System and method for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle

• US 8,336,042 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Touati, Monique, Ferrand, Aurelien
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Abby
• Application Number:
  US12/532,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/24, 701/29.1, 701/29.3, 701/29.6, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.3, 701/32.5, 701/32.6, 701/33.2, 701/33.3, 701/33.4, 701/34.2, 701/115, 701/430, 709/22, 709/201, 709/204, 709/208, 709/248, 340 11- 161, 370/503, 726/3, 717/168, 717/171, 717/176, 715733-759, 712/31, 710/110, 707/770
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle, including: a first data communication unit permanently disposed on-board the vehicle; a second data communication unit disposed at a distance from the vehicle; and at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and destined for the vehicle, the device communicating data with the first and second communication units, interfacing with a user of the vehicle and including a data storage. The second communication unit can be a computer terminal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet and/or an intranet, providing access to an interactive computer application, such as to transmit data originating from the vehicle and to receive the data destined for the data transmission, reception and storage devices and the vehicle. The storage devices can synchronize non-custom data that have become obsolete.

Claims

1. A system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle;

a second data communication unit at a distance from said vehicle; and

at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and going to said vehicle, the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data being separate and distinct devices from the vehicle, and including;

a data communication module configured to communicate with the first data communication unit and with the second data communication unit,

an interface for communicating with a user of said vehicle, and

a memory for storing the data,

the second data communication unit being a computer terminal connected to a computer network, the Internet, and/or an Intranet, providing access to an interactive computer application, so as to send data originating from the vehicle and to receive said data going to the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data from the vehicle,

wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data are configured to synchronize noncustomized data that have become obsolete, by comparing data contained in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, in the first data communication unit and in the second data communication unit, said synchronization being performed either by the first data communication unit or by the second data communication unit, or directly between the first data communication unit and the second data communication unit by communication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data detects the other of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data in its environment.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an access unit from the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data to the second data communication unit provided by an identified and authenticated connection allowing access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer so that a user reads, loads and/or unloads said data from the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data via a service portal.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein connection of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data to the second data communication unit automatically initiates the launching of the interactive computer application hosted in the server and accessible from the second data communication unit and is applied by automatic documentation of at least one identifier, that of the vehicle, and

wherein a password associated with a user has to be entered to authenticate the user'"'"'s right of access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission and reception of the data between the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data and the second data communication unit is performed at a distance from the vehicle automatically without an intentional connection of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, or by a wireless access point or a node of a mesh network.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second data communication unit uses at least two data protection means independent of one another, the first means being a vehicle identifier etched in the memory of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data and the second means being a physical identifier of at least one part of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data etched in the memory of the least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein integrity of the data stored in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data is ensured by prohibition of direct read and write access to the data storage means.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data are an onboard software application in a communicating personal object, forming the second data communication unit, or hosted on an application card designed to be received in a communicating personal object of the cellphone type, said application allowing the communicating personal object control of access to the vehicle and of an immobilizer.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data or the first data communication unit of the vehicle communicate information, with at least one wireless access point and/or at least one node of a mesh network belonging to an infrastructure via wireless computer network technologies, as soon as communication is possible and the node or the access point is detected, the second data communication unit thus gaining access to the information and to a service portal hosted in a server via an Internet connection.

9. The use of a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vehicle fleet management system is supplied with the data originating from said connections of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data to an interactive computer application intended for users or for managers of a vehicle fleet or to any other terminal connected to a fleet management system.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, based on the data supplied by an interactive computer application hosted in a server, updating onboard systems, or latest update versions of the onboard software originating from the manufacturer'"'"'s after-sales network or from the manufacturer itself, or a software program of a computer or of a navigation system.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data include a speaker.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data include a microphone.

13. A method for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle, by at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, comprising:

providing the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and going to said vehicle, the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data being separate and distinct devices from the vehicle;

transmitting and receiving data with the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing to and from a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle,

causing an interactive computer application hosted in a server to be launched automatically by the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, that can be accessed by a second communication unit of said data, that is at a distance from said vehicle and connected to a computer network;

transmitting and receiving said data with said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data data transmission, reception and storage device to and from the second data communication unit, by the interactive computer application;

causing said data to be processed by said interactive computer application; and

storing with said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data the data received from the first and the second data communication unit,

wherein the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data are configured to synchronize noncustomized data that have become obsolete, by comparing data contained in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, in the first data communication unit and in the second data communication unit, said synchronization being performed either by the first data communication unit or by the second data communication unit, or directly between the first data communication unit and the second data communication unit by communication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data detects the other of the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data in its environment.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, to ensure confidentiality of the data concerning the vehicle, said data are encrypted by a service portal or by the first data communication unit before being recorded in said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said data are decrypted by the service portal controlled by the manufacturer or by the first data communication unit when they are transferred to the second data communication unit or to the vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of dynamic data received from the first data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data on each stop and/or start of the vehicle or while the vehicle is traveling, and the data can include mileage traveled by the vehicle, date and time, starting and stopping of the engine, levels, warnings and defects, wear of components, status of openings, customized states and settings of the functions of the vehicle, GPS (Global Position Satellite) position or location of the vehicle in an infrastructure or any other information capable of changing over time and concerning the vehicle or the vehicle'"'"'s environment.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of static data received from the second data communication unit or from a production line tool occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, and the data can include technical, commercial and legal characteristics of the vehicle.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of temporary data received from the second data communication unit is applied in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data, by an interactive computer application, and the data can include settings associated with the vehicle or service contracts taken out for the vehicle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of data received from the first data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data for creating a history thereof, on each appearance, and the data can include history of the warnings and defects associated with the date, time and mileage data.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of data received from the second data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data for the purpose of making a history thereof

21. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data of buffer data received from the first and the second data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting, receiving, and storing data by an interactive computer application, and the data can include video, audio, text, image of itineraries, navigation systems, audio or video systems, updates and corrections of onboard software programs, and practical information.