AUTOMATED, TARGETED DIAGNOSTIC PROBE USING A VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT

• US 20090248235A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Edwards, Ryan M., Hering, Carl J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method for providing diagnostic assistance to a driver of a vehicle when calling a call center following a diagnostic warning being displayed on the vehicle instrument panel. Upon establishing the call, indicator data representative of the warning is automatically sent to the call center where it is used to select one or more diagnostic tests targeted to particular vehicle systems associated with the warning. The test is carried out at the vehicle and the resulting diagnostic data sent back to the call center. The call is then switched to an advisor at the call center and the received diagnostic data is used to aid the advisor in providing the diagnostic assistance to the driver.

Claims

1. A method of supplying data for use in providing diagnostic assistance to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

obtaining indicator data representative of vehicle diagnostic information that is presented via a vehicle instrument panel;

placing an occupant-initiated call to a call center using a telematics unit installed in the vehicle; and

transmitting the indicator data via the call once it is established with the call center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises monitoring bus messages for the indicator data and temporarily storing indicator data retrieved from the bus messages until the data is transmitted via the call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining indicator data representative of an illuminated warning light displayed on the vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining indicator data representative of a textual message displayed on the vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of entering into a data mode at the outset of the call and wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting the indicator data over the call while in the data mode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of switching from the data mode to a voice mode after the indicator data is transmitted to the call center.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein following the transmitting step the method further comprises the steps of receiving a diagnostic command sent by the call center, executing the diagnostic command, sending diagnostic result data back to the call center all while in the data mode, and then switching from the data mode to a voice mode and transmitting user speech from the vehicle while in the voice mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step further comprises encoding the indicator data and sending the encoded data to the call center.

9. A method of processing a call received at a call center to provide diagnostic assistance to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a call from a vehicle telematics unit;

(b) receiving data from the telematics unit via the call;

(c) processing the received data and identifying from it indicator data representative of vehicle diagnostic information that is presented via the vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel;

(d) selecting a diagnostic test for one or more specific vehicle modules based on the indicator data; and

(e) transmitting a command to the vehicle telematics unit that initiates the diagnostic test on the specific vehicle module(s).

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of (f) receiving back diagnostic result data back from the telematics unit and then switching from a data mode to a voice mode and transferring the call to an advisor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of (g) providing the advisor with diagnostic information based on the received diagnostic result data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of sending the selected diagnostic test to the vehicle over the call.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of decoding a bit pattern contained in the received data and obtaining the indicator data from the decoded bit pattern, and wherein step (d) further comprises the step of selecting the vehicle module via a lookup using the indicator data.

14. A method of providing diagnostic assistance to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining indicator data representative of an illuminated warning light displayed on a vehicle instrument panel;

(b) placing an occupant-initiated call to a call center using a telematics unit installed in the vehicle;

(c) entering a data mode with the call center when the call is established between the telematics unit and call center and then carrying out the following steps (c1)-(c6);

(c1) transmitting the indicator data to the call center via the call;

(c2) identifying a diagnostic test for one or more specific vehicle modules using the indicator data; and

(c3) transmitting a command to the vehicle telematics unit that initiates the diagnostic test on the vehicle module(s);

(c4) carrying out the diagnostic test at the vehicle on the vehicle module(s);

(c5) obtaining diagnostic data resulting from the diagnostic test; and

(c6) sending the diagnostic data to the call center;

(d) switching from the data mode to a voice mode with the call center and carrying out the following steps (d1)-(d2);

(d1) transferring the call to an advisor at the call center; and

(d2) providing diagnostic assistance to the vehicle occupant using the diagnostic data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of monitoring signals sent to the vehicle instrument panel and obtaining the indicator data from the monitored signals.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the advisor is a live advisor and wherein step (d2) further comprises displaying diagnostic assistance information on a computer being used by the advisor.