Wireless vehicle servicing

• US 8,498,771 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dwan, Patrick Joseph, Dorony, Kenneth, Shelcusky, Darren Peter, Ubik, Henry Thomas, DeBorde, Timothy Brian, Swaminathan, Radhakrishnan
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US12/773,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701/29.6, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.2, 701/32.4, 33/291, 33/296, 33/314, 33/315, 33/322, 33/324
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Various embodiments include methods, systems, and computer-program products for wireless vehicle servicing. Instructions for performing a vehicle servicing operation may be received at a servicing terminal. Further, vehicle servicing operation data based on the instructions and data communication rules for communicating data to a vehicle computing system may be received. Servicing request data stored in computer-readable media may be generated and may include the vehicle servicing operation data and the one or more data communication rules. The servicing request data may be transmitted to the vehicle computing system and servicing return data may be received. Servicing status information may be presented on the servicing terminal based on the servicing return data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for remote vehicle servicing, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving on a servicing terminal instructions for performing a vehicle servicing operation;

receiving vehicle servicing operation data based on the instructions;

receiving one or more data communication rules for communicating data to a vehicle computing system;

generating servicing request data stored in computer-readable media, the servicing request data including the vehicle servicing operation data and the one or more data communication rules;

transmitting to the vehicle computing system the servicing request data;

receiving from the vehicle computing system servicing return data; and

presenting servicing status information on the servicing terminal based on the servicing return data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data communication rules include rules relating to transporting the servicing request data over a wireless communication channel compatible with the vehicle computing system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the communication channel is one or more of BLUETOOTH, cellular, or an 802.11 communication.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving over the data communication channel the servicing request data at the vehicle computing system, the vehicle computing system being in communication with one or more vehicle modules over a vehicle network;

determining a service to perform based on the servicing request data;

exchanging data over the vehicle network based on the service;

receiving servicing status data to obtain servicing return data;

and transmitting the servicing return data over the communication channel to the servicing terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the servicing request data further includes an authorization key for validating that the vehicle servicing operation is authorized.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein validation of the authorization key is performed onboard of the vehicle computing system or offboard of the vehicle computing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable media is RAM.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable media is a buffer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the servicing status information includes presenting the servicing status information audibly, textually, visually, or using a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle servicing operation data includes rules for conforming to a servicing standard for vehicle servicing.

11. The method of claim of claim 10 wherein the servicing standard is a SAE J2534 standard.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle servicing operation includes at least one of vehicle diagnostics, vehicle module software/firmware update, and vehicle key reprogramming.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving input from a user defining at least one of the vehicle servicing operations to be performed.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the servicing return data on the servicing terminal to obtain the servicing status information.

15. A computer program product for remote vehicle servicing, the computer program product being embodied in a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions for:

receiving on a servicing terminal input for performing a vehicle servicing operation;

receiving vehicle servicing operation data;

receiving one or more data communication rules for communicating data to a vehicle computing system;

in response to the input, transmitting to the vehicle computing system the vehicle servicing operation data based on the one or more data communication rules;

receiving from the vehicle computing system servicing return data; and

presenting servicing status information on the servicing terminal based on the servicing return data.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions for establishing communication with a vehicle information server having a vehicle information database, the vehicle information database including servicing operation data, wherein the instructions for receiving the vehicle servicing operation data include instructions for receiving the servicing operation data from the vehicle information database.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the vehicle servicing operation data includes data relating to at least one of vehicle diagnostics, vehicle module software/firmware updates, and vehicle key reprogramming.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the servicing return data includes vehicle diagnostic trouble codes, wherein the computer program product further includes instructions for:

receiving one or more diagnostic data definitions from a vehicle information database for correlating with the diagnostic trouble codes, the diagnostic data definitions being definitions of the diagnostic trouble codes; and

correlating the diagnostic data definitions with the vehicle diagnostic trouble codes for presentation on the service terminal.

19. A system comprising:

a vehicle computing system (VCS) configured to;

retrieve servicing computer communication rules; and

a servicing computer configured to;

receive vehicle servicing data including (VCS) communication rules;

transmit vehicle servicing request data based on the VCS communication rules and the vehicle servicing data;

receive servicing return data based on the VCS communication rules;

obtain servicing status information based on the servicing return data; and

present the servicing status information.