Remote diagnostic system and method

• US 10,706,645 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OPUS IVS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Drew Technologies Incorporated (Opus Group AB)
• Inventors: Herron, Brian J., Fournier, Thomas J., Drew, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/446,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 vehicle diagnostic system and method of performing vehicle diagnostics includes a local system that is adapted to connect with a vehicle and a remote system that is adapted to connect with the local system via an Internet. The local system has a vehicle interface and a local computer system operatively connected with the vehicle interface. The local computer system operates a diagnostic program specific to the vehicle under test. The remote system has a remote diagnostic control program. The remote diagnostic control program interfaces with the local computer system for performing a diagnostic evaluation of a vehicle under test. The remote system controls the local system to perform the diagnostic evaluation of the vehicle under test exclusive of the local system operator.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic system, comprising:

a local system adapted to connect with a vehicle, said local system having a vehicle interface and a local computer system operatively connected with said vehicle interface, said local computer system including and operating a diagnostic program specific to the vehicle under test and an Internet interface; and

a remote system adapted to connect with said local system via an Internet, said remote system having a remote diagnostic control program, said remote diagnostic control program interfacing with said local computer system for performing a diagnostic evaluation of a vehicle under test by operation of said diagnostic program;

wherein said remote system controls the local system to perform the diagnostic evaluation of the vehicle under test via said diagnostic program and exclusive of a local operator of said local system, and wherein the local operator of said local system has no control over said diagnostic program.

2. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said vehicle interface has a unique identification and wherein said local computer system is associated with a particular vehicle interface according to the identification of that vehicle interface.

3. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said local computer system is a portable computer that is owned by an owner of said remote system.

4. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said remote system is configured to selectively enable and disable said local computer system.

5. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the owner of said remote system provides all maintenance on said local computer and said vehicle interface.

6. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said portable computer has a built-in Internet connection.

7. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said local computer system has a display and wherein said remote diagnostic control program does not allow the local operator of said local system to view progress of a diagnostic evaluation being performed with said local system.

8. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said local computer system has a display and wherein said remote diagnostic control program allows the local operator to view progress of a diagnostic evaluation being performed with said local system.

9. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said remote diagnostic system pushes updates to said local computer system.

10. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diagnostic program is adapted to perform at least one chosen from (i) a check of the status of all electronic modules of the vehicle and (ii) an emissions certification test of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle diagnostic system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said remote system is configured to receive data from said diagnostic evaluation by said local system, and wherein said remote system includes a database of indicators for common vehicle failure modes for a plurality of types of vehicles, and wherein said remote system is configured to perform an analysis of said data via said database for diagnosing failure conditions in a particular type of vehicle to provide failure statistics to vehicle manufacturers and regulators.

12. A method of performing vehicle diagnostics, comprising:

connecting a local system with a vehicle using a local system operator, said local system having a vehicle interface and a local computer system operatively connected with said vehicle interface, said local computer system including a diagnostic program specific to the vehicle under test and having an Internet interface; and

connecting a remote system with said local system via an Internet, said remote system having a remote diagnostic control program, said remote diagnostic control program interfacing with said local computer system;

performing a diagnostic evaluation of the vehicle under test with said diagnostic program by operating said remote system to control said local system;

wherein a remote operator operating said remote system controls said local system to perform the diagnostic evaluation of the vehicle under test exclusive of a local operator of said local system, and wherein the local operator of said local system has no control over said diagnostic program.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said vehicle interface has a unique identification and wherein said local computer system is associated with a particular vehicle interface according to the identification of that vehicle interface.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said local computer system is a portable computer that is owned by an owner of said remote system and wherein the owner of said remote system supplies said local computer system to the local system operator of said local system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein further comprising selectively enabling and disabling said local computer system with said remote system.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the owner of said remote system provides all maintenance on said local computer and said vehicle interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said portable computer has a built-in Internet connection.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said local computer system has a display and wherein said remote diagnostic control program does not allow the local operator to view progress of the diagnostic evaluation being performed with said local system.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the local computer system has a display and wherein said remote diagnostic control program allows the local operator to view progress of the diagnostic evaluation being performed with said local system.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said remote diagnostic system pushes updates to said local computer system.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said diagnostic program is adapted to perform at least one chosen from (i) a check of the status of all electronic modules of the vehicle and (ii) an emissions certification test of the vehicle.

22. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said remote system includes a database of indicators for common vehicle failure modes for a plurality of types of vehicles, and wherein said method further comprises receiving data from said diagnostic evaluation by said local system and performing an analysis of said data via said database for diagnosing failure conditions in a particular type of vehicle, and providing failure statistics to vehicle manufacturers and regulators.