Wireless Gateway Apparatus and Method of Bridging Data Between Vehicle Based and External Data Networks

A vehicle network gateway apparatus in communication with at least one vehicle data network, the apparatus configured to gather real-time statistics, log operating data and bridge data between vehicle data networks and at least one external data network, the vehicle network gateway apparatus comprising:

• a programmable processor logic system;
• a memory means comprising at least one memory storage device;
• a vehicle network message database stored to the memory means, the message database defining vehicle network messages, nodes, signal and signal range parameters;
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway for monitoring vehicle network message traffic, receiving vehicle network messages, interpreting vehicle network messages, generating and sending vehicle network messages;
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway for bi-directional bridging of vehicle message data between the at least one vehicle network and the at least one external network, wherein the bridging comprises converting messages between a vehicle network protocol and at least one external network protocol;
• at least one vehicle network interface device for interfacing to at least one vehicle data network, the at least one vehicle network interface in communication with the programmable processor logic system;
• at least one wireless network interface device for interfacing to at least one external wireless data network, the at least one external network interface in communication with the programmable processor logic system;
• at least one serial interface, the serial interface in communication with the programmable processor logic system;
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway for accumulating real-time statistics of at least a portion of networked vehicle signals;
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway for signal strobe logging of a configurable strobe logging subset of vehicle network signals as defined in the message database;
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway for configuring and detecting a set of vehicle network signal trigger conditions;
• computer executable trigger logging code resident in the vehicle network gateway for capturing a configurable trigger log set of selected vehicle network signals and logging at least one signal value to the memory means, the trigger logging providing a memory stored context of signal values before, at the occurrence of, and for a period of time after the detection of a trigger condition, the trigger logging data useful for diagnosing vehicle problems;
• and
• computer executable code resident in the vehicle network gateway supporting a hydrogen refueling mode.

A wireless method of diagnosing possible motor vehicle problems from a data network external to the vehicle comprising the steps:

• providing a motor vehicle have at least one vehicle data network in network communication with at least one sensor and at least one computer based vehicle management system;
• supplying a vehicle network gateway interfaced to and in communication with the at least one vehicle data network, the vehicle network gateway in communication with at least one external network;
• providing an off vehicle computer based diagnostic device, the diagnostic device in communication with the vehicle network gateway through the at least one external network;
• gathering vehicle sensor signal data and vehicle management system diagnostic data at the diagnostic device from the vehicle gateway over the external network;
• and
• diagnosing vehicle problems using the gathered data.