VEHICLE BUS ACCESS POINT SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- a vehicle having a vehicle bus and one or more control modules connected to the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus includes a vehicle bus connector; and
a telematics system including;
a vehicle bus connector module, wherein the connector module includes;
a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bus connector;
a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and
a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein the controller establishes the connector module as a wireless access point, receives vehicle information via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to other wireless devices; and
a personal communications device, wherein the personal communications device includes a cellular interface, a wireless interface, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and a telematics application;
wherein the application communicates with the controller to obtain vehicle information from the vehicle bus, combines the vehicle information with data from the GPS receiver to form vehicle location and operation information associated with the vehicle and transmits the vehicle location and operation information across a cellular network to a central server.
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Abstract
A system and method of transmitting vehicle information from a vehicle to a server across an external network. A vehicle bus connector module is plugged into a vehicle bus through the vehicle'"'"'s vehicle bus connector. The vehicle bus connector module is also communicatively connected to a personal communications device. Vehicle information is collected from the vehicle bus and combined with information captured by the personal communications device to form a driver log. The driver log is transmitted to the server via the external network.
19 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a vehicle having a vehicle bus and one or more control modules connected to the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus includes a vehicle bus connector; and a telematics system including; a vehicle bus connector module, wherein the connector module includes; a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bus connector; a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein the controller establishes the connector module as a wireless access point, receives vehicle information via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to other wireless devices; and a personal communications device, wherein the personal communications device includes a cellular interface, a wireless interface, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and a telematics application; wherein the application communicates with the controller to obtain vehicle information from the vehicle bus, combines the vehicle information with data from the GPS receiver to form vehicle location and operation information associated with the vehicle and transmits the vehicle location and operation information across a cellular network to a central server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A vehicle bus connector module, comprising:
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a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to a vehicle bus connector; a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein, when connected to a vehicle bus connector, the controller establishes the connector module as a wireless access point, receives vehicle information from the vehicle bus connector via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to wireless devices communicating with the wireless access point. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of transmitting vehicle information from a vehicle across an external network to a server, wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle bus, the method comprising:
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connecting a vehicle bus connector module to the vehicle bus through its vehicle bus connector, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a wireless interface and a controller, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless antenna and wherein the controller is connected to the wireless interface; establishing the connector module as a wireless access point; receiving, at the connector module and via the vehicle bus connector, vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector; communicatively connecting a personal communications device to the wireless access point, wherein the personal communications device is connected to a cellular network; collecting vehicle information from the vehicle bus; combining the vehicle information with information from the personal communications device to form driver logs; and transmitting the driver logs to the server via the external network. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of monitoring driver logs, the method comprising:
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connecting a vehicle bus connector module to the vehicle bus through its vehicle bus connector, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a wireless interface and a controller, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless antenna and wherein the controller is connected to the wireless interface; receiving, at the connector module and via the vehicle bus connector, vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector; storing the vehicle information as driver logs; establishing a wireless connection between a personal communications device and the wireless access point, wherein the personal communications device is connected to an external network; transmitting the driver logs to a server via the external network; receiving, from a requesting device, a request at the connector module for a driver log associated with a particular driver; requesting from the server a copy of the driver log associated with that driver; receiving the driver log at the connector module and transmitting the driver log from the connector module to the requesting device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system, comprising:
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a vehicle having a vehicle bus and one or more control modules connected to the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus includes a vehicle bus connector; a driver log tracking system, wherein the driver log tracking system includes a driver log database; and a telematics system including; a vehicle bus connector module, wherein the connector module includes; a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bus connector; a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein the controller establishes the connector module as a wireless access point, receives vehicle information via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to other wireless devices; and a personal communications device, wherein the personal communications device includes a cellular interface, a wireless interface, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and a telematics application; wherein the application communicates with the controller to obtain vehicle information from the vehicle bus, combines the vehicle information with data from the GPS receiver to form vehicle location and operation information associated with the vehicle and transmits the vehicle location and operation information across an Internet connection to the driver log tracking system. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification