System and method for managing data originating from and
Contents
1. 21 Claims 4 Drawing Sheets 16 _ COMPUTER 6 1 COMPUTER 6 COMPUTER 6 SENSORS _ SENSORS sensons 1 20 VIDEO DIO SYSTEH SYSTEM n IE 8 8 4 MICROPEONE SCREEN CONTROLS H 13 US 8 336 042 B2 6 748 536 6 959 235 7 006 914 7 139 660 7 257 426 7 679 490 8 041 779 2002 0197955 2003 0109972 2003 0228879 2004 0230348 2005 0043869 2005 0102074 2006 0030983 2006 0049915 2006 0173587 2006 0265117 2007 0028089 2007 0100513 2008 0027602 Page2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 2008 0045274 AI 2 2008 Witkowski et al Bi EBORE 2008 0228852 Al 9 2008 Husa et al 2010 0063670 Al 3 2010 Brzezinski et 701 33 2 etal 01274 2010 0114616 Al 5 2010 Touati S rone Saka et a 2 701 36 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS ILKOWS et al B2 3 2010 Hammes 340 426 15 EP 1 116 840 7 2001 B2 10 2011 Habaguchiet al 709 219 1138563 Al 10 2001 Al 12 2002 Witkowski et al EP 1 748 394 1 2007 Al 6 2003 Tak FR 2 792 754 10 2000 Al 12 2003 Witkowski et al WO 00 72463 11 2000 Al 11 2004 Mann et al WO 01 80049 10 2001 Al 2 2005 Funkhouser etal 701 29 WO 2005 069131 7 2005 AL 5 2005 701 29 WO 2006 132534 12 2006 Al 2 2006 Bautista AL 3 2006 etal 340 5 72 OTHER PUBLICATIONS x 3 A ace Co2. The computer terminals 17 and 17 finally allow the user to access via an Internet connection the portal for services previously fed with the information transmitted to the server 18 by the communicating personal object 17 The fleet management systems 19 also access the server 18 Advantageously see FIG 3 the device 2 according to the first and second embodiment or the first unit 4 of the vehicle themselves communicate information in an opportun ist manner that is to say that as soon as a communication is possible with at least one wireless access point 21 and or at least one node 21 of a mesh network belonging to an infra structure via wireless computer network technologies such as Wifi Wimax as soon as the node or the access point 21 is detected This infrastructure then communicates with the server 18 of an information system for example of the motor vehicle manufacturer by wired computer network technologies of the Ethernet type In this case the second data communication unit takes the form of a computer terminal 17 The user gains access to information and customized services in a dedicated service portal accessible via the Inter net The server 18 may also be connected to fleet manage ment systems 19 In all the embodiments the communications of the system 1 are two way that is to say uplink in the direction vehicle or first unit 4 device 2 user terminal 17 17 and or terminal
3. allows the commu nicating personal object to fulfill the functions described above including also control of access to the vehicle and immobilizer In this embodiment the device 2 enters into communica tion with a first communication unit onboard the vehicle 4 by using communication means or modules in wired solid lines in FIG 2 and or wireless dashed lines in FIG 2 communication technology of a communicating personal object 177 In this embodiment the second data communication unit takes the form of a computer terminal 17 or a personal computer terminal 17 such as a communicating personal object The device 2 via the communicating personal object 17 communicates directly with the reception means 35 via technologies of the second generation to fourth generation wireless type known under the abbreviation 2G to 4G of the 2 5G type with the general packet radio service known under the abbreviation GPRS of the 2 75G type with EDGE Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution of the 3G type with the universal mobile telecommunications system UMTS of the 3 5G type with HSDPA High Speed Down link Package Access of the 4G type with OFDM Orthogo US 8 336 042 B2 9 nal Frequency Division Multiplexing The reception means 35 then communicate with the server 18 of an information system for example of the motor vehicle manufacturer via wired computer network technologies of the Ethernet type
4. are recognized by the first communication unit onboard the vehicle 4 by the second communication unit in the form of the user terminal 17 and or of the sales and after sales network terminal of the manufacturer 20 by the server of the manufacturer s information system 18 and by the server of the fleet management system 19 According to an important aspect of the invention in all the embodiments the at least two data transmission reception and storage devices 2 are capable of systematically synchro nizing data that have become obsolete that are neither cus tomized nor archived by comparison ofthe data contained in the at least two data transmission reception and storage devices 2 in the first communication unit 4 and in the second communication unit 17 said synchronization being applied by the first communication unit 4 by the second communication unit 17 or directly between them by a com munication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices 2 detects another in its environment It should be noted that the concept of proximity depends on the technol ogy used Wifi Bluetooth NFC Near Field Communica tion or yet other technologies Said synchronization occurs by comparison of the data sets each set being characterized by the associated timestamp and or mileage data It should be noted that synchronization 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 comprises both the up
5. data medium The system finally comprises at least one data communication device at a distance from the vehicle for entry retrieval of data for two way data communication with the data medium The operation ofthe vehicle is controlled by data loaded onto the medium by means of the data commu nication device attached to the vehicle and the data loaded by means of the data communication device attached to the vehicle are read from the data medium However in such a system the information transmitted by the data medium relates specifically to the identity ofthe user Itis therefore not possible to communicate information relat ing to the settings of the vehicle for example in order to improve driving comfort Moreover the user of the vehicle cannot access the data stored and transmitted to the data communication device at a distance from the vehicle SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION main problem that the invention proposes to solve con sists in perfecting a system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle second problem is to optimize thanks to a data transmission reception and storage device the multidirectional data transfers A third problem consists in producing a device incorporated into a data man agement system ofa vehicle making it possible to gain access to some or all of these same data Yet another problem is to apply a data management method making it possible to cause the vehicleto communicate with a p
6. for example a passenger compartment central unit PCCU a microprocessor known under the abbreviation CPU for Central Processing Unit or a telematic module The first unit 4 is supplied by a battery 16 ofthe vehicle As shown in FIGS 1 and 4 and according to the present invention the communication means or module 3 of the 20 40 45 55 65 8 device 2 enter into communication with two second off board communication units The first of the two second units is formed with a personal computer terminal of the user 17 ofthe PC or PDA or Smart phone or PND Personal Naviga tion Device type or any other intelligent personal portable object The second ofthe two second communication units is formed by a terminal of the sales and after sales network of the manufacturer 20 ofthe PC or PDA type The terminal of the sales and after sales network 20 communicates with the local server of this after sales network itself communicating with the professional interactive computer applications hosted in a server 18 of an information system for example of the motor vehicle manufacturer The terminal of the sales and after sales network 20 also communicates with fleet management systems 19 The terminals of the user and of the sales and after sales network 17 20 are connected to a computer network such as for example the Internet They use one or more wired technologies and or one or more wireless technologies in
7. information including first of all the vehicle identifi cation number known under the abbreviation VIN But this information is dependent on a declarative mode is not dynamic and cannot be easily updated Finally with respect to the vehicle key unless he couples it permanently to a differentiating key ring the user has diffi culty in customizing it physically in order to distinguish it from the second key of his vehicle and above all from all the keys that exist on the market for the same model PRIOR ART There are already solutions making it possible via a vehicle key to make the vehicle communicate with user ter minals and to do so in wired or wireless technologies According to documents US 2004 0 230 348 U S Pat No 7 006 914 and EP 1 138 563 a vehicle identification device in the form of a key or a badge is known The badge comprises an electronic circuit containing a nonvolatile memory incorporating on the one hand a coded identification function for authorizing starting and on the other hand designed for the storage of information relating to the user of the vehicle and relating to the vehicle its status and its opera tion The nonvolatile memory may be read written with the aid of a first reader permanently placed onboard the vehicle and with the aid of a second reader at a distance from the vehicle the latter being associated with an information pro cessing system However such a device remains inadequate in t
8. its insertion into a possible vehicle drive of the RFId type The device 2 is provided with a memory 34 designed to store all the data received from the first unit 4 from the computer terminals 17 17 20 from the user himself via the man machine interface 23 and from a production line tool of the vehicle manufacturer The capacity of the memory 34 is several hundred megabytes The method for managing the data originating from and going to a motor vehicle by means ofthe device 2 comprises several data storage steps applied by the microprocessor 22 and the memory 34 0 5 20 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 This memory 34 makes it possible to store permanently the data that technically define the vehicle such as the vehicle identification number VIN This memory 34 can also be used to temporarily store information relating to the vehicle such as the mileage the levels the defects displayed on the dashboard and still others This storage is carried out automatically each time the igni tion is switched and off and without the intervention of the user This information is of a kind to be transmitted directly by the user to the manufacturer s after sales network via the terminal 20 or indirectly via the computer terminals 17 17 The transmission is made via the service portal on certain occasions such as servicing or maintenance opera tions special technical operat
9. motoring use Information transmitted in the uplink direction vehicle device terminal is for example the interpreted GPS posi US 8 336 042 B2 11 tion postal address of the vehicle the voice recorded reminders the recording from the vehicle radio the saving of new addresses and of itineraries and the state of the data contained in the vehicle More precisely the structure of the memory 34 of the device 2 and the steps for storage in the memory 34 of the data management method are established as follows recording of the miles the date and time the inspections the prediagnostics for example the levels the warnings and the defects the status of the openings the state of the func tions on off and the location of the vehicle is applied in upward flow in a dynamic memory each time the vehicle stops or starts this information being overwritten for some each time the vehicle stops or starts and stored for the rest A recording by etching of the vehicle s static data such as the vehicle identification number is applied in downward flow in a static permanent memory via the production line tool and or the network The VIN is the result of the hard wiring ina memory of said device 2 by a production line tool when the vehicle is manufactured recording of the data relating to the main user of the device such as his profile and his personal settings is applied in downward flow in a temporary memor
10. order to communicate with the device 2 The wired tech nologies are of the USB type with a USB or Ethernet cable or yet other cables The wireless technologies are of the radiofrequency identification type known under the abbre viation RFId short distance radio known under the name Bluetooth pulse transmission radio modulation known under the abbreviation UWB Ultra Wide Band wireless universal serial bus known under the abbreviation WUSB Wireless USB or still other technologies Other technolo gies may be used of the wireless computer network technol ogy type known as Wifi via the microwave wireless net work standard known under the abbreviation Wimax Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and or via still other technologies The user gains access to information and customized ser vices in a dedicated service portal that can be accessed via the Internet The service portal takes the form of an interactive computer application hosted in a computer terminal or a server 18 of an information system for example of the motor vehicle manufacturer The server 18 may also be connected to fleet management systems 19 In a second embodiment see FIG 2 the device 2 is an onboard software application in a communicating personal object 17 such as a cellphone or a Smartphone or hosted on an application card designed to be received in a communicat ing personal object 17 This application
11. terminal or the service portal in order to rapidly find his vehicle again If the vehicle is fitted with a navigation system without onboard maps i e with a hybrid navigation there is a navigation function Offboard in the service portal the user loads the mapped zone enhanced with POIs corresponding to his itinerary into the device 2 and then transfers it to the vehicle in order to display it on the dashboard screen 13 This function has the advantage of preventing the various drawbacks of an onboard mapping system In certain situations and after indication of a vehicle prob lem by the user this device 2 may be programmed via the manufacturer network in order to trace and archive certain vehicle data for a given period The latter may then be stored in the device 2 and sent via the service portal to the network to be analyzed Software programs onboard the vehicle are also able to be downloaded in order to be regularly updated in the event of a recall campaign following a new regulation antipollution for example an online diagnosis the acquisition by the user of a new item of equipment and yet other events Via the service portal the network of the manufacturer may provide the users with the latest versions corrections updates or new onboard software programs in order to transfer them via the device 2 by making use of the identification authentication system It should also be noted that at least two devices 2
12. to a vehicle key In the preferred embodiment the device 2 is the vehicle key 2 known to those skilled in the art as a user badge or any other object that can fulfill these functions such as a smart card This key 2 provides the conventional functions of a vehicle key such as the management of the starting of the vehicle or of the immobilizer and of locking unlocking whether or not according to the hands free principle In the rest ofthe description it will be referred to rather as the device 2 First of all the device 2 has communication means or modules 3 entering into communication with a first com munication unit 4 onboard the vehicle And reciprocally the device 2 is capable of interfacing with this first unit 4 in wired communication technology solid lines in FIGS 1 to 3 and or wireless communication technology dashed lines in FIGS 1 to 3 The first unit 4 uploads data from the serial system bus 5 known under the abbreviation CAN for Controller Area Network originating from computers 6 or from sensors 7 not present on the CAN 5 The first unit 4 is connected to various items of equipment of the vehicle such as a navigation system 8 an audio system 9 a video system 11 a hard disk memory not shown and man machine interfaces 12 MMI for inter facing with a user of the vehicle The MMI comprises a screen 13 controls 14 and a microphone 15 The first unit 4 could be
13. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data are anonboard software application in a communicating personal object forming the second data communication unit or hosted on an application card designed to be received in a communicating personal object of the cellphone type said application allowing the communicating personal object con trol of access to the vehicle and of an immobilizer 8 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least two devices fortransmitting receiving and storing data or the first data communication unit of the vehicle communicate information with at least one wireless access point and or at least one node of a mesh network belonging to an infrastruc ture via wireless computer network technologies as soon as communication is possible and the node or the access point is detected the second data communication unit thus gaining access to the information and to a service portal hosted in a server via an Internet connection 9 The use of a system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a vehicle fleet management system is supplied with the data originating from said connections of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data to an interactive 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 16 computer application intended for users or for managers ofa vehicle fleet or to any other terminal connected to a fleet management
14. UTER TRANSMIPTING RECZIVING STORING DEVICE SERVER 56 References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 556 904 4 2003 Larson et al Continued FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 10 2004 050846 4 2006 Continued OTHER PUBLICATIONS Calgary Herald Bluetooth Controller comes to the rescue Aug 18 2006 canada com Continued Primary Examiner Khoi Tran Assistant Examiner Abby Lin 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Oblon McClelland Maier amp Neustadt L L P Spivak 57 ABSTRACT A system for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle including a first data communication unit permanently disposed on board the vehicle a second data communication unit disposed at a distance from the vehicle andat least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data originating from and destined for the vehicle the device communicating data with the first and second communication units interfacing with a user of the vehicle and including a data storage The second communication unit can be a com puter terminal connected to a computer network such as the Internet and or an intranet providing access to an interactive computer application such as to transmit data originating from the vehicle and to receive the data destined for the data transmission reception and storage devices and the vehicle The storage devices can synchronize non custom data that have become obsolete
15. a history thereof 21 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of buffer data received from the first and the second data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data by an interactive computer application and the data can include video audio text image of itineraries navigation systems audio or video systems updates and corrections of onboard software programs and practical information
16. ata may be done for example by means of a wireless access point or a node of a mesh network The second communication unit can use at least two data protection means independent ofone another The first means can bea vehicle identifier the VIN that can be etched into the memory of the data transmission reception and storage device And the second means can be a physical identifier of at least one part of the data transmission reception and stor age device that may be etched into the memory of the device The integrity of the data stored in the data transmission reception and storage device may be ensured by the prohibi tion of direct read and write access to the data storage means According to a particular embodiment ofthe invention the device may be an onboard software application in a commu nicating personal object forming the second communication unit or hosted on an application card designed to be received in a communicating personal object of the cellphone type said application allowing the communicating personal object also to include control of access to the vehicle and of the immobilizer In practice the device or the first unit of the vehicle com municate information in an opportunist manner in which communication is possible with at least one wireless access point and or at least one node ofa mesh network belonging to an infrastructure via wireless computer network technologies such as Wifi Wimax as soon as t
17. az United States Patent Touati et al US008336042B2 US 8 336 042 B2 Dec 18 2012 10 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 75 73 21 22 86 87 65 30 23 2007 51 52 58 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA ORIGINATING FROM AND DESTINED FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE Inventors Monique Touati Boulogne Billancourt FR Aurelien Ferrand Paris FR Renault S A S Boulogne Billancourt FR Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 464 days 12 532 649 Mar 21 2008 PCT FR2008 050504 Assignee Notice Appl No PCT Filed PCT No 371 c 1 2 4 Date Dec 31 2009 PCT Pub No WO2008 132396 PCT Pub Date Nov 6 2008 Prior Publication Data US 2010 0115505 A1 May 6 2010 Foreign Application Priority Data ER amc cdd 07 53994 Int Cl G06F 9 44 G06F 15 16 G06F 7 00 G06F 11 30 G01M 17 00 2006 01 G08C 19 12 2006 01 U S 717 71 701 29 3 701 31 4 340 13 24 340 13 25 709 204 709 208 709 248 Field of Classification Search 701 2 24 701 29 1 29 3 29 6 31 4 31 5 32 3 32 5 701 32 6 33 2 33 3 33 4 34 2 115 430 709 22 201 204 208 248 340 1 1 16 1 370 503 726 3 717 168 171 176 715 733 759 712 31 710 110 707 770 See application file for complete search history 2006 01 2006 01 2006 01 2006 01 COMP
18. comparing data contained in the at least two devices for transmit ting receiving and storing data in the first data com munication unit and in the second data communication unit said synchronization being performed either by the first data communication unit or by the second data communication unit or directly between the first data communication unit and the second data communica tion unit by communication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving US 8 336 042 B2 15 and storing data detects the other of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data in its environment 2 The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an access unit from the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data to the second data communication unit provided by an identified and authenticated connection allowing access to the interactive computer application con trolled by the manufacturer so that a user reads loads and or unloads said data from the at least two devices for transmit ting receiving and storing data via a service portal 3 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein connection of the at least two devices for trans mitting receiving and storing data to the second data communication unit automatically initiates the launch ing ofthe interactive computer application hosted in the server and accessible from the second data communica tion unit an
19. d is applied by automatic documentation of at least one identifier that of the vehicle and wherein a password associated with a user has to be entered to authenticate the user s right of access to the interac tive computer application controlled by the manufac turer 4 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmis sion and reception ofthe data between the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data and the second data communication unit is performed at a distance from the vehicle automatically without an intentional connection of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and stor ing data or by a wireless access point or a node of a mesh network 5 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second data communication unit uses at least two data protection means independent of one another the first means being a vehicle identifier etched in the memory of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data and the second means being a physical identifier ofat least one part of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and stor ing data etched in the memory of the least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data 6 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein integrity of the data stored in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data is ensured by prohibition of direct read and write access to the data storage means 7
20. date time and mileage data The step of storing in the device buffer data received from the first and the second communication unit may be applied in a memory of said data transmission reception and storage device The data may be for example of the type including video audio text image such as itineraries and interacting with navigation systems audio or video systems the onboard computer in order to carry out updates and corrections of onboard software programs and to load display various infor mation BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be clearly understood and its various advantages and different features will better emerge during the following description of the nonlimiting exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended schematic draw ings in which FIG 1 represents a block diagram of the system for man aging data originating from and going to a motor vehicle according to the invention FIGS 2 and 3 represent respectively partial views of a second and third embodiment of the system for managing data according to the invention and FIG 4 represents an architecture of the data transmission reception and storage device DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As illustrated in FIGS 1 to 3 the system 1 for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle comprises a device 2 for transmitting receiving and storing these data This device 2 may be substantially similar
21. dentification number is automatically documented The user then only has to enter his password This feature represents an enormous advantage in terms of convenience reliability and ease of use A second identifier physically entered into the device 2 and known the system only via the production line tool for example and transpar ent to the user makes it possible to add an additional security point It may be the number of the component designed to simplify the connections between electronic devices of the Bluetooth type or any other part making up the whole of the device 2 In order to ensure the confidentiality of certain data the latter are encrypted by the service portal or by the first unit 4 before being recorded in the device 2 They are then decrypted by the service portal or by the first unit 4 when they are transferred to the computer terminals 17 17 20 or the vehicle This cryptographic principle in no way relates to the multimedia data In addition access to the immobilizer and access control functions is separate and protected from the other functions described Information transmitted in the downlink direction termi nal device vehicle is the transfer and display of itiner aries the loading and updating of information associated with the navigation system with the address book with the audio and video system and with the Internet favorites and any information that will enhance and facilitate its
22. e the information of his navigation system with data available via the Internet For the second navigation function offboard the user may load update and save his navigation address book in the service portal This function is particularly useful when the user changes vehicle He then does not need to reenter the whole of his address book into the navigation system 8 of his new vehicle For the third navigation function in the vehicle the user may record in the device 2 an itinerary made with points of US 8 336 042 B2 13 interest known under the abbreviation POI or any other associated upgraded information via a man machine inter face ofthe vehicle The recording can then be transferred and saved in the computer terminals 17 177 in order to be able to reuse this itinerary or to send it in orderto share it with other people For the fourth navigation function offboard in the service portal the user loads an update of the mapping of his points of interest such as parking places service stations the loca tion ofradars or information suitable for improving the safety of his trip and then transfers it to the navigation system 8 For the location function at each stop the vehicle records its GPS position translated into a parking address of the vehicle postal address in the device 2 The user may thus read it afterwards via the man machine interface of the device 23 via a communication with a telephone via a
23. eded on the device 2 viathe display or in the vehicle via the dashboard screen 13 If the vehicle is fitted with an MP3 audio system the system offers three music functions For the first music func tion offboard and in the service portal the user loads audio files of the MP3 type into the communicating memory device 2 and then transfers them to the vehicle They may be stored in the vehicle if the latter is fitted with a hard disk or they may be read thanks to the principle allowing the reading of an audio or video stream as it is broadcast directly from the device 2 via the audio equipment 9 For the second music function in the vehicle the user can record the radio when he wishes to via the man machine interface of the vehicle 12 The recording is stored in the device 2 and can then be transferred to the user s personal computer and saved therein For the third music function in the vehicle the user can when he listens to the radio record in the device 2 the references of a song name of the singer song title that he likes via the man machine interface of the vehicle 12 He can then read these same references offboard via the service portal If the vehicle is fitted with an audio system 9 a micro phone 15 a voice recognition and synthesis system and the dashboard screen 13 the system offers two storage func tions For the first storage function offboard and via the service portal or directly on
24. erms of memory and of information transmitted between the badge and the vehicle and between the badge and the information processing system Moreover no connection to a computer network for transmitting the data to a network of the manu facturer is possible Document WO 2005 069 131 describes a user friendly interface making it easier to set preferences and other pro grammable parameters specific to a user The interface is hosted by a server on an Internet network easily accessible by the user The settings made by this interface are stored and transferred first to a portable device of the USB key type then to the vehicle However the data interchanges are carried out only in one direction from the interface to the portable device and then to the vehicle Consequently the data interchanges are relatively limited Moreover without a computer being able to connect to the Internet network the user cannot directly access the information on his portable device The latter is only a non interactive data medium Also known according to document FR 2 792 754 is a vehicle monitoring system comprising first of all at least one portable data medium that may take the form of a key or else a module furnished with a man machine interface and a memory The system also comprises at least one data com munication device permanently placed in the vehicle for stor US 8 336 042 B2 3 ing retrieving data for two way data communication with the
25. ersonal device ofthe user and with a computer environment of the user and specific to the manufacturer The invention therefore relates to a system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle compris ing a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle a second data communication unit at a distance from said vehicle and a device for transmitting receiving and storing data origi nating from and going to said vehicle having data communication means with the first and with the second communication unit means for interfacing with a user of said vehicle and means for storing the data the second communication unit being a computer terminal connected to a com puter network such as the Internet and or an Intranet providing access to an interactive computer applica tion so as to send data originating from the vehicle andto receive said data going to the data transmission reception and storage device and to the vehicle the data transmission reception and storage device pref erably being incorporated into a device substantially similar to a vehicle key for example of the smartcard or chip card type characterized in that the system comprises at least two data transmission reception and storage devices capable of synchronizing noncus tomized data that have become obsolete by compar ing data contained in the at least two data transmis sion reception and storage devices in the fir
26. formation occurs in a downward and upward flow in a buffer memory By the intentional data transfer between the equipment of the vehicle and the user service portal this device 2 makes it possible to provide new functionalities in the vehicle These functionalities vary depending on the equipment present in the vehicle of the user Settings of the vehicle and configurations are customized through the service portal The device 2 therefore contains customized vehicle settings Some are adjusted by the user and then stored directly in the vehicle such as for example the settings ofthe driver s seat the internal and external rearview mirrors But the device 2 makes it possible to transfer other settings which have been configured in a more user friendly manner via the service portal These are for example the radio stations the air conditioning temperature and still oth ers If the vehicle is fitted with a screen 13 the user may display itineraries practical information reminders previ 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 ously transferred by the device 2 from the service portal He may then navigate in this set of information via the man machine interface of the vehicle 12 For the practical information function offboard and in the service portal the user configures practical information such as telephone numbers and loads them into his device 2 He has them available in case they are ne
27. g 5 06 23 7 US 8 336 042 B2 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA ORIGINATING FROM AND DESTINED FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle incorporating a transmission reception and storage device for these same data The invention also relates to a method for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle by means of a data transmission reception and storage device Currently the user is faced with an increasing mass of information relating to his motor vehicle This information appearing in very diverse and disparate forms may be lost forgotten or interpreted partially and insufficiently by the user himself or by the network of the manufacturer of this vehicle A first source of information consists of various documents that exist in paper form such as the user manual the service handbook and the various contracts The purchase of the vehicle the uses the services the repairs the resale and any relations with the network of the manufacturer are most fre quently noted in these documents Therefore with the excep tion of these few documents which are moreover not always customized nor systematically updated the users cannot monitor the life of the vehicle A second source of information originates from the various sensors computers and members capable of giving informa ti
28. grading and the updating of the data For example a user having a key capable of operating with this system can update and upgrade a new software version or new data of his navigation system simply by connecting with this key to the interactive computer application without wor rying about knowing whether the version proposed by the interactive computer application is the latest relative to that of his vehicle Said synchronization is applied by comparison of the data sets each set being characterized by the associated timestamp and or mileage data It should be noted that synchronization comprises both the upgrading and the updating of the data For example a user having a key capable of operating with this system can update and upgrade a new software version or new data of his navigation system simply by connecting with this key to the interactive computer application without wor rying about knowing whether the version proposed by the interactive computer application is the latest relative to that of his vehicle The data transmission reception and storage devices 2 thus operate as media for the synchronization of the whole system and are themselves beneficiaries of the synchroniza tion The synchronization therefore allows the user of the system to always have the most comprehensive and most up to date information irrespective of the data transmission reception and storage device 2 used Therefore a user will not have to worry abou
29. he node or the access point is detected The terminal ofthe user thus gaining access to the information and to the service portal hosted in the server via an Internet connection The man machine interfacing means of the data transmis sion reception and storage device may comprise alone or in combination a speaker a microphone a vibrator controls a display one or more light emitting diodes and yet other elements According to another aspect of the present invention a use of a system having one or more of the technical features described above is characterized in that a vehicle fleet man agement system is supplied with the data originating from said connections of at least one data transmission reception and storage device to an interactive computer application intended for vehicle fleet users or to any other terminal con nected to a fleet management system and intended for man agers of these fleets The system may be used to allow an after sales network of the manufacturer to carry out a pre diagnosis of a vehicle remotely The system may be used for updating based on the data supplied by the interactive computer application hosted in a server the systems onboard the vehicle The data may com prise for example the latest update versions of the onboard software originating from the manufacturer s after sales net work or from the manufacturer itself such as a software program of a computer or of a navigation system Accord
30. his manner a user may view load and or unload the data of the transmission reception and storage device via its service portal In order to ensure the confidentiality of the data concerning the vehicle these data may be encrypted by the service portal controlled by the manufacturer or by the first communication unit before being recorded in said data transmission reception and stor age device These data may then be decrypted by the service portal or by the first communication unit when they are transferred to the user terminal or to the vehicle The step may include storing in the transmission reception and storage device dynamic data received from the first com munication unit in a memory of said data transmission recep tion and storage device on each stop and or start of the vehicle or following a vehicle event or a control operated by the user The data may for example be of the type such as mileage traveled by the vehicle date and time starting and stopping of the engine levels warnings and defects wear of components status of openings customized states and set tings of the functions of the vehicle GPS Global Position Satellite position or location of the vehicle in an infrastruc ture or any other information capable of changing over time and concerning the vehicle or its environment and yet other data The step of storing in the transmission reception and stor age device static data received from the second com
31. ie E op Control Your Car with Your Mobile Phone Jul 25 2006 Al 2 2007 Yukawa et al Cellphonenews com Al 5 2007 Asano 701 2 Al 1 2008 Yeap et al 701 29 cited by examiner 042 B2 336 058 Sheet 1 of 4 Dec 18 2012 U S Patent gt 81081109 NATIIS I ST 6 7 IN 81545 01001 13204102 14 00 I 914 LINQ NOTLYOINOQNHOD 15814 131515 131515 AYN 04011 02 81 31 02 Wee VN 221430 ONTYOLS 9NIATEQRM SNTLLINSNWEL YaLNAWOD 518450 131515 INAWAOYNEN 2 11114 US 8 336 042 B2 Sheet 2 of 4 Dec 18 2012 U S Patent 114 02 T 10 401 MEC TENIRESI 411402 101430 911016 T WES DUNG 2 NTLLINSNWSL 18814 131815 7 i E ARAN INSWSOVNYN 61 LITT US 8 336 042 B2 Sheet 3 of 4 Dec 18 2012 U S Patent 109 88104800 0 016 9NIATHONU ONILLINSNVAL INIQd 584391 55 1441 NOIIVOINORNO 45414 WALSAS 61 US 8 336 042 B2 Sheet 4 of 4 Dec 18 2012 U S Patent 0t JNOZ NOIIVZINOLSQ 13 62 SOM 410000 NOIIVOINQNKO 2 poly 82 HNOHAOYOIN qOVTESINT SNIHOVR NVIL 055420840801 ALIVE 10 92 H
32. ing to yet another aspect of the present invention a method for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle by means of a data transmission reception and storage device comprising in transmitting and receiving data with the data transmis sion reception and storage device to and from a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle in causing to be launched automatically by said data trans mission reception and storage device an interactive computer application hosted in a server of the manufac turer or another player that can be accessed by a second 0 5 20 40 45 55 6 communication unit of said data that is at a distance from said vehicle and connected to a computer network intransmitting and receiving said data with said data trans mission reception and storage device to and from the second communication unit by the interactive computer application in causing said data to be processed by said interactive computer application and in storing with said device the data received from the first and said second communication unit Integrity of the data stored in the data transmission recep tion and storage device may be ensured by prohibiting direct read and write access to the data storage means means of access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer may be provided via an iden tified and authenticated connection In t
33. ions repairs and still other operations With this information the vehicle repairer has access to a prediagnostic function of the vehicle This memory 34 makes it possible to temporarily store information relating both to the user and to the vehicle such as name and address settings contracts maintenance and service history emergency information and still other infor mation This information is entered by the after sales net work via the terminal 20 and by the user via his PC 17 or his communicating personal object 17 This memory 34 makes it possible to temporarily store information of the multimedia type audio video pictures etc intended for the vehicle via the service portal or via the device 2 directly and to store in upward flow the state of these data in the vehicle Unlike a USB key the integrity of the data stored in the device 2 is ensured by the prohibition of access to this memory 34 Specifically the user cannot access it directly but must go via his service portal to read load and or unload the information in his device 2 The connection ofthis device 2 to the computer terminals 17 17 20 controls access to the data The connection automatically initiates via an automatic launch application the opening of a window of the Internet browser with a dis play of the identification authentication page of the user service portal Entry ofthe identifier which corresponds to the vehicle i
34. mmunication unit can be provided by an identified and authenticated connection The connection can allow access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer so that a user can read load and or unload these data from the transmission reception and storage device via its service portal and obtain services fed by this information and offered by the manufacturer Preferably the connection of the data transmission recep tion and storage device to the second communication unit may automatically initiate the launching of the interactive computer application hosted in the server and accessible from the second communication unit The connection ofthe trans mission device may be applied by the automatic documenta tion of at least one identifier that of the vehicle the VIN A password associated with a user may have to be entered in order to authenticate his right of access to the interactive computer application controlled by the manufacturer The connection between the transmission reception and storage device and the second communication unit may be wired or wireless The transmission and reception of the data between the data transmission reception and storage device and the sec ond communication unit can be carried out at a distance from the vehicle automatically without intentional connection of US 8 336 042 B2 5 said data transmission reception and storage device The transmission and reception of the d
35. munica tion unit or from a production line tool may be applied in a memory of said transmission reception and storage device The data may be for example technical commercial or legal characteristics of the vehicle The step of storing in the transmission reception and stor age device temporary data received from the second commu nication unit may be applied in a memory of said data trans mission reception and storage device The data may be for example of the type including settings associated with the vehicle or service contracts taken out for the vehicle The step of storing in the transmission reception and stor age device historic data received from the first communica tion unit may be applied in a memory of said device on each appearance The data may be for example of the type includ ing history of the warnings and defects associated with the date time and mileage data The step of storing in the transmission reception and stor age device historic data received from the second communi cation unit may be applied in a memory of said device The data may be information providing access to the rights such as the manufacturer s warranty after sales service contracts and any other rights associated with the use or possession of a vehicle servicing or maintenance operations any after sales US 8 336 042 B2 7 intervention or intervention associated with motor vehicle services these data being associated with the
36. nd data communication unit or from a production line tool occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting receiv ing and storing data and the data can include technical commercial and legal characteristics of the vehicle 18 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of temporary data received from the second data communication unit is applied in a memory of said at least 20 25 18 two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data by an interactive computer application and the data can include settings associated with the vehicle or service contracts taken out for the vehicle 19 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of data received from the first data communica tion unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data for creating a history thereof on each appearance and the data can include history ofthe warnings and defects associated with the date time and mileage data 20 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of data received from the second data communi cation unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data for the purpose of making
37. nit of said data that is at a distance from said vehicle and connected to a computer network transmitting and receiving said data with said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data data transmission reception and storage device to and from the second data communication unit by the interactive computer application causing said data to be processed by said interactive com puter application and storing with said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data the data received from the first and the second data communication unit wherein the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data are configured to synchronize noncus tomized data that have become obsolete by comparing data contained in the at least two devices for transmit ting receiving and storing data in the first data com munication unit and in the second data communication unit said synchronization being performed either by the first data communication unit or by the second data communication unit or directly between the first data communication unit and the second data communica tion unit by communication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data detects the other of the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data in its environment 14 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein to ensure confidentiality of the da
38. of the sales and after sales network of the manufac turer 20 and downlink in the direction user terminal 17 17 and or terminal ofthe sales and after sales network of the manufacturer 20 device 2 vehicle or first unit 4 As shown in FIG 4 a microprocessor 22 of this device 2 controls the communication module 3 The micropro cessor 22 is connected to a man machine interface 23 with a display 24 preferably of the LCD type one or more light emitting diodes known under the abbreviation LED 26 a speaker 27 a microphone 28 a vibrator 29 control buttons 31 and a customization zone 32 The man machine interface 23 of the device 2 makes it possible for example to provide the user with information on the status of the vehicle openings locked or unlocked warnings maintenance to be carried out fuel level expiry of rental contracts and still other warnings information concerning the location of the vehicle for example in the form of a postal address practical emergency information configured via the ser vice portal voice memoranda parking space and still others recorded via the microphone 28 and even music A battery 33 of the device 2 can be recharged via a wired connection such as a computer bus used to connect computer peripherals to a computer for serial communication other wise called USB to the computer terminals 17 17 20 or to the vehicle or via
39. on on the state of the vehicle and of helping to establish a diagnosis of said vehicle This information is available to the network ofthe manufacturer only when the vehicle is brought into the workshop for maintenance or a repair The workshop can therefore not anticipate the seriousness ofthe incident or the workload before the user arrives Another source of information is formed by all of the programmings adjustments and customized services seats radio air conditioning etc established by the user Conven tional car radios including a compact disc CD player are beginning to be adapted to the personal means and objects in order to have music known as MP3 players using audio files that are compressed according to the algorithm known under the abbreviation MP3 universal serial bus keys known under the abbreviation USB and even more Other information such as road maps are also used by the user on his journeys He can for example print out an itinerary on a specialized Internet site but it is not easy and even dangerous to use while driving Onboard or portable devices known as portable navigation devices known under the abbreviation PND or stand alone GPS devices using the global positioning system known under the abbreviation GPS are beginning to form part of the options of a vehicle or of the personal objects of the user which he uses in his vehicle with no real adaptation to the driving conditions in terms of comfo
40. rt and safety The updating of the onboard navigation devices of the information associated with navigation maps parking lots radars etc via dedicated physical media CD DVD and of the personal information associated with journeys the user s address book is difficult and costly Moreover the cost of telematic and communication equipment of the offboard navigation means which would make it easy to update remains high Moreover a portion of the information avail able in the vehicle GPS position etc could be useful when the user is out of his vehicle or moving around For example the information on the GPS position could be useful when he 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 needs to find his vehicle or the information on the status ofthe openings would allow him to check that his vehicle is prop erly locked Currently the user cannot take advantage of the user friendliness and of the ergonomic elements provided by his terminal personal computer PC for everything concerning the management of his vehicle of his automobile mobility with the settings and configurations the knowledge ofthe use of his vehicle the preparation of a trip or a journey An aid for the maintenance of the vehicle and more gener ally for its use and its management is provided for the user by certain manufacturers via the user spaces placed online on the Internet To access it the user must himself declare the vehicle
41. st communication unit and in the second communica tion unit said synchronization being applied either by the first communication unit or by the second com munication unit or directly between them by commu nication being set up as soon as one of the at least two devices detects another thereof in its environment In other words the system makes it possible simulta neously to cause the vehicle to communicate with the data 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 transmission reception and storage device and to manage information and data being transferred and using all the con nection flexibility and user friendliness of an application that can be accessed via a worldwide computer network or via a network specific to the manufacturer The information trans fers take place without it being necessary to have recourse to a telematic system onboard the vehicle and therefore inde pendently of a telecommunication network Furthermore said synchronization occurs by comparing data sets each set being characterized by the associated time stamp and or mileage data It should be noted that the syn chronization comprises both the upgrading and the updating of the data For example a user having a key capable of operating with this system can update and upgrade a new software version or new data of his navigation system simply by connecting with this key to the interactive computer appli cation without being concerned wi
42. system 10 Thesystem as claimed in claim 1 wherein basedonthe data supplied by an interactive computer application hosted in a server updating onboard systems or latest update versions of the onboard software originating from the manufacturer s after sales network or from the manufacturer itself or a soft ware program of a computer or of a navigation system 11 The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data include a speaker 12 The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data include a microphone 13 A method for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle by at least two devices for transmit ting receiving and storing data comprising providing the at least two devices for transmitting receiv ing and storing data originating from and going to said vehicle the at least two devices for transmitting receiv ing and storing data being separate and distinct devices from the vehicle transmitting and receiving data with the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing to and from a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle causing an interactive computer application hosted in a server to be launched automatically by the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data that can be accessed by a second communication u
43. t updating a key that he has not used for a long time the latter will be automatically updated by the vehicle by the other key or during a connection to the interactive computer application The invention claimed is 1 A system for managing data originating from and going to a motor vehicle comprising a first data communication unit permanently placed onboard the vehicle a second data communication unit at a distance from said vehicle and at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data originating from and going to said vehicle the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data being separate and distinct devices from the vehicle and including a data communication module configured to communi cate with the first data communication unit and with the second data communication unit an interface for communicating with a user of said vehicle and a memory for storing the data the second data communication unit being a computer terminal connected to a computer network the Internet and or an Intranet providing access to an interactive computer application so as to send data originating from the vehicle and to receive said data going to the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data from the vehicle wherein the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data are configured to synchronize noncus tomized data that have become obsolete by
44. ta concerning the vehicle said data are encrypted by a service portal or by the first data commu nication unit before being recorded in said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data 15 The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said data are decrypted by the service portal controlled by the manu US 8 336 042 B2 17 facturer or by the first data communication unit when they are transferred to the second data communication unit or to the vehicle 16 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of dynamic data received from the first data communication unit occurs in a memory of said at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data on each stop and or start of the vehicle or while the vehicle is travel ing and the data can include mileage traveled by the vehicle date and time starting and stopping of the engine levels warnings and defects wear of components status of open ings customized states and settings of the functions of the vehicle GPS Global Position Satellite position or location of the vehicle in an infrastructure or any other information capable of changing over time and concerning the vehicle or the vehicle s environment 17 The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the storing in the at least two devices for transmitting receiving and storing data of static data received from the seco
45. th knowing whether the version proposed by the interactive computer application is the latest relative to that of his vehicle The data transmission reception and storage devices there foreoperate as media for synchronizing the whole system and are themselves beneficiaries ofthe synchronization The syn chronization therefore allows the user of the system always to have the most comprehensive and the most up to date infor mation irrespective of the data transmission reception and storage device used Therefore a user will not have to worry about updating a key that he has not used for a long time the latter will be automatically updated either by the vehicle or by the other key or during a connection to the interactive computer appli cation The information stored in the device is protected in the interactive computer application With the invention the user ofthe vehicle via his device operating as a portable personal automobile object is the operator of the information system The present invention makes it possible to upgrade system atize and integrate the solutions for communication and syn chronization between the various elements of the system wireless and or wired uplink and or downlink direction of communication the various services offered to the user via this system and the associated device Ina particularly favorable manner a means of access from the data transmission reception and storage device to the second co
46. the device 2 the user records a voice or text reminder for example to remember the location of his vehicle He may then consult this reminder in the vehicle via the audio equipment 9 and on the dashboard screen 13 or directly via the man machine interface of the device 23 display 24 or speaker 27 of the device 2 For the second storage function in the vehicle the user records in the device 2 a voice or text reminder via the microphone 15 or voice synthesis He can then consult it in the service portal in text mode via voice recognition or directly via the man machine interface of the device 23 Ifthe vehicle 18 fitted with a video system 11 the system offers a video function In the service portal the user loads video files for example compressed according to the MPG2 format into the device 2 and then transfers them to the vehicle They may be stored in the vehicle if the latter is fitted witha hard disk or read by streaming directly on the device 2 via the video system 11 If the vehicle is fitted with a navigation system 8 the system offers four navigation functions and one location function For the first navigation function offboard and in the service portal the user loads a destination into the device 2 and then transfers it to the navigation system 8 for a single use The user benefits from a more user friendly interface from his terminal 17 in order to prepare his journey and to upgrad
47. y via the service portal and the network by the administrator Reading of the data and use of the rights are restricted to the main user ofthe device Recording of the data relating to the other users of the device with their profile or profiles is applied in downward flow in a temporary memory via the service portal and the network Reading of the data and use of the rights are restricted to the other users of the device Recording of the vehicle contracts taken out is applied in downward flow in a temporary memory via the service portal and the network terminal by the administrator and or the after sales network Recording of a history of the warnings defects with the mileage the date and time and the warning s defect s is applied in upward flow in a vehicle history memory each time a warning appears Recording of a history of servicing operations is applied in downward flow in a vehicle history memory by the network each time the vehicle is serviced Recording of a history of repairs is applied in downward flow in a vehicle history memory by the network each time a repair is made but agreed by the vehicle owner Recording of the data which may for example be of the video audio text or image type such as the itineraries and which is interacting with the navigation systems the audio or video systems and the onboard computer in order to carry out updates and corrections of onboard software and load display various in
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