Method and apparatus for remote vehicle communication

• US 7,502,673 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Robinson, Timothy A., Hussey, Stephen J., Stewart, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/153,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/2, 701/33, 701/29, 340/572.1, 340/870.01, 340/870.03, 340/870.3, 340/438, 340/455, 702/60, 702/181, 700/94, 348/211.3, 709/217
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A method for remote vehicle communication is provided. The method monitors, stores and/or transmits data representative of the operation of a component or system, whereby the transmitted data may be analyzed and vehicle performance improved through the analysis thereof. Additionally, the vehicle systems are remotely accessible such that a technician can remotely analyze the vehicle without taking control of the vehicle away from the consumer.

Claims

1. A method for communicating the maintenance status of a vehicle system to a remote location relative to the vehicle, the vehicle having a communications link and a plurality of vehicle systems, the method comprising:

initializing a recorder module;

receiving a recorder module command from the remote location;

directing said recorder module command to the recorder module;

determining if said recorder module command is directed to said recorder module;

processing the recorder module command, wherein said processing includes checking said recorder module command for a signal commanding set-up of data collection of the maintenance status when said recorder module command is directed to said recorder module, and directing said recorder module command through said recorder module to the communications link as a pass-through command when said recorder module command is not directed to said recorder module;

generating a response to the recorder module command, wherein said response includes said collected maintenance status data when said recorder module command is directed to said recorder module;

transmitting the response to the remote location; and

supplying power to the recorder module after the vehicle is turned off such that any unrecorded data may be preserved.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing is directing the recorder module command to the communications link, further comprising reprogramming any of the plurality of vehicle systems in response to said pass-through command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the recorder module commands includes collecting data from one or more predefined sources in response to the recorder module commands.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the recorder module commands includes retrieving data from the recorder module in response to the recorder module commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the recorder module commands includes recording data onto the recorder module in response to the recorder module commands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing the recorder module commands includes reprogramming the recorder module in response to the recorder module commands.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering-down the recorder module after the unrecorded data is preserved to conserve energy.

8. A method for remotely accessing at least one of a plurality of vehicle systems in a vehicle having a vehicle communications link, the method comprising:

initializing a recorder module;

receiving a pass-through command from a remote source relative to the vehicle wherein the pass-through command is a recorder module command that is passed through said recorder module to the vehicle communications link without being recorded by the recorder module;

processing the pass-through command including transferring the pass-through command to the vehicle system thereby allowing remote reprogramming and monitoring of any of the vehicle systems;

receiving a recorder module command from a remote source relative to the vehicle wherein the recorder module command is directed to the recorder module;

processing the recorder module command;

generating a response to the recorder module command; and

transmitting the response to a remote location relative to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising supplying power to the recorder module after the vehicle is turned off such that any unrecorded data may be preserved.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising powering-down the recorder module after the unrecorded data is preserved to conserve energy.