System and method for collecting vehicle data and diagnosing the vehicle, and method for automatically setting the vehicle convenience apparatus using smartcard

A method for collecting vehicle data by using a smartcard and a smartcard control unit reading vehicle-related information from the smartcard and storing in the smartcard the data collected from control units and sensors inside a vehicle, comprising steps of:

• (a) transferring self diagnosis commands to the respective control units inside the vehicle and receiving responses to the self diagnosis commands;
• (b) determining whether the received responses are normal ones and, if not normal, storing in the smartcard control unit error codes received as the responses;
• (c) determining whether the smartcard is inserted and authenticating the inserted smartcard;
• (d) storing in the authenticated smartcard the error codes stored in the smartcard control unit;
• and
• (e) comparing the smartcard control unit data and the smartcard data and, if different, updating the data stored in the smartcard control unit and the smartcard.

A method for automatically setting convenience apparatus inside a vehicle by using a smartcard including convenience apparatus setting information data of a user, comprising steps of:

• (a) checking if the vehicle is in operation after a vehicle key is inserted and, in case that the vehicle is not in operation, checking if the smartcard is inserted in a smartcard control unit;
• (b) reading the convenience apparatus setting data from the smartcard and loading the convenience apparatus setting values stored in the smartcard control unit by the smartcard control unit;
• (c) comparing the convenience apparatus setting values stored in the smartcard and the setting values loaded from the smartcard control unit, and, if the both values are different, changing the convenience apparatus settings into the smartcard setting values;
• (d) monitoring the convenience apparatus setting changes, and, if the convenience apparatus settings are changed, detecting the change items and displacement values, and calculating absolute displacement values;
• and
• (e) updating new convenience apparatus setting values to the smartcard control unit, checking if the smartcard is inserted, and updating the change items from the smartcard control unit to the inserted smartcard.