Cellphone based vehicle diagnostic system

• US 8,024,083 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: Chenn, Ieon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US11/172,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/26, 701/29, 701/30, 701/31, 701/213, 455/412.2, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/419, 455/423, 455/424
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A vehicular diagnostic communications system, and components thereof, are provided for an apparatus and technique for communicating vehicular diagnostic information over a cellphone network. The system includes a code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port. The code reader also has a local connectivity network circuit for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local connectivity circuit. A cellphone is arranged in communication with the local connectivity network for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a cellular telephone network.

Claims

1. A wireless vehicular diagnostic communication system for wireless communication of vehicle diagnostic information from a vehicle over a cellular telephone network, the system comprising:

a hand transportable code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector connectable to a vehicle diagnostic port for receiving the vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port;

the code reader also having a local connectivity circuit for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a wireless local connectivity network; and

a cellphone in wireless communication with the wireless local connectivity network for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information wirelessly between the code reader and the cellular telephone network via a first wireless communication pathway from the code reader to the cellphone in combination with a second wireless communication pathway from the cellphone to the cellular telephone network;

wherein said cellphone comprises a first indicator configured to provide a data-ready signal to indicate receipt of diagnostic trouble codes from said local connectivity circuit of said hand portable code reader, and a second indicator configured to indicate the presence of one or more pre-determined trouble codes, or other diagnostic information, indicative of a more immediate need for attention.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone enables communication of voice and data signals between the cellphone and the cellular telephone network.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the local connectivity network is a radio frequency communication network.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the local connectivity network is an infrared communication network.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone is operative to communicate the vehicle diagnostic information to any of a plurality of contacts, in response to phone number selection by a user.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone comprises a cellphone GPS locator circuit for determining the location of the cellphone.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader comprises a code reader GPS locater circuit, for determining the location of the code reader and the vehicle.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone comprises a first manually activated data transfer circuit, for enabling a communications link between the code reader and the cellphone.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader comprises a second manually activated data transfer circuit, for enabling a communication link between the code reader and the cellphone.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader comprises an autonomous data transfer circuit for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and the cellphone, in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic information at the code reader diagnostic port connector.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone comprises an autonomous data transfer circuit for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and the cellphone in response to receipt of an interrogation signal from the cellphone.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader is powered by connection to a vehicle electrical system thru the vehicle diagnostic port.

13. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader is powered by a self contained battery.

14. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader includes a data ready indicator circuit, for generating a data ready signal in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic information at the vehicle diagnostic port connector of the code reader.

15. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone is in communication with the World Wide Web.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone is in communication with a public telephone network.

17. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle diagnostic port of the code reader is plug engagable to the vehicle diagnostic port.

18. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader further comprises a memory circuit for storing the vehicle diagnostic information.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the code reader further comprises a computer data port connector, for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a computer data port.

20. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein the computer data port connector is plug engagable to a computer data port.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 wherein the code reader computer data port connector includes a USB connector.

22. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the cellphone comprises a data ready indicator circuit for generating a data ready signal in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic information from the code reader.

23. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader communicates control signals between the vehicle diagnostic port and the local connectivity network.

24. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the code reader communicates a GPS locater signal to the local connectivity network.

25. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the code reader supports bi-directional communication between the vehicle diagnostic port and the local connectivity network.

26. The system as recited in claim 25 wherein the cellphone supports bi-directional communication between the cellular network and the local connectivity network.

27. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle diagnostic information comprises diagnostic trouble codes.

28. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone network is configured to communicate a short range signal between the cell phone and the code reader and a longer range signal between the cell phone and the cellular network.

29. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the code reader is configured to communicate a first signal between the code reader and the wireless connectivity network, the first signal including information representative of the vehicle diagnostic information.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the cellphone is configured to receive the first signal from the local connectivity network and transmit a second signal to the cellular network, the first and second signals including information representative of the vehicle diagnostic information.

31. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the code reader is configured to be operable to receive the vehicle diagnostic information independent of the cellphone.

32. A wireless vehicular diagnostic communication system for wireless communication of vehicle diagnostic information from a vehicle over a cellular telephone network, the system comprising:

a hand transportable code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector connectable to a vehicle diagnostic port for receiving the vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port;

the code reader further comprising a local connectivity circuit for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information wirelessly between the code reader and a wireless local connectivity network; and

a personal data assistant in wireless communication with the wireless local connectivity network and the cellular telephone network, for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information wirelessly between the code reader and the cellular telephone network via a first wireless communication pathway from the code reader to the personal data assistant, in combination with a second wireless communication pathway from the cellphone to the cellular telephone network;

wherein the personal data assistant comprises a first indicator configured to provide a data-ready signal to indicate receipt of diagnostic trouble codes from said local connectivity circuit of said hand portable code reader, and a second indicator configured to indicate the presence of one or more pre-determined trouble codes, or other diagnostic information, indicative of a more immediate need for attention.

33. The system as recited in claim 32 wherein the vehicle diagnostic information comprises diagnostic trouble codes.

34. A wireless vehicular diagnostic communication system comprising:

a hand transportable code reader engagable to a vehicle diagnostic port, the code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port and a data port for outputting the vehicle diagnostic information received from the vehicle diagnostic port;

a code reader communications adapter engagable to the code reader data port and defining a wireless communication interface between the code reader and a wireless local connectivity network; and

a cellphone in communication with the wireless local connectivity network and with a cellular telephone network for communicating the vehicle diagnostic information wirelessly between the code reader and the cellular telephone network via a first communication pathway from the hand transportable code reader to the cellphone and a second communication pathway from the cellphone to the cellular telephone network;

wherein the cellphone comprises a first indicator configured to provide a data-ready signal to indicate receipt of diagnostic trouble codes from said local connectivity circuit of said hand portable code reader, and a second indicator configured to indicate the presence of one or more pre-determined trouble codes, or other diagnostic information, indicative of a more immediate need for attention.

35. The system as recited in claim 34 wherein the local connectivity network is a radio frequency network.

36. The system as recited in claim 34 wherein the local connectivity network is an infrared connectivity network.

37. The system as recited in claim 34 wherein the vehicle diagnostic information comprises diagnostic trouble codes.

38. A method of communicating vehicle diagnostic information between a vehicle diagnostic port and a remote service provider, the method comprising the steps of:

directly connecting a hand transportable code reader to the vehicle diagnostic port;

communicating the vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port to code reader;

communicating the vehicle diagnostic information from the code reader to a wireless local connectivity network

interfacing the local connectivity network with a cellular telephone to access a remote service provider to communicate the vehicle diagnostic information wirelessly between the vehicle diagnostic port and the remote service provider via a wireless communication pathway from the hand transportable code reader to the wireless local connectivity network and then to the cellular telephone network; and

configuring the cellular telephone to generate a first data ready indicator signal to indicate receipt of diagnostic trouble codes from said local connectivity circuit of said hand portable code reader, and a second indicator signal to indicate the presence of one or more pre-determined trouble codes, or other diagnostic information, representative of a more immediate need for attention.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, further comprising the step of disengaging the code reader from the vehicle diagnostic port, prior to communicating the vehicle diagnostic information from the code reader to the local connectivity network.

40. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein the step of interfacing the local connectivity network with a cellular telephone comprises the steps of interfacing the local connectivity network with a cellular telephone and interfacing the cellular telephone with the cellular telephone network.

41. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the vehicle diagnostic information comprises diagnostic trouble codes.