Calibrating electronic modules of a vehicle using a configuration application

• US 9,495,812 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Schroeder, Jamison C., Szmatula, Alex, Rush, Scott A., Sychta, Brian V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/643,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system is provided for calibration of vehicle electronic modules. The system includes: a vehicle and a computing device separate from the vehicle. The vehicle includes: a vehicle communications interface, configured to facilitate communications with a computing device without utilizing an Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (ALDL) or on-board diagnostic (OBD) port; and a plurality of electronic modules, the plurality of electronic modules being configurable via calibration data received via the vehicle communications interface. The computing device includes: a computing device communications interface, configured to facilitate communications with the plurality of electronic modules of the vehicle via the vehicle communications interface; a human machine interface (HMI), configured to receive input from a user and to display information; and a processor, configured to execute a calibration application, the calibration application being configured to utilize the HMI of the computing device to receive input from the user, and further being configured to generate calibration data corresponding to the user input for transmission to respective vehicle electronic modules.

Claims

1. A system for calibration of vehicle electronic modules, the system comprising:

a vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle communications interface, configured to facilitate communication of calibration data with a computing device without utilizing an Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (ALDL) or on-board diagnostic (OBD) port; and

a plurality of electronic modules, the plurality of electronic modules being configurable via the calibration data received via the vehicle communications interface; and

the computing device, separate from the vehicle, comprising;

a computing device communications interface, configured to facilitate communication of the calibration data with the plurality of electronic modules of the vehicle via the vehicle communications interface;

a human machine interface (HMI), configured to receive input from a user and to display information; and

a processor, configured to execute a calibration application, the calibration application being configured to utilize the HMI of the computing device to receive input from the user, and further being configured to generate the calibration data for transmission to respective vehicle electronic modules;

wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a vehicle HMI module, the vehicle HMI module being configured to control an in-vehicle touchscreen display;

wherein the calibration data includes data for configuring the vehicle HMI module with respect to displaying icons on the in-vehicle touchscreen display; and

wherein, based on the execution of the calibration application by the processor of the computing device and transmission of the data for configuring the vehicle HMI module to the vehicle HMI module, the computing device is configured to modify the configuration of the HMI module so as to modify the manner in which icons are displayed on the in-vehicle touchscreen display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle communications interface is part of a telematics unit of the vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is a smartphone or tablet.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a host, gateway or master module, and the calibration application communicates with the host, gateway or master module via an application programming interface (API).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the calibration data is communicated to the plurality of electronic modules via a physical messaging protocol.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the communication of the calibration data to the plurality of electronic modules further utilizes a multi-frame transport protocol.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic modules further include a driver door module, a tuner module, a powertrain control module, and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module.

19. The system according to claim 5, wherein the communication of the calibration data to the plurality of electronic, modules further utilizes a multi-frame transport protocol.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic modules further include a driver door module, a tuner module, a powertrain control module, and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module.

8. A system within a vehicle for calibration of electronic modules of a vehicle using a human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle, the system comprising:

an in-vehicle touchscreen display, configured to receive input from a user and to display information; and

a plurality of electronic modules, the plurality of electronic modules being configurable via calibration data received from a calibration application installed at the vehicle; and

a processor, configured to execute the calibration application, the calibration application being configured to utilize the in-vehicle touchscreen display to receive input from the user, and further being configured to generate calibration data corresponding to the user input for transmission to respective vehicle electronic modules without utilizing an Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (ALDL) or on-board diagnostic (OBD) port;

wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a vehicle HMI module, the vehicle HMI module being configured to control an in-vehicle touchscreen display;

wherein the calibration data includes data for configuring the vehicle HMI module with respect to displaying icons on the in-vehicle touchscreen display; and

wherein, based on the execution of the calibration application, the processor is configured to modify the configuration of the HMI module so as to modify the manner in which icons are displayed on the in-vehicle touchscreen display.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is part of a telematics unit of the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is configured such that the calibration data is communicated to the plurality of electronic modules via a physical messaging protocol.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication of the calibration data to the plurality of electronic modules further utilizes a multi-frame transport protocol.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a host, gateway or master module, and the calibration application communicates with the host, gateway or master module via an application programming interface (API).

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of electronic modules further include a driver door module, a tuner module, a powertrain control module, and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module.

14. A system for calibration of vehicle electronic modules, the system comprising:

a vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle communications interface, configured to facilitate communication of calibration data with a computing device without utilizing an Assembly Line Diagnostic Link (ALDL) or on-board diagnostic (OBD) port;

a plurality of electronic modules, the plurality of electronic modules being configurable via the calibration data received via the vehicle communications interface; and

a first processor, configured to execute a first calibration application, the first calibration application being configured to interact with a second calibration application for generation and transmission of the calibration data to respective vehicle electronic modules;

the computing device, separate from the vehicle, comprising;

a computing device communications interface, configured to facilitate communication of calibration data with the plurality of electronic modules of the vehicle via the vehicle communications interface;

a human machine interface (HMI), configured to receive input from a user and to display information; and

a second processor, configured to execute the second calibration application, the second calibration application being configured to utilize the HMI of the computing device to receive input from the user, and further being configured to interact with the first calibration application for generation and transmission of the calibration data to respective vehicle electronic modules;

wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a vehicle HMI module, the vehicle HMI module being configured to control an in-vehicle touchscreen display;

wherein the calibration data includes data for configuring the vehicle HMI module with respect to displaying icons on the in-vehicle touchscreen display; and

wherein, based on the execution of the first and second calibration applications, the first and second processors are configured to modify the configuration of the module so as to modify the manner in which icons are displayed on the in-vehicle touchscreen display.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle communications interface is part of a telematics unit of the vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the computing device is a smartphone or tablet.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of electronic modules includes a host, gateway or master module, and the calibration application communicates with the host, gateway or master module via an application programming interface (API).

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system is configured such that the calibration data is communicated to the plurality of electronic modules via a physical messaging protocol.