Mobile router network providing remote emissions testing

• US 8,995,412 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Moeller, Douglas S, Pashby, Ronald W
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US13/373,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/338, 370/346, 370/359, 370/401, 370/419, 370/463, 455/3.01, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/445, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

A network is provided comprising a network management system, a third party server, and a plurality of mobile routers. The network management system comprises at least one server; and a link to a wide area network. Each mobile router is disposed in a corresponding one vehicle of a plurality of vehicles and each mobile router is operable to selectively communicate with the network management system. The network management system is operable to selectively communicate with each mobile router and the third party server. The router comprises an application executable to selectively acquire predetermined data comprising vehicle emission data; and a communication agent operable to upload the predetermined data to the network management system.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a network management system, said network management system comprising;

at least one server; and

a first link to a wide area network;

a plurality of mobile routers, each said mobile router disposed in a corresponding one vehicle or a plurality of vehicles, each mobile router operable to selectively communicate with said network management system;

a third party server;

said network management system operable to selectively communicate with each said mobile router, said network management system operable to selectively communicate with said third party server, said network management system being operable to monitor, administer and manage acquired data from an operation of each router in a network of mobile routers comprising said mobile router;

one of said network management system or said third party server provides a test command to a selected one of said routers to initiate execution of a remote emissions test for the corresponding vehicle;

each said mobile router comprising;

a wireless local area network interface comprising a first wireless transceiver of a first predetermined type to provide a first link to a local area network;

a wireless wide area network interface comprising a second wireless transceiver of a second predetermined type to provide a second link to said wide area network;

at least one processor to control operation of said router;

said mobile router operable to select and utilize one of said first link and said second link to establish a wireless communication link with said network management system;

a vehicle emission application for remote vehicle emission testing executable by said at least one processor to selectively acquire predetermined data comprising vehicle emission data; and

said at least one processor is responsive to said test command to determine when said corresponding vehicle is in a predetermined one state or one or more predetermined states, said one or more predetermined states comprising said vehicle being at idle and motionless;

said at least one processor is operable to execute said test command when said vehicle is in said predetermined state to utilize said predetermined data to determine whether said corresponding vehicle passes or fails a predetermined emissions test and to send a message to said network management system indicating that said corresponding vehicle has passed or failed said predetermined emissions test; and

said at least one processor is operable to upload said predetermined data to said network management system via said selected one of said first link and said second link.

2. A network in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said network management system is operable to download said application to a selected mobile router from said third party server.

3. A network in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

each said vehicle comprises a vehicle network bus; and

each said mobile router comprises an interface to its corresponding vehicle data bus.

4. A network in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined data is acquired from said vehicle network bus.

5. A network in accordance with claim 4, comprising:

said at least one processor collecting said predetermined data from said vehicle network bus.

6. A network in accordance with claim 5, comprising:

said predetermined data comprises predetermined diagnostic data from said vehicle data bus.

7. A network in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to utilize said predetermined diagnostic data to generate emissions test result data.

8. A network in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to upload said emissions test result data to said network management system.

9. A network in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

said network management system is operable to correlate emissions test result data from each of said vehicles with vehicle identification number information for each of said vehicles.

10. A network in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

said network management system is operable to upload said emissions test results and said correlated vehicle identification number to a predetermined third party server.

11. A network in accordance with claim 10, comprising:

said predetermined third party server is associated with a state regulatory agency.

12. A network in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said local area network comprises a mobile device;

said mobile device is usable to purchase said application via said network management system.

13. A network in accordance with claim 12, wherein:

each said mobile router comprises a memory, said application being stored in said memory.

14. A network in accordance with claim 12, comprising:

said network management system is operable to download said application to a selected mobile router from said third party server.

15. A network in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

each said vehicle comprises a vehicle network bus; and

each said mobile router comprises an interface to its corresponding vehicle data bus.

16. A network in accordance with claim 15, wherein:

said predetermined data is acquired from said vehicle network bus.

17. A network in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

said at least one processor collects said predetermined data from said vehicle network bus.

18. A network in accordance with claim 17, comprising:

said predetermined data comprises predetermined diagnostic data from said vehicle data bus.

19. A network in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to utilize said predetermined diagnostic data to generate emissions test result data.

20. A network in accordance with claim 19, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to upload said emissions test result data to said network management system.

21. A network in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

said network management system is operable to correlate emissions test result data from each of said vehicles with vehicle identification number information for each of said vehicles.

22. A network in accordance with claim 21, comprising:

said network management system is operable to upload said emissions test results and said correlated vehicle identification number to a predetermined third party server.

23. A network in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

said third party server is associated with a state regulatory agency.