Vehicle location and fault diagnostic systems and methods

• US 9,047,722 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Grenn, Daniel P., Kurnik, Jeanette C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US14/045,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.4, 701/33.2, 701/31.4, 701/22, 5 3/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A fault diagnostic system of a vehicle includes: a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a diagnostic module. The GPS receiver determines a location of the vehicle. The diagnostic module diagnoses a fault in a component of the vehicle. In response to the diagnosis of the fault, the diagnostic module stores diagnostic data in a computer readable medium. The diagnostic data includes both a predetermined diagnostic trouble code associated with the fault diagnosed and the location of the vehicle when the fault was diagnosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that determines a location of a vehicle;

a diagnostic module that diagnosis a fault in a component of the vehicle and that, in response to the diagnosis of the fault, stores diagnostic data in a computer readable medium, the diagnostic data including both a predetermined diagnostic trouble code associated with the fault diagnosed and the location of the vehicle when the fault was diagnosed;

a data server that (i) is external to the vehicle, that (ii) receives the diagnostic data including the diagnostic trouble code and the location of the vehicle, that (iii) when the location of the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from one or more of predetermined locations of vehicle service providers, updates the diagnostic data to include a first indicator, and that (iv) when the location of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined distance from all of the predetermined locations of the vehicle service providers, the data server updates the diagnostic data to include a second indicator that is different than the first indicator; and

a computing device that is external to the vehicle and the data server and that, based on user input to the computing device, transmits a request for diagnostic data to the data server,

wherein, in response to the request, the data server does not transmit first diagnostic data including the first indicator to the computing device and the data server transmits second diagnostic data including the second indicator to the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a service tool that downloads the diagnostic data from the vehicle,

wherein the data server receives the diagnostic data from the service tool.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle further includes:

a communication module that transmits the diagnostic data to the data server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device displays the second diagnostic data on a display.

5. A fault diagnostic method comprising:

determining a location of a vehicle;

diagnosing a fault in a component of the vehicle;

in response to the diagnosis of the fault, storing diagnostic data in a computer readable medium of the vehicle, wherein the diagnostic data includes both a predetermined diagnostic trouble code associated with the fault diagnosed and the location of the vehicle when the fault was diagnosed; and

using a data server that is external to the vehicle;

when the location of the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from one or more of predetermined locations of vehicle service providers, respectively, updating the diagnostic data to include a first indicator;

when the location of the vehicle is greater than the predetermined distance from all of the predetermined locations of the vehicle service providers, updating the diagnostic data to include a second indicator that is different than the first indicator;

receiving a request for diagnostic data from a computing device generated based on user input to the computing device, wherein the computing device is external to the vehicle and the data server; and

,

in response to the request;

not transmitting first diagnostic data including the first indicator to the computing device; and

transmitting second diagnostic data including the second indicator to the computing device.

6. The fault diagnostic method of claim 5 further comprising:

using a service tool, downloading the diagnostic data from the vehicle, wherein the service tool is separate from the vehicle and the data server; and

,

using the service tool, transmitting the diagnostic data to the data server.

7. The fault diagnostic method of claim 5 further comprising:

using a communication module disposed within the vehicle, transmitting the diagnostic data to the data server.

8. The fault diagnostic method of claim 5 further comprising:

using the computing device, displaying the second diagnostic data on a display.