Vehicle bus access point system and method

• US 9,208,623 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Baumert, Joel, Young, Joel K., Ahart, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US13/544,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method of transmitting vehicle information from a vehicle to a server across an external network. A vehicle bus connector module is plugged into a vehicle bus through the vehicle'"'"'s vehicle bus connector. The vehicle bus connector module is also communicatively connected to a personal communications device. Vehicle information is collected from the vehicle bus and combined with information captured by the personal communications device to form a driver log. The driver log is transmitted to the server via the external network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a vehicle bus and one or more control modules connected to the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus includes a vehicle bus connector; and

a telematics system including;

a vehicle bus connector module, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes;

a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bus connector;

a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and

a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein the controller establishes the vehicle bus connector module as a wireless access point, wherein the wireless access point is configured to create a wireless network facilitating connection of at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network, wherein the controller receives vehicle information from the vehicle bus connector via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to the at least one wireless access device through the wireless network via the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module; and

a personal communications device in addition to the at least one wireless access device and communicatively coupled to the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module, wherein the personal communications device includes a cellular interface, a wireless interface, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and a telematics application, wherein the personal communication device is configured to communicate with the at least one wireless access device through the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module;

wherein the application communicates with the controller to obtain vehicle information from the vehicle bus, combines the vehicle information with data from the GPS receiver to form vehicle location and operation information associated with the vehicle and transmits the vehicle location and operation information across a cellular network to a central server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network and wherein the wireless access point is a Wi-Fi access point.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a phone-home application, wherein the phone-home application detects the presence of another wireless network, determines if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to the central server and, if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to the central server, transmits the vehicle information through the another wireless network to the central server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics application executing on the personal communications device includes a phone-home application, wherein the phone-home application detects the presence of another wireless network, determines if there is vehicle location and operation information to be transmitted to the central server and, if there is vehicle location and operation information to be transmitted to the central server, transmits the vehicle information through the another wireless network to the central server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics application determines if the cellular network is currently being used by another application and, if so, stores the vehicle location and operation information to a log file on the personal communications device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle bus connector module further includes a buzzer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the personal communications device communicates with the controller over a wireless local area network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless local area network is a Wi-Fi network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the personal communications device communicates with the controller over a wired connection.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wired connection is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection;

and

wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a USB interface which, when connected to a computing device, transfers data from the controller to the computing device, wherein the data includes vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the telematics application on the personal communications device maintains a driver log, wherein the driver log is accessible via a USB interface on the personal communications device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller maintains a driver log, wherein the driver log is accessible via the USB interface on the vehicle bus connector module.

13. A vehicle bus connector module, comprising:

a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to a vehicle bus connector;

a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and

a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein, when connected to a vehicle bus connector, the controller establishes the vehicle bus connector module as a wireless access point, wireless access point is configured to create a wireless network facilitating connection of at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network, wherein the controller receives vehicle information from the vehicle bus connector via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to the at least one wireless access device through the wireless network via the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module;

wherein the controller includes a phone-home application configured to detect the presence of another wireless network, determine if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to a central server and, if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to the central server, transmit the vehicle information through the other wireless network to the central server.

14. The vehicle bus connector module of claim 13, wherein the vehicle bus connector module further includes a buzzer.

15. The vehicle bus connector module of claim 13, wherein the controller includes a USB interface, wherein the USB interface, when connected to a computing device, is capable of transferring data from the controller to the computing device, wherein the data includes vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector.

16. The vehicle bus connector module of claim 13, wherein the controller maintains a driver log, wherein the driver log is accessible via the USB interface.

17. The vehicle bus connector module of claim 13, wherein the controller includes a personal communications device application which, in the presence of a personal communications device, communicates vehicle information received from the vehicle bus to the personal communications device.

18. A method of transmitting vehicle information from a vehicle across an external network to a server, wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle bus, the method comprising:

connecting a vehicle bus connector module to the vehicle bus through its vehicle bus connector, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a wireless interface and a controller, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless antenna and wherein the controller is connected to the wireless interface;

establishing the vehicle bus connector module as a wireless access point, wherein the wireless access point is configured to create a wireless network facilitating connection of at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network;

connecting the at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network;

receiving, at the vehicle bus connector module and via the vehicle bus connector, vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector;

communicatively connecting a personal communications device to the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module, wherein the personal communications device is connected to a cellular network, wherein the personal communication device is distinct from the at least one wireless access device, wherein the personal communication device is configured to communicate with the at least one wireless access device through the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module;

collecting vehicle information from the vehicle bus;

combining the vehicle information with information from the personal communications device to form driver logs; and

transmitting the driver logs to the server via the external network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein combining the vehicle information includes displaying, on the personal communications device, a portion of the vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector module.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the personal communications device includes a GPS receiver and wherein combining the vehicle information includes:

determining a vehicle location using the GPS receiver; and

adding the vehicle location information to the vehicle information.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the personal communications device includes a GPS receiver and wherein combining the vehicle information includes:

determining a vehicle location using the GPS receiver;

adding the vehicle location information to the driver logs; and

displaying, on the personal communications device, a portion of the driver logs.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein combining the vehicle information includes queuing the vehicle information within the personal communications device.

23. A method of monitoring driver logs, the method comprising:

connecting a vehicle bus connector module to the vehicle bus through a vehicle bus connector of the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a wireless interface and a controller, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless antenna and wherein the controller is connected to the wireless interface;

receiving, at the vehicle bus connector module and via the vehicle bus connector, vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector;

storing the vehicle information as driver logs;

establishing a wireless connection between a personal communications device and the vehicle bus connector module of the vehicle as a wireless access point, wherein the wireless access point is configured to create a wireless network facilitating connection of at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network, wherein the personal communications device is connected to an external network;

connecting at least one wireless access device to the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module, wherein the personal communications device is configured to communicate with the at least one wireless access device through the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module;

transmitting the driver logs to a server via the external network;

receiving, from a requesting device, a request at the vehicle bus connector module for a driver log associated with a particular driver;

requesting from the server a copy of the driver log associated with that driver;

receiving the driver log at the vehicle bus connector module and transmitting the driver log from the vehicle bus connector module to the requesting device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the personal communications device includes a GPS receiver and wherein transmitting the vehicle information includes:

determining a vehicle location using the GPS receiver; and

adding the vehicle location information to the driver logs.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the control module creates the wireless access point and wherein the requesting device requests the driver log by connecting to the wireless access point.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the control module includes a USB interface, wherein the requesting device requests the driver log via the USB interface.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein transmitting the driver logs includes queuing the driver logs before transmitting them to the server.

28. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a vehicle bus and one or more control modules connected to the vehicle bus, wherein the vehicle bus includes a vehicle bus connector;

a driver log tracking system, wherein the driver log tracking system includes a driver log database; and

a telematics system including;

a vehicle bus connector module, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes;

a connector interface, wherein the connector interface is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bus connector;

a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface includes an antenna; and

a controller connected to the connector interface and to the wireless interface, wherein the controller establishes the vehicle bus connector module as a wireless access point, wherein the wireless access point is configured to create a wireless network facilitating connection of at least one wireless access device to the vehicle bus connector module in the wireless network, wherein the controller receives vehicle information from the vehicle bus connector via the connector interface and transmits the vehicle information to the at least one wireless access device through the wireless network via the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module; and

a personal communications device in addition to the at least one wireless access device and communicatively coupled to the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module, wherein the personal communications device includes a cellular interface, a wireless interface, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and a telematics application, wherein the personal communication device is configured to communicate with the at least one wireless access device through the wireless access point of the vehicle bus connector module;

wherein the application communicates with the controller to obtain vehicle information from the vehicle bus, combines the vehicle information with data from the GPS receiver to form vehicle location and operation information associated with the vehicle and transmits the vehicle location and operation information across an Internet connection to the driver log tracking system.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network and wherein the wireless access point is a Wi-Fi access point.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the controller includes a phone-home application, wherein the phone-home application detects the presence of another wireless network, determines if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to the central server and, if there is vehicle information to be transmitted to the central server, transmits the vehicle information through the other wireless network to the driver log tracking system.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the telematics application executing on the personal communications device includes a phone-home application, wherein the phone-home application detects the presence of another wireless network, determines if there is vehicle location and operation information to be transmitted to the driver log tracking system and, if there is vehicle location and operation information to be transmitted to the driver log tracking system, transmits the vehicle information through the other wireless network to the driver log tracking system.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the telematics application queues the vehicle location and operation information to a log file on the personal communications device for transfer to the driver log tracking system.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the vehicle bus connector module includes a USB interface which, when connected to a computing device, transfers driver log data from the controller to the computing device, wherein the data includes vehicle information received from the vehicle bus connector.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the telematics application on the personal communications device maintains a driver log, wherein the driver log is accessible via a USB interface on the personal communications device.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the controller maintains a driver log, wherein the driver log is accessible via the USB interface on the vehicle bus connector module.