Wireless link for car diagnostics

• US 20030231118A1
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitson, Fredrick L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,956,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

An improved monitoring system for use with motor vehicles having a plurality of sensors for measuring the performance of the vehicle and a memory for storing information specifying data derived from the sensors. The invention includes a wireless communication link for transmitting the information to a terminal that is proximate to the vehicle. The terminal communicates information processed by the terminal to the operator of the vehicle. The present invention can be implemented by installing a connector into the standard scanner port on the vehicle. The connector includes a wireless link that emulates a connection to a conventional vehicle scanner by generating control signals on the appropriate conductors on the scanner port.

Claims

1. In a monitoring system included in a motor vehicle having a plurality of sensors for measuring the performance of said vehicle and a memory for storing information specifying data derived from said sensors, the improvement comprising:

a wireless communication link for transmitting said information to a terminal; and

a receiver for receiving a signal that causes said wireless communication link to transmit said information to said terminal.

2. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said terminal is proximate to said vehicle.

3. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises a display screen that is viewable from a location proximate to said vehicle.

4. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises an audio signal generator for generating an acoustical message that can be heard at a location proximate to said vehicle.

5. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication link comprises a wireless Ethernet network link and wherein said terminal comprises a processor connected to said network.

6. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication link transmits information to an intermediate processing station via a communication channel.

7. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 6 wherein said communication channel comprises a satellite communication link.

8. A wireless communication link comprising:

a connector that mates to a vehicle connector for connecting a diagnostic station to said vehicle, said connector having a plurality of readout conductors, said vehicle providing diagnostic information on at least one of said readout conductors in response to a control signal on a control conductor contained in said vehicle connector; and

a wireless link comprising a transmitter for transmitting signals present on said conductors and a receiver for generating said control signal in response to a wireless control signal received by said receiver.

9. The wireless communication link of claim 8 wherein said wireless link comprises an RF transmitter and receiver.

10. The wireless communication link of claim 8 wherein said wireless link comprises an optical transmitter and receiver.

11. The wireless communication link of claim 8 wherein said wireless link comprises an acoustical transmitter and receiver.

12. A method for monitoring a motor vehicle comprising

providing a wireless communication link for transmitting information related to the performance of said vehicle to a terminal that is remote from said vehicle, said wireless communication link comprising a receiver for receiving a transmission signal;

monitoring said receiver for said transmission signal; and

transmitting said information on said wireless communication link in response to receiving said transmission signal.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said terminal is proximate to said vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying said transmitted information on a display screen that is viewable from a location proximate to said vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating an acoustical message that can be heard at a location proximate to said vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said wireless communication link comprises a wireless Ethernet network link and wherein said terminal comprises a processor connected to said network.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting information to an intermediate processing station via a communication channel.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said communication channel comprises a satellite communication link.