System and method for providing mobile automotive telemetry

• US 6,263,268 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paxgrid Telemetric Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Transcontech Corporation
• Inventors: Nathanson, Martin Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/140,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/34, 701/35, 701/36, 370/241, 370/252, 370/242, 340/870.01, 340/870.16
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A mobile automotive telemetry system for installation on-board a vehicle, includes: (i) diagnostic structure for monitoring operational functions of the vehicle and generating operational information; (ii) a memory for storing the generated operational information; and (iii) a server, in communication with the diagnostic structure and the memory. The server includes: (a) structure to receive a request from a remote client for the generated operational information; (b) structure to retrieve the generated operational information from the memory; and (c) structure to transmit the generated operational information to the remote client.

Claims

1. A mobile automobile telemetry system for installation on-board an automobile, comprising:

(i) diagnostic means, in the automobile, for monitoring operational functions of the automobile and generating operational information;

(ii) a memory, in the automobile, for storing the generated operational information; and

(iii) a server, in the automobile, and in communication with the diagnostic means and the memory, the server comprising;

(a) means to receive a request from a requesting one of a plurality of remote clients for the generated operational information;

(b) means to retrieve the generated operational information from the memory; and

(c) means to transmit the generated operational information to the requesting remote client using a UDP/IP protocol that is universally acceptable to all of said remote clients.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means to receive and the means to transmit comprise wireless communication means.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means to transmit generated operational information to one of said plurality of remote clients, in the absence of a request from said one of said plurality of remote clients, when the generated operational information satisfies predetermined criteria.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an Internet access means, disposed in said automobile.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the Internet access means is compliant with IP V6 Internet protocol and allows the server to act as a mobility agent.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means to interface to disparate acquisition sources including a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said server implements a request/response protocol to act as a proxy for the diagnostic means.

8. A communications network for communicating with a plurality of remote computing entities, said network comprising:

a plurality of automobile data systems, each data system disposed in a corresponding automobile and having;

a diagnostic portion for collecting diagnostic information from said corresponding automobile; and

a communications portion for communicating the collected diagnostic information to at least one of the plurality of remote computing entities over a data link, wherein each automobile data system has a UDP/IP protocol which communicates with any one of the plurality of remote computing entities regardless of the data source and without the need for an intermediary.

9. An automobile communications system for communicating with a plurality of remote computing entities, said system comprising:

a plurality of automobile data systems disposed in a corresponding plurality of automobiles, each said automobile data system having;

communications means for communicating with the plurality of remote computing entities over a data link, wherein each automobile data system exchanges data using a UDP/IP protocol in a manner universally acceptable to the plurality of remote computing entities.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein each automobile data system further comprises:

diagnostic means for generating automobile diagnostic data; and

server means for conveying said automobile diagnostic data to one of said plurality of remote computing entities.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said diagnostic means collects a portion of the automobile diagnostic data by an OBD protocol, and wherein said server means functions as a proxy for the OBD protocol.

12. A system according to claim 11, further comprising a plurality of data links between said sever means and the remote computing entities.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of data links includes mobile wireless data links.

14. A system for exchanging data between a plurality of automobiles and a plurality of remote computing entities, comprising:

a plurality of diagnostic units correspondingly disposed on the plurality of automobiles; and

a plurality of automobile data servers correspondingly disposed on the plurality of automobiles and operable (i) to receive data requests from each of the plurality of remote computing entities, and (ii) to convey to the plurality of remote computing entities, automobile data from said plurality of diagnostic units using a UDP/IP protocol and in a manner that is universally acceptable to all of the plurality of remote computing entities.

15. An automobile traffic communications network for use with a plurality of automobiles, said network comprising:

an onboard diagnostic unit, onboard each of the plurality of automobiles, to monitor onboard automobile functions; and

a server, onboard each of the plurality of automobiles, which is operable to receive requests issued by any one of a plurality of remote computing entities, said server using a UDP/IP protocol universally acceptable to each of the plurality of remote computing entities, in order to collect data from the corresponding onboard diagnostic unit and to convey the collected data to said one requesting remote computer entity.

16. An automobile, comprising:

an onboard diagnostic unit that monitors automobile functions; and

a server, coupled to said diagnostics unit, which is programmed to respond to requests for information from any one of a plurality of remote clients via one or more data links, said server (i) receiving a request for automobile information from one of said plurality of remote clients, (ii) querying the onboard diagnostic unit for the requested automobile information, and (iii) conveying the requested automobile information to said one of said plurality of remote clients, said server being operable in a UDP/IP protocol to deliver the automobile information in a format that is universally acceptable to said remote computing entities.

17. Apparatus for use in an automobile communications network in which each automobile has an onboard diagnostic unit to monitor onboard automobile functions, and in which a number of remote computing entities are desirous of obtaining data directly from each automobile without control by an intermediary, said apparatus comprising:

a server located in each of the automobiles and operable (i) to receive requests from the remote computing entities, (ii) to communicate with the onboard diagnostic unit on said each automobile in order to collect data therefrom, and (iii) to convey the data to the requesting entity, said server having a UDP/IP protocol which is universally acceptable to all of the remote computing entities.

18. An automobile communications apparatus, comprising:

an onboard diagnostic unit, mounted on the automobile, to monitor onboard automobile functions; and

a communications unit, mounted on the automobile, to communicate with a plurality of remote computing entities via one or more data links, said communications unit being operable as a server (i) to receive requests for automobile operations data from any one of said remote computing entities, (ii) to query the onboard diagnostic unit for the automobile operations data, and (iii) to convey the automobile operations data to said one remote computing entity, said server having a UDP/IP protocol which is universally acceptable to all of the plurality of remote computing entities, thereby allowing each of the remote computing entities direct access to the onboard automobile functions through said communications unit without control by a remote intermediary.