Remote vehicle diagnostic system
First Claim
1. A method for determining whether vehicle maintenance is required, comprising:
- periodically monitoring electronic sensors on the vehicle that generate values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status;
storing the plurality of values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status in an electronic memory of the vehicle;
transmitting the plurality of values over at least one wireless communications link to a remote maintenance computer;
analyzing the plurality of values in the remote maintenance computer to determine if maintenance is appropriate;
transmitting data indicative of the need for maintenance to the vehicle over the wireless link to the vehicle; and
displaying a message indicative of the required maintenance on an operator'"'"'s display in the vehicle.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for determining whether vehicle servicing or maintenance is required is disclosed. Vehicle information is downloaded to a remote maintenance computer via a wireless link. The information includes sensor data such as temperatures and pressures of fluid in the vehicle. The remote computer analyzes this information and determines what, if any maintenance is required. Once the maintenance is determined, the maintenance computer determines who should perform the maintenance, what supplies are required and when and where the maintenance should occur. The system is configured to schedule such maintenance for several different vehicles based on the information it has downloaded from those vehicles, the type of maintenance needed to determine the maintenance personnel, the parts and supplies, and the maintenance sites are available. As each vehicle is scheduled, a scheduling record is made of the type of maintenance needed, as well as the required maintenance personnel, the parts and supplies, the maintenance site and the time at which the maintenance will be performed. Scheduling of each subsequent vehicle will include checking previous scheduling records for maintenance personnel availability, maintenance parts and supplies availability, and maintenance site availability in order to prevent scheduling “collisions”.
223 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether vehicle maintenance is required, comprising:
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periodically monitoring electronic sensors on the vehicle that generate values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status;
storing the plurality of values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status in an electronic memory of the vehicle;
transmitting the plurality of values over at least one wireless communications link to a remote maintenance computer;
analyzing the plurality of values in the remote maintenance computer to determine if maintenance is appropriate;
transmitting data indicative of the need for maintenance to the vehicle over the wireless link to the vehicle; and
displaying a message indicative of the required maintenance on an operator'"'"'s display in the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
moving the transponder out of radio contact with a transceiver on the vehicle;
moving the transponder into radio contact with the remote maintenance computer; and
downloading the plurality of values to the remote maintenance computer.
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10. The method of claim 1 further comprising scheduling the determined maintenance.
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11. The method of claim 10 wherein scheduling the determined maintenance includes:
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determining an appropriate time for the determined maintenance;
determining the supplies required for the maintenance; and
determining the required maintenance personnel to perform the maintenance.
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12. The method of claim 11, wherein scheduling the determined maintenance includes electronically contacting the required maintenance personnel.
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13. The method of claim 12, wherein electronically contacting the personnel includes electronically indicating a time for the maintenance to be performed.
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14. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of values are transmitted automatically by an electronic controller on the vehicle.
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15. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of a need for maintenance are transmitted automatically by a remote diagnostic computer.
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16. A method for scheduling a plurality of vehicles for maintenance, comprising:
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periodically monitoring electronic sensors on the vehicles that generate values indicative of the vehicles'"'"' operational status;
storing a first plurality of values indicative of a first vehicle'"'"'s operational status in an electronic memory of the first vehicle;
transmitting the first plurality of values over at least one wireless communications link to a remote maintenance computer;
analyzing the first plurality of values in the remote maintenance computer to determine if maintenance is appropriate;
storing a second plurality of values indicative of a second vehicle'"'"'s operational status in an electronic memory of the second vehicle;
transmitting the second plurality of values over at least one wireless communications link to the remote maintenance computer;
analyzing the second plurality of values in the remote maintenance computer to determine if maintenance is appropriate;
electronically scheduling a first determined maintenance of the first vehicle; and
electronically scheduling a second determined maintenance for the second vehicle based upon the first determined maintenance of the first vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for determining whether vehicle maintenance is required, comprising:
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periodically monitoring electronic sensors on the vehicle that generate values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status;
storing the plurality of values indicative of a vehicle'"'"'s operational status in an electronic memory of the vehicle;
transmitting the plurality of values over at least one wireless communications link to a remote maintenance computer;
analyzing the plurality of values in the remote maintenance computer to determine if maintenance is appropriate;
transmitting data indicative of the need for maintenance to a computer over the Internet; and
providing the transmitted data to a repair technician. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
transmitting repair history information of the vehicle to the remote maintenance computer indicative of an actual repair performed in association with the data indicative of the vehicle; and
storing the repair history information in the remote maintenance computer in association with the data indicative of the vehicle.
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29. A system that provides for the diagnosis of vehicle problems at a location remote from a vehicle, comprising:
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at least one electronic controller mounted on the vehicle and coupled to a plurality of sensors disposed to sense a plurality of vehicle operational parameters, the at least one controller further including a telecommunications circuit configured to wirelessly transmit data provided by the plurality of sensors that is indicative of the plurality of vehicle operational parameters;
a remote maintenance computer including at least one data structure having plurality of maintenance rules associated with specific values of the vehicle operational parameters, wherein the computer is configured to receive the data provided by the sensors and to electronically determine at least one maintenance procedure based upon the data provided by the sensors; and
a technician computer coupled to the remote maintenance computer over the Internet and configured to receive data indicative of the at least one maintenance procedure from the remote maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification