System and method for provisioning a vehicle interface module

• US 7,970,496 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spireon Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inilex Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yandrofski, Robert, Koepf, Gerhard, Perry, Roy G., Cooper, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/852,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 702182-185
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/25 Testing of logic operation, e.g. by logic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/273 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits G06F11/263 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for provisioning a vehicle interface module comprising receiving a VIM from a VIM manufacturer and entering appropriate VIM data into a dealer inventory, activating a SIM card for the VIM and installing the VIM in a predetermined vehicle, selecting a wireless activated VIM from the dealer inventory and connecting the VIM to an OBD-II port of the vehicle, connecting a configuration PC to the VIM and downloading a modem configuration, selecting and downloading a vehicle-specific configuration file, accessing a telematics services provider'"'"'s web portal, entering appropriate vehicle data, and associating the vehicle with the VIM, installing the VIM in the predetermined vehicle, and conducting an installation verification test.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning a VIM, comprising:

manufacturing the VIM;

activating a wireless communication of the VIM;

configuring the VIM;

performing a functional test to verify VIM performance;

changing a default on-board application from test to operational;

deactivating the wireless communication; and

shipping the VIM to a predetermined dealership.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the wireless communication comprises installing a test SIM card.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein installing the test SIM card comprises inserting the test SIM card in an associated SIM card holder in the VIM.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the wireless communication comprises replacing a test SIM card with an inactive VIM specific SIM card.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein replacing the test SIM card with the inactive VIM specific SIM card comprises replacing a SIM configuration data in a VIM off-board test application and reloading a modem configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the VIM is configured for a default vehicle such that the VIM requires customization for a specific vehicle make and model.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the VIM comprises connecting the VIM to provide access to multiple software applications.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the software applications comprise a VIM off-board application, a VIM on-board application, a VIM default configuration file, and a VIM on-board operational application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the VIM further comprises opening the VIM off-board application and downloading the VIM on-board application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein configuring the VIM further comprises activating the VIM on-board application using the VIM off-board application, entering a SIM configuration data in the VIM off-board application, downloading a wireless modem configuration and downloading the VIM default vehicle configuration file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the default on-board application from test to operational comprises up-loading and activating a VIM on-board operational application using a VIM off-board application.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a VIM file to a vehicle telematics services provider upon shipping the VIM to a predetermined dealership, wherein the VIM file includes all VIM-relevant data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the wireless communication comprises installing a pre-activated SIM card.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the wireless communication comprises de-activating the SIM card.

15. A method for provisioning a VIM, comprising

receiving a VIM and entering appropriate VIM data into a dealer inventory;

activating a SIM card for the VIM and installing the VIM in a predetermined vehicle;

selecting a wireless activated VIM from the dealer inventory and connecting the VIM to a vehicle electrical system; and

connecting the vehicle electrical system to the VIM and downloading a configuration file.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing a telematics services provider'"'"'s web portal, entering appropriate vehicle data, and associating the vehicle with the VIM;

installing the VIM in the predetermined vehicle; and

conducting an installation verification test.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising logging into the telematics service provider'"'"'s web portal and entering a VIM-vehicle association into the telematics service provider'"'"'s database.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein conducting an installation verification test comprises turning an ignition of the vehicle on and off and observing a registration record on the telematics services provider'"'"'s web portal.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising releasing the vehicle for sale upon successfully conducting the installation verification test.

20. A method for provisioning a VIM, comprising:

receiving VIM information from a VIM manufacturer, the VIM information including all VIM-relevant data;

entering the VIM-relevant data in a telematics database using the VIM information; and

associating the VIM with a dealer receiving the VIM.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is performed by a telematics service provider.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein entering the VIM-relevant data in a telematics database comprises setting up a future association of the VIM with a vehicle and a customer of the telematics service provider.