METHOD OF MONITORING CANBUS INFORMATION

• US 20090192662A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ram, Satish, Faus, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks

Abstract

The specification and drawing figures describe and show a method and system of monitoring CANbus information across an integrated wireless equipment management system and a mobile wireless communications system. The CANbus, mounted in a vehicle, provides communication and diagnostic information among vehicle components that, because the CANbus also is operatively connectable to the integrated wireless equipment management system, may be transmitted across that system. The CANbus includes one or more original parameters associated with sensors that are converted into virtual sensors to provide selective vehicle information to a terminal of the integrated wireless equipment management system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring bus information, comprising the steps of:

selecting an integrated wireless equipment management system adapted to receive, store, and process at least vehicle data across a mobile wireless communications system;

installing in a vehicle a bus adapted to provide communication and diagnostic information among the vehicle components, the bus being operatively connectable to the integrated wireless equipment management system,

wherein the bus includes one or more original parameters adapted to provide vehicle data that may be monitored by the integrated wireless equipment management system; and

configuring the one or more original parameters to produce at least one virtual sensor capable of providing selective vehicle information to the integrated wireless equipment management system.

2. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of installing a bus in a vehicle includes the substep of installing a CANbus that Includes one or more original parameters that are proprietary parameters, configured by a vehicle manufacturer.

3. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual sensor enables the integrated wireless equipment management system to monitor vehicle data without access to the proprietary content of the original parameters.

4. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more original parameters include one or more parameters provided by SAE Standard J1939.

5. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more original parameters include determinable original parameter name and/or description data.

6. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more original parameters include determinable parameter group number data.

7. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 6, wherein the one of more original parameters include determinable suspect parameter number data.

8. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more original parameters include determinable start bit position data of the original parameter.

9. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more original parameters include determinable total, hit data of the original parameters.

10. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 9, wherein, the one or more original parameters include determinable sensor breach data indicating a value that a sensor has exceeded a configurable threshold value or value and time limitation.

11. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more original parameters include determinable sensor normal data indicating that a sensor has returned to a configurable threshold value or value and time limitation.

12. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more original parameters are includable in a message transmittable across the mobile wireless communications system by a mobile computing platform of the integrated wireless equipment management system to a terminal of the integrated wireless equipment management system.

13. A method of monitoring bus information, as recited in claim 12, wherein the determinable original parameter name and/or description data, and/or the determinable parameter group number data, and/or the determinable start bit position data, and/or the determinable total bit data are configurable at the terminal of the integrated wireless equipment management system into the at least one virtual sensor.

14. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 13, wherein the terminal of the integrated wireless equipment management system further comprises means for providing factor, offset, and unit data to combine with the at least one virtual sensor to provide the selective vehicle information.

15. A method of monitoring bus information as recited in claim 14, wherein SAE Standard J1939 includes a protocol software configuration tool for configuring vehicle data.

16. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors, comprising;

a vehicle having a mobile computing platform;

an integrated wireless equipment management system having at least one terminal remote from the vehicle adapted to monitor vehicle data of the vehicle transmitted from the mobile computing platform to the at least one terminal;

a mobile wireless, communications system adapted to transmit vehicle data, messages at least between the mobile computing platform and the at least one terminal;

a CANbus mounted, in the vehicle adapted to monitor vehicle data transmittable in vehicle data messages between the mobile computing platform and the at least one terminal; and

at least one protocol for configuring the vehicle data in the vehicle data messages to selective vehicle information monitored by the at least one terminal.

17. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 16, wherein the CANbus includes at least one original parameter associated with vehicle data.

18. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 16, wherein the CANbus is operatively connected to one or more sensors corresponding to the at least one original parameter associated with vehicle data.

19. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 16, wherein the CANbus is operatively connectable to the mobile computing platform.

20. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 16, wherein the means for configuring the vehicle data to selective vehicle information includes one or more parameters provided by at least one standard adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

21. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 16, wherein the means for configuring the vehicle data to selective vehicle information includes a plurality of determinable original parameters.

22. A system for processing original parameters of a CANbus as virtual sensors as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for configuring the vehicle data to selective vehicle information includes factor, offset and unit data provided by the terminal.

23. A method of obtaining selective vehicle, information from a CANbus operatively connected to an integrated wireless equipment management system, the method comprising the steps of;

A) including in the integrated wireless equipment management system a terminal, wherein the terminal includes a terminal processor operatively connectable to a CANbus controller, to a wireless communications system, and to a position determination transceiver;

B) including in foe integrated wireless equipment management system an on-board computing platform having a computer containing at least a computer processor;

C) operatively connecting the terminal and the on-board computing platform to enable computer assisted components of an asset manager to receive, store, process and transmit at least CANbus information across a mobile wireless communications system;

D) determining the vehicle manufacturer;

E) locating CANbus information;

F) confirming that the CANbus information is configured with filtered information pertaining to at least PGN;

G) determining if the filtered information Includes a J1939 frame associated with a list of PGN'"'"'s and SA'"'"'s;

H) using the PGN and SA data to determine the logical sensor to extract parameter data from the appropriate data field of the received J1939 frame;

I) transmitting the message to the terminal; and

J) repeating steps D) through I) on receipt of vehicle information from the asset manager.

24. A process of monitoring vehicle operation and performance criteria, comprising:

A) providing an integrated wireless equipment management system having at least one computer and operatively connectable to the vehicle CANbus across a wireless communication system;

wherein the integrated wireless equipment management system includes at least one terminal, adapted to receive and transmit vehicle data;

B) receiving vehicle data from the CANbus at the terminal;

C) filtering the vehicle censor data to obtain the PGN and SA;

D) matching PGN and SA with the vehicle sensor data;

E) determining the state, either normal or breached, of the PGN and SA;

F) resetting one or more timers in response to the state of the PGN and SA; and

G) repeating steps B) through F) for a plurality of vehicle sensor data received from the CANbus.

25. A process of monitoring vehicle operation and performance criteria as recited in claim 24, wherein the step of providing an integrated wireless equipment management system includes the sub-step of determining the manufacturer of the vehicle.

26. A process of monitoring vehicle operation and performance criteria as recited in claim 25, wherein the sub-step of determining the manufacturer of the vehicle includes the substeps of:

A) obtaining the manufacturer code from the CANbus;

B) transmitting the manufacturer code to the integrated wireless equipment management system; and

C) decoding the manufacturer code in the integrated wireless equipment management system to determine the manufacturer.

27. A process of monitoring vehicle operation and performance criteria as recited in claim 25, further comprising the substeps of:

i) obtaining CANbus information in a list from the manufacturer of the vehicle; and

ii) confirming that the CANbus information includes one or more original parameter.

28. A process of monitoring vehicle operation and performance criteria as recited in claim 27, further comprising substeps of:

i) configuring the one or more original parameters to a predetermined number of determinable original parameters;

or

ii) if the one or more original parameters are not configurable, customizing the CANbus information into selective vehicle information.

29. A process of monitoring of vehicle operation and performance criteria as recited in claim 28, wherein the step of customizing the CANbus information into selective vehicle information includes the substeps of:

i) entering manually at the terminal the CANbus information in a list with other available descriptions; and

ii) determining vehicle operation and performance criteria for each of the one or more original parameters.

30. A system for providing selective vehicle information to a terminal of an integrated wireless equipment management system, the system comprising:

a CANbus mounted in a vehicle that is operatively connectable to a mobile computing platform in the vehicle,

wherein the CANbus includes a plurality of original parameters from and associated with one or more sensors operatively connected to the CANbus;

means for transmitting a message from the mobile computing platform to the terminal,

wherein the message includes the original parameters; and

means for configuring the originals parameters into the selective vehicle information.

31. A system for providing selective vehicle information to a terminal of an integrated wireless equipment management system as recited in claim 30, wherein the transmitting means includes filtering the original parameters from the one or more sensors to obtain the PGN and SA.

32. A system for providing selective vehicle information to a terminal of an integrated wireless equipment management system as recited in claim 30, wherein the transmitting means includes matching the PGN and SA with the original parameters.

33. A system for providing selective vehicle information to a terminal of an integrated wireless equipment management system as recited in claim 30, wherein the transmitting means includes means for determining whether the PGN and the SA are normal or breached.