Remote diagnostic system for detecting tampering of vehicle calibrations

• US 7,729,824 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Tolkacz, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/194,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner

Abstract

A tampering diagnostic system for a vehicle comprises a control system that stores calibration data. A transmitter selectively wirelessly transmits the calibration data. A service assistance system that is remote from the vehicle receives the calibration data wirelessly from the transmitter. A manufacturer information system receives the calibration data from the service assistance system, compares the calibration data to factory calibration data, and selectively generates a tampering flag based on the calibration data.

Claims

1. A tampering diagnostic system for a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle control system that encodes calibration data of the vehicle and that generates cyclical redundancy check (CRC) data for the encoded calibration data;

a transmitter that selectively wirelessly transmits the encoded calibration data and the CRC data; and

a manufacturer information system that is remote from the vehicle, that wirelessly receives the encoded calibration data and the CRC data, that selectively generates a tampering flag associated with the vehicle based on a comparison of the encoded calibration data and predetermined calibration data for the vehicle, and that selectively disables the comparison based on the CRC data.

2. The tampering diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the calibration data for the vehicle includes at least one of throttle position data, fuel injection data, and transmission shiftpoint data.

3. The tampering diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the calibration data for the vehicle includes at least one of turbocharger data and supercharger data.

4. The tampering diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle control system encodes the calibration data into checksum data.

5. The tampering diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle control system encodes the calibration data into one or more calibration part numbers corresponding to the calibration data.

6. The tampering diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the manufacturer information system generates the tampering flag when the encoded calibration data is one of greater than and less than the predetermined calibration data for the vehicle.

7. A system comprising:

the tampering diagnostic system of claim 1; and

a dealer information system that accesses the manufacturer information system to determine whether a warranty covering a powertrain of the vehicle is voidable based on a status of the tampering flag.

8. A tampering diagnostic method for a vehicle, comprising:

encoding calibration data of the vehicle;

generating cyclical redundancy check (CRC) data for the encoded calibration data;

selectively wirelessly transmitting the encoded calibration data and the CRC data;

wirelessly receiving the encoded calibration data and the verification data at a location that is remote to the vehicle;

selectively generating a tampering flag associated with the vehicle at the location based on a comparison of the encoded calibration data and predetermined calibration data for the vehicle; and

selectively disabling the comparison based on the CRC data.

9. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 wherein the calibration data for the vehicle includes at least one of throttle position data, fuel injection data, and transmission shiftpoint data.

10. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 wherein the calibration data for the vehicle includes at least one of turbocharger data and supercharger data.

11. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 wherein the encoding comprises encoding the calibration data into checksum data.

12. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 wherein the encoding comprises encoding the calibration data into one or more calibration part numbers corresponding to the calibration data.

13. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 further comprising generating the tampering flag when the encoded calibration data is one of greater than and less than the predetermined calibration data for the vehicle.

14. The tampering diagnostic method of claim 8 further comprising accessing the tampering flag at the location to determine whether a warranty covering a powertrain of the vehicle is voidable.