AUTOMOBILE DATA ABSTRACTION AND COMMUNICATION

• US 20140121891A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenny Insurance Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: CloudCar, Inc.
• Inventors: Barrett, Peter, Othmer, Konstantin, Leak, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US13/664,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Communication of signals between mobile devices and automotive Controller Area Network (CAN) buses. An abstraction and communication device includes a connector, a mapping platform, and a transceiver. The connector is adapted to interface with an automotive CAN bus that communicates data signals in a first automobile-specific format with components of an automobile. The mapping platform is configured to convert a data signal from the first automobile-specific format into a mobile device format defined by an Application Programming Interface (API). Additionally, the transceiver is configured to wirelessly and securely communicate the data signal in the mobile device format to a mobile device.

Claims

1. An abstraction and communication device comprising:

a connector adapted to interface with an automotive Controller Area Network (CAN) bus that communicates data signals in a first automobile-specific format with components of an automobile;

a mapping platform configured to convert a data signal from the first automobile-specific format into a mobile device format defined by an Application Programming Interface (API);

a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate the data signal in the mobile device format to a mobile device.

2. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, further comprising a certification module configured to limit access to the data signal converted to the mobile device format.

3. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the certification module is configured to:

grant a first mobile device with a first authentication level access to events in the mobile device format after conversion by the mapping module; and

grant a second mobile device with a second authentication level access to raw data without conversion by the mapping module.

4. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the API enables the conversion of data signals in a plurality of automobile-specific formats to the mobile device format.

5. The abstraction and communication device of claim 4, wherein the API further enables the conversion of write signals in the mobile device format to the plurality of automobile-specific formats.

6. The abstraction and communication device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of automobile-specific formats is updatable.

7. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the mapping platform is further configured to:

convert a write signal in the mobile device format communicated from the mobile device to the first automobile-specific format, and

communicate the write signal in the automobile-specific format through the automotive CAN bus to affect a condition of a component of the automobile.

8. The abstraction and communication device of claim 7, wherein the write signal communicated from the mobile device originates at an automobile-agnostic mobile device application.

9. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the certification module restricts the transmission of the data signal through authentication of read privileges possessed by the mobile device.

10. The abstraction and communication device of claim 9, wherein the read privileges include a first read privilege that prevents the transmission of the data signal and a second read privilege that allows the transmission of the data signal.

11. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the certification module further restricts communication of write signals through authentication of write privileges possessed by the mobile device.

12. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

13. The abstraction and communication device of claim 1, wherein the connector is adapted to interface with an On Board Diagnostics (OBD) connector.

14. A platform comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a wireless write signal originating at an automobile-agnostic mobile device application, wherein the write signal is formatted in a mobile device format;

an Application Programming Interface (API) configured to convert the write signal from the mobile device format to an automobile-specific format appropriate for an automobile; and

a controller configured to communicate the write signal formatted in the automobile-specific format through a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus of the automobile to alter a condition of an automotive component.

15. The platform of claim 14, further comprising a certification module configured to verify that the automobile-agnostic mobile device application possesses a write privilege.

16. The platform of claim 15, further comprising a connector adapted to interface with an On Board Diagnostics (OBD) connector that enables access to the CAN bus.

17. The platform of claim 15, wherein:

the certification module is further configured to verify that the automobile-agnostic mobile device application possesses a read privilege;

the controller is further configured to receive a data signal from the CAN bus formatted in the automobile-specific format;

the API is further configured to convert the data signal from the automobile-specific formats to the mobile device format; and

the transceiver is further configured to wirelessly transmit the data signal in the mobile device format to the automobile-agnostic mobile device application.

18. The platform of claim 15, wherein the certification module enables a manufacturer of the automobile to write a first party mobile device application exclusively accessible to the manufacturer.

19. A method of communication between an automobile-agnostic mobile device and an automobile, the method comprising:

authenticating that the automobile-agnostic mobile device possesses a read privilege;

receiving a data signal from a Control Access Network (CAN) bus in an automobile-specific format;

converting the data signal from the automobile-specific format to a mobile device format defined by an Application Programming Interface (API);

wirelessly transmitting the data signal formatted in the mobile device format to the automobile-agnostic mobile device, such that the automobile-agnostic mobile device can access the data signal in the mobile device format according to the read privilege.

20. The method of communication of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving from the automobile-agnostic mobile device, a write signal formatted in the mobile device format;

authenticating that the automobile-agnostic mobile device possesses a write privilege;

converting the write signal from the mobile device format to the automobile-specific format;

communicating the write signal to the automobile through the CAN bus to affect a condition of an automotive component.

21. The method of communication of claim 19, wherein the write signal is wirelessly transmitted from the automobile-agnostic mobile device and originates at an automobile-agnostic mobile device application.

22. The method of communication of claim 19, wherein authenticating that the automobile-agnostic mobile device possesses a read privilege comprises determining that the automobile agnostic mobile device has a first authentication level.

23. The method of communication of claim 22, further comprising

determining that another mobile device has a second authentication level;

and

giving the other mobile device access to the data signal without conversion to the mobile device format.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing device to perform the method of claim 19.