ODOMETER MONITORING AND REDUNDANT STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20130226366A1
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Proefke, David T., Fondaw, Kevin E., Biondo, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/02 by conversion into electric waveforms and subsequent integration, e.g. using tachometer generator G01C22/002, G01C22/004, G01C22/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes a computer and logic executable by the computer. The logic is configured to read an odometer value from a storage system. The odometer value corresponds to an accrued mileage obtained from an odometer. The accrued mileage is determined at a beginning of a current driving event. The logic is also configured to read an odometer value for the vehicle from another storage system. The odometer value from the other storage system corresponds to an accrued mileage obtained from the storage system at the beginning of a driving event that precedes the current driving event. The logic is further configured to compare the odometer value from the storage system to the odometer value from the other storage system and calculate a reduction value from the difference, upon determining the odometer value from the other storage system is greater than the odometer value from the storage system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a vehicle control system including a computer processor; and

logic executable by the computer processor, the logic configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

reading an odometer value for a vehicle from a first storage system, the odometer value corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from an odometer, the accrued mileage determined at a beginning of a current driving event;

reading an odometer value for the vehicle from a second storage system, the odometer value from the second storage system corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from the first storage system at the beginning of a driving event that precedes the current driving event;

comparing the odometer value from the first storage system to the odometer value from the second storage system;

calculating a reduction value from the difference between the odometer value from the first storage system and the odometer value from the second storage system, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is greater than the odometer value from the first storage system, the reduction value indicative of a mileage rollback event with respect to the odometer; and

storing the reduction value in the second storage system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first storage system is a memory device internal to the vehicle control system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second storage system is a memory device internal to at least one of:

a key fob;

a smart phone; and

at least one vehicle control module;

wherein the storing further includes storing a date in which the reduction value is calculated and a location of the vehicle in the second storage system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the storing the reduction value and the date in which the reduction value is calculated is performed when the key fob is placed in an ignition system of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

storing the odometer value from the first storage device in the second storage device, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is less than or equal to the odometer value from the first storage system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

comparing a maximum odometer value stored in the second storage device to the odometer value stored in the first storage device; and

upon determining the maximum odometer value is less than the odometer value from the first storage device, storing the odometer value from the first storage device as a new maximum odometer value in the second storage device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

distinguishing driving events among multiple key fobs, each of the key fobs having an identifier stored thereon, including distinguishing odometer values stored on each of the key fobs according to the respective identifier.

8. A method, comprising:

reading, via a computer processor implemented by a control system of a vehicle, an odometer value for the vehicle from a first storage system, the odometer value corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from an odometer, the accrued mileage determined at a beginning of a current driving event;

reading an odometer value for the vehicle from a second storage system, the odometer value from the second storage system corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from the first storage system at the beginning of a driving event that precedes the current driving event;

comparing, via the computer processor, the odometer value from the first storage system to the odometer value from the second storage system;

calculating, via the computer processor, a reduction value from the difference between the odometer value from the first storage system and the odometer value from the second storage system, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is greater than the odometer value from the first storage system, the reduction value indicative of a mileage rollback event with respect to the odometer; and

storing the reduction value in the second storage system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first storage system is a memory device internal to the control system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second storage system is a memory device internal to at least one of:

a key fob;

a smart phone; and

at least one vehicle control module;

wherein the storing further includes storing a date in which the reduction value is calculated and a location of the vehicle in the second storage system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the storing the reduction value and the date in which the reduction value is calculated is performed when the key fob is placed in an ignition system of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

storing the odometer value from the first storage device in the second storage device, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is less than or equal to the odometer value from the first storage system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

comparing a maximum odometer value stored in the second storage device to the odometer value stored in the first storage device; and

upon determining the maximum odometer value is less than the odometer value from the first storage device, storing the odometer value from the first storage device as a new maximum odometer value in the second storage device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

distinguishing driving events among multiple key fobs, each of the key fobs having an identifier stored thereon, including distinguishing odometer values stored on each of the key fobs according to the respective identifier.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

reading an odometer value for a vehicle from a first storage system, the odometer value corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from an odometer, the accrued mileage determined at a beginning of a current driving event;

reading an odometer value for the vehicle from a second storage system, the odometer value from the second storage system corresponding to an accrued mileage obtained from the first storage system at the beginning of a driving event that precedes the current driving event;

comparing the odometer value from the first storage system to the odometer value from the second storage system;

calculating a reduction value from the difference between the odometer value from the first storage system and the odometer value from the second storage system, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is greater than the odometer value from the first storage system, the reduction value indicative of a mileage rollback event with respect to the odometer; and

storing the reduction value in the second storage system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first storage system is a memory device internal to a vehicle control system.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second storage system is a memory device internal to at least one of:

a key fob;

a smart phone; and

a vehicle control module;

wherein the storing further includes storing a date in which the reduction value is calculated and a location of the vehicle in the second storage system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the storing the reduction value and the date in which the reduction value is calculated is performed when the key fob is placed in an ignition system of the vehicle.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions further implement:

storing the odometer value from the first storage device in the second storage device, in response to the comparing and upon determining the odometer value from the second storage system is less than or equal to the odometer value from the first storage system.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions further implement:

comparing a maximum odometer value stored in the second storage device to the odometer value stored in the first storage device; and

upon determining the maximum odometer value is less than the odometer value from the first storage device, storing the odometer value from the first storage device as a new maximum odometer value in the second storage device.