Method and system for providing vehicle emissions data to an authorized recipient

• US 7,774,111 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Oesterling, Christopher L., Hering, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/463,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method for providing vehicle emissions data from a vehicle to a remotely located call center, so that the call center can then provide the emissions data to one or more authorized recipients. According to one embodiment, this method includes the steps of receiving a vehicle emissions data request, sending emissions data from one or more vehicle electronic modules (VEMs) to a vehicle telematics unit, and wirelessly transmitting the emissions data to a call center. Once at the call center, the emissions data can then be provided to one or more authorized recipients, which can include governmental entities, according to a number of different techniques.

Claims

1. A method for providing vehicle emissions data to an authorized recipient, comprising the steps:

(a) receiving a vehicle emissions data request authorized by a subscriber;

(b) sending the vehicle emissions data from at least one vehicle electronic module (VEM) to a vehicle telematics unit in response to the vehicle emission data request;

(c) wirelessly transmitting the vehicle emissions data from the vehicle telematics unit to a call center; and

(d) making the vehicle emissions data available to the authorized recipient so that the subscriber cannot modify the vehicle emissions data, wherein the vehicle emissions data is made available to the authorized recipient by;

i) previously receiving authorization from the subscriber so that the call center can provide the vehicle emissions data to the authorized recipient, and ii) providing the vehicle emissions data from the call center to the authorized recipient without first sending it to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from the subscriber through interaction with a vehicle hardware device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from the subscriber through the use of a web-based interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from an automated request generator residing in at least one location selected from the group consisting of:

the call center, a vehicle hardware device, and a web-based interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle electronic module includes at least one module selected from the group consisting of:

an engine control module, a powertrain control module, and a body control module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle emissions data includes at least one reading selected from the group consisting of:

hydrocarbon (HC) readings, carbon monoxide (CO) readings, nitrogen oxides (NOx) readings, and fine airborne particulate matter (PM) readings.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle emissions data includes at least one piece of data selected from the group consisting of:

diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and diagnostic execution test records.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises wirelessly transmitting the vehicle emissions data over a wireless voice channel established between a vehicle communications device and a wireless carrier system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises wirelessly transmitting the vehicle emissions data and an electronic identifier identifying the source or nature of the vehicle emissions data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step:

(e) sending a confirmation to the subscriber from the call center indicating that the vehicle emissions data was provided to the governmental entity.

11. A method for providing vehicle emissions data to a governmental entity, comprising the steps:

(a) receiving a vehicle emissions data request;

(b) querying at least one vehicle electronic module (VEM) for the vehicle emissions data;

(c) sending the vehicle emissions data from the vehicle electronic module (VEM) to a vehicle telematics unit in response to the vehicle emissions data request, wherein the vehicle emissions data is sent over a vehicle communications bus;

(d) wirelessly transmitting the vehicle emissions data and an electronic identifier from the vehicle telematics unit to a call center; and

(e) providing the vehicle emissions data to a governmental entity by;

i) informing a subscriber that the vehicle emissions data is available, ii) providing authentication information from the call center to the subscriber so that the subscriber can provide the authentication information to a governmental entity of its choice, and iii) providing the vehicle emissions data from the call center to the governmental entity chosen by the subscriber in response to a proper authorization, wherein the subscriber cannot modify the emissions data that is provided to the governmental entity and the authentication information is provided to the subscriber before the vehicle emissions data is provided to the governmental entity chosen by the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from the subscriber through interaction with a vehicle hardware device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from the subscriber through the use of a web-based interface.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the vehicle emissions data request from an automated request generator residing in at least one location selected from the group consisting of:

the call center, a vehicle hardware device, and a web-based interface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle electronic module includes at least one module selected from the group consisting of:

an engine control module, a powertrain control module, and a body control module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle emissions data includes at least one reading selected from the group consisting of:

hydrocarbon (HC) readings, carbon monoxide (CO) readings, nitrogen oxides (NOx) readings, and fine airborne particulate matter (PM) readings.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle emissions data includes at least one piece of data selected from the group consisting of:

diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and diagnostic execution test records.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein step (d) further comprises wirelessly transmitting the vehicle emissions data and the electronic identifier over a wireless voice channel established between a vehicle communications device and a wireless carrier system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein step (e) further comprises providing the vehicle emissions data to the governmental entity upon proper authorization of authentication information, wherein the authentication information includes at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of:

a vehicle identification number (VIN), an account number, a mobile dialing number (MDN), a mobile identification number (MIN), a user name, a password, and a pin number.

20. A system for providing vehicle emissions data to a governmental entity, comprising:

a wireless carrier system for communicating voice and/or data information;

a vehicle electronic module (VEM) for gathering vehicle emissions data from one or more sensors, wherein the vehicle emissions data includes at least one of a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) and a diagnostic execution test record;

a vehicle telematics unit for providing communication services and being connected to the vehicle electronic module (VEM) and the wireless carrier system; and

a call center for processing various user requests and being connected to the wireless carrier system, wherein if a vehicle emissions data request is received, then;

i) the vehicle electronic module (VEM) sends the vehicle emissions data to the vehicle telematics unit,

ii) the vehicle telematics unit sends the vehicle emissions data to the call center over the wireless carrier system, and

iii) the call center makes the vehicle emissions data directly available to the governmental entity by;

a) informing a subscriber that the vehicle emissions data is available, b) providing authentication information from the call center to a subscriber so that the subscriber can provide the authentication information to a governmental entity of its choice, and c) providing the vehicle emissions data from the call center to the governmental entity chosen by the subscriber in response to a proper authorization, wherein the subscriber cannot modify the emissions data that is provided to the governmental entity and the authentication information is provided to the subscriber before the vehicle emissions data is provided to the governmental entity chosen by the subscriber.