Method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system

• US 8,428,814 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opus Inspection, Inc. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Systech International LLC (Opus Group AB)
• Inventors: Tripathi, Pradeep R., Geilen, Lothar
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/890,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/29, 701/30, 701/35, 713/200, 702/182, 340/438, 340/439, 340/450, 340/425.5, 731/16, 731/172
• US Class Current: 701/33
• 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: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system includes providing a vehicle unit having an adapter that is configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system. The vehicle unit further includes a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory. The adapter is connected with the vehicle diagnostic port and receives vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters. The vehicle data is stored in the memory. A communication network is provided for two-way wireless communication with the vehicle unit. The communication network is made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. The vehicle wireless communication transceiver is activated with one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers when the vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A host computer system with access to the communication network receives vehicle data from the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A database accessed by the host computer system collects environmental regulatory compliance data. Environmental authority is provided access to the database to verify regulatory compliance.

Claims

1. A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system including a diagnostic port, said method comprising:

providing a vehicle unit comprising an adapter that is configured to connect with the vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system, said vehicle unit further comprising a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory;

connecting said adapter with the vehicle diagnostic port and receiving vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters with said adapter;

storing in said memory the vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters received from the vehicle diagnostic system;

providing a communication network for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle unit, said communication network made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

activating said vehicle wireless communication transceiver with one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to the vehicle bringing said vehicle wireless communication transceiver within a vicinity of that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

providing a host computer system with access to said communication network and receiving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said host computer system;

providing a database accessed by said host computer system;

collecting environmental regulatory compliance data with said database from vehicle data received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers; and

providing access by environmental authority to said database to verify regulatory compliance; and

checking to ensure that said adapter is on the same vehicle when the vehicle is powered on by comparing current vehicle data with stored vehicle data.

2. The method of claim 1 including providing a network connection at said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with a wide area network;

and

retrieving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said wide area network and providing access to the retrieved vehicle data with said host computer system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said network connection comprises at least one chosen from a high speed installed connection, a wireless connection and a satellite connection.

4. The method of claim 1 including comparing current vehicle data with historical vehicle data to determine if the vehicle is operating outside of normal operation.

5. The method of claim 1 including providing access by a vehicle owner to said database for vehicle performance monitoring.

6. The method of claim 1 including providing a unique vehicle identification code and transmitting said identification code with the vehicle data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said vehicle data includes auxiliary data in addition to the exhaust emission.

8. The method of claim 1 including programming said vehicle unit through said vehicle transceiver with code received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

9. The method of claim 1 including tracking the geographic location of said vehicle unit with said communication network.

10. The method of claim 1 including providing cameras with said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers and capturing images with said cameras of vehicles communicating exhaust emission data and identifying the vehicles from the captured images.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle wireless communication transceiver communicates vehicle data to one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers without communication charges between said vehicle unit and that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

12. The method of claim 1 including uniquely identifying the vehicle making the transmission.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said activating comprises each said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver repetitively sending a wireless signal and said vehicle unit communicating the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to receipt of the wireless signal from that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

14. A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system including a diagnostic port, said method comprising:

providing a vehicle unit comprising an adapter that is configured to connect with the vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system, said vehicle unit further comprising a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory;

connecting said adapter with the vehicle diagnostic port and receiving vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters with said adapter;

storing in said memory the vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters received from the vehicle diagnostic system;

providing a communication network for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle unit, said communication network made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

activating said vehicle wireless communication transceiver with one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to the vehicle bringing said vehicle wireless communication transceiver within a vicinity of that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

providing a host computer system with access to said communication network and receiving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said host computer system;

providing a database accessed by said host computer system;

collecting environmental regulatory compliance data with said database from vehicle data received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers; and

providing access by environmental authority to said database to verify regulatory compliance;

wherein said activating comprises each said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver repetitively sending a wireless signal and said vehicle unit communicating the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to receipt of the wireless signal from that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

wherein said activating is in response to said vehicle wireless communication transceiver being in a vicinity of approximately 250 meters from that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers attempts to receive stored vehicle data after sending the wireless signal.

16. A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system including a diagnostic port, said method comprising:

providing a vehicle unit comprising an adapter that is configured to connect with the vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system, said vehicle unit further comprising a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory;

connecting said adapter with the vehicle diagnostic port and receiving vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters with said adapter;

storing in said memory the vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters received from the vehicle diagnostic system;

checking to ensure that said adapter is connected with the same vehicle;

providing a communication network for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle unit, said communication network made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

activating said vehicle wireless communication transceiver with one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to the vehicle bringing said vehicle wireless communication transceiver within a vicinity of that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers;

providing a host computer system with access to said communication network and receiving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said host computer system;

providing a database accessed by said host computer system;

collecting environmental regulatory compliance data with said database from vehicle data received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers; and

providing access by environmental authority to said database to verify regulatory compliance.

17. The method of claim 16 including providing a network connection at said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with a wide area network;

and

retrieving vehicle data from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers with said wide area network and providing access to the retrieved vehicle data with said host computer system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said network connection comprises at least one chosen from a high speed installed connection, a wireless connection and a satellite connection.

19. The method of claim 16 including providing a unique vehicle identification code and transmitting said identification code with the vehicle data.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said vehicle data includes auxiliary data in addition to the exhaust emission.

21. The method of claim 16 including programming said vehicle unit through said vehicle transceiver with code received from said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

22. The method of claim 16 including tracking the geographic location of said vehicle unit with said communication network.

23. The method of claim 16 including providing cameras with said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers and capturing images with said cameras of vehicles communicating exhaust emission data.

24. The method of claim 16 including checking to ensure that said adapter is on the same vehicle when the vehicle is powered on by comparing current vehicle data with stored vehicle data.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein said vehicle wireless communication transceiver communicates vehicle data to one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers without recurring communication charges between said vehicle unit and that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

26. The method of claim 16 including performing said checking when the vehicle is powered on.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein said activating comprises each said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver repetitively sending a wireless signal and said vehicle unit communicating the stored vehicle data to that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers in response to receipt of the wireless signal from that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said activating is in response to said vehicle wireless communication transceiver being in a vicinity of approximately 250 meters from that one of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein each of said geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers attempts to receive stored vehicle data after sending the wireless signal.