Telematics system for vehicle diagnostics

A method for monitoring a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• diagnosing the state of the vehicle or the state of a component of the vehicle by means of a diagnostic system arranged on the vehicle;
• generating an output indicative or representative of the diagnosed state of the vehicle or the diagnosed state of the component of the vehicle;
• and
• transmitting the output indicative or representative of the diagnosed state of the vehicle or the diagnosed state of the component of the vehicle from the vehicle to a remote location.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a diagnostic system arranged on the vehicle to diagnose the state of the vehicle or the state of a component of the vehicle and generate an output indicative or representative thereof;
• and
• a communications device coupled to said diagnostic system and arranged to transmit the output of said diagnostic system,
• said communications device including a transmitter for transmitting a signal representative of the output of said diagnostic system to a satellite for transmission from the satellite to a remote site.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a diagnostic system arranged to diagnose the state of the vehicle or the state of a component of the vehicle and generate an output indicative or representative thereof, said diagnostic system comprising a plurality of sensors mounted at different locations on the vehicle, each of said sensors providing a measurement related to a state of said sensor or a measurement related to a state of the mounting location and a processor coupled to said sensor systems and arranged to diagnose the state of the vehicle or the state of the component of the vehicle based on the measurements of said sensors, at least one of said sensors including an RFID response unit;
• a communications device coupled to said diagnostic system and arranged to transmit the output of said diagnostic system;
• and
• at least one RFID interrogator device, said at least one interrogator device causing said RFID response unit of said at least one sensor to transmit a signal representative of the measurement of said at least one sensor to said processor.