Connected services for vehicle diagnostics and repairs

• US 9,767,626 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Makke, Omar, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US14/795,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0076 Switches therefor B60Q1/1446, B60Q1/343, B60Q1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/222 by filling or bleeding of hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/16 operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/0043 Brake maintenance and assembly, tools therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A mobile device may authorize with a paired telematics control unit of a vehicle to ensure the vehicle is in a remote service mode; send a command request to the telematics control unit requesting an operation to be automatically performed by a vehicle electronic control unit in place of manual input by an assistant; and receive diagnostic data from the vehicle electronic control unit via the telematics control unit. The telematics control unit may query electronic control units of the vehicle to identify whether the vehicle is in a mode in which commands from a remote service application of a mobile device can be processed; indicate the mode to the application; and receive the command request requesting a service operation to be automatically performed by one of the electronic control units.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device, external to a vehicle, configured to

authorize with a paired vehicle telematics control unit (TCU) configured to query a plurality of vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) to ensure permission to enter a vehicle remote service mode;

while in the service mode, send to the TCU a command request simulating manual input to in-cabin vehicle controls to request an operation be automatically performed by one of the (ECUs); and

receive diagnostic data from the ECUs via the TCU.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the command request includes one of:

(i) a request to a brake control module of the vehicle to invoke a brake actuator;

(ii) a request to a powertrain control module of the vehicle to adjust an accelerator pedal setting; and

(iii) a request to activate an external vehicle light.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to send an application identifier of a remote service application to the TCU for authorization.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to send diagnostic data received for a predetermined period of time after sending the command request to a remote server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to send diagnostic data to a remote server when authorized with the paired TCU.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

connect to a local wireless network; and

send the diagnostic data over the local wireless network to the remote server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote service mode is set when at least one of:

(i) the vehicle is in park, and (ii) a hood latch of the vehicle is open.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data includes a collection of data provided by a plurality of vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) over a vehicle bus from which the TCU receives information.

9. A system comprising:

a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) of a vehicle; and

a telematics control unit of the vehicle, configured to

query the ECUs to confirm the vehicle is in a remote service mode in which command requests from a remote service application of a mobile device external to the vehicle can be processed;

indicate the mode to the application; and

receive a command request from the application to perform a service operation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the service operation includes one of:

(i) a request to a brake ECU of the vehicle to invoke a brake actuator and (ii) a request to a powertrain ECU of the vehicle to adjust an accelerator pedal setting.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to access a vehicle bus over which the ECUs communicate through a firewall, wherein the firewall is configured to filter out service operation requests when the vehicle is not in the mode in which commands from the remote service application can be processed.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to collect diagnostic data provided by the plurality of the ECUs over a vehicle bus over which the plurality of the electronic control units communicate.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to receive module responses from the electronic control units responsive to the query, the module responses each indicating whether a respective one of the ECUs receiving the query affirms that the vehicle is in the mode in which commands from a remote service application of a mobile device can be processed.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to provide diagnostic data to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the mode in which commands from a remote service application of a mobile device can be processed includes at least one of:

(i) the vehicle being in park, and (ii) a hood of the vehicle being open.

16. A method comprising:

confirming that a remote service application of a mobile device connected to a telematics control unit of a vehicle is authorized to command the vehicle in a remote service mode in which service requests from the mobile device can be processed;

querying electronic control units of the vehicle to confirm the vehicle is in the remote service mode; and

sending diagnostic data to the mobile device when performing the service request.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to identifying that the vehicle is in the remote service mode, indicating the mode to the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising creating the diagnostic data by collecting data provided by a plurality of electronic control units over the vehicle bus.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the service request includes an identification of a diagnostic routine specifying the diagnostic data to be collected from the vehicle electronic control unit.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

confirming that a service request received from the mobile device requesting an operation to be performed by a vehicle electronic control unit is permissible within the mode; and

using a firewall connected between the telematics control unit and a vehicle bus to which the vehicle electronic control unit is connected for filtering out the operation of the service request when the operation is impermissible within the mode.