초록 ▼

An apparatus and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the

An apparatus and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle. A vehicle data communications protocol converter is preferably connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol such as a local-area infrared or an RF data communications protocol. The apparatus also preferably includes a transceiver connected to the data communications protocol converter for transmitting the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and receiving the data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal or another portion of the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

That claimed is: 1. An apparatus for validating with minimal delay data transmitted to a data bus of a vehicle from a remote location and data transmitted from the data bus of the vehicle to a remote location, wherein said apparatus comprises: a local transceiver in operable electrical communicatio

That claimed is: 1. An apparatus for validating with minimal delay data transmitted to a data bus of a vehicle from a remote location and data transmitted from the data bus of the vehicle to a remote location, wherein said apparatus comprises: a local transceiver in operable electrical communication with the data bus of the vehicle, wherein said local transceiver transmits data from the data bus to a remote location and receives data transmitted to the data bus from a remote location; and a local processor in electrical communication with both said local transceiver and the data bus of the vehicle, wherein data output by said local processor to the data bus and data transmitted by the local transceiver to a remote location are also received by said local processor as false data, wherein said local processor analyzes data received by said local processor and prevents propagation of false data to either the data bus or to the remote location, and wherein said local processor analyzes the data one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted from and to the data bus with minimal delay. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said local processor determines the value of each bit of the data by sensing transition in logic states in the data such that said local processor processes the data with minimal delay. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data bus is maintained at a logic 1 value when the data bus is in an idle state in which data is not transmitted on the data bus, and wherein said local processor in an initial state outputs a logic 1 value to both the data bus and the local transceiver indicating that data is currently not being transmitted either to or from the data bus. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said local processor receives data from the data bus for transmittal to the remote location, said local processor transmits a corresponding data signal to said local transceiver, and wherein said local processor prevents false data received by said local processor from propagating to the data bus. 5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the local processor transmits data to the data bus, said local processor prevents false data received by said local processor from propagating to the remote location. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: a remote transceiver remote from the vehicle, wherein said remote transceiver transmits data to and receives data from the data bus of the vehicle; and a remote processor in electrical communication with said remote transceiver, wherein said remote processor processes both data received from the data bus of the vehicle and data to be sent to the data bus of the vehicle, wherein data transmitted by said remote transceiver to the data bus is also received by said remote processor as false data, wherein said remote processor analyzes data received by said remote processor and prevents propagation of false data, and wherein said remote processor analyzes the data one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted from and to the data bus with minimal delay. 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said local transceiver is an infrared transceiver that receives infrared data transmitted to the data bus from a remote location and transmits data in an infrared format from the data bus to a remote location. 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local transceiver transmits data using infrared data association protocol. 9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said local transceiver is a radio frequency transceiver that receives radio frequency data transmitted to the data bus from a remote location and transmits data in a radio frequency format from the data bus to a remote location. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a local memory device in electrical communication with said local processor, wherein said local processor during the operation of the vehicle receives data from the data bus relating to different systems of the vehicle and stores the data in said local memory device for later transmittal to a remote location. 11. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a remote memory device in electrical communication with said remote processor, wherein said remote memory device contains data for transmittal to the data bus of a vehicle, and wherein said remote processor in a data transfer mode transfers the data stored in said remote memory device to the data bus of the vehicle. 12. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a universal serial bus in electrical communication with said local processor and a computer system of the vehicle, wherein said local processor transmits and receives data from the computer system over the universal serial bus. 13. A method for validating with minimal delay data transmitted to a data bus of a vehicle from a remote location and data transmitted from the data bus of the vehicle to a remote location in a system where data transmitted to the data bus may also be received as false data at the remote location and data transmitted to a remote location from the data bus may also be received as false data at the data bus, wherein said method comprises steps of: analyzing data transmitted to and from the data bus one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted to and from the data bus with minimal delay; and preventing propagation of false data to the remote location when data is transmitted to the data bus and propagation of false data to the data bus when data is transmitted from the data bus to the remote location. 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said analyzing step comprises determining the value of each bit of the data by sensing a transition in logic states in the data such that the data is processed with minimal delay. 15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the data bus is maintained at a logic 1 value when the data bus is in an idle state in which data is not transmitted on the data bus, and wherein said method further comprises the step of initially outputting a logic 1 value in an initial state to both the data bus and the remote location indicating that data is currently not being transmitted either to or from the data bus. 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein when data is transmitted from the data bus to the remote location, said analyzing step comprises analyzing the data one bit at a time and transmitting each bit of the data to the remote location, and wherein said preventing step comprises preventing false data from propagating to the data bus. 17. A method according to claim 15, wherein when data is transmitted to the data bus, said analyzing step comprises analyzing the data one bit at a time and transmitting each bit of the data to the data bus, and wherein said preventing step comprises preventing false data from propagating to the remote location. 18. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of: analyzing data transmitted to the data bus from the remote location one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted with minimal delay; preventing propagation of false data to the remote location when data is transmitted to the data bus; analyzing data transmitted to the remote location from the data bus one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted with minimal delay; and preventing propagation of false data to the data bus when data is transmitted to the remote location. 19. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of transmitting data to the data bus and the remote location in an infrared format. 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting data to the data bus and the remote location using infrared data association protocol. 21. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of transmitting data to the data bus and the remote location in a radio frequency format. 22. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of storing data concerning different systems of the vehicle during the operation of the vehicle for later transmittal to a remote location. 23. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of storing data at a remote location for transmittal to the data bus of a vehicle. 24. A computer program product for validating with minimal delay data transmitted to a data bus of a vehicle from a remote location and data transmitted from the data bus of the vehicle to a remote location in a system where data transmitted to the data bus may also be received as false data at the remote location and data transmitted to a remote location from the data bus may also be received as false data at the data bus, wherein the computer program product comprises: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: first computer-readable program code means for analyzing data transmitted to and from the data bus one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted to and from the data bus with minimal delay; and second computer-readable program code means for preventing propagation of false data to the remote location when data is transmitted to the data bus and propagation of false data to the data bus when data is transmitted from the data bus to the remote location. 25. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein said first computer-readable program code means comprises computer readable program code means for analyzing the value of each bit of the data by sensing transition in logic states in the data such that the data is processed with minimal delay. 26. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein the data bus outputs a logic 1 value when the data bus is in an idle state in which data is not transmitted on the data bus, and wherein said first computer-readable program code means further comprises computer readable program code means for initially outputting a logic 1 value in an initial state to both the data bus and the remote location indicating that data is currently not being transmitted either to or from the data bus. 27. A computer program product as defined in claim 26, wherein when data is transmitted from the data bus to the remote location, said first computer-readable program code means comprises computer readable program code means for analyzing the data one bit at a time and outputting each bit of the data to the remote location, and wherein said second computer-readable program code means comprises computer readable program code means for preventing false data from propagating to the data bus. 28. A computer program product as defined in claim 26, wherein when data is transmitted to the data bus, said first computer-readable program code means comprises computer readable program code means for analyzing the data one bit at a time and outputting each bit of the data to the data bus, and wherein said second computer-readable program code means comprises computer readable program code means for preventing false data from propagating to the remote location. 29. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein said first computer-readable program code means comprises: means for analyzing data transmitted to the data bus from the remote location one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted with minimal delay; and means for analyzing data transmitted to the remote location from the data bus one bit at a time such that data may be transmitted with minimal delay, and wherein said second computer-readable program code means comprises: means for preventing propagation of false data to the remote location when data is transmitted to the data bus; and means for preventing propagation of false data to the data bus when data is transmitted to the remote location. 30. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein said computer-readable program code means comprises third computer-readable program code means for converting data transmitted to the data bus and the remote location in an infrared format. 31. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein said computer-readable program code means comprises third computer-readable program code means for converting data transmitted to the data bus and the remote location in an infrared data association protocol format. 32. A computer program product as defined in claim 24, wherein said computer-readable program code means comprises third computer-readable program code means for converting data transmitted to the data bus and the remote location in an radio frequency format. 33. A method for establishing a data communication link between a data bus of a vehicle having a transceiver for receiving data and a remote interrogation device where unwanted signals may be received by the data bus and corrupt data on the data bus, wherein said method comprises the steps of: connecting the local transceiver and the data bus in a data transfer mode such that the data bus may receive data transmitted by the remote interrogation device; and isolating the local transceiver from the data bus in an idle mode such that unwanted signals received by the transceiver are not input to the data bus. 34. A method according to claim 33 further comprising in the data transfer mode initially transmitting a data link command to the data bus of the vehicle, and wherein said connecting step comprises receiving the data link command and connecting the local transceiver and the data bus to thereby establish a data link between the data bus and the remote processor.