Method and system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic
Contents
1. Mar 31 2005 receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module at the vehicle telematics unit determining if the received diagnostic trouble code cor responds with the diagnostic trouble code on the list and transmitting a communication from the telematics unit to a call center based on a positive determination 2 The method of claim 1 wherein the list received at the vehicle telematics unit is sent from a call center via a wireless network 3 The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module comprises periodically sending a diagnostic trouble code request from the telematics unit to the electronic module via a vehicle communication bus and receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from the electronic module to the telematics unit via the vehicle communication bus in response to the request 4 The method of claim 3 wherein the diagnostic trouble code request is initiated responsive to a trigger event 5 The method of claim 4 wherein the list received at the vehicle includes the trigger event 6 The method of claim 1 wherein the list received at the vehicle includes at least one vehicle electronic module that is to receive a diagnostic trouble code request from the telematics unit 7 The method of claim 1 further comprising determining responsive action at the call center based on the transmitted diagno2. THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 100121 FIG 1 shows an illustration of one embodiment of a system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes in accordance with the present invention at 100 0013 Diagnostic trouble code monitoring system 100 includes a mobile vehicle 110 an in vehicle telematics unit 120 one or more wireless carrier systems 130 one or more communication networks 140 one or more short message service centers 142 one or more land networks 150 one or more call centers 160 and one or more vehicle service centers 170 0014 Mobile vehicle 110 includes a vehicle communi cation bus 112 connected to one or more vehicle electronic modules 114 Vehicle communication bus 112 is also con US 2005 0068174 A1 nected to telematics unit 120 Thus diagnostic trouble codes can be transmitted from electronic modules 114 to telematics unit 120 via vehicle communication bus 112 Electronic modules of interest include those associated vvith for example povvertrain control or an antilock brakes system 100151 Telematics unit 120 includes for example a digital signal processor DSP connected to a vvireless modem a global positioning system GPS unit an in vehicle memory a microphone one or more speakers and a vvireless com munication device such as an analog digital dual mode dual band multi mode or multi band cellular phone The digital signal processor generates and accepts digital signals such
3. a positive determination 0008 Yet another aspect of the invention provides a system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes The system includes means for receiving a list including at least one diagnostic trouble code at a vehicle telematics unit receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module at the vehicle telematics unit determining if the received diagnos tic trouble code corresponds with the diagnostic trouble code on the list and transmitting a communication from the telematics unit to a call center based on a positive determi nation 0009 The aforementioned and other features and advan tages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 100101 FIG 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of a system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes in accordance with the present invention and 100111 FIG 2 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes using the system of FIG 1 in accordance with the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
4. as those representing diagnostic trouble codes that are transmitted between telematics unit 120 and vehicle com munication bus 112 or between telematics unit 120 and call center 160 In certain embodiments the DSP is a functional block of a microcomputer microcontroller or ASIC 100161 Telematics unit 120 includes suitable software for receiving and transmitting data communications and for performing other routines and requested services In the present embodiment telematics unit 120 receives commu nications from and transmits communications to call center 160 through wireless carrier system 130 communication network 140 and land network 150 In an alternative embodiment one or more of the intermediate connections between telematics unit 120 and call center 160 may be eliminated 100171 Wireless carrier system 130 may be any suitable system for transmitting a signal from mobile vehicle 110 to communication network 140 and may include one or more short message service centers 142 that prescribe alphanu meric short messages to and from mobile vehicles 110 Typically short message service center 142 stores and buffers the messages and includes message entry features administrative controls and message transmission capabili ties Short message services may include other telematic services such as broadcast services time driven message delivery autonomous message delivery and database driven information services 100181 Communicat
5. request to each electronic module on the list asking that module to report any diagnostic trouble codes associated with the module If the telematics unit receives a diagnostic trouble code from the module in response to this request the received diagnostic trouble code is compared with each diagnostic trouble code on the list If the received diagnostic trouble code corresponds with a diagnostic trouble code on the list a message is transmitted from the telematics unit to a call center The call center determines the appropriate action to take in response to the diagnostic trouble code or codes detected 210 220 260 Transmit communication from telematics unit to call center Determine responsive action at call center 280 Send command signal from call center 270 Patent Application Publication Mar 31 2005 Sheet 1 of 2 US 2005 0068174 A1 166 150 160 FIG 1 eee US 2005 0068174 A1 Patent Application Publication Mar 31 2005 Sheet 2 of 2 Sls 22 Woy jeufis puewwos pues 082 80 ye UOROE A SUO S L 022 E 0 pun S hEUl l WOJ 2 092 0451 UO po yoyew apoo 5000 ON 092 SI UO onysoubelp Uyu a
6. that allows the functioning of systems circuits and components within the vehicle to be monitored remotely Information obtained through the described method may identify a malfunction within the vehicle before a minor problem becomes a serious problem preventing the vehicle s driver from being stranded by a stalled or other wise nonfunctioning vehicle Problems can be identified and eliminated before the driver even notices impaired perfor mance of the vehicle Information obtained may also be used to quickly identify a problem present in a line of vehicles allowing the problem to be corrected in vehicles during manufacture thus preventing recalls Information gathered may also be used to improve the design of future vehicles All of these benefits result in both increased satisfaction for the customer and reduced costs for the manufacturer 100411 While the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are presently considered to be preferred various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims and all changes and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein What is claimed is 1 A method for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes comprising receiving a list including at least one diagnostic trouble code at a vehicle telematics unit
7. US 20050068174A1 c Patent Application Publication co Pub No US 2005 0068174 A1 q United States Oesterling et al 43 Pub Date Mar 31 2005 54 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTELY MONITORING VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 75 Inventors Christopher L Oesterling Troy MI US Jeffrey M Stefan Clawson MI US Correspondence Address General Motors Corporation Legal Staff Mail Code 482 C23 B21 300 Renaissance Center P O Box 300 Detroit MI 48265 3000 US 73 Assignee General Motors Corporation 21 Appl No 10 675 343 22 Filed Sep 30 2003 Publication Classification Int CII 08 1 08 Receive list of diagnostic trouble codes at vehicle telematics unit Send diagnostic trouble code request from telematics unit to electronic module Receive diagnostic trouble code from electronic module at vehicle telematics unit Compare received diagnostic trouble code with diagnostic trouble codes on list Does received diagnostic trouble code match diagnostic trouble code on list 52 US Chey 2 340 539 24 340 539 18 701 29 57 ABSTRACT The invention provides a method and system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes A list including identifiers for one or more vehicle electronic modules and one or more diagnostic trouble codes is sent via a wireless network to a vehicle telematics unit The telematics unit periodically sends a
8. advisor 165 includes both a real advisor such as a human being in verbal US 2005 0068174 A1 communication vvith telematics unit 120 and a virtual advisor such as a synthesized voice interface responding to requests from telematics unit 120 In an alternative embodi ment advisor 165 may be just one type of advisor Advisor 165 communicates with telematics unit 120 in mobile vehicle 110 through wireless carrier system 130 communi cation network 140 and land network 150 using voice transmissions or through communication services manager 163 and switch 161 using data transmissions 100271 Advisor 165 provides services to telematics unit 120 of vehicle 110 Advisor 165 may communicate with communication services manager 163 or any other device connected to bus system 166 Services provided by com munication services advisor 165 may include enrollment services navigation assistance real time traffic advisories directory assistance roadside assistance business or resi dential assistance information services assistance emer gency assistance and communications assistance 100281 In the present embodiment services provided by advisor 165 include determining the appropriate action to take based on the diagnostic trouble codes received from mobile vehicle 110 and taking such action One such action is for advisor 165 to deliver to the driver of mobile vehicle 110 information regarding actions to be taken in response to the diagnosti
9. ample is configured by the call center In another embodiment the interval is configured by a user 0033 If all systems circuits and components to be queried within the vehicle are operating satisfactorily no diagnostic trouble codes will be returned in response to the request However if a system for example is experiencing a problem the telematics unit will receive one or more diagnostic trouble codes from the electronic module asso ciated with that system Block 230 0034 Each diagnostic trouble code received from an electronic module is compared with each code on the list Block 240 and a determination is made as to whether any received code corresponds with meaning matches identi cally a code on the list Block 250 Typically this is accomplished within the vehicle using appropriate software installed in a digital signal processor that is a component of the telematics unit 0035 Ifa positive determination is made a communica tion is transmitted from the telematics unit to a call center Block 260 Typically a call center is a telematics service provider however a call center for purposes of the present invention may be any location where many calls may be received and serviced at the same time or from which many calls may be sent at the same time 0036 The communication transmitted from the telemat ics unit to the call center may be for example a simple notification that a matching diagnostic trouble c
10. ble code configuration indicates a serious problem a human advisor may initiate a call through the vehicle telematics unit to notify the driver that the vehicle should be taken to a vehicle service center within a specified period of time Where the problem is less serious the computer algorithm may prompt a communication to be sent to a vehicle service center in a location convenient to the driver of the vehicle The vehicle service center can then send a postcard or other communi cation to the driver asking that the vehicle be brought in for service Where the diagnostic trouble code configuration indicates an emerging but not yet active problem the appropriate responsive action may be simply to store the information in a communication services database that con tains other identifiers and records for the vehicle Diagnostic trouble codes received at a later date may then prompt notification of the vehicle s driver that service is required 100391 The list of diagnostic trouble codes may be modi fied at the vehicle telematics unit as needed For example where the diagnostic trouble code configuration indicates an emerging but not yet active problem additional codes may be added to the list to provide more information regarding the problem or the frequency of monitoring may be increased by sending a list including an additional or dif ferent triggering event 100401 Tn practice the described method provides a portal into the vehicle
11. bodiment the call center may contain only the function of a telematics call center Call center 160 typically includes One or more voice and data switches 161 one or more data transmission devices 162 one or more communication ser vices managers 163 one or more communication services databases 164 one or more advisors 165 and one or more networks 166 0021 One or more switches 161 are connected to land network 150 and may receive a modem signal from an analog or digital modem Switch 161 is capable of trans mitting either voice or data transmissions from a commu nication node and may also receive voice or data transmis sions from mobile vehicle 110 through wireless carrier system 130 communications network 140 and land net work 150 Switch 161 may receive from or send data transmissions to data transmission device 162 and may receive from or send voice transmissions to advisor 165 via bus system 166 0022 Data transmission device 162 is capable of sending data to or receiving data from switch 161 and is for example an IP router or a modem Data transmission device 162 may transfer data to or from one or more advisors 165 one or more communication services managers 163 one or more communication services databases 164 and any other device connected to bus system 166 Data transmission device 162 conveys information received from communica tion network 140 to one or more communication services manager 163 0023 Communica
12. c trouble codes relayed to call center 160 by telematics unit 120 Call center 160 is additionally con nected to one or more vehicle service centers 170 and rather than contacting the driver of vehicle 110 call center 160 may report information regarding the diagnostic trouble codes to vehicle service center 170 which may then com municate with the driver of vehicle 110 Vehicle service center 170 may be for example a vehicle repair center or a warranty center 100291 Another aspect of the present invention is a method for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes FIG 2 shows a flow diagram of one embodiment at 200 in accordance with the present invention using an example system as in FIG 1 100301 A list including one or more diagnostic trouble codes of interest for monitoring is received at a vehicle telematics unit Block 210 In the present embodiment the list also specifies one or more electronic modules to be queried regarding these codes The electronic modules are associated with systems circuits or components within the vehicle In another embodiment where for example diag nostic trouble codes can be queried without the need to reference a specific electronic module the list may include only diagnostic trouble codes Typically the list will include more than one diagnostic trouble code for more than one electronic module Electronic modules to be queried may be for example those associated with a vehicl
13. calls Therefore it would be desirable to provide a method and system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes that offers the above benefits and overcomes the aforementioned and other disadvantages SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 100061 One aspect of the invention provides a method for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes A vehicle telematics unit receives a list including at least one diagnostic trouble code The telematics unit receives at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle elec Mar 31 2005 tronic module A determination is made as to whether the diagnostic trouble code received from the vehicle electronic module corresponds with a diagnostic trouble code on the list If a positive determination is made a communication is transmitted from the telematics unit to a call center 0007 Another aspect of the invention provides a com puter usable medium including a program for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes The program includes computer program code for receiving a list includ ing at least one diagnostic trouble code at a vehicle telemat ics unit receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module at the vehicle telemat ics unit determining if the received diagnostic trouble code corresponds with the diagnostic trouble code on the list and transmitting a communication from the telematics unit to a call center based on
14. de for determining responsive action at the call center based on the transmitted diagnostic trouble code 14 The computer usable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program code for sending a command signal from the call center based on the responsive action determination 15 The computer usable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program code for modifying the list at the vehicle telematics unit 16 A system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes comprising means for receiving a list including at least one diagnostic trouble code at a vehicle telematics unit Mar 31 2005 means for receiving at least one diagnostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module at the vehicle telematics unit means for determining if the received diagnostic trouble code corresponds with the diagnostic trouble code on the list and means for transmitting a communication from the telematics unit to a call center based on a positive determination 17 The system of claim 16 further comprising means for sending the list from a call center 18 The system of claim 16 further comprising means for determining responsive action at the call center based on the transmitted diagnostic trouble code 19 The system of claim 16 further comprising means for sending a command signal from the call center based on the responsive action determination 20 The system of claim 16 further compr
15. e s powertrain control and antilock brakes system 100311 In the present embodiment the list to be received at the vehicle telematics unit is accessed by a call center then the vehicle is contacted via a wireless network and the list is sent from the call center to the vehicle via the wireless network In alternative embodiments the list may be trans mitted to the vehicle by other means such as by the factory during manufacture or by a repair center during servicing via either a wireless network or a hardwired connection 100321 The vehicle telematics unit periodically sends a request to each electronic module of interest via a vehicle Mar 31 2005 communication bus to report any diagnostic trouble codes associated with the module Block 220 In the present embodiment the diagnostic trouble code request is initiated responsive to a trigger event that is specified in the list received at the vehicle telematics unit For example the triggering event may be a specified number of ignitions or a specified time each day The telematics unit and the elec tronic modules are connected to the same vehicle commu nication bus allowing both the telematics unit request and the electronic module response to be received via the communication bus In one embodiment the interval between requests is configurable In one example the inter val is adjusted from a request every sixty minutes to a request every ten minutes The interval in one ex
16. erminals on a diagnostic connector This causes the Check Engine or other lights to display the fault code On many vehicles however a scan tool must be plugged into the computer system by a service technician to access and read the codes In either case the codes may be drawn off using only a direct physical connection to the vehicle The codes are then used in conjunction with the vehicle s service manual to determine which systems circuits or components should be tested to fully diagnose the fault 100041 Wireless communication services for mobile vehicles such as navigation and roadside assistance have been available for some time Currently information per taining to a vehicle s location and vehicle information can be collected and stored using such systems This data is occasionally uploaded to a central data repository such as a call center for analysis 100051 A method is needed that combines the self diag nostic capabilities of modern vehicles vvith the convenience of vvireless communications data collection to allovv a vehicle to be monitored on a regular basis instead of being checked only during periodic maintenance visits or when a problem is detected by the vehicle s driver Such a method would offer convenience and potential cost savings to the driver of the vehicle It would also offer the vehicle manu facturer benefits such as reduced warranty costs and improved data collection that can aid in preventing re
17. ion network 140 may be any suitable system or collection of systems for connecting wireless carrier system 130 to mobile vehicle 110 and to land network 150 In the present embodiment communication network 140 comprises services from more than one mobile tele phone switching office and wireless network In an alterna tive embodiment communication network 140 may com prise services from a single mobile telephone switching office or wireless network 100191 Land network 150 is a public switched telephone network PSTN and may comprise a wired network an optical network a fiber network another wireless network or any combination thereof Land network 150 is connected to one or more landline telephones and connects communi cation network 140 to call center 160 In an alternative embodiment land network 150 may connect a first wireless carrier system 130 with a second wireless carrier system 130 Land network 150 may comprise an Internet protocol IP network 100201 Call center 160 is a location where many calls may be received and serviced at the same time or from which many calls may be sent at the same time In the present Mar 31 2005 embodiment the call center contains the functions of both a telematics call center prescribing communications to and from mobile vehicle 110 and a voice call center providing verbal communications between an advisor in the call center and a subscriber in a mobile vehicle In an alternative em
18. ising means for modifying the list at the vehicle telematics unit
19. ode has been identified The call center may then contact the vehicle and initiate a diagnostic trouble code request specifying that the received codes are to be transmitted to a call center database Alternatively the initial communication transmitted from the telematics unit to the call center may include data representing the codes identified which have been saved to the in vehicle memory associated with the telematics unit The data representing the codes may remain cached for a specified period of time to permit comparison of previous data with more recent data 0037 Responsive action is determined at the call center based on the transmitted diagnostic trouble code or codes Block 270 In the present embodiment the responsive action may be determined by one or both of a human being or a computer algorithm In one example a computer algorithm may determine the appropriate responsive action for a previously encountered configuration of diagnostic trouble codes In another example for a unique configura tion of diagnostic trouble codes or for a configuration indicating a serious problem the computer algorithm may US 2005 0068174 A1 process the information and deliver results to a human being vvho vvill be responsible for determining the appropriate responsive action 100381 Once the appropriate responsive action has been determined a command signal is sent from the call center Block 280 For example where the diagnostic trou
20. pod obz Hun s ewaja ay 6 anpow 214017234 apoa onsoubep 082 9 U0I O9 9 o yun s nd l ys nb i po nsouBeip puas ozz yun SONEWA S BJOIYSA ze S po2 nsoubeip 151 012 US 2005 0068174 A1 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTELY MONITORING VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES FIELD OF THE INVENTION 100011 This invention relates generally to data transmis sion over a wireless communication system More specifi cally the invention relates to a method and system for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 100021 Modern automobiles often include self diagnostic capabilities to detect problems that affect engine perfor mance emissions braking and other onboard systems that are computer controlled When the electronic module asso ciated with a system circuit or component detects a reading outside a predefined range an alphanumeric diagnostic trouble code that identifies the fault is generated and saved to the onboard computer If certain diagnostic trouble codes are received by the computer the computer will illuminate a warning light within the vehicle such as a Check Engine light 100031 On some vehicles the onboard computer can be put into a diagnostic mode by grounding certain t
21. stic trouble code 8 The method of claim 7 further comprising sending a command signal from the call center based on the responsive action determination 9 The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the list at the vehicle telematics unit 10 A computer usable medium including a program for remotely monitoring vehicle diagnostic trouble codes com prising computer program code for receiving a list including at least one diagnostic trouble code at a vehicle telematics unit computer program code for receiving at least one diag nostic trouble code from at least one vehicle electronic module at the vehicle telematics unit computer program code for determining if the received diagnostic trouble code corresponds with the diagnostic trouble code on the list and computer program code for transmitting a communication from the telematics unit to a call center based on a positive determination 11 The computer usable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program code for sending the list received at the vehicle telematics unit from a call center via a wireless network US 2005 0068174 A1 12 The computer usable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program code for periodically sending a diag nostic trouble code request from the telematics unit to the electronic module via a vehicle communication bus 13 The computer usable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer program co
22. tion services manager 163 is connected to switch 161 data transmission device 162 and advisor 165 through bus system 166 The call center may contain any combination of hardware or software facilitating data trans missions between call center 160 and mobile vehicle 110 and between call center 160 and vehicle repair centers 170 100241 Communication services manager 163 receives information from mobile vehicle 110 through one or more of wireless carrier system 130 communication network 140 land network 150 and data transmission device 162 Com munication services manager 163 sends information to mobile vehicle 110 through one or more of data transmission device 162 land network 140 communication network 130 and wireless carrier system 120 Communication services manager 163 provides information to mobile vehicle 110 from communication services database 164 Information provided includes a list of diagnostic trouble codes of interest for monitoring 0025 Communication services database 164 contains records on one or more mobile vehicles 110 Records in communication services database 164 may include vehicle identification location information status information recent action information regarding mobile vehicle 110 and diagnostic trouble codes received from mobile vehicle 110 Communication services database 164 may provide infor mation and other support to communication services man ager 163 0026 In the present embodiment
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