AUTOMATED VEHICLE DISCOVERY AFTER CONNECTING TO AN AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTIC PORT

• US 20180225891A1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2017
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lambourne, Nicholas Philip, Kozlovich, Ian Andrew Adam, McGillan, Glen Phillip
• Application Number:
  US15/706,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180225891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• 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: H01R 13/6397 with means for preventing unauthorised use

Abstract

A system and method are provided for connecting a device to an automotive diagnostic port of a vehicle. The method includes the steps of sampling a signal on each pin of a plurality of pins of the automotive diagnostic port to generate a signal map corresponding with the automotive diagnostic port, selecting a configuration from a list of configurations for the automotive diagnostic port based on the signal map, establishing communication with the vehicle via the automotive diagnostic port based on the selected configuration. The method may be performed by a system that includes at least one of a device connected to the automotive diagnostic port of a vehicle, a mobile device, and/or a server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sampling a signal on each pin of a plurality of pins of the automotive diagnostic port to generate a signal map corresponding with the automotive diagnostic port;

selecting a configuration from a list of configurations for the automotive diagnostic port based on the signal map; and

establishing communication with the vehicle via the automotive diagnostic port based on the selected configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the configuration from the list of configurations comprises:

receiving the list of configurations;

selecting a subset of configurations as potential configurations that match the signal map;

selecting a particular configuration from the subset of configurations;

attempting to establish communication with the vehicle using a communications protocol via one or more pins of the automotive diagnostic port, wherein the particular configuration identifies the one or more pins of the automotive diagnostic port that implement the communications protocol; and

if the attempt to establish communications with the vehicle is successful, then selecting the particular configuration as a selected configuration for the vehicle, or

if the attempt to establish communications with the vehicle fails, then removing the particular configuration from the subset of configurations and repeating the steps of selecting a different configuration from the subset of configurations and attempting to establish communications with the vehicle based on the different configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the list of configurations comprises:

transmitting a request for the list of configurations from the device to a server; and

receiving a response to the request from the server that includes the list of configurations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the device is coupled to a mobile device configured to establish an Internet connection, and wherein an application executed by the mobile device is configured to:

transmit a request for the list of configurations to a server; and

store the list of configurations in a memory associated with the mobile device accessible by the device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising prompting, via a display included in the mobile device, a user to plug the device into the automotive diagnostic port of the vehicle after placing the vehicle into an OFF state prior to sampling the signal on each pin of the plurality of pins of the automotive diagnostic port.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) via the automotive diagnostic port and storing the VIN in a memory associated with the device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting vehicle-specific information accessible via the automotive diagnostic port;

generating a fingerprint for the vehicle based on the vehicle-specific information; and

storing the fingerprint in a memory associated with the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the configuration from the list of configurations based on the signal map comprises:

retrieving a last known configuration of the automotive diagnostic port from a memory associated with the device;

determining that the last known configuration matches the signal map; and

confirming that the last known configuration is compatible with the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a battery supply voltage on a pin of the automotive diagnostic port while the device is in a standby mode;

detecting an ignition check event that causes the device to transition out of the standby mode;

retrieving a last known configuration for the automotive diagnostic port from a memory associated with the device; and

confirming that the last known configuration is compatible with the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an ignition check event; and

determining the state of a vehicle based on information retrieved via the automotive diagnostic port.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the ignition check event comprises at least one of:

monitoring a battery supply voltage waveform on a pin of the automotive diagnostic port; and

detecting motion of the vehicle based on feedback from one or more sensors.

12. A system, comprising:

a device connected to an automotive diagnostic port for a vehicle, the device configured to;

sample a signal on each pin of a plurality of pins of the automotive diagnostic port to generate a signal map corresponding with the automotive diagnostic port,

select a configuration from a list of configurations based on the signal map, and

establish communications with the vehicle via the automotive diagnostic port based on the selected configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to select the configuration from the list of configurations by:

receiving the list of configurations;

selecting a subset of configurations as potential configurations that match the signal map;

selecting a particular configuration from the subset of configurations;

attempting to establish communication with the vehicle using a communications protocol via one or more pins of the automotive diagnostic port, wherein the particular configuration identifies the one or more pins of the automotive diagnostic port that implement the communications protocol; and

if the attempt to establish communications with the vehicle is successful, then selecting the particular configuration as a selected configuration for the vehicle, or

if the attempt to establish communications with the vehicle fails, then removing the particular configuration from the subset of configurations and repeating the steps of selecting a different configuration from the subset of configurations and attempting to establish communications with the vehicle based on the different configuration.

14. The system of claim 13, the system further comprising a server, and wherein receiving the list of configurations for the automotive diagnostic port comprises:

transmitting a request for the list of potential configurations from the device to the server; and

receiving a response to the request from the server that includes the list of potential configurations.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a mobile device coupled to the device and configured to establish an Internet connection, and wherein an application executed by the mobile device is configured to:

transmit a request for the list of configurations to a server via the Internet connection; and

store the list of configurations in a memory associated with the mobile device accessible by the device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the device includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that includes a plurality of automotive general purpose input/outputs (AGPIOs) for sampling the signal on each pin of the plurality of pins of the automotive diagnostic port.

17. The system of claim 12, the device further configured to request a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) via the automotive diagnostic port and store the VIN in a memory associated with the device.

18. The system of claim 12, the device further configured to:

collect vehicle-specific information accessible via the automotive diagnostic port;

generate a fingerprint for the vehicle based on the vehicle-specific information; and

store the fingerprint in a memory associated with the device

19. The system of claim 12, wherein selecting the configuration from the list of configurations based on the signal map comprises:

retrieving a last known configuration of the automotive diagnostic port from a memory associated with the device;

determining that the last known configuration matches the signal map; and

confirming that the last known configuration is compatible with the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 12, the device further configured to:

monitor a battery supply voltage on a pin of the automotive diagnostic port while the device is in a standby mode;

detect an ignition check event that causes the device to transition out of the standby mode;

retrieve a last known configuration for the automotive diagnostic port from a memory associated with the device; and

confirm that the last known configuration is compatible with the vehicle.