PLUG-IN COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20150105967A1
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: SKIPP, David, SCOTT, Jonathan, NICOLL, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US14/514,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.4
• 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: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring data from a motor vehicle to a remote data processing system includes a first plug-in device for insertable into an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of the vehicle and a second plug-in device insertable into a power socket of the vehicle. The first plug-in device receives power from and collects diagnostic data from the OBD port and transmits the data via a short-range communications link. The second plug-in device receives power from the power socket, receives the diagnostic data transmitted by the first plug-in device, and re-transmits the diagnostic data along with a geographic location of the vehicle to a remote data processing system. The apparatus provides a simple and cost-effective device that can be fitted to the current vehicle stock in order to enable the rapid introduction of intelligent vehicle monitoring systems.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transferring data from a motor vehicle to a remote data processing system, comprising:

a first plug-in device for insertion into an on-board diagnostic port of the vehicle and comprising;

an electrical connector connectable with the on-board diagnostic port to receive electrical power therefrom;

an on-board diagnostic module to collect diagnostic data regarding operation of the vehicle via the on-board diagnostic port; and

a communication module for transmitting the diagnostic data via a short-range communications link;

and

a second plug-in device for insertion into a power socket of the vehicle and comprising;

an electrical connector connectable with the power socket to receive electrical power therefrom;

a location module for determining a geographic location of the vehicle;

a first communication module for receiving the diagnostic data transmitted via the short-range communication link; and

a second communication module for transmitting the geographic location of the vehicle to the remote data processing system, and re-transmitting to the remote data processing system the diagnostic data received by the first communication module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second communication module is adapted for short-range communication with an intermediate communication node on-board the vehicle, the intermediate communication node re-transmitting the geographic location and the diagnostics data to the remote data processing system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second communication module is adapted for short-range communication with a mobile communication device serving as the intermediate communication node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices further comprises a memory module for storing an identity mark for the at least one plug-in device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices further comprises an electrical energy storage device for providing electrical power to the at least one plug-in device if electrical power from the vehicle is unavailable.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices further comprises an accelerometer module for providing information regarding dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle.

7. Apparatus comprising:

a first plug-in device insertable into an on-board diagnostic port of a vehicle and transmitting via a short-range communications link diagnostic data collected from the on-board diagnostic port; and

a second plug-in device insertable into a power socket of the vehicle, receiving the diagnostic data transmitted by the first plug-in device, and re-transmitting the diagnostic data along with a geographic location of the vehicle to a remote data processing system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the second plug-in device is adapted for short-range communication with an intermediate communication node on-board the vehicle which re-transmits the geographic location and the diagnostics data to the remote data processing system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second plug-in device is adapted for short-range communication with a mobile communication device serving as the intermediate communication node.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises a memory module for storing an identity mark for the at least one plug-in device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises an electrical energy storage device for providing electrical power to the at least one plug-in device if electrical power from the vehicle is unavailable.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises an accelerometer module for providing information regarding dynamic behavior of the vehicle.

13. A motor vehicle having apparatus for transferring information from the vehicle to a remote data processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a power socket connected with an electric power circuit of the vehicle;

an on-board diagnostic port connected with an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle;

a first plug-in device insertable into the on-board diagnostic port to collect diagnostic data therefrom and transmit the diagnostic data via a short-range communications link; and

a second plug-in device insertable into the power socket to receive the diagnostic data transmitted by the first plug-in device and re-transmit the diagnostic data along with a geographic location of the vehicle to a remote data processing system.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13 wherein the second plug-in device is adapted for short-range communication with an intermediate communication node on-board the vehicle which re-transmits the geographic location and the diagnostics data to the remote data processing system.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 14 wherein the second plug-in device is adapted for short-range communication with a mobile communication device serving as the intermediate communication node.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises a memory module for storing an identity mark for the at least one plug-in device.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises an electrical energy storage device for providing electrical power to the at least one plug-in device if electrical power from the vehicle is unavailable.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first and the second plug-in devices comprises an accelerometer module for providing information regarding dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle.