US 10,950,072 B2Granted

Adaptive vehicle monitoring system

AssigneeInnova Electronics Corporation

InventorsTan Minh Le, Hung Phan, Si Tan Truong

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Abstract

A system and method are provided for adaptively accessing information in a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid malfunctions associated with accessing the information. A data acquisition device is provided for accessing and retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle. A memory unit is provided including listing of malfunctioning vehicles, as well as information associated with each of vehicle. At least one service mode request is communicated to the vehicle to identify characteristic information and characteristic features of the vehicle, which information is compared to stored vehicle characteristic information, to determine if the vehicle conforms to any of the listed vehicles, subject to malfunction. If not, additional service requests are communicated to the vehicle. If the vehicle conforms to one or more of the listed vehicles additional service request(s) are modified to remove service requests, or portions thereof, that are associated with the malfunction.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A vehicle monitoring system for adaptively accessing information in an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, in a manner to avoid vehicle malfunctions associated with accessing the information, the system comprising:

a) a handholdable data acquisition device including:
1) a first datalink communicable with the ECU of the vehicle under test for accessing and retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle under test;
2) a processor unit in communication with the first datalink;
3) a data linking module operative to generate linking queries to the ECU in a plurality of protocols, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;
and
4) a housing within which the first datalink, the processor unit, and the data linking module are at least partially located;
and
b) a memory unit in communication with the processor unit, the memory unit having information stored therein including:
1) a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;
2) a listing of selective characteristic features information associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
3) an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
and
4) a listing of at least one specific service mode request associated with a malfunction of each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
the memory unit being accessible by the processor unit to identify listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;
c) the handholdable data acquisition device further including a data retrieval module operative to selectively communicate at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information request protocol, excluding each service mode request that is associated with an identified listed vehicle, among the listing of vehicles;
d) the handholdable data acquisition device further including a data extraction module operative to receive information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extract therefrom vehicle characteristic features information, identifying characteristic features of the vehicle under test;
and
e) the handholdable data acquisition device further including a comparison module operative to compare the extracted characteristic features information to the selective characteristic features information associated with each of the identified listed vehicles, to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;
f) wherein, when the vehicle under test has no characteristics features in common with any of the identified listed vehicles, the data retrieval module is further operative to communicate each previously excluded service mode request to the vehicle under test.

16 more elements

a) a handholdable data acquisition device operative to generate linking queries to the ECU in a plurality of protocols, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol, the handholdable data acquisition device having a processor unit;
b) a memory unit in communication with the handholdable data acquisition device, the memory unit having:
a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;
and
an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
the memory unit being accessible by the processor unit to identify listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol such that any service mode requests that are associated with a malfunction of the identified listed vehicles are excluded from being communicated with the ECU;
c) the handholdable data acquisition device further operative to communicate at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the identified information request protocol, excluding each service mode request that is associated with an identified listed vehicle of the identified listed vehicles;
d) the handholdable data acquisition device further operative to identify vehicle characteristic features information of the vehicle under test based on extracting information received from the ECU in response to the at least one service mode request communicated to the ECU;
and
e) the handholdable data acquisition device further operative to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;
f) wherein, when the vehicle under test has no characteristics features in common with any of the identified listed vehicles, the handholdable data acquisition device is further operative to communicate each previously excluded service mode request to the vehicle under test.

8 more elements

A method of accessing information in an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, the method comprising:

a) communicating a plurality of linking queries from a handheld data acquisition device to the ECU, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;
b) storing, in a memory unit, information including:
1) a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;
2) selective characteristic features information associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
3) an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
and
4) a listing of at least one service mode request associated with the malfunction of each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
the memory unit being addressable to identify listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;
identifying listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;
d) communicating at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information protocol, excluding each service mode request that is associated with an identified listed vehicle of the identified listed vehicle;
e) receiving information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extracting therefrom vehicle characteristic features information identifying characteristic features of the vehicle under test;
f) comparing the extracted characteristic features information to the selective characteristic features information associated with each of the identified listed vehicles to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;
and
g) wherein, when the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have no common characteristic features in common, communicating each of the one or more previously excluded service mode requests to the vehicle under test.

11 more elements

A method of accessing information in an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle under test, the method comprising:

a) communicating a plurality of linking queries from a data acquisition device to the ECU, to identify a vehicle under test information request protocol;
b) storing, in a memory unit, information including:
1) a listing of vehicles known to malfunction in response to receipt of a service mode request;
2) selective characteristic features information associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
3) an information request protocol associated with each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
and
4) a listing of at least one service mode request associated with the malfunction of each listed vehicle of the listing of vehicles;
the memory unit being addressable to identify listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;
c) identifying listed vehicles, among the listing of vehicles, that are associated with the vehicle under test information request protocol;
d) communicating at least one service mode request to the ECU, in the vehicle under test information protocol, excluding each service mode request that is associated with an identified listed vehicle of the identified listed vehicles;
e) receiving information from the ECU, in response to the at least one service mode request, and extracting therefrom vehicle characteristic features information identifying characteristic features of the vehicle under test;
f) comparing the extracted characteristic features information to the selective characteristic features information associated with each of the identified listed vehicles to determine if the vehicle under test and any of the identified listed vehicles have common characteristics features;
and
g) wherein, when the vehicle under test and at least one of the identified listed vehicles have no common characteristics features in common, communicating each of the one or more previously excluded service mode requests to the vehicle under test.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/146,577Filed 28 Sep 2018 · continuation
Priority: 12 Jan 2017
Published: US 2019/0035180 A131 Jan 2019
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G07C 5/0858
Using electronic data carriers: wherein the data carrier is removable
G07C 5/008
Registering or indicating the working of vehicles: communicating information to a remotely located station
G07C 5/0808
Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working,…
G07C 2205/02
Indexing scheme relating to group G07C5/00: using a vehicle scan tool

Family

Application15/404,976Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jan 2017
US 2019/0035180 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Jan 2019
US 10,163,281 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0197358 A1Published application
US 10,950,072 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.