ADAPTIVE VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20180197358A1
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: LE, TAN MINH, PHAN, HUNG, TRUONG, SI TAN
• Granted Patent: US 10,163,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• 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 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A system and method are provided for adaptively accessing information in a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid malfunctions associated with accessing the information. A data acquisition device is provided for accessing and retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle. A memory unit is provided including listing of malfunctioning vehicles, as well as information associated with each of vehicle. At least one service mode request is communicated to the vehicle to identify characteristic information and characteristic features of the vehicle, which information is compared to stored vehicle characteristic information, to determine if the vehicle conforms to any of the listed vehicles, subject to malfunction. If not, additional service requests are communicated to the vehicle. If the vehicle conforms to one or more of the listed vehicles additional service request(s) are modified to remove service requests, or portions thereof, that are associated with the malfunction.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring system for adaptively accessing information in an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid vehicle malfunctions associated with accessing the information, the system comprising:

a) a handholdable data acquisition device including;

1) a first datalink communicable with the ECU of the vehicle under test for accessing and retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle under test;

2) a processor unit in communication with the first datalink;

3) a data linking module operative to generate linking queries to the ECU in a plurality of protocols, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;

b) a memory unit in communication with the processor, the memory unit having information stored therein including;

1) a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;

2) a listing of selective characteristic features information associated with each listed vehicle;

3) an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle; and

4) a listing of the specific service mode request(s) associated with a malfunction of each listed vehicle;

5) the memory unit being addressable by the processor unit to identify listed vehicles that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;

c) the data acquisition device further including a data retrieval module operative to selectively communicate at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information request protocol, excluding each service mode request(s) that is associated with an identified listed vehicle;

d) the data acquisition device further including a data extraction module operative to receive information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extract therefrom vehicle characteristic features information, identifying characteristic features of the vehicle under test; and

e) the data acquisition device further including a comparison module operative to compare the extracted characteristic features information to the selective characteristic features information associated with each of the identified listed vehicles, to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;

f) wherein, if the vehicle under test has no characteristics features in common with any of the identified listed vehicles the data retrieval unit is further operative to communicate the previously excluded service mode request(s) to the vehicle under test.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein, if the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the data retrieval unit is further operative to communicate additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle under test, excluding any service mode request(s) associated with the at least one of the identified listed vehicles.

3. The system recited in claim 2 wherein if the vehicle under test and a plurality of the identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the comparison module is further operative to determine which of the plurality of identified listed vehicles has the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test, and the data retrieval unit is further operative to communicate additional service mode requests to the vehicle under test, excluding service mode requests associated with the identified listed vehicle having the greatest number of characteristics features in common with the vehicle under test.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor unit is communicable with the memory unit to identify any listed vehicle(s) subject to malfunction in response to service mode requests under the identified protocol, and characteristics features associated with any identified listed vehicle(s).

5. The system recited in claim 1 wherein the first datalink is connectable to a data port of the vehicle under test.

6. The vehicle monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first datalink is wirelessly communicable with the ECU.

7. The vehicle monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory unit is disposed within the data acquisition device.

8. The vehicle monitoring system as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory unit is remotely located from the data acquisition device.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein the data acquisition device further includes a second datalink connectable to a global computer network for transferring information received in response to the service mode requests to a location remote from the device.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory unit further includes a listing of service mode request portion(s) associated with a malfunction of any of the listed vehicles, and wherein, if the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have one or more common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

m) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle, excluding any service mode request portion(s) associated with the at least one of the identified listed vehicles.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein, if the vehicle under test and a plurality of identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

n) determining which of the a plurality of identified listed vehicles has the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test; and

o) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle under test, excluding any service mode request(s) associated with the identified listed vehicle having the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test.

10. A method of accessing information in an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid vehicle malfunctions associated with accessing the information in the ECU, the method comprising:

a) communicating a plurality of linking queries from a handheld data acquisition device to the ECU, in a plurality of protocols, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;

b) storing, in a memory unit, information including;

1) a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;

2) selective characteristic features information associated with each listed vehicle;

3) an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle; and

4) a listing of service mode request(s) associated with the malfunction of each listed vehicle;

5) the memory unit being addressable to identify listed vehicles that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;

c) communicating at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information protocol, excluding each service mode request(s) that is associated with an identified listed vehicle;

d) receiving information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extracting therefrom vehicle characteristic features information identifying characteristic features of the vehicle under test;

e) comparing the extracted characteristic features information to the selective characteristic features information associated with each of the identified listed vehicles to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;

f) wherein, if the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have no common characteristic features in common, communicating previously excluded service mode request(s) to the vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein, if the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

g) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle, excluding any service mode request(s) associated with the at least one of the identified listed vehicles.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the memory unit further includes a listing of service mode request portion(s) associated with a malfunction of any of the listed vehicles, and wherein, if the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have one or more common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

h) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle, excluding any service mode request portion(s) associated with the at least one of the identified listed vehicles.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein, if the vehicle under test and a plurality of identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

i) determining which of the a plurality of identified listed vehicles has the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test; and

j) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle under test, excluding any service mode request(s) associated with the identified listed vehicle having the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein, if the vehicle under test and a plurality of identified listed vehicles have one or more in common characteristic features, the method further comprises:

k) determining which of the a plurality of identified listed vehicles has the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test; and

l) communicating additional service mode request(s) to the vehicle under test, excluding any service mode request portion(s) associated with the identified listed vehicle having the greatest number of characteristic features in common with the vehicle under test.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein steps a), c), d) and f) are implemented in the data acquisition device.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein steps b), d) and e) are implemented in a device located remote from the data acquisition device.

19. A method of accessing information and electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid vehicle malfunctions associated with accessing information in the ECU of diesel engine vehicles, the method comprising:

a) communicating a plurality of linking queries to the ECU, in a plurality of protocols, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;

b) storing, in a memory unit, a listing of service mode requests and service mode request portions associated with malfunctions in at least one diesel engine vehicle;

c) communicating at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information request protocol, excluding each service mode request and service mode request portion associated with a malfunction in a diesel engine vehicle; and

d) receiving information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extracting therefrom vehicle characteristic information indicating if the vehicle under test is a diesel engine vehicle, and if the engine is currently running;

e) wherein, if the vehicle under test is a diesel engine vehicle, and the engine is currently running, communicating at least one additional service mode request to the vehicle, excluding any service mode request and service mode request portion associated with a malfunction in the diesel engine vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein, if the vehicle under test is not a diesel engine vehicle, or if the diesel engine is not running, the method further comprises:

f) communicating any previously excluded service mode requests and service mode request portions to the vehicle under test.