SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA ORIGINATING FROM AND DESTINED FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20100115505A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Ferrand, Aurelien, Touati, Monique
• Granted Patent: US 8,336,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle, including: a first data communication unit permanently disposed on-board the vehicle; a second data communication unit disposed at a distance from the vehicle; and at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and destined for the vehicle, the device communicating data with the first and second communication units, interfacing with a user of the vehicle and including a data storage. The second communication unit can be a computer terminal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet and/or an intranet, providing access to an interactive computer application, such as to transmit data originating from the vehicle and to receive the data destined for the data transmission, reception and storage devices and the vehicle. The storage devices can synchronize non-custom data that have become obsolete.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle;

a second data communication unit at a distance from said vehicle; and

at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and going to said vehicle, including;

data communication means with the first and with the second communication unit,

means for interfacing with a user of said vehicle, and

means for storing the data,

the second communication unit being a computer terminal connected to a computer network, the Internet, and/or an Intranet, providing access to an interactive computer application, so as to send data originating from the vehicle and to receive said data going to the two data transmission, reception and storage devices and from the vehicle,

wherein the at least two data transmission, reception and storage devices are capable of synchronizing noncustomized data that have become obsolete, by comparing data contained in the at least two data transmission, reception and storage devices, in the first communication unit and in the second communication unit, said synchronization being applied either by the first communication unit or by the second communication unit, or directly between them by virtue of a communication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices detects another thereof in its environment.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a means of access from the data transmission, reception and storage devices to the second communication unit provided by an identified and authenticated connection allowing access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer so that a user reads, loads and/or unloads said data from the transmission, reception and storage devices via their service portal.

22. The system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein connection of the data transmission, reception and storage devices to the second communication unit automatically initiates the launching of the interactive computer application hosted in the server and accessible from the second communication unit and is applied by virtue of automatic documentation of at least one identifier, that of the vehicle, and

wherein a password associated with a user has to be entered to authenticate his/her right of access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer.

23. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the transmission and reception of the data between the data transmission, reception and storage devices and the second communication unit is carried out at a distance from the vehicle automatically without intentional connection of said data transmission, reception and storage devices, or by a wireless access point or a node of a mesh network.

24. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second communication unit uses at least two data protection means independent of one another, the first means being a vehicle identifier etched in the memory of the data transmission, reception and storage devices and the second means being a physical identifier of at least one part of the data transmission, reception and storage devices etched in the memory of the data transmission, reception and storage devices.

25. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein integrity of the data stored in the data transmission, reception and storage devices is ensured by prohibition of direct read and write access to the data storage means.

26. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the data transmission, reception and storage devices are an onboard software application in a communicating personal object, forming the second communication unit, or hosted on an application card designed to be received in a communicating personal object of the cellphone type, said application allowing the communicating personal object also including control of access to the vehicle and of an immobilizer.

27. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the data transmission, reception and storage devices or the first unit of the vehicle communicate information in an opportunist manner, in which communication is possible, with at least one wireless access point and/or at least one node of a mesh network belonging to an infrastructure via wireless computer network technologies, as soon as the node or the access point is detected, the second communication unit thus gaining access to the information and to a service portal hosted in the server via an Internet connection.

28. The use of a system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a vehicle fleet management system is supplied with the data originating from said connections of at least one of the data transmission, reception and storage devices to an interactive computer application intended for users or for managers of a vehicle fleet or to any other terminal connected to a fleet management system.

29. The use of a system as claimed in claim 20, for updating, based on the data supplied by an interactive computer application hosted in a server, onboard systems, or latest update versions of the onboard software originating from the manufacturer'"'"'s after-sales network or from the manufacturer itself, or a software program of a computer or of a navigation system.

30. A method for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle, by a data transmission, reception and storage device, comprising:

transmitting and receiving data with the data transmission, reception and storage device to and from a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle,

causing an interactive computer application hosted in a server to be launched automatically by said data transmission, reception and storage device, that can be accessed by a second communication unit of said data, that is at a distance from said vehicle and connected to a computer network;

transmitting and receiving said data with said data transmission, reception and storage device to and from the second communication unit, by the interactive computer application;

causing said data to be processed by said interactive computer application; and

storing with said device the data received from the first and said second communication unit.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein, to ensure confidentiality of the data concerning the vehicle, said data are encrypted by a service portal or by the first communication unit before being recorded in said data transmission, reception and storage device.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said data are decrypted by the service portal controlled by the manufacturer or by the first communication unit when they are transferred to the second communication unit or to the vehicle.

33. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the transmission, reception and storage device dynamic data received from the first communication unit is applied in a memory of said data transmission, reception and storage device on each stop and/or start of the vehicle or while the vehicle is traveling, the data can include mileage traveled by the vehicle, date and time, starting and stopping of the engine, levels, warnings and defects, wear of components, status of openings, customized states and settings of the functions of the vehicle, GPS (Global Position Satellite) position or location of the vehicle in an infrastructure or any other information capable of changing over time and concerning the vehicle or its environment.

34. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the transmission, reception and storage device static data received from the second communication unit or from a production line tool is applied in a memory of said transmission, reaction and storage device, the data can include technical, commercial and legal characteristics of the vehicle.

35. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the transmission, reception and storage device temporary data received from the second communication unit is applied in a memory of said data transmission, reception and storage device by an interactive computer application, the data can include settings associated with the vehicle or service contracts taken out for the vehicle.

36. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the transmission, reception and storage device data received from the first communication unit is applied in a memory of said transmission, reception and storage device for creating a history thereof, on each appearance, the data can include history of the warnings and defects associated with the date, time and mileage data.

37. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the data transmission, reception and storage device data received from the second communication unit is applied in a memory of said data transmission, reception and storage device for the purpose of making a history thereof.

38. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the storing in the data transmission, reception and storage device buffer data received from the first and the second communication unit is applied in a memory of said data transmission, reception and storage device by an interactive computer application, the data can include video, audio, text, image of itineraries, navigation systems, audio or video systems, updates and corrections of onboard software programs, and practical information.