 wherein said housing comprises a docking station for connecting said DMI to said device.

22. The device according to claim 20 wherein said housing is configured to provide a backing portion for said DMI such that said device and said DMI when connected appear as a single unit.