Internet-based vehicle-diagnostic system
First Claim
1. A programmed apparatus, programmed to execute a method of monitoring a set of operational characteristics of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- (a) wirelessly receiving, by a wireless appliance in a vehicle, a software component identifying a subset of a set of operational characteristics that are monitored by an on-board diagnostic computer of the vehicle, a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting said operational characteristics, and a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said operational characteristics;
(b) processing the received software component;
(c) automatically, repeatedly collecting from the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer data for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the received software component according to said user specified first schedule; and
(d) automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station the collected data according to said user specified second schedule,wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting the data and second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule configured for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a system for monitoring a vehicle that includes a wireless appliance in electrical contact with an in-vehicle computer. The wireless appliance features: 1) a data-collection component that supports communication software that collects diagnostic data from the computer; and 2) a data-transmission component, in electrical communication with the data-collection electronics, configured to transmit an outgoing data packet comprising the diagnostic data over a network and receive over the same network an incoming data packet that modifies the communication software. The wireless appliance communicates with a host computer system that is configured to: 1) receive the outgoing data packet from the network; 2) process the outgoing data packet to generate a set of vehicle diagnostic data; 3) host a web site on the Internet that displays the vehicle diagnostic data; and 4) send out the incoming data packet over the same network to modify the communication software.
278 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A programmed apparatus, programmed to execute a method of monitoring a set of operational characteristics of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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(a) wirelessly receiving, by a wireless appliance in a vehicle, a software component identifying a subset of a set of operational characteristics that are monitored by an on-board diagnostic computer of the vehicle, a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting said operational characteristics, and a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said operational characteristics; (b) processing the received software component; (c) automatically, repeatedly collecting from the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer data for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the received software component according to said user specified first schedule; and (d) automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station the collected data according to said user specified second schedule, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting the data and second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule configured for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A programmed apparatus, programmed to execute a method of monitoring a set of vehicles, the method comprising:
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(a) wirelessly transmitting to a set of vehicles a software component identifying a subset of a set of operational characteristics to be monitored by an on-board diagnostic computer located in each of the set of vehicles, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly querying the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the software component and a second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a host computer said data; (b) wirelessly receiving, by the host computer, queried operational characteristics of the set of vehicles; (c) displaying, on a first web interface of a web site, queried operational characteristics of a single vehicle selected from among said set of vehicles; and (d) displaying, on a second web interface of the web site, queried operational characteristics of multiple vehicles among said set of vehicles, wherein said multiple vehicles are associated with a single entity. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A programmed apparatus, programmed to execute a method of monitoring a set of vehicles, the method comprising:
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(a) wirelessly transmitting, by a host computer, a software component, wherein the software component identifies a subset of a set of operational characteristics that are monitorable by an on-board diagnostic computer of a target vehicle among a set of vehicles, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly querying the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the software component and a second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to the host computer said data; and (b) wirelessly receiving, by the host computer, collected vehicle data of the target vehicle, the collected data including the subset of monitorable operational characteristics identified in the transmitted software component. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A machine-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instructions for:
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(a) wirelessly receiving, by a wireless appliance in a vehicle, a software component identifying a subset of a set of operational characteristics that are monitored by an on-board diagnostic computer of the vehicle, a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting said operational characteristics, and a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said operational characteristics; (b) processing the received software component; (c) automatically, repeatedly collecting from the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer data for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the received software component according to said user specified first schedule; and (d) automatically, repeatedly, wirelessly transmitting to a base station the collected data according to said user specified second schedule, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly collecting the data and second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a base station said data. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A machine-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instructions for:
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(a) wirelessly transmitting to a set of vehicles a software component identifying a subset of a set of operational characteristics to be monitored by an on-board diagnostic computer located in each of the set of vehicles, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly querying the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the software component and a second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to a host computer said data; (b) wirelessly receiving, by the host computer, queried operational characteristics of the set of vehicles; (c) displaying, on a first web interface of a web site, queried operational characteristics of a single vehicle selected from among said set of vehicles; and (d) displaying, on a second web interface of the web site, queried operational characteristics of multiple vehicles among said set of vehicles, wherein said multiple vehicles are associated with a single entity. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A machine-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instructions for:
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(a) wirelessly transmitting, by a host computer, a software component, wherein the software component identifies a subset of a set of operational characteristics that are monitorable by an on-board diagnostic computer of a target vehicle among a set of vehicles, wherein the software component comprises a first field configured to describe a user specified first schedule for automatically, repeatedly querying the vehicle'"'"'s on-board diagnostic computer for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the software component and a second field configured to describe a user specified second schedule for automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmitting to the host computer said data; and (b) wirelessly receiving, by the host computer, collected vehicle data of the target vehicle, the collected data including the subset of monitorable operational characteristics identified in the transmitted software component. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification