Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

James H Stewart

Timothy Alan Robinson

Stephen J Hussey

A method for remote vehicle communication is provided. The method monitors, stores and/or transmits data representative of the operation of a component or system, whereby the transmitted data may be analyzed and vehicle performance improved through the analysis thereof. Additionally, the vehicle systems are remotely accessible such that a technician can remotely analyze the vehicle without taking control of the vehicle away from the consumer.

Method and apparatus for remote vehicle communication

A method is provided for saving system information immediately following a hardware or software failure that causes a processor to reset. After failure is imminent and before the processor allows the reset to occur, the processor is instructed to copy a fixed amount of the system stack SRAM, in addition to any processor registers that can be used to determine the reset cause, into a preserved area of SRAM. During the initialization sequence, the preserved area of SRAM is tested, but not overwritten. This allows all of the preserved SRAM data including previous stack contents and register settings at the time of the failure to be available for analysis.

Method for responding to a control module failure

A method for recovering control of a continually resetting control module is provided. The method recovers control by monitoring a vehicle's communication links for a very short period each time the boot program starts and before control is passed to the application program. Alternatively, control may also be recovered using a running reset counter (RSC) that increments every time the boot program is entered via an abnormal condition. After recovering control, the control module can communicate with an external tool to diagnose and/or reprogram the control module and thereby prevent continual reset.

Method for recovering control of a continually resetting control module

A method and apparatus to allow a vehicle controller, via a vehicle network, to automatically detect a diagnostic tool and reconfigure to communicate with the diagnostic tool.

Vehicle communication link automatic diagnostic tool detection

A vehicle controller including communication hardware for receiving data transmissions from an automotive communication network, control software to control an automotive system, the control software requiring process data from at least one of a plurality of controllers linked to the automotive communication network to control the automotive system, the plurality of controllers broadcasting the process data over the automotive communication network, calibration software containing constants for the operation of the control software, communication software used in conjunction with the communication hardware for polling the automotive communication network for the required process data and identifying a source controller of the required process data, and memory in the vehicle controller for storing the source ID of the source controller, wherein upon identification of the source controller of the required process data, the communication software will read the required process data from the source controller.

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Gulfport, MS, United States of America

James H Stewart