Information management and monitoring system and method

• US 7,630,802 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/422,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/36, 702/182, 702/183, 702/185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• 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

Information management and monitoring system and method for monitoring components on a vehicle during its operation includes a monitoring system including sensors for monitoring the components operation thereof, and a processing module arranged on the vehicle and to receive and process data about the monitored components from the sensors. The module derives information from the data about the monitored components to determine whether any component is operating in a non-optimal manner and/or to forecast failure of any component. A wireless communication system is arranged on the vehicle and coupled to the module for enabling wireless communications of derived information from the module to a remote entity interested in the operation or failure of any component during operation of the vehicle. The communication includes information about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail.

Claims

1. An information management and monitoring system for monitoring components on a vehicle during operation of the vehicle on a road, comprising:

a monitoring system arranged on the vehicle and including a plurality of sensors for monitoring components of the vehicle during operation of the components;

a processing module arranged on the vehicle, said module being coupled to said monitoring system and arranged to receive and process data about the monitored components from said monitoring system, said module being arranged to derive information from the data about the monitored components provided by said sensors of said monitoring system to determine whether any of the monitored components are operating in a non-optimal manner or to forecast failure of any of the monitored components;

at least one remote entity interested in the operation or failure of any of the monitored components;

a wireless communication system arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said module for enabling wireless communications of derived information from said module to said at least one entity during operation of the vehicle, including information about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail, said wireless communication system being arranged to automatically initiate the wireless communications with said at least one remote entity whenever said module determines that any of the monitored components are operating in a non-optimal manner or failure of any of the monitored components is forecast; and

a notification system that notifies an occupant of the vehicle about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail.

2. The system of claim 1, where said notification system is a communications device possessed by the occupant of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one entity includes a remote service center for servicing at least one of the monitored components to fix or replace the monitored component when said module determines that the monitored component is not operating optimally or forecast to fail, said service center being arranged to receive data about the monitored components prior to the vehicle being brought to said service center to enable preparation for the fixing or replacement of the non-optimally operating monitored component or components forecast to fail.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication system is a cellular telephone which enables voice communications with said at least one entity or is arranged to communicate with said at least one entity via a satellite.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interactive device coupled to and controlled by said module, said user interactive device being a display on which messages relating to the monitored components are provided to the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the information derived by said module from the data about the monitored components provided by said sensors of said monitoring system is an indication of a potential failure of one of the components of the vehicle.

7. A method for information management and monitoring of components on a vehicle during operation of the vehicle on a road, comprising:

arranging a monitoring system including a plurality of sensors on the vehicle to generate data about monitored components during operation of the components;

using a processor for deriving information at the site of the vehicle from the data about the monitored components provided by the sensors of the monitoring system;

using a communications system for establishing wireless communications during operation of the vehicle between the vehicle and at least one remote entity interested in the operation or failure of any of the monitored components to enable transmission of derived information between the vehicle and the at least one entity, the wireless communications with the at least one remote entity being established by the communications system automatically whenever the processor determines, based on the derived information, that any of the monitored components are operating in a non-optimal manner or failure of any of the monitored components is forecast; and

notifying an occupant of the vehicle, using a notification system, about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of notifying the occupant comprises contacting the occupant of the vehicle via a personal communications device possessed by the occupant of the vehicle such that the communications device is Dart of the notification system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one entity is a dealer of the vehicle having access to apparatus for servicing the monitored components, further comprising generating a response from the dealer to the vehicle owner to schedule repair or maintenance of the vehicle upon receiving the derived information about the monitored components.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the response from the dealer is a telephonic response.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the derived information includes information about whether any of the monitored components are operating in a non-optimal manner or forecast to fail, information about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail being transmitted between the vehicle and the at least one remote entity.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein wireless communications are established via a cellular telephone network.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising arranging a diagnostic module on the vehicle, for deriving the information about the monitoring components, the diagnostic module being coupled to the monitoring system.

14. A method for scheduling servicing of a vehicle, comprising:

arranging a vehicle monitoring system including a plurality of sensors on the vehicle to monitor components of the vehicle during operation of the components;

generating information via the vehicle monitoring system about the monitored components during operation of the vehicle on a road;

transmitting the information using a transmitter on the vehicle to at least one remote entity interested in the operation or failure of any of the monitored components during operation of the vehicle on the road;

processing the information at the at least one entity using a processor; and

generating a communication from the at least one entity to a vehicle owner using a communications system to schedule repair or maintenance of the vehicle to fix or replace a component determined to be in need of fixing or replacement,

the transmission of the information from the transmitter on the vehicle being transmitted automatically to the at least one remote entity whenever the vehicle monitoring system determines, based on the generated information, that any of the monitored components are operating in a non-optimal manner or failure of any of the monitored components is forecast.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication is a telephone call from the at least one entity to the vehicle owner.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information about the monitored components is an indication of a potential failure of one of the monitored components of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one entity is a dealer of the vehicle being monitored.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one entity includes a remote service center for fixing or replacing the component determined to be in need of fixing or replacement.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising fixing an appointment to undertake the fixing or replacement of the component in consideration of the schedule of the vehicle owner and the schedule of the remote service center.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating a communication from the at least one entity to the vehicle owner using a communications system comprises contacting the occupant of the vehicle via a personal communications device possessed by the occupant of the vehicle such that the vehicle owner'"'"'s communications device is part of the communication system.