REMOTELY INTERACTING WITH A VEHICLE TO PERFORM SERVICING AND ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS FROM A NOMADIC DEVICE OR COMPUTER

• US 20110071725A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Kleve, Robert Bruce
• Application Number:
  US12/565,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• 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 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method for remotely performing vehicle service functions may include receiving at a computer a request signal including at least one instruction for diagnosing a vehicle component. The method may also include retrieving one or more threshold parameters stored for determining a diagnosis of the vehicle component. A diagnostic signal together with the threshold parameters and the diagnostic instruction may be transmitted to a vehicle receiver. The determination as to whether the threshold parameters have been met is made at a vehicle. If the one or more threshold parameters are met, a return signal including diagnostic status identifiers identifying a diagnostic status of the vehicle component may be received. A message including at least one diagnostic status of the vehicle component based on the one or more diagnostic status identifiers may generated and displayed on a graphical display for vehicle diagnosis and service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for remotely performing one or more vehicle service functions, the method comprising:

receiving at a computer a first signal including at least one instruction for performing a diagnosis of one or more vehicle components;

retrieving one or more threshold parameters for determining a diagnosis of the one or more vehicle components;

transmitting a diagnostic signal to a vehicle receiver together with the one or more threshold parameters and the at least one diagnostic instruction, wherein a determination as to whether the one or more threshold parameters has been met is made at a vehicle;

if the one or more threshold parameters are met, receiving at least one second signal including one or more diagnostic status identifiers identifying a diagnostic status of the one or more vehicle components;

generating a message including at least one diagnostic status of the one or more vehicle components based on the one or more diagnostic status identifiers; and

displaying the message on a graphical display for vehicle diagnosis and service.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, if the one or more threshold parameters are met:

receiving vehicle component usage data based on the one or more diagnostic status identifiers;

determining a usage of the one or more vehicle components based on the vehicle component usage data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising generating one or more customer vehicle usage profiles based on the vehicle usage data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more threshold parameters is user-defined.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one threshold parameter relates to a vehicle engine.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold parameter relates to a temperature of a vehicle or the one or more vehicle components.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the at least one diagnostic instruction includes at least one instruction for receiving diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) and the one or more diagnostic status identifiers are one or more DTCs.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the DTCs include non-standardized DTCs.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, upon receiving the second signal:

retrieving warranty information for one or more vehicles;

determining if the one or more vehicles is under warranty; and

based on the determination, displaying a warranty status with the message.

10. A cellular communication module within a vehicle for remotely performing one or more vehicle service functions, the cellular communication module being configured to:

receive at least one diagnostic signal including one or more threshold parameters and at least one instruction for determining a diagnosis of one or more vehicle components;

communicate with a vehicle data bus to monitor for when the one or more threshold parameters are met;

if the one or more threshold parameters are met, capture one or more diagnostic status identifiers;

determine a diagnostic status based on the one or more diagnostic status identifiers; and

transmit a diagnostic status signal based on the diagnostic status to a remote terminal for vehicle diagnosis and service.

11. The cellular communication module of claim 10 further configured to determine the diagnosis while a vehicle is travelling.

12. The cellular communication module of claim 11 wherein at least one threshold parameter relates to a speed of the vehicle.

13. The cellular communication module of claim 10 wherein the at least one threshold parameter relates to atmospheric temperature.

14. The cellular communication module of claim 10 wherein the one or more diagnostic status identifiers are one or more diagnostic trouble codes.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the one or more threshold parameters is user-defined.

16. The cellular communication module of claim 10 wherein the one or more diagnostic status identifiers are first diagnostic status identifiers and the cellular communication module is further configured to:

retrieve one or more second diagnostic status identifiers;

process the one or more first diagnostic status identifiers based on the one or more second diagnostic status identifiers; and

determine the diagnostic status based on the process function.

17. The cellular communication module of claim 16 wherein the cellular communication module is configured to determine the diagnostic status based on the process function in order to generate a diagnostic status capable of being displayed on the remote terminal.

18. The cellular communication module of claim 10 wherein the remote terminal is a nomadic wireless communication device or a personal computer.

19. A computer-implemented method for remotely performing one or more vehicle service functions, the method comprising:

receiving at least one diagnostic signal including one or more threshold parameters and at least one instruction for determining a diagnosis of one or more vehicle components;

communicating with a vehicle data bus to monitor for when the one or more threshold parameters are met;

if the one or more threshold parameters are met, capturing one or more diagnostic status identifiers;

determining a diagnostic status based on the one or more diagnostic status identifiers; and

transmitting a diagnostic status signal based on the diagnostic status to a remote terminal for vehicle diagnosis and service.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising determining the diagnostic status while a vehicle is travelling.