Communication profile selection for vehicle telematics device

• US 9,451,028 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zubie, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zubie, Inc.
• Inventors: Rude, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US14/454,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a method of selecting a communication profile for a vehicle telematics device to communicate over a vehicle electronics bus. The method includes receiving, at a server or a local computer, information identifying a vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected. An indication of a communication profile to be loaded on the vehicle telematics device, or the communication profile itself, is sent from the server or local computer to the vehicle telematics device, wherein the communication profile includes communication related settings for the vehicle telematics device, the communication related settings corresponding to the vehicle electronics bus of the vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected. The communication profile is then loaded on the vehicle telematics device, wherein the vehicle telematics device is field configurable to use one of multiple communication profiles.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a communication profile for a vehicle telematics device to communicate over a vehicle electronics bus, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server or a local computer, information identifying a vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected;

sending from the server or local computer to the vehicle telematics device an indication of a communication profile to be loaded on the vehicle telematics device, or the communication profile, wherein the communication profile includes communication related settings for the vehicle telematics device, the communication related settings corresponding to the vehicle electronics bus of the vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected; and

loading the communication profile on the vehicle telematics device, wherein the vehicle telematics device is field configurable to use one of multiple communication profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

obtaining, by the vehicle telematics device over the vehicle electronics bus, the information identifying the vehicle; and

sending the information identifying the vehicle from the vehicle telematics device to the server or local computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information identifying the vehicle is a vehicle identification number (VIN).

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving from a user, by the local computer or at web portal, the information identifying the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication profile includes one of a standard communication protocol or a proprietary communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication profile includes proprietary messages for use with one of the standard communication protocol or the proprietary communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication profile includes a communication protocol corresponding to the vehicle electronics bus that includes definitions of particular signaling to use.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication profile includes definitions of which pins on the vehicle telematics device to communicate given signaling over.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the indication of the communication profile, or the communication profile, comprises sending from a remote server via a cellular tower to the vehicle telematics device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle telematics device is configured to be coupled to the local computer via a physical communication medium and to receive the indication of the communication profile, or the communication profile, and operating power over the physical communication medium.

11. A system for selecting a communication profile for a vehicle telematics device, the system comprising:

a vehicle telematics device configured to connect to a connector for a vehicle communication interface and to obtain information from a vehicle over the vehicle communication interface, wherein the vehicle telematics device is configurable to use one of multiple communication profiles; and

a server or local computer configured to;

receive information identifying the vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected;

send to the vehicle telematics device an indication of a communication profile to be loaded on the vehicle telematics device, or the communication profile, wherein the communication profile includes communication related settings for the vehicle telematics device, the communication related settings corresponding to a vehicle electronics bus of the vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected;

wherein the communication profile from the server or local computer is one of the multiple communication profiles, and wherein the vehicle telematics device is configured to load the communication profile for communication over the vehicle electronics bus.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle telematics device is configured to:

obtain the information identifying the vehicle over the vehicle electronics bus; and

send the information identifying the vehicle from the vehicle telematics device to the server or local computer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information identifying the vehicle is a vehicle identification number (VIN).

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication profile includes one of a standard communication protocol or a proprietary communication protocol.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication profile includes proprietary messages for use with one of the standard communication protocol or the proprietary communication protocol.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication profile includes a communication protocol corresponding to the vehicle electronics bus that includes definitions of particular signaling to use.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication profile includes definitions of which pins on the vehicle telematics device to communicate given signaling over.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle telematics device is configured to be coupled to the local computer via a physical communication medium and to receive the indication of the communication profile, or the communication profile, and operating power over the physical communication medium.

19. A vehicle telematics device comprising:

a vehicle interface connector configured to connect to a mating vehicle interface connector on a vehicle;

one or more processing devices;

one or more data storage mediums coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage mediums including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to;

obtain information identifying the vehicle to which the vehicle interface connector is connected over a vehicle electronics bus to which the vehicle interface connector is coupled;

send the information identifying the vehicle to a server;

receive from the server an indication of a communication profile or the communication profile, wherein the communication profile includes communication related settings for the vehicle telematics device, the communication related settings corresponding to the vehicle electronics bus of the vehicle to which the vehicle telematics device is to be connected;

load the communication profile, wherein the vehicle telematics device is field configurable to use one of multiple communication profiles; and

communicate over the vehicle electronics bus using the communication profile.

20. The vehicle telematics device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processing devices to:

monitor information regarding the vehicle over the vehicle electronics bus.