Method and system for remotely inventorying electronic modules installed in a vehicle

• US 7,302,315 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Ampunan, Nathan D., Gawlik, Thomas A., Oesterling, Christopher L., Zoeckler, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/426,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/207, 701/213, 701/33, 701/34, 701/35, 701/36, 340/99, 3404255-490, 4554261-4556
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for remotely inventorying electronic modules installed in a vehicle. A vehicle telematics unit sends an identification request to at least one electronic module. The telematics unit receives at least one electronic module identifier in response to the request. The identifier includes the serial number and software revision for the electronic module. The received identifier is transmitted from the telematics unit to a call center. The call center, or a quality center to which the call center sends the transmitted identifier, determines if the transmitted identifier corresponds with an identifier included in an electronic module identifier database. The database includes an identifier for each module that is intended to be installed in the vehicle. A quality assurance notice is sent based on the determination, indicating either that the correct module is installed in the vehicle or that an incorrect module must be replaced.

Claims

1. A method for remotely inventorying a replacement electronic module installed in a vehicle, comprising:

sending a serial number from a replacement electronic module installed on a vehicle to a telematics unit located on the vehicle;

transmitting the serial number from the telematics unit to a call center using a wireless network;

providing a database of serial numbers identifying authorized replacement parts for the vehicle; and

determining if the serial number received by the call center corresponds to any of the serial numbers in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a software version number with the serial number from the replacement electronic module to the telematics unit and from the telematics unit to the call center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a quality assurance notification based on a result of the determining step.

4. A method for remotely inventorying electronic modules installed in a vehicle, comprising:

sending an identification request from a telematics unit to at least one replacement electronic module following installation of the electronic module into the vehicle during servicing;

receiving at least one serial number at the telematics unit in response to the identification request; and

transmitting the serial number from the telematics unit to a call center.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of sending a software version number with the serial number from the replacement electronic module to the telematics unit and from the telematics unit to the call center.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

providing a database of serial numbers identifying authorized replacement parts for the vehicle; and

determining if the serial number received by the call center corresponds to any of the serial numbers in the database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of sending a quality assurance notification based on a result of the determining step.