System for transmitting and displaying multiple, motor vehicle information

• US 6,295,492 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InfoMove.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lang, Brook W., Tyerman, Mark H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/492,264
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/36, 701/200, 701/213, 701/24, 701/35, 701/1, 340/438, 340/425.5, 340/459, 340/286.02, 340/286.01
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• 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

Abstract

A system for transmitting, collecting and displaying diagnostic and operational information from one or more motor vehicles to a central server connected to a wide area network. The system is designed to be used with an existing on-board diagnostic system found in most motor vehicles manufactured today. The system includes a translator device capable of translating the codes from an on-board diagnostic connector into computer readable files such as ASCII files. The translator device may be connected to an on-board computer that includes a wireless modem capable of connecting to a wireless communication network and eventually to a wide area network. A central server is connected to the wide area network which receives and stores information from the on-board computer. Authorized users may connect to central server via the wide area network and request information therefrom regarding selected motor vehicles. All of the information may be presented in a single interface.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting and displaying diagnostic and performance information for a motor vehicle having an on-board diagnostic system, said diagnostic system including a plurality of sensors capable of transmitting codes indicating the status of components on said motor vehicle, said system comprising:

a. a translating means used to translate said codes from said sensors to a computer readable file;

b. a wireless communication means coupled to said translating means used to communicate with a wireless communication network located in a specific region;

c. a wireless communication network located around said specific region;

d. a computer wide area network; and

,

e. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer used to receive said translate information from a plurality of said translating means located in different motor vehicles and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means in said specific region.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further including an on-board computer connected to said translating means and said wireless communication means.

3. The system for transmitting and displaying diagnostic and performance information for a motor vehicle having an on-board diagnostic system, said system including a plurality of sensors that produce transmitting codes to indicate the status of specific components in said motor vehicle, said system comprising:

a. a translator device connected to said on-board diagnostic system in said motor vehicle, said translator used to translate said codes from said sensors to a computer readable file;

b. a wireless communication means coupled to said translator device and used to communicate with a wireless communication network;

c. a wireless communication network located in a selected region;

d. a wide area network; and

,

e. a central computer connected to said wide area network, and used to receive said translated information from said translator device over said wide area network by said wireless communication means.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said translation means translates said codes into ASCII files.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, further including a physical location detecting means coupled to each said on-board computer, said physical location detecting means used to determine the physical location of said on-board computer.

6. The system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said physical location detecting means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

7. The system, as recited in claim 6, wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem used to communicate with said wireless communication network.

8. The system, as recited in claim 3, further including a client-side software program loaded into each said on-board computer and a server side software program loaded into said central server to enable said on-board computer to communicate with said central server.

9. The system as recited in claim 3, further including an on-board computer connected to said translating means and said wireless communication means.

10. A system for transmitting and displaying diagnostic and performance information for a motor vehicle having an on-board diagnostic system, said on-board diagnostic system including a plurality of sensors capable of transmitting codes indicating the status of components on said motor vehicle, said system comprising:

a. a translating device located in each motor vehicle coupled to said sensors and used to translate said codes from said sensors to computer readable files;

b. an on-board computer connected to said translating device;

c. a wireless communication means coupled to said on-board computers for communicating with a wireless communication network located around a region;

d. a wireless communication network;

e. a computer wide area network; and

,

f. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer used to receive said computer readable files from a plurality of said on-board computers in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means in a region.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein said translation device translates said codes into ASCII files.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, further including a physical location detecting means coupled to each said on-board computer, said physical location detecting means used to determine the physical location of said on-board computer.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said physical location means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

14. The system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem used to communicate with said wireless communication network.

15. The system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication means used to communicate with said wireless communication network.