System and method of intelligent agent management using an agent interface for use in vehicle diagnostics

• US 7,729,825 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Chigusa, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/478,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/032 Fixing failures by repairing failed parts, e.g. loosening a sticking valve

Abstract

A system and method of intelligent agent management using an agent interface within a vehicle intelligent agent system is provided. The system includes a host system, and a local system in communication with the host system via a communications means. The system includes an intelligent agent that carries instructions or information regarding a task to be performed by the agent. The system further includes an interface having a processor and memory. The methodology includes the steps of the interface facilitating the transfer of instructions carried by the agent to the interface, copying predetermined information from the host system database into the interface memory, and assembling, by the interface processor, the agent instructions and stored information. The methodology further includes the steps of transferring the assembled instructions from the interface to the local processor, and transferring the assembled instructions from the local processor to the agent for execution.

Claims

1. A method of intelligent agent management using an agent interface within an intelligent agent system for a vehicle, said method including the steps of:

receiving an agent by a local intelligent agent system for the vehicle, wherein the agent includes a processor and a memory associated with the processor and the local system includes a processor having a memory and a database;

transferring instructions carried by the agent to an interface within the local system via a communication network, wherein the interface includes a memory and a processor and the instructions includes information regarding a task to be performed by the agent;

copying predetermined information from a host system database to the interface via the communications network;

assembling together the agent instructions and information stored in the local system memory by the interface processor to produce assembled operating instructions;

transferring the assembled operating instructions from the interface to the local system processor;

transferring the assembled operating instructions from the local system processor to the agent; and

executing the assembled operating instructions by the agent.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of the interface notifying the local system processor that the memory of the processor can be released for other uses.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the assembled operating instructions includes executable code for the task to be performed by the agent.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of using the assembled operating instructions by the agent for vehicle diagnostics.

5. A method of intelligent agent management using an agent interface within an intelligent agent system for a vehicle, said method including the steps of:

receiving an agent by a local intelligent agent system for the vehicle, wherein the agent includes a processor and a memory associated with the processor and the local system includes a processor having a memory and a database;

transferring instructions carried by the agent to an interface within the local system via communications network, wherein the interface includes a memory and a processor and the instructions includes information regarding a task to be performed by the agent;

copying predetermined information from a host system database to the interface via the communications network;

assembling together the agent instructions and information stored in the local system memory by the interface processor to produce assembled operating instructions;

transferring the assembled operating instructions from the interface to the local system processor;

transferring the assembled operating instructions from the local system processor to the agent;

executing the assembled operating instructions by the agent; and

notifying the local system processor that the memory of the processor can be released for other uses.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the assembled operating instructions includes executable code for the task to be performed by the agent.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 further including the step of using the assembled instructions by the agent for vehicle diagnostics.

8. A system of intelligent agent management using an agent interface within an intelligent agent system for a vehicle, comprising:

a host system within the intelligent agent system, wherein the host system includes a processor, a memory associated with the processor, means for input/output communication, and a database;

a local system in communication with the host system via a communications network, wherein the local system includes a processor, a memory associated with the processor, a means for input/output communication, and a database;

an intelligent agent in communication with the host system and the local system via the communication network, wherein the intelligent agent include a processor and a memory associated with the processor, and instructions stored within the processor memory regarding a task to be performed by the agent;

an interface within the local system, wherein the interface includes a processor and a memory associated with the processor and the interface;

wherein the interface copies predetermined information from the host system database into the memory portion of the interface via the communication network, the interface processor assembles the agent instructions together with the information stored in the local system memory to produce assembled operating instructions, the interface transfers the assembled operating instructions to the local system processor, and the local system processor transfers the assembled operating instructions to the agent for execution by the agent.