U.S. patent application number 13/679680 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-13 for communications based on vehicle diagnostics and indications.
This patent application is currently assigned to Flextronics AP, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Flextronics AP, LLC. Invention is credited to Christopher P. Ricci.
Application Number | 20130151065 13/679680 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48430173 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130151065 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ricci; Christopher P. |
June 13, 2013 |
COMMUNICATIONS BASED ON VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS AND INDICATIONS
Abstract
Methods and systems for communicating vehicle conditions based
on vehicle component diagnostics and indications are provided.
Specifically, various components of a vehicle may provide
diagnostic information that can be collected and interpreted by a
diagnostics module. The diagnostics module may determine to present
the diagnostic information to a third party and/or vehicle occupant
according to predetermined settings. Such diagnostic information
may be presented in a conversational manner. Moreover, diagnostic
information may be automatically evaluated in determining to
provide course of action advice and other communications via the
diagnostic module.
Inventors: |
Ricci; Christopher P.;
(Saratoga, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Flextronics AP, LLC; |
Milpitas |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Flextronics AP, LLC
Milpitas
CA
|
Family ID: |
48430173 |
Appl. No.: |
13/679680 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61560509 |
Nov 16, 2011 |
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61637164 |
Apr 23, 2012 |
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61646747 |
May 14, 2012 |
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61653275 |
May 30, 2012 |
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61653264 |
May 30, 2012 |
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61653563 |
May 31, 2012 |
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61663335 |
Jun 22, 2012 |
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61672483 |
Jul 17, 2012 |
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61714016 |
Oct 15, 2012 |
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61715699 |
Oct 18, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
701/31.4 ; 701/1;
701/29.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 8/61 20130101; G06F
9/44505 20130101; G06F 21/629 20130101; G06Q 40/08 20130101; G07C
5/008 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; H04L 67/12 20130101; G06F
3/0486 20130101; B60K 2370/5894 20190501; G06F 3/017 20130101; H04N
21/41422 20130101; G06F 13/364 20130101; G08G 1/16 20130101; B60K
2370/146 20190501; G06F 2221/0724 20130101; B60K 2370/566 20190501;
B60W 40/04 20130101; H04W 84/005 20130101; B60K 2370/5899 20190501;
B60W 2540/043 20200201; G06F 11/3065 20130101; G06K 9/00355
20130101; G08G 1/096725 20130101; H04N 21/482 20130101; H04W 4/80
20180201; B60W 40/09 20130101; B60W 2555/60 20200201; G06F 11/2023
20130101; B60K 2370/1476 20190501; B60W 50/08 20130101; G06F
3/04817 20130101; G06F 9/54 20130101; H04W 4/90 20180201; G06T
19/006 20130101; G01C 21/20 20130101; G06F 3/0481 20130101; G06F
3/04842 20130101; G07C 5/08 20130101; G07C 5/0825 20130101; G08G
1/09 20130101; B60K 2370/1472 20190501; G08G 1/0112 20130101; G08C
19/00 20130101; B60K 2370/691 20190501; G06F 3/04847 20130101; G06F
21/10 20130101; G08G 1/012 20130101; G08G 1/017 20130101; B60K
2370/21 20190501; B60R 21/01512 20141001; G06F 11/328 20130101;
G06F 16/24 20190101; G08G 1/0141 20130101; H04N 21/4331 20130101;
B60W 50/0098 20130101; G06F 3/0488 20130101; B60W 40/08 20130101;
G06F 17/00 20130101; H04L 41/14 20130101; B60W 2050/0095 20130101;
G06F 3/0484 20130101; G06K 9/00832 20130101; G08G 1/096716
20130101; G08G 1/096791 20130101; B60K 2370/81 20190501; G06F 16/29
20190101; G08G 1/0137 20130101; H04W 8/22 20130101; B60K 2370/164
20190501; B60R 7/04 20130101; G06N 5/02 20130101; B60W 2540/22
20130101; G07C 5/006 20130101; B60K 35/00 20130101; B60K 37/00
20130101; G02B 27/0101 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101; G07C 5/085
20130101; H04L 63/10 20130101; H04W 4/40 20180201; B60K 2370/166
20190501; B60R 16/037 20130101; B60W 2540/26 20130101; G06F 21/121
20130101; H04L 51/36 20130101; H04W 4/50 20180201; H04W 84/12
20130101; G06Q 50/26 20130101; G07C 5/0833 20130101; G08G 1/0116
20130101; B60K 37/02 20130101; B60W 2040/0872 20130101; G06F 3/0482
20130101; G06F 11/3013 20130101; G06F 2203/04808 20130101; G07C
5/02 20130101; G08G 1/096827 20130101; G06F 13/14 20130101; B60K
2370/1438 20190501; B60W 2540/221 20200201; G06K 2009/00939
20130101; G06Q 30/0265 20130101; G08G 1/096783 20130101; B60W
2040/0881 20130101; G06K 9/00362 20130101; G08G 1/0133 20130101;
G08G 1/096844 20130101; G08G 1/143 20130101; H04W 4/48 20180201;
B60W 30/182 20130101; G01S 19/13 20130101; G06F 21/335 20130101;
G08G 1/0129 20130101; B60K 37/06 20130101; B60K 2370/1464 20190501;
G06N 5/048 20130101; H04L 67/125 20130101; B60K 2370/11 20190501;
G08G 1/096775 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/31.4 ;
701/29.1; 701/1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/00 20060101
G06F017/00 |
Claims
1. A method of providing conversational vehicle diagnostic
information to a receiving party, comprising: receiving a signal
from one or more components of a vehicle, the signal representing
one or more of a code, warning, and indication; interpreting a
meaning associated with the signal; determining a conversational
meaning based on one or more rules to represent the meaning
associated with the signal; and providing the conversational
meaning to an occupant of the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the meaning
associated with the signal in memory; and determining to transmit
the meaning associated with the signal to a third party.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the conversational
meaning further comprises: referring to a set of data, wherein the
set of data includes a plurality of conversational meanings mapped
to corresponding signals; and selecting an appropriate
conversational meaning from the plurality of conversational
meanings based on the set of data.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversational meaning is
provided to the occupant of the vehicle as a visual text output via
a display associated with the vehicle.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversational meaning is
provided to the occupant of the vehicle as an audible output via at
least one speaker associated with the vehicle.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting the
meaning associated with the signal to the third party automatically
and based at least partially on the one or more rules.
7. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the conversational
meaning to the occupant of the vehicle, further comprises:
providing additional information to the occupant of the vehicle,
wherein the additional information is associated with the
conversational meaning.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional information
includes one or more options provided for a selectable input from
the occupant of the vehicle.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: transmitting the
meaning associated with the signal to the third party based at
least partially on the selectable input from the occupant of the
vehicle.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the third party is at least one
of a vehicle manufacturer, dealer, repair facility, mechanic, and
code recording storage.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is received via a
remote node in wireless communication with the vehicle, and wherein
the signal represents information relating to the one or more
components of the vehicle.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote node is associated
with at least one of a vehicle manufacturer, parts manufacturer,
dealer, repair facility, mechanic, and government entity.
13. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having
instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor,
perform the method comprising: receiving a signal from one or more
components of a vehicle, the signal representing one or more of a
code, warning, and indication; interpreting a meaning associated
with the signal; determining a conversational meaning based on one
or more rules to represent the meaning associated with the signal;
and providing the conversational meaning to an occupant of the
vehicle.
14. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim
13, wherein the method further comprises: storing the meaning
associated with the signal in memory; and determining to transmit
the meaning associated with the signal to a third party.
15. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim
14, wherein the method further comprises: providing additional
information to the occupant of the vehicle, wherein the additional
information is associated with the conversational meaning, the
additional information including one or more options provided for a
selectable input from the occupant of the vehicle; and transmitting
the meaning associated with the signal to the third party based at
least partially on the selectable input from the occupant of the
vehicle.
16. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim
14, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting the meaning
associated with the signal to the third party automatically and
based at least partially on the one or more rules.
17. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim
13, wherein the signal is received via a remote node in wireless
communication with the vehicle, and wherein the signal represents
information relating to the one or more components of the
vehicle.
18. A system for providing conversational vehicle diagnostic
information to a receiving party, comprising: a vehicle having one
or more components; at least one sensor operatively connected to
the one or more components; a memory; and a microprocessor
executable diagnostic module operable to: receive a signal from at
least one of the one or more sensors and the one or more
components, the signal representing one or more of a code, warning,
and indication; interpret a meaning associated with the signal;
determine a conversational meaning based on one or more rules
stored in the memory to represent the meaning associated with the
signal; and provide the conversational meaning to an occupant of
the vehicle.
19. The system of claim 18, further comprising: a conversational
meaning presentation device, wherein the conversational meaning
presentation device includes at least one of a display and a
speaker, and wherein the conversational meaning presentation device
is configured to provide the conversational meaning to the occupant
of the vehicle.
20. The system of claim 18, further comprising: a communication
transceiver, wherein the communication transceiver is configured to
communicate with a remote node, the remote node associated with at
least one of a vehicle manufacturer, parts manufacturer, dealer,
repair facility, vehicle owner, mechanic, and government entity,
and wherein the signal is received via the communication
transceiver over a wireless network.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefits of and priority,
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e), to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
Nos. 61/560,509, filed on Nov. 16, 2011, entitled "Complete Vehicle
Ecosystem"; 61/637,164, filed on Apr. 23, 2012, entitled "Complete
Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/646,747, filed on May 14, 2012, entitled
"Branding of Electrically Propelled Vehicles Via the Generation of
Specific Operating Sounds"; 61/653,275, filed on May 30, 2012,
entitled "Vehicle Application Store for Console"; 61/653,264, filed
on May 30, 2012, entitled "Control of Device Features Based on
Vehicle State"; 61/653,563, filed on May 31, 2012, entitled
"Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/663,335, filed on Jun. 22, 2012,
entitled "Complete Vehicle Ecosystem"; 61/672,483, filed on Jul.
17, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Climate Control"; and 61/714,016, filed
on Oct. 15, 2012, entitled "Vehicle Middleware." The entire
disclosures of the applications listed above are hereby
incorporated by reference, in their entirety, for all that they
teach and for all purposes.
[0002] This application is also related to U.S. patent application
Ser. Nos. 13/420,236, filed on Mar. 14, 2012, entitled,
"Configurable Vehicle Console"; 13/420,240, filed on Mar. 14, 2012,
entitled "Removable, Configurable Vehicle Console"; 13/462,593,
filed on May 2, 2012, entitled "Configurable Dash Display";
13/462,596, filed on May 2, 2012, entitled "Configurable Heads-Up
Dash Display"; ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Implementation of Conquest Functionality in Automotive Console"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-228); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Gesture Recognition for On-Board Display" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-229); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Vehicle Application Store for Console" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-230); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Sharing
Applications/Media Between Car and Phone (Hydroid)" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-231); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"In-Cloud Connection for Car Multimedia" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-232); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Music
Streaming" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-233); ______, filed on Nov.
16, 2012, entitled "Control of Device Features Based on Vehicle
State" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-234); ______, filed on Nov. 16,
2012, entitled "Insurance Tracking" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-235);
______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Law Breaking/Behavior
Sensor" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-236); ______, filed on Nov. 16,
2012, entitled "Etiquette Suggestion" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-237); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Parking Space
Finder Based on Parking Meter Data" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-238);
______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Parking Meter Expired
Alert" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-239); ______, filed on Nov. 16,
2012, entitled "Object Sensing (Pedestrian Avoidance/Accident
Avoidance)" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-240); ______, filed on Nov.
16, 2012, entitled "Proximity Warning Relative to Other Cars"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-241); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Street Side Sensors" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-242);
______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Car Location" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-243); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Universal Bus in the Car" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-244); ______,
filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Mobile Hot
Spot/Router/Application Share Site or Network" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-245); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Universal
Console Chassis for the Car" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-246);
______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Middleware" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-247); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Real Time Traffic" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-248); ______, filed
on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Map Updating" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-249); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Felon
Identifier" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-251); ______, filed on Nov.
16, 2012, entitled "Behavioral Tracking and Vehicle Applications"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-252); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "Improvements to Controller Area Network Bus" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-314); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Location Information Exchange Between Vehicle and Device"
(Attorney Docket No. 6583-315); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012,
entitled "In Car Communication Between Devices" (Attorney Docket
No. 6583-316); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Configurable Hardware Unit for Car Systems" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-317); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Feature
Recognition for Configuring a Vehicle Console and Associated
Devices" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-318); ______, filed on Nov. 16,
2012, entitled "Configurable Vehicle Console" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-412); ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled "Configurable
Dash Display" (Attorney Docket No. 6583-413); ______, filed on Nov.
16, 2012, entitled "Configurable Heads-Up Dash Display" (Attorney
Docket No. 6583-414); and ______, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, entitled
"Removable, Configurable Vehicle Console" (Attorney Docket No.
6583-415). The entire disclosures of the applications listed above
are hereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety, for all
that they teach and for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Whether using private, commercial, or public transport, the
movement of people and/or cargo has become a major industry. In
today's interconnected world, daily travel is essential to engaging
in commerce. Commuting to and from work can account for a large
portion of a traveler's day. As a result, vehicle manufacturers
have begun to focus on making this commute, and other journeys,
more enjoyable.
[0004] Currently, vehicle manufacturers attempt to entice travelers
to use a specific conveyance based on any number of features. Most
of these features focus on vehicle safety, or efficiency. From the
addition of safety-restraints, air-bags, and warning systems to
more efficient engines, motors, and designs, the vehicle industry
has worked to appease the supposed needs of the traveler. Recently,
however, vehicle manufactures have shifted their focus to user and
passenger comfort as a primary concern. Making an individual more
comfortable while traveling instills confidence and pleasure in
using a given vehicle, increasing an individual's preference for a
given manufacturer and/or vehicle type.
[0005] One way to instill comfort in a vehicle is to create an
environment within the vehicle similar to that of an individual's
home or place of comfort. Integrating features in a vehicle that
are associated with comfort found in an individual's home can ease
a traveler's transition from home to vehicle. Several manufacturers
have added comfort features in vehicles such as the following:
leather seats, adaptive and/or personal climate control systems,
music and media players, ergonomic controls, and in some cases
Internet connectivity. However, because these manufacturers have
added features to a conveyance, they have built comfort around a
vehicle and failed to build a vehicle around comfort.
[0006] Modern vehicles use a number of communication systems and/or
networks. Each of these communication systems and/or networks may
have a bus structure that is open or proprietary. Each of these
buses may also be specifically designed to work in a vehicle or may
be available as a general communication protocol. These
communication systems and/or networks connect the various
individual components of the vehicles through their respective
buses. Examples of proprietary vehicle bus architecture include
Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus, Local Interconnect Network (LIN)
Bus, and the various Original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) Bus
among others. Examples of open and general bus architecture include
wired or wireless Ethernet and Low-Voltage Differential Signaling
(LVDS) among others.
[0007] As usage of the CAN standard evolves, many vehicles and
systems implementing CAN are using both a high-speed and a
low-speed CAN bus in parallel. The high-speed CAN bus carries
information that is vital for vehicle operation or safety and is
delivered to various part of the vehicle or system in substantially
real time. For example, the high-speed CAN bus would be used in a
situation where an airbag deploys. When sensors in the bumper or at
the front of the vehicle indicate that the vehicle has been
involved in a frontal collision, the sensors can send priority
information via the high-speed CAN bus to the airbag deployment
unit to deploy the airbag. The low-speed CAN bus would be used for
other less critical applications.
[0008] A number of extensions have been proposed and used to extend
the capabilities of the various bus architectures. For example,
On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) adds support for requesting data from
vehicle components for diagnostics purposes using Parameter
Identifiers (PIDs). While OBD is designed to work with CAN bus, OBD
can be implemented to work with other general and/or OEM specific
buses. Further, specific vehicle components such as the Engine
Control Unit (ECU), Transmission Control Unit (TCU), Anti-lock
Braking System (ABS), and generally Body Control Modules (BCMs) can
have specific protocol extensions to work with the various bus
architectures. Further, extensions to the bus architectures are
needed to support carrying information regarding various
environmental type issues such as emissions information to comply
with various government regulation mandates.
[0009] Vehicles, particularly passenger vehicles, are evolving
rapidly with emerging safety, entertainment, and communication
technologies. Existing vehicle bus protocols, which are largely
designed for safety, are generally unsuitable for other non-safety
communications, due to low bus bandwidth and transmission speed.
There are therefore various needs in the art including improving
information flow between vehicle components, leveraging the various
communication systems and/or networks in the art to enhance vehicle
safety, data security, and/or data processing, and providing remote
authorized third party (e.g., peace officers, vehicle
manufacturers, vehicle security services, and owners) access to a
vehicle's functions and state information while maintaining
security against unauthorized parties and components.
SUMMARY
[0010] There is a need for a vehicle ecosystem that can integrate
both physical and mental comforts while seamlessly operating with
current electronic devices to result in an intuitive and immersive
user experience. These and other needs are addressed by the various
aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the present
disclosure. Also, while the disclosure is presented in terms of
exemplary embodiments, it should be appreciated that individual
aspects of the disclosure can be separately claimed.
[0011] A method and system for diagnosing and communicating events
associated with one or more components of vehicle is described. In
general, a vehicle may provide information regarding its recorded
and/or monitored system and component states via a self-diagnostic
and/or reporting capability. Examples of these system and/or
component states may include, but are not limited to, a vehicle's
fuel system, emissions, ignition system, speed controls,
motor/engine data, transmission, computer system(s), Engine Control
Unit ("ECU") data, real-time monitoring, and the like. In some
cases, this data may be provided via the vehicle's standardized
diagnostics module (e.g., via the On-Board Diagnostics ("OBD"),
OBD-II, Enhanced OBD ("EOBD"), EOBD-II, and/or country-specific OBD
modules, and the like). Additionally or alternatively, the data may
be collected, monitored, and even stored via another data
collection mechanism that is in communication with one or more
vehicle components via the Controller Area Network Bus ("CAN Bus"),
or equivalent communications protocol, and an associated
memory.
[0012] It is an aspect of the present disclosure that certain
vehicle system state information may be interpreted and presented
to a vehicle user/passenger. In some embodiments, the presentation
of information to a user/passenger may include a conversational
translation of vehicle diagnostic information, or events. For
example, a vehicle may detect through its various diagnostic
equipment that an oxygen sensor has failed. In lieu of, or in
addition to, activating a flashing "Check Engine" indicator (e.g.,
a code that may be used by some car manufacturers to indicate an
oxygen sensor failure), embodiments of the present disclosure are
directed to providing a conversational translation of the failure
by providing a description of the failure. In other words, the
description may state "An Oxygen Sensor Failure Has Been Detected."
It is anticipated that the information in this description may be
provided to a user/passenger by output that is visual, audible,
tactile, and/or combinations thereof. As can be expected, an
audible output of this information may be provided by one or more
associated speakers and/or sound transducers. The visual output may
be provided to a console, dash display, and/or associated device
(e.g., smart-phone, PDA, PC, Tablet PC, Apple iPad.RTM., Apple
iPhone.RTM., Android.RTM. phone, Android.RTM. tablet, and/or other
portable electronic device). Additionally or alternatively, this
information may be communicated to a third party such as a repair
facility, garage, manufacturer, dealership, and/or other party. In
some embodiments, the presentation and/or communication of
information may be made automatically in response to detecting an
event.
[0013] In some embodiments, the diagnostics module may determine
that a specific condition (e.g., failure, warning, indication,
etc.) should be coupled with additional information for the benefit
of a receiving party (e.g., a vehicle occupant, third party, remote
node, etc.). This additional information may be used to help
diagnose a greater problem associated with the vehicle. Among other
things, information may be recorded that relates to the driving
behavior of an individual prior to and/or after a specific
condition is detected. For example, information may be recorded
about a vehicle operator who has increased in speed and used the
brakes within a given time period. In this case, data, such as a
vehicle's gravitational-force (G-Force), pitch, yaw,
location/orientation, engine temperature, and the like, may be used
alone or together to determine possible causes of the observed
specific condition. This information may be sent to a third party
(e.g., vehicle manufacturer, dealer, repair facility, remote node,
mechanic, code recording storage, etc.) and/or presented to at
least one vehicle occupant (e.g., a vehicle operator).
[0014] Other examples of additional information that can be
provided to a receiving party may include comment, suggestion,
options, general information, combinations thereof, and/or other
information related to an observed specific condition. For
instance, stress/strain gages, force transducers, and/or
accelerometers may determine that a vehicle has been exposed to a
certain stress level that is above a predetermined limit. As such,
the diagnostic module may provide a communication to a receiving
party that includes a comment and suggestion. In this example the
communication may output the following communication, "The vehicle
has suffered stress above normal limits, please consider driving
more carefully."
[0015] In one embodiment, the additional information may be
provided to a receiving party for the purposes of seeking input
from the receiving party. For example, a diagnostic module may
determine that a specific fault combination associated with engine
failure has been detected. In response, the diagnostic module may
provide a communication of the information and ask for user input
regarding a next step. In this case, the diagnostic module may
present the following question "Would you like to send data to a
repair facility regarding the fault data recently recorded?" In the
event that a user answers in the affirmative to this question, the
diagnostic module may prompt the user for further information
regarding a choice of repair facility. As can be expected, user
input may be provided via speech, gesture, physical input, display
selection, and the like.
[0016] Additionally or alternatively, the diagnostic module may
utilize geographical vehicle location information and stored
vendor/repair facility information to provide one or more choices
to the user. The diagnostic module may suggest a repair facility
and/or other nearby services/vendors based on a geographical
location of the vehicle. For instance, the diagnostic module may
provide the user with the following communication, "You are close
to three repair facilities." In one embodiment, the diagnostic
module may filter suggestions based on stored ratings. For
instance, the communication may be provided to a user as follows,
"You are close to three repair facilities, two of these repair
facilities have a rating of three out of four stars and above.
Would you like to make an appointment?"
[0017] In another embodiment, the diagnostic module may communicate
with one or more repair facilities to determine facility
information such as component/system inventory levels, repair
scheduling, time to repair, costs, and/or the like. As can be
appreciated, this facility information may be communicated to a
vehicle occupant via the diagnostic module. Based on the facility
information, the diagnostic module may determine to present a
communication to a user. Additionally or alternatively, the
diagnostic module may automatically send data, schedule
appointments, and/or determine to provide an informative
communication, based on predetermined settings/rules.
[0018] The phrases "at least one", "one or more", and "and/or" are
open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in
operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A,
B and C", "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, and
C", "one or more of A, B, or C" and "A, B, and/or C" means A alone,
B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C
together, or A, B and C together.
[0019] The term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that
entity. As such, the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more" and "at
least one" can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be
noted that the terms "comprising", "including", and "having" can be
used interchangeably.
[0020] The term "automatic" and variations thereof, as used herein,
refers to any process or operation done without material human
input when the process or operation is performed. However, a
process or operation can be automatic, even though performance of
the process or operation uses material or immaterial human input,
if the input is received before performance of the process or
operation. Human input is deemed to be material if such input
influences how the process or operation will be performed. Human
input that consents to the performance of the process or operation
is not deemed to be "material."
[0021] The term "automotive navigation system" is a satellite
navigation system designed for use in automobiles. It typically
uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the
user on a road in the unit's map database. Using the road database,
the unit can give directions to other locations along roads also in
its database. Dead reckoning using distance data from sensors
attached to the drivetrain, a gyroscope and an accelerometer can be
used for greater reliability, as GPS signal loss and/or multipath
can occur due to urban canyons or tunnels.
[0022] The term "bus" and variations thereof, as used herein,
refers to a subsystem that transfers information and/or data
between various components. A bus generally refers to the
collection communication hardware interface, interconnects, bus
architecture, and/or protocol defining the communication scheme for
a communication system and/or communication network. A bus may also
be specifically refer to a part of a communication hardware that
interfaces the communication hardware with the interconnects that
connect to other components of the corresponding communication
network. The bus may be for a wired network, such as a physical
bus, or wireless network, such as part of an antenna or hardware
that couples the communication hardware with the antenna. A bus
architecture supports a defined format in which information and/or
data is arranged when sent and received through a communication
network. A protocol may define the format and rules of
communication of a bus architecture.
[0023] The terms "communication device," "smartphone," and "mobile
device," and variations thereof, as used herein, are used
interchangeably and include any type of device capable of
communicating with one or more of another device and/or across a
communications network, via a communications protocol, and the
like. Exemplary communication devices may include but are not
limited to smartphones, handheld computers, laptops, netbooks,
notebook computers, subnotebooks, tablet computers, scanners,
portable gaming devices, phones, pagers, GPS modules, portable
music players, and other Internet-enabled and/or network-connected
devices.
[0024] The term "communication system" or "communication network"
and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to a collection of
communication components capable of one or more of transmission,
relay, interconnect, control, or otherwise manipulate information
or data from at least one transmitter to at least one receiver. As
such, the communication may include a range of systems supporting
point-to-point to broadcasting of the information or data. A
communication system may refer to the collection of individual
communication hardware as well as the interconnects associated with
and connecting the individual communication hardware. Communication
hardware may refer to dedicated communication hardware or may refer
a processor coupled with a communication means (e.g., an antenna)
and running software capable of using the communication means to
send a signal within the communication system. Interconnect refers
some type of wired or wireless communication link that connects
various components, such as communication hardware, within a
communication system. A communication network may refer to a
specific setup of a communication system with the collection of
individual communication hardware and interconnects having some
definable network topography. A communication network may include
wired and/or wireless network having a pre-set to an ad hoc network
structure.
[0025] The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to
any tangible storage and/or transmission medium that participate in
providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium
may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile
media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media
includes, for example, NVRAM, or magnetic or optical disks.
Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common
forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy
disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other
magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, any other
optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium
with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a
solid state medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or
cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other
medium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment to
e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of
archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a
tangible storage medium. When the computer-readable media is
configured as a database, it is to be understood that the database
may be any type of database, such as relational, hierarchical,
object-oriented, and/or the like. Accordingly, the disclosure is
considered to include a tangible storage medium or distribution
medium and prior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in
which the software implementations of the present disclosure are
stored.
[0026] The terms "dash" and "dashboard" and variations thereof, as
used herein, are used interchangeably and include any panel and/or
area of a vehicle disposed adjacent to an operator, user, and/or
passenger. Typical dashboards may include but are not limited to
one or more control panel, instrument housing, head unit,
indicator, gauge, meter, light, audio equipment, computer, screen,
display, HUD unit, and graphical user interface.
[0027] The terms "determine," "calculate," and "compute," and
variations thereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and
include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation or
technique.
[0028] The term "display" refers to a portion of a screen used to
display the output of a computer to a user.
[0029] The term "displayed image" or "displayed object" refers to
an image produced on the display. A typical displayed image is a
window or desktop or portion thereof, such as an icon. The
displayed image may occupy all or a portion of the display.
[0030] The term "module" as used herein refers to any known or
later developed hardware, software, firmware, artificial
intelligence, fuzzy logic, or combination of hardware and software
that is capable of performing the functionality associated with
that element.
[0031] It shall be understood that the term "means" as used herein
shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance
with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim
incorporating the term "means" shall cover all structures,
materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents
thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the
equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the
summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings,
detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.
[0032] The term "satellite positioning system receiver" refers to a
wireless receiver or transceiver to receive and/or send location
signals from and/or to a satellite positioning system, such as the
Global Positioning System ("GPS") (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo
positioning system (EU), Compass navigation system (China), and
Regional Navigational Satellite System (India).
[0033] The term "screen," "touch screen," or "touchscreen" refers
to a physical structure that enables the user to interact with the
computer by touching areas on the screen and provides information
to a user through a display. The touch screen may sense user
contact in a number of different ways, such as by a change in an
electrical parameter (e.g., resistance or capacitance), acoustic
wave variations, infrared radiation proximity detection, light
variation detection, and the like. In a resistive touch screen, for
example, normally separated conductive and resistive metallic
layers in the screen pass an electrical current. When a user
touches the screen, the two layers make contact in the contacted
location, whereby a change in electrical field is noted and the
coordinates of the contacted location calculated. In a capacitive
touch screen, a capacitive layer stores electrical charge, which is
discharged to the user upon contact with the touch screen, causing
a decrease in the charge of the capacitive layer. The decrease is
measured, and the contacted location coordinates determined. In a
surface acoustic wave touch screen, an acoustic wave is transmitted
through the screen, and the acoustic wave is disturbed by user
contact. A receiving transducer detects the user contact instance
and determines the contacted location coordinates. The touch screen
may or may not include a proximity sensor to sense a nearness of
object, such as a user digit, to the screen.
[0034] The term "vehicle" as used herein includes any conveyance,
or model of a conveyance, where the conveyance was originally
designed for the purpose of moving one or more tangible objects,
such as people, animals, cargo, and the like. The term "vehicle"
does not require that a conveyance moves or is capable of movement.
Typical vehicles may include but are in no way limited to cars,
trucks, motorcycles, busses, automobiles, trains, railed
conveyances, boats, ships, marine conveyances, submarine
conveyances, airplanes, space craft, flying machines, human-powered
conveyances, and the like.
[0035] The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to
provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This
summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the
disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations. It is intended neither to identify key or critical
elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the
disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a
simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description
presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure are possible
utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set
forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment
of the present disclosure;
[0037] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a processing module in
accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0038] FIG. 3 depicts a vehicle implementing processing modules
configured in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0039] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computational system in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0040] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a vehicle computational system
in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0041] FIG. 6 depicts a flow diagram in accordance with embodiments
of the present disclosure; and
[0042] FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram in accordance with embodiments
of the present disclosure.
[0043] In the appended figures, similar components and/or features
may have the same reference label. Further, various components of
the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label
by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If
only the first reference label is used in the specification, the
description is applicable to any one of the similar components
having the same first reference label irrespective of the second
reference label.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] Presented herein are embodiments of a vehicle diagnostics
and indication communication system. The diagnostic system can
comprise one device or a compilation of devices. Furthermore, the
diagnostic system may utilize on-board communication devices (e.g.,
displays, consoles, speakers, tactile sound transducers, and/or
other components of a connected vehicle), and/or external
communication devices, such as cellular telephones, or other smart
devices. These communication devices may be employed to send and
receive data and/or communicate indications and/or diagnostic
information to a receiving party. In some embodiments, the
communication device, or devices, can receive user input in unique
ways. As described herein, the device(s) may be electrical,
mechanical, electro-mechanical, software-based, and/or combinations
thereof.
[0045] For purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth
in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. It should be appreciated, however, that the present
invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific
details set forth herein.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes, among many
components common to vehicles, wheels 104, a power source 108 (such
as an engine, motor, or energy storage system (e.g., battery or
capacitive energy storage system)), a manual or automatic
transmission 112, a manual or automatic transmission gear
controller 116, a power controller 120 (such as a throttle), a
braking system 136, a steering wheel 140, a display panel 144
(e.g., a dashboard displaying information regarding components in
vehicle 100), and an occupant seating system 148.
[0047] Other components in vehicle 100 include communication
components such as a wireless signal receiver/transmitter 152 to
receive, and/or transmit, wireless signals between signal sources
such as roadside beacons, and other electronic roadside devices,
remote nodes, one or more third parties, a vehicle occupant, and a
satellite positioning system receiver 156 (e.g., a Global
Positioning System ("GPS") (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo
positioning system (EU), Compass navigation system (China), and
Regional Navigational Satellite System (India) receiver).
[0048] The vehicle 100 also includes a number of control units and
sensors for the various components of vehicle 100. Exemplary
control units and sensors include wheel state sensor 160 to sense
one or more of vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, wheel
rotation, wheel speed (e.g., wheel revolutions-per-minute), wheel
slip, and the like. Power source controller and energy output
sensor 164 controls the power source and to senses a power output
of the power source 108. Example aspects of power source controller
and energy output sensor 164 include balancing the mixture of fuel
(e.g., gasoline, natural gas, or other sources of fuel) and other
elements (e.g., air for combustion) and measuring one or more of
current engine speed (e.g., revolutions-per-minute), energy input
and/or output (e.g., voltage, current, fuel consumption, and
torque), and the like. Switch state control unit 168 activates or
deactivates the power source (e.g., the ignition). Transmission
control unit ("TCU") 170 sets the current state the transmission
(e.g., gear selection or setting) based on the state of gear
controller 116. Power control unit 174 sets the throttle for power
source 108 given the state of power controller 120. Brake control
unit 176 operates the current state (braking or non-braking) of
braking system 136 based on the state of the brake controller
(which could be linked to power controller 120).
[0049] Vehicle 100 also includes other control units and sensors
for safety purposes. An airbag deployment system includes an airbag
deployment control unit 133 and a collision sensor 132. When a
collision is detected by collision sensor 132, data is sent to
airbag release control unit 133 which determines whether to deploy
the airbag based on the data received (e.g., the speed of the
collision and the area of impact to determine whether an airbag
deployment can promote safety). Other safety components include
seat belt control unit and sensors for setting the seat belt (e.g.,
engaging or disengaging the seat belt during hard breaking), head
light control unit and sensors for headlight 128 and other lights
(e.g., emergency light, brake light, parking light, fog light,
interior or passenger compartment light, and/or tail light state
(on or off)), door settings (locking and unlocking), window
settings (opening or closing), one or cameras or other imaging
sensors (which commonly convert an optical image into an electronic
signal but may include other devices for detection objects such as
an electromagnetic radiation emitter/receiver that emits
electromagnetic radiation and receives electromagnetic waves
reflected by the object) to sense objects, such as other vehicles
and pedestrians and optionally determine the distance, trajectory
and speed of such objects, in the vicinity or path of the vehicle,
and other components and sensors as known in the art.
[0050] Vehicle 100 further includes components for the convenience
and enjoyment of the occupants or operators. Seating system
controller and sensor 178 sets the position and other settings of a
seat and measure various attributes of an occupant of the seat
(e.g., the current weight of seated occupant) in a selected seat of
the seating system 148. Entertainment system 190, preferably
located in the head unit of the passenger compartment, provides
entertainment options such as music or video for occupants of
vehicle 100.
[0051] Examples of other vehicle components include one or more
cameras or other imaging sensors (which commonly convert an optical
image into an electronic signal but may include other devices for
detection objects such as an electromagnetic radiation
emitter/receiver that emits electromagnetic radiation and receives
electromagnetic waves reflected by the object) to sense objects,
such as other vehicles and pedestrians and optionally determine the
distance, trajectory and speed of such objects, in the vicinity or
path of the vehicle, odometer reading sensor, trip mileage reading
sensor, wind speed sensor, radar transmitter/receiver output, brake
wear sensor, steering/torque sensor, oxygen sensor, ambient
lighting sensor, vision system sensor, ranging sensor, parking
sensor, heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor, water
sensor, air-fuel ratio meter, blind spot monitor, hall effect
sensor, microphone, radio frequency (RF) sensor, infrared (IR)
sensor, vehicle control system sensors, wireless network sensor
(e.g., Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth sensor), cellular data sensor, and
other sensors known to those of skill in the vehicle art.
[0052] Vehicle 100 includes one or more vehicle buses 180 for
connecting the various components and systems of vehicle 100 as
described above. In modern vehicles, subsystems such as an
anti-lock braking system (ABS), which may be used by brake control
unit 176 and braking system 136, engine control unit (ECU), which
may be used by power source control 164, transmission control unit
(TCU), which may be used by transmission control unit 170 and gear
controller 116, and supplemental restraint system (SRS), such as
airbag deployment control unit 133 and collision sensor 132 and
seating system controller and sensor 178, are frequently
interconnected using a standardized bus. Standardized buses for use
in vehicles include Controller Area Network (CAN), and Local
Interconnect Network (LIN) and others, as are known in the art. In
particular, these components and subsystems may use the high-speed
CAN bus for real-time information. Other components with lower
priorities may use the low-speed CAN bus to transmit information.
Vehicle bus 180 (which is optional) is illustrated as one bus in
FIG. 1. However, vehicle 100 may include one or more of these
standardized buses, such as a combination of the high-speed and
low-speed CAN, LIN, and/or other buses. Also, vehicle bus 180 may
further include and support extensions to standardized buses, such
as the FlexCAN extension to the CAN bus. Further, vehicle bus 180
may include standardized communication networks that can be
implemented vehicle 100. Well known networks include Ethernet,
Wi-Fi, USB, I.sup.2C, RS232, RS485 and FireWire.
[0053] Vehicle 100 also includes processing module 124. Preferably,
processing module 124 is placed in the trunk, hood (not shown),
behind the head unit (not shown), and/or other accessible but
unseen locations. Processing module 124 is coupled to vehicle bus
180 and provides processing for data related to vehicle bus 180 and
other vehicle components.
[0054] Processing modules, for example, can perform, monitor,
and/or control critical and non-critical tasks, functions, and
operations, such as interaction with and/or monitoring and/or
control of critical and non-critical on board sensors and vehicle
operations (e.g., engine, transmission, throttle, brake power
assist/brake lock-up, electronic suspension, fraction and stability
control, parallel parking assistance, occupant protection systems,
power steering assistance, self-diagnostics, event data recorders,
steer-by-wire and/or brake-by-wire operations, vehicle-to-vehicle
interactions, vehicle-to-infrastructure interactions, partial
and/or full automation, telematics, navigation/SPS, multimedia
systems, audio systems, rear seat entertainment systems, game
consoles, tuners (SDR), heads-up display, night vision, lane
departure warning, adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights,
collision warning, blind spot sensors, park/reverse assistance,
tire pressure monitoring, traffic signal recognition, vehicle
tracking (e.g., LoJack.TM.), dashboard/instrument cluster, lights,
seats, climate control, voice recognition, remote keyless entry,
security alarm systems, and wiper/window control). Processing
modules can be enclosed in an advanced EMI-shielded enclosure
containing multiple expansion modules. Processing modules can have
a "black box" or flight data recorder technology, containing an
event (or driving history) recorder (containing operational
information collected from vehicle on board sensors and provided by
nearby or roadside signal transmitters), a crash survivable memory
unit, an integrated controller and circuitry board, and network
interfaces. Processing module 124 is further disclosed with
reference to FIG. 2.
[0055] As set forth below and as shown in FIG. 3, multiple
processing modules 124A-C may be located at various locations in a
common vehicle. The disparate, spaced apart locations of the
processing modules 124A-C provide redundancy in the event of a
collision or other catastrophic event. For example, a collision
with the rear of the vehicle 100 may damage the processing module
124C but not the processing modules 124A,B.
[0056] As will be appreciated, the multiple processing modules
124A-C may be configured to operate in an active/active and/or
active/standby mode. These operating modes describe the manner in
which first and second (redundant) devices operate under normal
conditions. In active/standby implementations, only the primary
device in a pair processes information and issues commands. The
standby device sits idle, ready to assume the active role should
the primary device fail. The standby device may receive, from the
primary device, processing, command, and primary device state
information to facilitate stateful failover, but it does not itself
commonly perform meaningful work until the primary device fails. In
active/active implementations, both devices are online and
collaboratively process information and issue commands under normal
conditions. When one device fails, all processing is handled by the
remaining device.
[0057] A user can be an occupant of a vehicle 100 that implements
the system of FIG. 1. A user can further be an assembler,
technician, or mechanic working on the vehicle to configure the
system of FIG. 1 for use by an end-user of the vehicle.
[0058] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram for a (primary
and/or secondary) processing module 124A-C.
[0059] Processing module 124 may include processor 210, memory 220,
storage 230, and interfaces for one or more buses 240-270. Among
the interfaces 240-270 include high-speed CAN bus 240, low-speed
CAN bus 250, LIN bus 260, network interface 270, and/or wireless
interface 280. One skilled in the art will recognize that
processing module 124 may take other configurations and with other
buses as known in the art, and interfaces 240-290 may be
implemented with more or fewer buses than those shown.
[0060] The operations of processing module 124 will now be
described with respect to the high-speed CAN bus interface 240 and
low-speed CAN bus interface 250 as an exemplary configuration in
one embodiment of the invention. In one implementation, processing
module 124 receives data transmitted over vehicle bus 180 through
high-speed CAN bus interface 240 and/or low-speed CAN bus interface
250. Data transmitted over the high-speed CAN bus includes priority
data from subsystems such as anti-lock braking system (ABS), which
may be used by brake control unit 176 and braking system 136,
engine control unit (ECU), which may be used by power source
control 164, transmission control unit (TCU), which may be used by
transmission control unit 170 and gear controller 116, and
supplemental restraint system (SRS), such as airbag deployment
control unit 133 and collision sensor 132 and seating system
controller and sensor 178, as described above. Data transmitted
over the low-speed CAN bus includes other noncritical data, such as
engine temperature and oil pressure sensor readings.
[0061] Wireless interface 280, by contrast, can be a transceiver
for one or more long, intermediate, or short range wireless
networks, such as a radio (e.g., cellular such as CDMA, GSM, or
IS-95 network), 802.X, a WiFi.TM. network, a Bluetooth.TM. network,
and the like, sending and receiving a wide variety of information,
including lower priority information, such as data for the
convenience and enjoyment of the occupants in entertainment system
190 or seating system 148. The wireless interface 280 can access
information over one or more wireless networks using an appropriate
protocol, such as the Wireless Application Protocol, Wireless
Internet Protocol, Wireless Session Protocol, Bluetooth Wireless
Protocol, Wireless Datagram Protocol, Wireless HART Protocol, Wired
Equivalent Privacy (WEP), MiWi and MiWi P2P, RuBee (IEEE standard
1902.1), Wireless USB, Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS),
and the like. In one vehicle configuration, the wireless interface
280 connects, via a short distance protocol such as Bluetooth.TM.
or WiFi.TM., to an external computational device, such as a cell
phone or tablet computer, for access to remote nodes over the
Internet.
[0062] Local network interface 270 is a transceiver for signals
exchanged with other on board components of the vehicle (including
the components discussed above with respect to FIG. 1). The signals
may be sent over a wired or wireless (or combination thereof)
network. In one configuration, the local network interface is a
wireless access point. Any suitable local area network protocol may
be used, with the Ethernet protocol and the short-range protocols
mentioned above being examples.
[0063] The processor 210 may comprise a general purpose
programmable (micro)processor or controller for executing
application programming or instructions. In accordance with at
least some embodiments, the processor 210 may include multiple
processor cores, and/or implement multiple virtual processors. In
accordance with still other embodiments, the processor 210 may
include multiple physical processors. As a particular example, the
processor 304 may comprise a specially configured application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other integrated circuit, a
digital signal processor, a controller, a hardwired electronic or
logic circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array, a special
purpose computer, or the like. The processor 210 generally
functions to run programming code or instructions implementing
various functions of the device 200.
[0064] Memory 220 for use in connection with the execution of
application programming or instructions by the processor 210, and
for the temporary or long term storage of program instructions
and/or data. As examples, the memory 220 may comprise RAM, DRAM,
SDRAM, or other solid state memory. Alternatively or in addition,
data storage 230 may be provided. Like the memory 220, the data
storage 230 may comprise a solid state memory device or devices.
Alternatively or in addition, the data storage 230 may comprise a
hard disk drive or other random access memory.
[0065] FIG. 3 depicts a vehicle 300 with multiple processing
modules according to an embodiment. Vehicle 300 includes bus 180,
vehicle component 310, and processing modules 124A-C.
[0066] Vehicle component 310 is an exemplary vehicle component for
illustration purposes that is connected to bus 380. Vehicle
component 310 may represent any of the vehicle components discussed
in connection with vehicle 100 (FIG. 1).
[0067] Each of the processing modules 124A-C is each coupled to bus
180. Processing module 124A is located in the engine compartment of
vehicle 300; processing module 124B is located in the passenger
compartment of vehicle 300; and processing module 124C is located
in the truck of vehicle 300.
[0068] In one configuration, some of the processing modules 124A-C
may have limited processing functions as compared to the others.
For example, processing module 124A may act as the default
processing module for vehicle 300 normally because of its location
being close to most critical vehicle components in the engine
compartment (e.g., ECU, TCU). If the other processing modules
124B-C are only needed for redundancy, they may be implemented to
only have limited capabilities (e.g., these processing modules
would not be require to have processing all critical and
non-critical functions). This implementation has the advantage of
reduced costs and/or space as compared to fitting processing module
will full capabilities. The processing modules 124A-C may also have
cascading levels of capabilities. For example, processing module
124B is fitted in the passenger compartment and is deemed to most
likely survive a collision; it may be required to have capabilities
critical to vehicle operation but no other capabilities to save
space in the passenger compartment. Processing module 124C may have
additional capabilities such as a cellular module so that emergency
calls may be automatically placed if the default processing module
124A fails.
[0069] In another configuration, each of the processing modules
124A-C may have different capabilities. For example, processing
module 124A may have capabilities only for critical vehicle
functions; processing module 124C may have capabilities only for
non-critical vehicle functions; and processing module 124B may be
reserved for back-up processing of both critical and non-critical
vehicle functions. In one implementation, processing may be
off-loaded to another processing module if one module becomes
overloaded. This configuration has the advantage further reduction
in costs and space because processing power is not wasted due to
redundancy. In the case where one processing module malfunctions,
the other processing modules may pick up processing duties via a
processor off-load procedure. If there is not enough processing
power all wanted functionalities, the processing modules may work
together to prioritize critical vehicle functions ahead of
non-critical functions.
[0070] FIG. 5 depicts computational modules and data structures in
memory 220 according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0071] Critical system controller(s) 512 control, monitor, and/or
operate critical systems. Critical systems can include one or more
of (depending on the particular vehicle) monitoring, controlling,
and/or operating the ECU, TCU, door settings, window settings,
and/or blind spot monitor, monitoring, controlling, and/or
operating the safety equipment (e.g., airbag deployment control
unit 133, collision sensor 132, nearby object sensing system, seat
belt control unit, sensors for setting the seat belt, etc.),
monitoring and/or controlling certain critical sensors such as the
power source controller and energy output sensor 164, engine
temperature, oil pressure sensing, hydraulic pressure sensors,
sensors for headlight 128 and other lights (e.g., emergency light,
brake light, parking light, fog light, interior or passenger
compartment light, and/or tail light state (on or off)), vehicle
control system sensors, wireless network sensor (e.g., Wi-Fi and/or
Bluetooth sensor), cellular data sensor, and/or steering/torque
sensor, controlling the operation of the engine (e.g., ignition),
head light control unit, power steering, display panel, switch
state control unit 168, power control unit 174, and/or brake
control unit 176, and/or issuing alerts to a user and/or remote
monitoring entity of potential problems with a vehicle
operation.
[0072] Non-critical system controller(s) 516 control, monitor,
and/or operate non-critical systems. Non-critical systems can
include one or more of (depending on the particular vehicle)
monitoring, controlling, and/or operating a non-critical system.
emissions control, seating system controller and sensor 178,
entertainment system 190, monitoring certain non-critical sensors
such as ambient (outdoor) weather readings (e.g., temperature,
precipitation, wind speed, and the like), odometer reading sensor,
trip mileage reading sensor, road condition sensors (e.g., wet,
icy, etc.), radar transmitter/receiver output, brake wear sensor,
oxygen sensor, ambient lighting sensor, vision system sensor,
ranging sensor, parking sensor, heating, venting, and air
conditioning (HVAC) system and sensor, water sensor, air-fuel ratio
meter, hall effect sensor, microphone, radio frequency (RF) sensor,
and/or infrared (IR) sensor.
[0073] On board sensor monitor(s) 520 include interfaces to receive
signals from and transmit signals to a corresponding on-board
sensor, including the on-board sensors discussed above, and the
logic to monitor sensor operation and readings.
[0074] The diagnostics module 528 may be configured to handle
warning/error signals in a predetermined manner. For instance, the
signals can be presented to a third party and/or occupant and/or
cause the performance of on-board diagnostics.
[0075] The network selector 536 selects a network for signal
transmission based on network/node status, signal/noise ratio, type
of signal, available and/or unavailable bandwidth, network
performance parameter(s) (e.g., availability, packet drop or loss,
jitter, latency, buffer capacity, throughput, and the like) quality
of service, and/or other parameters and configures the signal for
transmission over the selected network.
[0076] The remote control module 540 receives a request from a
remote source or third party to command a vehicle function (which
function may be identified by a suitable function-specific code),
authenticates the requestor, and if successfully authenticated and
if privileged to request the performance of the vehicle function,
executes the request notwithstanding a contrary command from the
vehicle operator. The requestor can, for example, be a vehicle
owner, a law enforcement authority, a vehicle manufacturer, and the
like.
[0077] In one application, processing module 124 is configured to
process information sent over the CAN buses. As priority data is
received by processing module 124 from high-speed CAN bus interface
240 and/or low-speed CAN bus 250, processing module 124 may
determine the nature of the received data and independently do
further processing on the received data. In a preferred embodiment,
processor 210 executes instructions stored in memory 220 to perform
these functions. Further, memory 220 serves as stores and retrieves
for data by processor 210.
[0078] In one configuration, processing module 124 only receives
data over high-speed CAN bus 240 and may send the data back over
low-speed CAN bus 250. As the CAN bus provides arbitration-free
transmission, processing module 124 may passively listen to
information traffic, which includes priority data from the various
components as discussed, sent over high-speed CAN bus 240.
Processing module 124 then determines if a piece of received
information may need further processing and should be sent to
devices via low-speed CAN bus 250.
[0079] For example, collision sensor 132 may have detected a
frontal collision. In one data path, collision sensor 132 may send
a signal with details to the collision (e.g., areas of impact
and/or force and/or velocity of impact) over high-speed CAN bus 240
with specific target to airbag release control unit 133 to
potentially deploy the airbags once airbag release control unit 133
determines that it is suitable to do so upon the receipt of the
sent data. Since the CAN bus is arbitration-free, processing module
124 also receives the collision information from collision sensor
132. Processing module 124 then processes the information received
to determine to relay the information to an information display
(e.g., display console of entertainment system 190) via the low
speed CAN bus 250.
[0080] It is noted that the data rate is limited in the current
implementations of the CAN bus. However, future implementations may
allow for higher speeds such that the CAN bus may support data rate
suitable for multimedia application. In these implementations,
processing module 200 may be configured to leverage the CAN bus for
multimedia use. For example, real-time multimedia information
(e.g., analog/digital radio or television signal) may be received
by an antenna and transmitted through a CAN bus via processing unit
200 to entertainment system 190. At some point in time, one
component of vehicle 100 may have suffered a malfunction that
requires information the driver. In the default implementation of
the CAN bus, the higher priority signal from the malfunctioning
component will have priority over the multimedia information. With
the leveraged CAN bus by processing module 200, the high priority
signal from the malfunctioning component can be further processed
by processor 210. If processor 210 determines that the malfunction
is minor, processor 210 may relay the malfunction information to
the low speed CAN bus 250 but being mixed in with the multimedia
information such that there is little disruption to playing backing
the multimedia information. Further, processor 210 may also
consider if the malfunction requires further processing such as
notification to a repair facility or emergency services.
[0081] In another configuration, processing module 200 may leverage
other buses such as the network interface 270 and/or wireless
interface 280 that have more bandwidth for the data. For example,
while the present implementation of the CAN bus would not support
multimedia information with any substantial bit rate, the network
interface 270 may be leveraged such that while CAN bus information
is received via the high speed CAN bus 240, multimedia information
is relayed separately via the network interface 270. This enables
the processing module 200 to implement the previous example
discussed involving relaying information regarding malfunctioning
component without waiting for a future implementation of the CAN
bus.
[0082] In another application, a processing module 124 may add
further expansion modules 290A-N for further capabilities. For
example, expansion modules 290A-N may contain a cellular telephony
module. The cellular telephony module can comprise a GSM, CDMA,
FDMA, or other digital cellular telephony transceiver and/or analog
cellular telephony transceiver capable of supporting voice,
multimedia and/or data transfers over a cellular network.
Additionally, expansion modules 290A-N can include other cellular
telephony modules from different providers or modes for other
wireless communications protocols. As examples, the modules for
other wireless communications protocols can include a Wi-Fi,
BLUETOOTH.TM., WiMax, infrared, or other wireless communications
link. The cellular telephony module and the other wireless
communications module can each be associated with a shared or a
dedicated antenna. Further, expansion modules 290A-N may also
include other wired bus modules that may connect to additional
essential and nonessential vehicle components that may be installed
or upgraded in the future. Processing modules 290A-N may contain
functions critical to the operation of the vehicle such as engine
control (ECU), transmission control (TCU), airbag control, various
sensors, or other operational or safety related components.
Further, processing modules 290 may take on more processing duties
from a vehicle component 310 connected to bus 380. Thus, processing
modules 124A-C benefits from redundancy in the case that one of
modules malfunctions. Further, in a vehicle collision, it is
expected that at least some of the processing modules may totally
malfunction. In these cases, the remaining processing modules may
take over limited or full processing duties of the malfunctioning
vehicle components 310 or processing modules 390A-C.
[0083] In one configuration, processor 210, memory 220, storage
230, and the bus interfaces 240-280 may also be expansion modules
similar to 290A-N. For example, processor 210 may be initially
implemented as an OMAP 4 processor. In the future, OMAP 5
processors may be developed and processor 210 may be upgraded as a
modular component.
[0084] In another application, processing module 124 is able to
support additional vehicle hardware and/or software components that
are added to the vehicle and is connected to processing module 124
via a bus. For example, vehicle 100 may have installed an
additional entertainment system. In one configuration, processing
module 124 can treat the additional component that is connected to
processing module 200 via a bus as an expansion module 290A-N.
[0085] In another configuration, the additional hardware and/or
software component may require further processing for it to work
with processing module 124. For example, the bus protocol may need
to be modified to support communicating with the additional
component because the additional component has capabilities beyond
the existing protocol (e.g., an extension to an existing bus
architecture). In one implementation, processing module 124 must
first check to ensure that the additional component complies with
OEM defined standards such that rogue components not recognized for
a particular vehicle would not be supported.
[0086] FIG. 4 depicts the vehicle 100 in communication, via first,
second, . . . networks 404 A, B, . . . , with a remote node 400,
such as a computational device, e.g., a server, mobile phone,
tablet computer, laptop computer, personal computer, and the like,
of the vehicle owner, law enforcement authority, insurance company,
vehicle or parts manufacturer/vendor, government entity, dealer,
repair facility (e.g., to provide vehicle diagnostics, maintenance
alerts, vehicle or part recall notifications, and/or predictive
analytics), a service provider (e.g., a convenience service
provider such as a service to connect the vehicle operator with a
dealer, a service to locate the vehicle, a service to provide
vehicle information and/or feature assistance, an automotive
navigation system service and a service to start a vehicle
(OnStar.TM. being an example), a location-based service provider
(e.g., traffic and/or weather reporting and/or adviser on gas,
accommodations, navigation, parking assistance, and/or food),
Internet content provider, software vendor, concierge service
provider, a processing module of another vehicle, a roadside
monitor, sign, beacon, and the like, to name a few.
[0087] The first, second, . . . networks 404A,B, . . . can be any
wireless network, such as a radio or cellular network (e.g., CDMA,
CDMA2000, AMPS, D-AMPS, TACS, ETACS, CSK, CDMAOne, GSM, EDGE, GPRS,
HSCSD, UMTS, WCDMA, HSPA, WIMAX, WIMAX ADVANCED, LTE ADVANCED, or
FDMA in accordance with the 1G, 2G, 2G transitional, 3G, 3G
transitional, 4G or 5G cellular network standards), a Wi Fi
network, a Bluetooth network, and the like.
[0088] The vehicle 100 includes a transceiver 408 to send and
receive signals over a selected one of the first, second, . . .
networks 404A, B, . . . , a gateway/firewall 412 to provide secure
connectivity between the various components of the vehicle 100 and
the first, second, . . . networks 404A, B, . . . , primary and
secondary processing modules 124A and B, memory/storage 220 or 230,
on board sensors 416 (discussed above with reference to FIG. 1),
input/output system(s) 420 and associated media controller
(discussed below) to manage and control the output presented by the
input/output system(s) to the user, network controller 428 to
supervise local networks and nodes thereof and identify and, if
possible, isolate malfunctioning networks and/or nodes to avoid
detrimental impact on other networks and/or nodes of the vehicle
100, and external computational device(s) 432 of occupants, such as
wireless capable mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers,
and the like. As will be appreciated, the logic for the
gateway/firewall 412, media controller 424 and network controller
428 can be contained within memory/storage 220, 330. The various
components are connected by a bus, wireless network, or combination
thereof (denoted by reference 436).
[0089] The gateway/firewall 412 can be any suitable module that can
maintain secure connectivity. The need for the gateway/firewall 412
is necessitated by the assignment of a wireless data network
address, such as defined by IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6),
with the corresponding processing module 124. As will be
appreciated, IPv6 addresses, as commonly displayed to users,
consist of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by
colons, for example 2001:0 db8:85a3:0042:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. Each
processing module 124 can have an independent network address or
use a common network address. The gateway can be any module
equipped for interfacing with another network that uses one or more
different communication protocols. The firewall can use any
technique to maintain security, including network address
translation, network layer or packet filtration, application-layer
firewall, and the like.
[0090] For an additional external computational device 432 that
connects to processing module 124 via wireless interface 280, a
secured connection protocol is needed. Unlike a wired bus
connection, which is generally electronically confined to vehicle
100, a wireless connection via wireless interface 280 may be
broadcast to other communication systems within the vicinity of
vehicle 100. Thus, other wireless communication hardware, systems,
and networks might be able to communicate with the communication
system of the vehicle 100. This ability is potentially a security
hazard.
[0091] To resolve this issue, wireless security rules should be
used to ensure that only trusted devices, such as the external
computational device 432, communicate wirelessly, via the wireless
interface 280, with the on board vehicle components through the
wireless interface 280. Such security is provided by the
gateway/firewall 412 applying known security algorithms. In one
implementation, wireless security may be implemented by the
gateway/firewall 412 using the current security setup in the 802.11
standard such as Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected
Access (WPA) or other security systems as known in the art. OEMs
may also choose to implement security by using a propriety security
system and/or wireless protocol to work with the in-vehicle
wireless communication network.
[0092] Upgrading the vehicle 100 using different processing modules
and/or other on board components, such as on board sensors 416, can
be done securely and seamlessly. A limit may be imposed on the
place and manner in which an additional component communicating via
the in-vehicle wireless network may be added to the vehicle 100.
For example, installation of the additional component may only be
available at an automobile shop or may even more limited to only in
OEM approved shops or dealership to ensure that the newly installed
component is fully tested to communicate only with vehicle 100 and
not with other adjacent vehicles.
[0093] To facilitate this process, a handshake procedure may be
used during the initial installation of the component. In one
implementation, an OEM approved shop may have codes that will allow
the new component to accept a link with vehicle 100. During this
handshake procedure, vehicle 100 and its relevant components, such
as processing module 200, may negotiate a protocol and/or security
settings to communicate with the new component. For example, a
symmetric or asymmetric code or key pair may be developed for
encrypting communications. Alternatively, codes for WEP, WPA, or
other security systems as known in the art may be developed for
secured communication. After this initial handshake procedure, the
new component and vehicle 100 will not have to do any further
security setup in the future to prevent leaking the secured codes.
In a further implementation, the new component is considered
married or bound to vehicle 100 and may not communicate with any
other vehicles unless unmarried or unbound when the component is
removed at an approved shop. The dedication of the component to the
vehicle may be done by using a unique code, such as a serial number
of the component or vehicle, to enable a type of routine licensing
compliance check when the car is activated. This can be done, for
example, by comparing a unique code received by the installed
component from another vehicle component or by the other vehicle
component from the installed component. The licensing check is
successful when the received code matches a code stored in memory
of the receiving device.
[0094] In another configuration, the additional, or installed,
component may also communicate wirelessly with other vehicle
components of vehicle 100 without needed processing module 200 to
relay any communication. This may be done by sharing a vehicle
encryption scheme and code for the wireless use. This may be useful
for emergency purposes (e.g., the police may have a need to control
certain components in a vehicle).
[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, the diagnostic module 528 queries on
board sensors 416 and/or on board sensor monitor(s) 520, and/or
critical and/or non-critical system controller(s) 512 and 516 to
determine states of various parts, components, subsystems, tasks,
functions, and/or operations of the vehicle. The diagnostic module
528 can then perform diagnostics using locally stored or remotely
stored (at remote node 400) pre-determined logic to identify
faults, malfunctions, or other problems and, optionally, generate
repair advice and/or warnings and/or instructions and/or
recommendations to the vehicle operator. This diagnosis can also
locate and/or determine and/or identify any parts or components
required to repair the vehicle, the source and/or source(s) for
replacement parts and/or components, identify a nearest and/or
preferred service or repair facility or service, and/or obtain any
manufacturer's and/or vendor's update information required to
repair or resolve the identified fault, malfunction, or other
problem. The diagnostic module 528 can provide any repair
instructions and/or recommendations to the operator, pre-order the
replacement parts and/or components, contact the nearest and/or
preferred service facility for a repair estimate, contact the
nearest and/or preferred service facility to schedule an
appointment for the repair or service, and/or forward, optionally
at the owner's and/or operator's instructions, the collected
information regarding the fault, malfunction, or other problem to a
remote node 400 (specified by the operator and/or owner) for
monitoring and/or evaluation. The owner and/or operator can have a
default location or select a location for fault, malfunction, or
other problem analysis assistance.
[0096] FIG. 6 depicts an operation of the diagnostic module 528 in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 600,
the diagnostic module 528 receives, from a local or remote source
(such as the remote node 400), a signal warning of an actual or
potential malfunction of an on-board component, including any of
the components discussed above.
[0097] In step 604, the diagnostic module 528 determines user
and/or default preferences regarding treatment of the signal.
Preferences may be stored in local and/or remote memory. In some
embodiments, preferences may be associated with user settings and
may be created and/or modified. In some cases, preferences may be
associated with a vehicle (e.g., make, model, type, serial number,
etc.), occupant, operator, or other party. The various options
include one or more of present the signal to a third party such as
a manufacturer or servicing entity (option 608), presenting the
signal to an occupant of the vehicle (option 612), contacting an
emergency service provider or first responder (e.g., request tow
truck or roadside service provider, contact police, and/or request
dispatch of an ambulance), and performing on board diagnostics
(option 616) to obtain more diagnostic information regarding the
actual or potential malfunction followed by option 608 or 612. In
one application, the signal is forwarded to a manufacturer or
repair service vendor that compares the reported fault and
vehicle-specific parameters (e.g., mileage, date of last service,
and/or environmental conditions) to the maintenance and/or fault
history for the vehicle model and provides, to the vehicle
operator, the result of the comparison along with a probability of
the diagnosis being correct. The manufacturer or service vendor
also updates its database for the particular model of the vehicle
to reflect the reported fault. The manufacturer or service vendor
can dispatch an emergency service provider or first responder to
the location reported by the vehicle SPS, and/or schedules the
workload for the repair shop and pre-orders the required part(s)
for the repair shop.
[0098] In step 620, the diagnostic module 528 determines a further
treatment of the warning or error signal. The determination may be
based, for instance, on a command or request received from the
third party or occupant or an applicable set of rules and/or
policies.
[0099] FIG. 7 depicts another operation of the diagnostic module
528. In general, FIG. 7 depicts a vehicle ecosystem capable of
providing accurate indications for purposes of service and
maintenance in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure. Currently, vehicles may offer a warning light and/or
series of lights to provide information to a user regarding vehicle
condition. These lights may have a multitude of meanings that may
require further inspection by a mechanic or other qualified
individual. In order to interpret and decode the meanings behind a
light combination, the user is routinely required to consult the
owner's manual, the Internet, or to contact the dealer. In some
cases, these lights are only maintenance reminders and need not be
immediately addressed. However, in other cases, the lights are
urgent and require immediate attention.
[0100] The present disclosure can provide an Internet enabled
vehicle that is capable of transmitting vehicle codes, error code
readings, and to remotely diagnose and display these codes to a
user and/or a mechanic. This diagnostic information may be
performed on-board or remotely. It is anticipated that the
information may be accessed according to chosen preferences.
Additionally, it is anticipated that based on the type of
warning/error code, the system may suggest a recommended course of
action. For example, if the error code indicates a severe or
catastrophic failure the system may suggest to pull-over, stop the
car, and/or proceed to a safe area away from the automobile.
[0101] In some embodiments, the system may provide "conversational"
warnings to a user. These warnings and associated codes may also be
simultaneously transmitted to a selected garage (e.g., repair
vendor, mechanic, etc.) and/or postponed for approval to transmit
to the nearest garage (either wired or wirelessly). In addition,
the system may estimate an approximate time to fix (based on past
garage fix times, garage inventory, severity of problem,
combinations, etc.) and make appropriate suggestions. For example,
the system may provide the conversational warning "Please do not be
alarmed, your engine is running slightly low on oil; there are four
garages in the general area. You have time to get a cup of coffee
while you wait; there are three coffee shops in the immediate
location" and/or "It appears that the rear left suspension is
malfunctioning and the upper strut will need to be replaced. It is
noticed that you are greater than 80 miles from home, would you
like to book a reservation at a local hotel? There are five hotels
in the area rated three stars or above."
[0102] Referring to FIG. 7, the diagnostic module 528, in step 700,
receives and interprets a maintenance and/or system error and/or
warning or other code. Such codes are known in the art of
automotive design and generally depend on the automotive and/or
component manufacturer. Accordingly, the diagnostic module 528
will, generally, have a lookup table or other set of data
structures to map the signal/code not only to a corresponding
condition and/or conversation meaning but also behavioral rule in a
rule set. The data set may be stored in local and/or remote memory
accessible via the diagnostic module 528. In appropriate
applications, the conversational meaning can be further determined
based on the condition. Additionally or alternatively, at least one
appropriate conversational meaning (e.g., a conversational meaning
that applies to one or more signals) may be selected from the group
of conversational meanings included in the set of data. This
conversational meaning may be provided to an occupant of the
vehicle.
[0103] The diagnostic module 528, in step 708, provides the
conversational meaning, such as audibly and/or visually, to the
vehicle operator.
[0104] The diagnostic module 528, in step 712, determines other
factors related to the received code(s). The pertinent rule in the
rule set, for example, can cause the diagnostic to query other
components potentially impacted by the condition and/or having
other data points relevant to the condition. The diagnostic module
528, in accordance with the pertinent rule, may contact a remote
node 400 for additional information relevant to the code, including
the conversational advice to be provided to the vehicle
operator.
[0105] In step 716, the diagnostic module 528 provides the
conversational advice to the operator. Advice may be provided based
on the type of code, number of codes, and/or rated level of the
code received. The advice may be interactive, in which event the
operator would query the diagnostic module 528 for information not
clear from the initially provided conversation meaning and/or
advice. A menu-type structure can be used by the diagnostic module
to respond to the operator request for further information. Such
further information may require the diagnostic module to initiate a
contact, on behalf of the operator, with a remote node 400.
[0106] In step 720, the diagnostic module 528 logs codes,
internally and/or provides the codes to a remote node 400 for
logging, and provides for transfer of the operator to a selected
entity or entities, such as one or more remote nodes 400.
[0107] In step 724, the diagnostic module 528 optionally transfers
the codes, on a predetermined stimulus, to a remote node 400.
[0108] The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have
been described in relation to a diagnostics module 528 and
associated devices. As suggested by this disclosure, features may
be shared between a diagnostics module 528 and a device. However,
to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the
preceding description omits a number of known structures and
devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of
the scopes of the claims. Specific details are set forth to provide
an understanding of the present disclosure. It should however be
appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a
variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.
[0109] Furthermore, while the exemplary aspects, embodiments,
and/or configurations illustrated herein show the various
components of the system collocated, certain components of the
system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a
distributed network, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, or within a
dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the
components of the system can be combined in to one or more devices,
such as a Personal Computer (PC), laptop, netbook, smart phone,
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), tablet, etc., or collocated on a
particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and/or
digital telecommunications network, a packet-switch network, or a
circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from the preceding
description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the
components of the system can be arranged at any location within a
distributed network of components without affecting the operation
of the system.
[0110] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links
connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any
combination thereof, or any other known or later developed
element(s) that is capable of supplying and/or communicating data
to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links
can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating
encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for
example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals,
including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and may
take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated
during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.
[0111] Also, while the flowcharts have been discussed and
illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it
should be appreciated that changes, additions, and omissions to
this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation
of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and aspects.
[0112] A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure
can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of
the disclosure without providing others.
[0113] In some embodiments, the systems and methods of this
disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose
computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and
peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other
integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired
electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a
programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA,
PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like.
In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the
methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various
aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for
the disclosed embodiments, configurations and aspects includes
computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet
enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware
known in the art. Some of these devices include processors (e.g., a
single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage,
input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative
software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed
processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel
processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed
to implement the methods described herein.
[0114] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be
readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or
object-oriented software development environments that provide
portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or
workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be
implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic
circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to
implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is
dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the
system, the particular function, and the particular software or
hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being
utilized.
[0115] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be
partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage
medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the
cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer,
a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and
methods of this disclosure can be implemented as program embedded
on personal computer such as an applet, JAVA.RTM. or CGI script, as
a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a
routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system
component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by
physically incorporating the system and/or method into a software
and/or hardware system.
[0116] Although the present disclosure describes components and
functions implemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations with reference to particular standards and
protocols, the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations are not
limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards
and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are
considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the
standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar
standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically
superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having
essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and
protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents
included in the present disclosure.
[0117] The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments,
and/or configurations, includes components, methods, processes,
systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described
herein, including various aspects, embodiments, configurations
embodiments, subcombinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of
skill in the art will understand how to make and use the disclosed
aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations after understanding the
present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations, includes providing devices and
processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described
herein or in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations
hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been
used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving
performance, achieving ease and\or reducing cost of
implementation.
[0118] The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to
limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the
foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the
disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects,
embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining
the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate
aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those
discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted
as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features
than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following
claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of
a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or
configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated
into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own
as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.
[0119] Moreover, though the description has included description of
one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain
variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and
modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may
be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after
understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain
rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or
configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate,
interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or
steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate,
interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or
steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly
dedicate any patentable subject matter.
* * * * *