GB2568977A

GB2568977A - A Means For Monitoring A Vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2568977A
Application number: GB1800606.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Natarajan Ganesan
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2017-11-30
Filing date: 2018-01-15
Publication date: 2019-06-05
Also published as: GB201800606D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and means (a controller, a system and a computer readable medium) for monitoring a vehicle (Figure 2, 200) in which a first data set (S304) is obtained at a first time. The first data set comprises one or more first identifiers corresponding to one or more modules (Figure 1, 102) of a vehicle. A second data set (S314) is obtained at a second time. The second data set comprises one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more modules. The first and second data sets are then compared (S316) to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers. This may be activated when a rental mode is engaged. Notifications (S322) maybe triggered if the first and second data set are different. The identifiers may comprise, part numbers or software versions. The data sets may be retrieved at the start and end of a rental, or at regular intervals (eg ignition on and off) throughout the use of the vehicle. An example of a module may be an infotainment system or an ECU.

Description

A MEANS FOR MONITORING A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a means for monitoring a vehicle. Particularly, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to monitoring the electronic components of a vehicle whilst the vehicle is being rented or hired. Aspects of the invention relate to a controller for monitoring a vehicle, to a system for monitoring a vehicle, to a method of monitoring a vehicle, to a computer readable medium and to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

There is a desire to monitor vehicles that are being rented or hired in order to detect unauthorised changes to the electronic components that may have occurred whilst the vehicles are being rented or hired by a third party such as a customer.

A danger with such services is that third parties may hire vehicles in order to remove parts of the vehicle without authorisation. For example, the person hiring the vehicle may replace a telematics control unit (TCU) or otherwise tamper with its software. After the vehicle has been returned, if any of the vehicle's parts have been removed or replaced, or if any unauthorised software updates have taken place, it can be difficult for the owner or rental company to detect these changes, not least because many of the important electronic control units (ECUs) are hidden inside the vehicle and are difficult to access.

As a result, unauthorised changes to the vehicle's parts or software may remain undetected, either altogether, or not until a later time when it is difficult to tell when the change occurred, and consequently which customer may be responsible for the change. This makes it difficult for the vehicle owner or rental company to take legal action against the responsible party.

Accordingly, there is a desire to monitor a vehicle, in particular the electronic components of a vehicle, which is being regularly hired or rented out to third parties.

It is therefore an aim of an embodiment or embodiments of the present invention to overcome or at least partially mitigate one or more problems associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a controller, a system, a method, a computer readable medium and a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a controller for monitoring a vehicle, the controller being arranged to: receive a first data set at a first time, wherein the first data set comprises one or more first identifiers corresponding to one or more modules of a vehicle; receive a second data set at a second time, wherein the second data set comprises one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more modules of the vehicle; and compare the first and second data sets to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

As such, by comparing the identifiers associated with the modules of a vehicle, the first data set acting as reference data with which to compare the second data set, it is possible to quickly and accurately check that those modules have not been replaced or tampered with between the first time and the second time. That is, if the identifier of a module received at the first time does not match the identifier for the same module received at the second time, this indicates that the module has been replaced or modified in some way.

It will be appreciated that the controller may comprise any suitable means for performing the above functions, for example, the controller may comprise one or more inputs configured to receive the first and second data sets, and a processor configured to compare the first and second data sets. Optionally, the controller may also comprise a memory for storing the received data.

In some embodiments, the controller comprises an electronic processor having one or more electrical inputs for receiving the first and second data sets, and an electronic memory device electrically coupled to the electronic processor and having instructions stored therein, wherein the electronic processor is configured to access the memory device and execute the instructions stored therein such that it is operable to compare the first and second data sets to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

The controller may be configured to receive the first data set at a first time in dependence on an activation of a first mode. The controller may be configured to receive the second data set at a second time in dependence on a deactivation of the first mode.

The first mode may comprise a rental mode.

As such, when a vehicle is to be hired or rented to a user for a period of time, the vehicle owner or rental company is able to activate a rental mode in the vehicle before the vehicle is handed over to the user, for example, through software stored in the in-vehicle entertainment system, or remotely using a device in communication with the controller via a wireless communication network, said activation causing the controller to receive the first data set. When the vehicle is then returned to the owner or rental company, that is, the rental period is completed, the rental mode may be deactivated, thus causing the controller to receive the second data set. As such, the identifiers of the modules are checked at the beginning of the rental period and again at the end of the rental period.

The controller may be configured to determine a difference between the one or more of the first identifiers and the one or more second identifiers, and identify the one or more modules corresponding to the difference. The controller may be configured to generate a notification in dependence on a determination that the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers. In doing this, if there is a discrepancy between the identifier of a module received at the first and second times, the owner or rental company is automatically notified of this discrepancy, thus enabling them to take immediate action.

The first and/or second set of identifiers may comprise data indicative of a part number and/or software version number of the one or more modules. In cases where the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more part numbers, the one or more part numbers may be stored in a memory of the one or more modules. As such, the electronic components of a vehicle, particularly those that are hidden deep within the vehicle, can be easily monitored, and any unauthorised replacement of those components is detected as soon as possible.

The first and/or second set of identifiers may comprise one or more software version numbers corresponding to software stored on the one or more modules. Similarly, any unauthorised updates to the software that is stored on the electronic components of a vehicle can be quickly detected.

The controller may be configured to: receive at least one further data set at one or more further times between the first and second time, wherein the at least one further data set comprises one or more further identifiers corresponding to the one or modules of the vehicle; and compare the first data set and the at least one further data set to determine if the one or more first identifiers match the one or more further identifiers.

As such, the modules may be optionally monitored between the first and second time. For example, where the first data set is received at the beginning of a rental period, and the second data set is received at the end of a rental period, the modules may be further monitored during the rental period, that is, whilst the vehicle is still in the possession of the third party user.

The controller may be configured to receive the at least one further data set in dependence on a user request. For example, the vehicle owner or rental company may send a message to the controller via a wireless communication network requesting an intermediate check of the modules. As such, the vehicle owner or rental company is able to remotely monitor the modules at any convenient time.

The controller may be configured to receive the at least one further data set in dependence on a detection of a change to the one or more first identifiers. For example, when the vehicle is turned on, if one of the components (for example, the battery) has been replaced or modified, the controller may automatically detect a change in the identifier of that component.

The controller may be configured to receive the at least one further data set periodically between the first time and the second time. That is, after the first data set is received, the controller may periodically receive at least one further data set up until the final data set is received at the second time. As such, the identifiers of the modules are periodically checked during the rental period. In this respect, the intervals between each received data set may be any suitable time period, for example, every hour, every 6 hours, or every 24 hours.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for monitoring a vehicle, the system comprising: one or modules of a vehicle; and a controller as outlined above.

The one or modules may comprise one or more electronic control units (ECU). For example, the modules may comprise at least one of: an powertrain control unit, a speed control unit, a telematics control unit, an infotainment unit, a battery management system, a transmission control unit, a door control unit, a human-machine interface, a vehicle navigation control unit, a vehicle body control unit, a vehicle chassis control unit, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor. Other modules are useful and may include any other electronic component used in a vehicle.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method of monitoring a vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining a first data set at a first time, wherein the first data set comprises one or more first identifiers corresponding to one or more modules of a vehicle; obtaining a second data set at a second time, wherein the second data set comprises one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more modules; and comparing the first and second data sets to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

The method may further comprise obtaining the first data set at a first time in dependence on an activation of a first mode. The method may comprise obtaining the second data set at a second time in dependence on a deactivation of the first mode.

The first mode may comprise a rental mode.

The method may comprise determining a difference between the one or more of the first identifiers and the one or more second identifiers, and identifying the one or more modules corresponding to the difference. The method may comprise generating a notification in dependence on a determination that the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

The first and/or second set of identifiers may comprise data indicative of a part number and/or software version number of the one or more modules. In cases where the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more part numbers, the one or more part numbers 5 may be stored in a memory of the one or more modules. The first and/or second set of identifiers may comprise one or more software version numbers corresponding to software running on the one or more modules.

The method may comprise: obtaining at least one further data set at one or more further times between the first and second time, wherein the at least one further data set comprises one or more further identifiers corresponding to the one or modules of the vehicle; and comparing the first data set and the at least one further data set to determine if the one or more first identifiers match the one or more further identifiers.

The method may comprise obtaining the at least one further data set in dependence on a user request.

The method may comprise obtaining the at least one further data set in dependence on a detection of a change to the one or more first identifiers

The method may comprise obtaining the at least one further data set periodically between the first time and the second time.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method as outlined above. Optionally, the computer readable medium comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium.

According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle, comprising a controller as outlined above, or comprising a system as outlined above, or configured to perform a method as outlined above.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic of a system for monitoring a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 is a schematic of a system 100 for monitoring a vehicle that is used for rental purposes. Figure 2 shows a vehicle 200 comprising the system 100. As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 200 is a car, however, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be applied to a wide range of vehicles, including other road-going vehicles including vans, trucks, motorcycles, etc. along with other vehicles such as waterborne vehicles, for example.

The system 100 comprises a set of modules 102. The set of modules 102 comprise a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs), for example, a battery management system 104, a telematic control unit 106, a powertrain control unit 108, and a speed control unit 110. It will, however, be appreciated that the set of modules 102 may include any number of different ECUs configured to control various aspects of the vehicle 200. The system 100 also comprises a control means in the form of a computing device 112 in communication with the set of modules 102. The computing device 112 comprises a computer readable medium 118, a processor 120 and a memory 122.

The computing device 112 can be connected to the set of modules 102 by wired or wireless means as is known in the art. Optionally, the system 100 comprises a communications unit 7

116 to allow wireless communication between the computing device 112 and one or more of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110. Each of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 in the vehicle 200 has an associated part number embedded in its memory as metadata. Similarly, any software required to operate each module 104, 106, 108, 110 will have an associated version number as is known in the art. The processor 120 of the computing device 112 is configured to retrieve data indicative of these part numbers and/or software version numbers and analyse the retrieved data to detect any changes to these part numbers and/or software version numbers, as will be discussed in more detail below.

The system 100 also comprises an input/output device 114 in communication with the computing device 112. In this respect, the computing device 112 may be connected to the input/output device 114 by wired or wireless means, and the optional communications unit 116 may be further configured to allow wireless communication between the computing device 112 and the input/output device 114. The computing device 112 is configured to receive instructions from the input/output device 114, and output information relating to the set of modules 102 to the input/output device 114. In this respect, the input/output device 114 comprises input means for receiving inputs from a user, and display means for displaying information to a user.

In some embodiments, the input/output device 114 is a human machine interface (HMI), such as a touch screen, located inside the vehicle 200. However, in other embodiments, the input/output device 114 may be a remote device such as a computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone or the like. It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments, the system 100 may comprise more than one input/output device 114, for example, a human machine interface (HMI) located inside the vehicle 200 and a remote device in the possession of the vehicle owner or rental company.

Similarly, it will be appreciated that the computing device 112 itself may also be a remote device not found in the vehicle 200, for example, a computer, laptop, tablet, mobile phone or the like. In such cases, the computing device 112 will be connected to the set of modules 102 via wireless means.

Figure 3 shows a method 300 for monitoring the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 of a vehicle 200.

The method begins at step S302, in which a first mode referred herein after as the rental mode is enabled. The rental mode may be enabled (S302) in a number of different ways, but in some embodiments upon activation via a software program stored in the input/output device 114. That is, the vehicle owner or rental company will be presented with means to enable the rental mode via the input/output device 114, for example, by selection of an icon presented on a user interface (not shown) of the input/output device 114. In this respect, the rental mode may be enabled via user input to the HMI of the vehicle 200, or via user input to a remote input/output device connected to the computing device 112 via a wireless communication network, as described above. In some embodiments, a password or some other user authentication is required in order to enable the rental mode to ensure that only the vehicle owner or rental company can enable, and conversely disable, the rental mode.

In other embodiments, the processor 120 may be configured to enable rental mode in dependence on other suitable triggers. For example, the computing device 112 may be configured to automatically enable the rental mode each time the vehicle is turned on.

Upon activation of the rental mode, the processor 120 is configured to automatically retrieve and store a first set of reference module data (S304). The reference module data comprises the part numbers and/or software version numbers of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 at that given time. Optionally, the processor 120 may be configured to output the reference module data to the input/output device 114 for review by the vehicle owner or rental company.

The vehicle 200 may then be rented to a customer for an agreed period of time. During the rental period, intermediate module data may be optionally retrieved by the processor 120 for analysis (S306-S310), which will be described in more detail further below.

Once the vehicle 200 has been returned to the rental company, the rental mode can be disabled (S312). Again, this may be done via input to the HMI in the vehicle 200, or via input to a remote input/output device connected to the computing device 112 via a wireless communication network, such as via the communications unit 116 or by other suitable means (not shown).

The processor 120 will then retrieve a final set of module data (S314), the final module data comprising the part numbers and/or software version numbers of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 at the time the rental mode is disabled. The processor 120 then compares the reference 9 module data and the final module data (S316) to determine whether there are any discrepancies between the two sets of module data (S318). If there are no discrepancies, that is, the reference module data matches the final module data, then the vehicle 200 can be authorised as having no changes made to any of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 during the rental period (S320).

If there are discrepancies, that is, the reference module data does not match the final module data, then this indicates that a change has been made, either to one or more of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110, or to the software components stored on the modules 104, 106, 108, 110. For example, if there is a discrepancy in the part number, this could indicate that the corresponding module 104, 106, 108, 110 has been replaced. A discrepancy in the software version number could indicate that the corresponding module 104, 106, 108, 110 has been reprogrammed in some way.

If a discrepancy is found, the processor 120 will identify (S322) the module 104, 106, 108, 110 associated with the discrepancy and issue a notification to the vehicle owner or rental company via the input/output device 114. This notification may include any relevant information including, but not limited to, which module 104, 106, 108, 110 has the discrepancy and what the discrepancy is, that is, whether it is the part number or software version number that is different. For example, the notification may indicate that the battery management system 104 has a discrepancy in its part number, along with details of the new part number identified in the final module data set, which may be important, for example, if the new part is stolen.

This allows the rental company to detect any tampering with the set of modules 102 as soon as possible and take any necessary action, and if possible, before the customer has left the site of the rental company.

As noted above, the processor 120 may be optionally configured to retrieve intermediate module data (S306) whilst the vehicle is still being rented. The processor 120 may then be configured to compare the intermediate module data with the reference module data (S308) to determine whether there are any discrepancies (S310). If any discrepancies are detected, the processor 120 will automatically identify the module 104, 106, 108, 110 associated with the discrepancy and send an electronic notification to the vehicle owner or rental company (S322), for example, to a remote computing device via a wireless communication network.

The processor 120 may be optionally configured to send the electronic notification to the vehicle owner or rental company (S322), either wirelessly via the communications unit 116 or other suitable means (not shown), or via a wired connection, as may be available to the vehicle if it is an electric vehicle and is being charged via a suitable charging station. In this way, the owner or rental company may be notified immediately, even if the vehicle is remote from the owner, once a discrepancy is detected.

As noted above, this notification may include any relevant information including, but not limited to, which module 104, 106, 108, 110 has the discrepancy and what the discrepancy is. This way, the vehicle owner or rental company will know that one of the modules 104, 106, 108, 110 has been tampered with before the vehicle 200 has been returned and can take any necessary action.

Retrieving intermediate module data may be performed in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 120 may be configured to periodically retrieve the intermediate module data at various times during the rental period. For example, the processor 120 may retrieve the intermediate module data once every hour, once every day, or at any other appropriate time interval. The length of time between each retrieval may be selected as part of the rental mode activation. In an example, the vehicle 200 is an electric vehicle and the processor 120 may be configured to retrieve the intermediate module data whenever the vehicle is being charged. In this example, the data may be sent to the owner or rental company wirelessly or via the charging station providing the charge to the vehicle.

Alternatively, the processor 120 may be configured to retrieve intermediate module data in response to a request received from the vehicle owner or rental company, for example, sent using a remote input/output device 114 connected via a wireless communications network. In this way, the vehicle owner or rental company can instruct the processor 120 to retrieve intermediate module data and compare it to the reference module data at a time convenient for them.

Alternatively, the processor 120 may automatically retrieve intermediate module data each time the vehicle is turned on. In this respect, if a module 104, 106, 108, 110 was removed whilst the vehicle 200 was turned off, either to be replaced altogether or to be tampered with in some way, the processor 120 will automatically detect a change in the part number and/or software number when the vehicle 200 is then turned back on.

In addition to the module data, the processor 120 may also be configured to retrieve other data from the set of modules 102, such as how long the vehicle was turned on for and the distance travelled. Such information can be used for various purposes such as insurance.

In some embodiments, the processor 120 is configured to automatically monitor all of the modules having electronic components. However, in other embodiments, the vehicle owner or rental company may select one or more specific modules 104, 106, 108, 110 to monitor, which may also be selected as part of the rental mode activation.

Further aspects and preferred features of the invention will be apparent from the appended claims.

Claims

1. A controller for monitoring a vehicle, the controller being arranged to:

receive a first data set at a first time, wherein the first data set comprises one or more first identifiers corresponding to one or more modules of a vehicle;

receive a second data set at a second time, wherein the second data set comprises one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more modules of the vehicle; and compare the first and second data sets to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

2. A controller according to claim 1, configured to receive the first data set at a first time in dependence on an activation of a first mode.

3. A controller according to claim 2, configured to receive the second data set at a second time in dependence on a deactivation of the first mode.

4. A controller according to claims 2 or 3, wherein the first mode comprises a rental mode.

5. A controller according to any preceding claim, configured to:

determine a difference between the one or more of the first identifiers and the one or more second identifiers; and identify the one or more modules corresponding to the difference.

6. A controller according to any preceding claim, configured to generate a notification in dependence on a determination that the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

7. A controller according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprises data indicative of a part number and/or software version number of the one or more modules.

8. A controller according to claim 7, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more part numbers, the one or more part numbers being stored in a memory of the one or more modules.

9. A controller according to claims 7 or 8, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more software version numbers corresponding to software stored on the one or more modules.

10. A controller according to any preceding claim, configured to:

receive at least one further data set at one or more further times between the first and second time, wherein the at least one further data set comprises one or more further identifiers corresponding to the one or modules of the vehicle; and compare the first data set and the at least one further data set to determine if the one or more first identifiers match the one or more further identifiers.

11. A controller according to claim 10, configured to receive the at least one further data set in dependence on a user request.

12. A controller according to claims 10 or 11, configured to receive the at least one further data set in dependence on a detection of a change to the one or more first identifiers.

13. A controller according to any of claims 10 to 12, configured to receive the at least one further data set periodically between the first time and the second time.

14. A system for monitoring a vehicle, the system comprising:

one or modules of a vehicle; and a controller according to any of claims 1 to 13.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the one or modules comprise one or more electronic control units (ECUs).

16. A computer-implemented method of monitoring a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a first data set at a first time, wherein the first data set comprises one or more first identifiers corresponding to one or more modules of a vehicle;

obtaining a second data set at a second time, wherein the second data set comprises one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more modules; and comparing the first and second data sets to determine if the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

17. A method according to claim 16, comprising obtaining the first data set at a first time in dependence on an activation of a first mode.

18. A method according to claim 17, comprising obtaining the second data set at a second time in dependence on a deactivation of the first mode.

19. A method according to claims 17 or 18, wherein the first mode comprises a rental mode.

20. A method according to any of claims 16 to 19, comprising:

determining a difference between the one or more of the first identifiers and the one or more second identifiers; and identifying the one or more modules corresponding to the difference.

21. A method according to any of claims 16 to 20, comprising generating a notification in dependence on a determination that the one or more first identifiers are different to the one or more second identifiers.

22. A method according to any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprises data indicative of a part number and/or software version number of the one or more modules.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more part numbers, the one or more part numbers being stored in a memory of the one or more modules.

24. A method according to claims 22 or 23, wherein the first and/or second set of identifiers comprise one or more software version numbers corresponding to software running on the one or more modules.

25. A method according to any of claims 16 to 24, comprising:

obtaining at least one further data set at one or more further times between the first and second time, wherein the at least one further data set comprises one or more further identifiers corresponding to the one or modules of the vehicle; and comparing the first data set and the at least one further data set to determine if the one or more first identifiers match the one or more further identifiers.

26. A method according to claim 25, comprising obtaining the at least one further data set in dependence on a user request.

27. A method according to claims 25 or 26, comprising obtaining the at least one further data 5 set in dependence on a detection of a change to the one or more first identifiers.

28. A method according to any of claims 25 to 27, comprising obtaining the at least one further data set periodically between the first time and the second time.

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29. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of any of claims 16 to 28.

30. A vehicle, comprising a controller according to any of claims 1 to 13, or comprising a system according to claims 14 or 15, or configured to perform a method according to any of 15 claims 16 to 28.