Computer to vehicle wireless link

• US 8,954,006 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alrabady, Ansaf I
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/160,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A wireless data link system between a vehicle having a vehicle controller and a computing device having a computing processor is provided. The wireless data link system includes a vehicle data link (“VDL”) device and a computing data link (“CDL”). The VDL device has a VDL controller, a VDL memory, and a VDL interface circuitry. The VDL interface circuitry provides a connection to the vehicle controller for exchanging data. The VDL memory stores a passcode that provides a secure connection and a VDL recognizable code that is associated with the VDL device. The CDL device has a CDL controller, a CDL memory, and CDL interface circuitry. The CDL interface circuitry provides a connection to the computing processor for exchanging data.

Claims

1. A wireless data link system between a vehicle having a vehicle controller and a computing device having a computing processor, comprising:

a vehicle data link (“

VDL”

) device having a VDL controller, a VDL memory, and a VDL interface circuitry, the VDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the vehicle controller for exchanging data, the VDL memory storing a passcode that provides a secure connection and a VDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the VDL device; and

a computing data link (“

CDL”

) device having a CDL controller, a CDL memory, and CDL interface circuitry, the CDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the computing processor for exchanging data between the CDL and the computing processor, the CDL removably coupled to the computing processor via the CDL interface circuitry, the CDL memory storing the passcode that provides a secure connection and a CDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the CDL device, the VDL device and the CDL device being pre-paired with one another, the VDL controller and the CDL controller both including control logic operable for implementing;

searching over a short-range wireless network for one of the VDL device and the CDL device;

detecting one of the VDL recognizable code and the CDL recognizable code;

authenticating a short-range wireless connection between the VDL device and the CDL device, the short-range wireless connection being automatically authenticated and secured by the passcode; and

establishing the short-range wireless connection to transfer data between the vehicle controller and the computing processor, the data including navigational data that is acquired by the computing processor, the computing processor being remote from the vehicle, and the navigational data is transferred to the vehicle controller over the short-range wireless connection.

2. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless connection is based on one of the IEEE 802.15 standard and the IEEE 802.11 standard.

3. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the computing processor is part of one of a personal computer, a tablet computer, service center diagnostic tool and a handheld computing device, and wherein a user of the vehicle and the computing device has ownership interest in the vehicle.

4. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL interface circuitry and the VDL interface circuitry each comprise universal serial bus (“

USB”

) interface circuitry.

5. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL device is a remote key FOB.

6. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL device includes an application that generates graphics that are configured to be displayed on a screen of the computing device.

7. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL device includes an application that is installed from the CDL device on to the computing device through a setup wizard, wherein the setup wizard appears as a graphic on a screen of the computing device.

8. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL device and the VDL device are each portable data linking devices, and the VDL device is integrated in the vehicle.

9. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the CDL device includes a driver that converts general input and output instructions of an operating system that is run by the computing processor into messages that the CDL controller interprets and processes.

10. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the computing processor is part of a service center diagnostic tool and information stored in the vehicle controller is transferred to the computing processor over the short-range wireless connection.

17. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the computing processor is part of a personal computer and the data includes audio files transferred from the computing processor to the vehicle controller over the short-range wireless connection for play on an audio system of the vehicle.

18. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the VDL device is a portal device and is removably connected to the vehicle controller by a bus provided by the VDL interface circuitry.

19. The wireless data link system of claim 1, wherein the navigational data includes a driving route.

11. A wireless data link system between a vehicle having a vehicle controller and a computing device having a computing processor, comprising:

a portable VDL device having a VDL controller, a VDL memory, and a VDL interface circuitry, the VDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the vehicle controller for exchanging data, the VDL memory storing a randomly generated passcode that provides a secure connection and a VDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the portable VDL device; and

a portable CDL device comprising a key fob, the portable CDL device having a CDL controller, a CDL memory, and CDL interface circuitry, the CDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the computing processor for exchanging data between the portable CDL device and the computing processor, the portable CDL device removably coupled to the computing processor via the CDL interface circuitry, the CDL memory storing the passcode that provides a secure connection and a CDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the portable CDL device, the portable VDL device and the portable CDL device being pre-paired with one another,

the VDL controller and the CDL controller both including control logic operable for implementing;

searching over a short-range wireless network for one of the portable VDL device and the portable CDL device;

detecting one of the VDL recognizable code and the CDL recognizable code;

authenticating a short-range wireless connection between the portable VDL device and the portable CDL device, the short-range wireless connection being automatically authenticated and secured by the passcode; and

establishing the short-range wireless connection to transfer data between the vehicle controller and the computing processor, the data including navigational data that is acquired by the computing processor, the computing processor being remote from the vehicle, and the navigational data is transferred to the vehicle controller over the short-range wireless connection.

12. The wireless data link system of claim 11, wherein the short-range wireless connection is based on one of the IEEE 802.15 standard and the IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. The wireless data link system of claim 11, wherein the CDL interface circuitry and the VDL interface circuitry each comprise universal serial bus (“

USB”

) interface circuitry.

14. The wireless data link system of claim 11, wherein the 1 portable CDL device includes an application that generates graphics that are configured to be displayed on a screen of the computing device.

15. The wireless data link system of claim 11, wherein the 1 portable CDL device includes an application that is installed from the portable CDL device on to the computing device through a setup wizard, wherein the setup wizard appears as a graphic on a screen of the computing device.

16. A wireless data link system between a vehicle having a vehicle controller and a computing device having a computing processor, comprising:

a portable VDL device having a VDL controller, a VDL memory, and a VDL interface circuitry, the VDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the vehicle controller for exchanging data, the VDL memory storing a randomly generated passcode that provides a secure connection and a VDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the portable VDL device; and

a portable CDL device having a CDL controller, a CDL memory, and CDL interface circuitry, the CDL interface circuitry providing a connection to the computing processor for exchanging data between the portable CDL device and the computing processor, the portable CDL device removably coupled to the computing processor via the CDL interface circuitry, the CDL memory storing the passcode that provides a secure connection and a CDL recognizable code that comprises a device address of the portable CDL device, the VDL device and the CDL device being pre-paired with one another,

the VDL controller and the CDL controller both including control logic operable for implementing;

searching over a short-range wireless network for one of the portable VDL device and the portable CDL device;

detecting one of the VDL recognizable code and the CDL recognizable code;

authenticating a short-range wireless connection between the portable VDL device and the portable CDL device, the short-range wireless connection being automatically authenticated and secured by the passcode, the short-range wireless connection is based on the IEEE 802.15 standard; and

establishing the short-range wireless connection to transfer data between the vehicle controller and the computing processor, the data including navigational data that is acquired by the computing processor, the computing processor being remote from the vehicle, and the navigational data is transferred to the vehicle controller over the short-range wireless connection.