[001] The present subject matter relates to a vehicle management system.
BACKGROUND [002] With the convenience and ease of accessing vehicle related information 5 gathered by on board diagnostics (OBD) systems, OBD system based vehicle management has become a widely accepted mechanism for maintenance and servicing of a vehicle. [003] Generally, an OBD or a vehicle diagnostic system refers to an automated system installed within the vehicle to monitor vehicle health and performance, and provide access of the vehicle health and performance to a driver or a technician. The technician or 10 the driver can plug-in suitable gadgets, such as scan tools and diagnostic connectors into an OBD port of the vehicle and retrieve information related to vehicle health and performance. Such information provides an overall status of the vehicle in terms of engine condition, wear and tear of different components of the vehicle, fuel efficiency etc., and can be used for determining a type of servicing or remedial action for the vehicle. 15
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[004] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figure(s). In the figure(s), the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the 20 figure(s) to reference like features and components. Some implementations of systems and/or methods in accordance with implementations of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figure(s), in which:
[005] Fig. 1 illustrates a network environment for implementing a vehicle 25 management system, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter.
[006] Fig. 2 illustrates components of a vehicle management system and a vehicle diagnostic system, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter.
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[007] Fig. 3 illustrates a method for communicating data associated with a vehicle, to a vehicle management system, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter;
[008] Fig. 4 illustrates a method for communicating vehicle health information to a user, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter; 5
[009] Fig. 5 illustrates another network environment for implementation of the vehicle management system, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter. and
[0010] Fig. 6 illustrates an example communicating environment where the vehicle diagnostic system and the vehicle management system securely communicate with each 10 other, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter.
[0011] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may 15 be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0012] Conventionally, various techniques for managing a vehicle have been developed that collect vehicle related information from the vehicle and compare the vehicle 20 related information with preset values of different parameters under normal operating conditions to determine an anomaly. The parameters are related to performance of the engine, different vehicle actuators, level of lubrication of components of the vehicle, fuel efficiency and so on. One such technique entails collecting health related information of the vehicle from an OBD system of the vehicle. The OBD system comprises multiple sensors 25 that are connected to different components of the vehicle to collect the health related information. Generally, such health related information gathered by the OBD system of the vehicle is read using diagnostic tool kits, for example, at a servicing center.
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[0013] While such conventional techniques relying on the OBD system, are capable of indicating an anomaly relating to health of a vehicle when diagnosed, such techniques fail to provide mechanisms to proactively inform a user about the vehicle’s health, for example, before a user may take the vehicle to a servicing center. Therefore, on many instances, the user remains unaware of the anomaly in the vehicle and is unable to take a 5 corrective action in time. Further, the generally known techniques do not describe communicating alerts relating to health, functioning and location of the vehicle to users as well as other stakeholders associated with the user and the vehicle in real time. [0014] In accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter, techniques for monitoring a vehicle and communicating vehicle related information to a 10 user in real time are described. In an example, data is received from multiple sensors of the vehicle by a Vehicle Diagnostic System (VDS). The data is indicative of one of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle. Examples of performance characteristics and operating parameters include fuel consumption, cylinder condition, temperature, braking pattern, and distance travelled. Thereafter, the data is 15 synchronized, by the VDS, with a vehicle management system in real time and the data is communicated to the vehicle management system in a secured manner. The data is processed to determine deviation of the data from a normal operation values of the vehicle. The synchronizing and the processing may be performed in parallel such that the vehicle management system can initiate a corrective action to resolve an anomaly corresponding to 20 the data, in a timely manner. Therefore, in a scenario, if there is an anomaly that may affect the performance of the vehicle, the corrective action can aid in resolving the anomaly, while the data is processed by the VDS.
[0015] After processing the data, the VDS assigns a unique identifier, indicative of the effect of the deviation on the vehicle, to the deviation of the data. The unique identifier 25 is then transmitted by the VDS to the vehicle management system for maintaining track of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle. Further, the data corresponding to the anomaly may also be communicated to the user through a user device such as, a mobile device, of the user such that the user may be made aware of the anomaly and may get sufficient time to take the corrective actions. Therefore, an unfavorable 30
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situation due to the anomaly may be avoided. The described techniques perform the communication through the communication network in a secured manner thereby preventing any network attack or security vulnerabilities to affect data communication. Further, the described techniques provide multiple other advantageous functionalities to the user. For example, the described techniques includes multiple options to take corrective 5 actions to resolve the anomaly, such as contacting a car technician for checking the anomaly or making an emergency alert, such as a SOS alert to make a travel of the user safe and convenient. [0016] The above mentioned methods and systems are further described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. It should be noted that the description and figures merely 10 illustrate the principles of the present subject matter along with examples described herein and, should not be construed as a limitation to the present subject matter. It is thus understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and specific examples thereof, are intended to 15 encompass equivalents thereof.
[0017] Fig. 1 illustrates a network environment 100 for implementing a vehicle management system 102, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter. [0018] In accordance with the example implementation illustrated in Fig. 1, the 20 vehicle management system 102 is communicatively coupled to an vehicle diagnostic system 104 installed in a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostic system 104 has a control unit 106 connected to various sensors 108 that are configured to sense parameter relating to health of the vehicle. The sensors 108 may include, but not restricted to one or more knock sensor, crankshaft position sensor, coolant temperature sensor, electronic load detector, vehicle 25 speed sensor, fuel supply pressure sensor and throttle position sensor. By processing the various parameters gathered by the sensors 108, the control unit 106 can gather information relating to the numerous anomalies that may occur within the vehicle including and not restricted to, firing angle related problems, throttle position based anomalies, incorrect
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recirculation of exhaust gas, fuel pressure related issues, barometric pressure related error, vacuum leaks, various wiring related concerns, sensor related errors and so on. [0019] Conventionally, when the control unit 106 senses a problem, it generates an error code indicative of the associated problem. Once the code is read and interpreted by a technician using a diagnostic tool, remedial action is initiated. As opposed to such 5 conventional techniques, the present subject matter allows information relating to the vehicle health to be provided to one or more users associated with the vehicle in real time. For instance, instead of an error code, which may be read using a specialized diagnostic tool and understood only by a technician, a meaningful indication of a problem may be provided to the user through a mobile device of the user that may be coupled to the vehicle 10 diagnostic system 104. [0020] In one embodiment, the information gathered by the control unit 106 may be communicated to the vehicle management system 102 through a communication module 110 installed in the vehicle. In an example, the communication module 110 may be understood as a dongle having a SIM or any other equivalent thereof. The communication 15 module 110 may be coupled to the control unit 106 and may be further configured to transmit the information gathered therefrom to the vehicle management system 102 through a communication network 112. The vehicle management system 102 may process the received information and accordingly generate one or more messages that may be transmitted to different parties associated with the vehicle. 20 [0021] For example, if the vehicle management system 102 determines that the vehicle engine has a fault, it may alert the driver, for example, by sending a message or calling the user on his mobile device 114 that may be registered with the vehicle management system 102. Simultaneously, the vehicle management system 102 may alert personnel in a nearby servicing center, on another communication device 116, to reach out 25 to the user and schedule a relevant maintenance activity for the vehicle. For the purpose, the vehicle management system 102 may be coupled to a location determining system 118 to identify a current location of the vehicle.
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[0022] In another example, if the vehicle management system 102 determines the vehicle to be entering into an area having a predefined speed limit based on the location of the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle may be alerted. If the driver is observed to be over speeding, an alert may sent to one or more other devices, for example, a cell phone of an employer of the driver. Further, in case the driver meets with an accident, based on the 5 details of the collision received from the vehicle diagnostic system 104, the vehicle management system 102 may send SOS messages to a kin of the driver, relevant authorities, emergency services and a service center associated with the vehicle. [0023] While in the implementation discussed in context of Fig. 1, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 communicates to the vehicle management system 102 through a 10 communication module 110 that may be plugged into a communication port of the vehicle, various other implementations are possible. [0024] It should be noted that the description merely illustrates the principles of the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the 15 principles of the present subject matter and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for explanatory purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all 20 statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and implementations of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0025] In an implementation of the present subject matter, techniques for managing a vehicle may be executed by utilizing the vehicle management system 102 and the vehicle diagnostic system 104 as described in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 illustrates various components of the 25 vehicle management system 102 and the vehicle diagnostic system 104, in accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter. [0026] The vehicle management system 102 may be understood as a remote server that may be in communication with several vehicle diagnostic systems 104 to monitor the
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respective vehicles on a real-time basis. Thus, in one example implementation of the present subject matter, the vehicle diagnostic systems 104 communicate the parameters to the vehicle management 102 which in turn pushes the vehicle health related information to a portable user device of the user. In an example, the user device may be registered with the vehicle management system 102 as explained subsequently. 5
[0027] The vehicle management system 102 may include a processor 206, a memory 208, and an interface(s) 210. Further, the vehicle management system 102 may include module(s) 212 and data 214.
[0028] Among other capabilities, the processor 206 may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 208. The processor 206 may 10 be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. The functions of the various elements shown in the figure, including any functional blocks labelled as “processor(s)”, may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware 15 capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, 20 digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), non-volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.
[0029] The memory 208 may be coupled to the processor 206 and may, among 25 other capabilities, provide data and instructions for performing different functions. The memory 208 can include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory
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(ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
[0030] The interface(s) 210 may include a variety of machine readable instructions-based interfaces and hardware interfaces that allow the vehicle management system 102 to interact with different entities, such as the processor 206, the module 222, and the data 214. 5 Further, the interface(s) 210 may enable the components of the vehicle management system 102 to communicate with other vehicle management system 102, vehicle diagnostic system 104, servers and external repositories. The interface(s) 210 may facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of networks and protocol types, including wireless networks, wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), RAN, satellite-based network, etc. 10
[0031] The module(s) 212 may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like, which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The module(s) 212 may further include modules that supplement applications on the vehicle management system 102, for example, modules of an operating system. Further, the module(s) 212 can be implemented in hardware, instructions executed by a processing 15 unit, or by a combination thereof.
[0032] In another aspect of the present subject matter, the module(s) 212 may be machine-readable instructions (software) which, when executed by a processor/processing unit, perform any of the described functionalities. The machine-readable instructions may be stored on an electronic memory device, hard disk, optical disk or other machine-readable 20 storage medium or non-transitory medium. In one implementation, the machine-readable instructions can be also be downloaded to the storage medium via a network connection.
[0033] The data 214 serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data that may be fetched, processed, received, or generated by one or more of the module(s) 212.
[0034] The module(s) 212 may perform different functionalities which may include, 25 but may not be limited to, registering a user of a vehicle, receiving feedback from the user generating a new car enquiry, booking a service for the vehicle, determining location of nearby fuel station, vehicle health monitoring, communicating with a dealer of the vehicle
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and trip analysis. Accordingly, the module(s) 212 may include a user profile module 216, a sales and service module 218, a health monitoring module 220, a location module 222, a communication module 224, and a trip analysis module 226. The data 214 may include vehicle registration data 228, and other data 230.
[0035] In an implementation, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 is implemented 5 within the vehicle to monitor different parameters such as, status of engine cylinders, temperature of the vehicle, tire pressure, and oil levels. The vehicle diagnostic system 104 is connected to various sensors that are distributed across different positions within the vehicle to monitor the vehicle related parameters. The vehicle diagnostic system 104 provides the parameters to the vehicle management system 102 to enable the vehicle 10 management system 102 to monitor the vehicle.
[0036] Similar to the vehicle management system 102, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 may include a vehicle processor 232, such as the control unit 106 for processing the parameters, a memory 234 to store data and instructions and an interface(s) 236 for enabling interaction with users and vehicle management system 102. The vehicle diagnostic 15 system 104 may also include modules 238 such as, a vehicle communication module 110, a vehicle health monitoring module 240, a vehicle decision module 242, a vehicle trip analysis module 244, and sensors 108. Further, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 may include data 246 that may include engine data 248, and fuel data 250. As mentioned previously, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 communicates to the vehicle management 20 system 102 through the communication network 112.
[0037] In an implementation, the communication network 112 may be a wireless or a wired network, or a combination thereof. The network can be a collection of individual networks, interconnected with each other and functioning as a single large network (e.g., the internet or an intranet). Examples of such individual networks include, but are not 25 limited to, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, Personal Communications Service (PCS) network, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Next Generation Network (NGN), Public Switched Telephone Network
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(PSTN), and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Depending on the technology, the network 204 includes various network entities, such as transceivers, gateways, and routers; however, such details have been omitted for ease of understanding.
[0038] In operation, the user profile module 216 may register a user of the vehicle with the vehicle management system 102. To register a user, a user device, such as a smart 5 phone or a tablet (not shown in the figure) belonging to a user may be registered with the vehicle management system 102. In an example implementation, in registering the user device with the vehicle management system 102, a client of the vehicle management system 102 may be installed on the registered user device, wherein the client may be configured to communicate with the vehicle management system 102 for the various purposes described 10 herein. Once registered, information related to vehicle health and vehicle performance relevant to a current trip or a past trip can be provided to the registered user device in real time by the vehicle management system 102. Further, options for taking a corrective action to prevent an unfavourable situation may also be provided to the user device registered with the vehicle management system 102. 15
[0039] In a scenario, the user may be an owner of the vehicle and may provide user information, such as personal details, for instance, name, date of birth, address, occupation, city, state and a photo to the user profile module 216, for example, through the registered user device. Further, the user profile module 216 may also receive vehicle information, such as, a car company, car model type, model number, year of purchase from the user or 20 the car company or a dealer that registered the owner during purchase of the vehicle. Thereafter, the user profile module 216 may consolidate personal details and vehicle details in a profile and authenticate the profile.
[0040] The user profile module 216 may authenticate the profile by verifying the details provided by the user. The details are verified for enhancing security of the vehicle 25 management system 102 by ensuring that a correct owner is registered with the vehicle management system 102. In an example embodiment, the details are verified by requesting information from a server at a remote location that may store details of the owner and the vehicle. In a scenario, the server may be a Document Management Server (DMS) for
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storing electronic documents and images of paper documents related to the owner and the vehicle that may be maintained, for example, by the vehicle manufacturer and accessed by all its dealers to record documents relating to sale of the vehicles. Similar to the profile of the owner, the user profile module 216 may create profiles for multiple users associated with the same vehicle. 5
[0041] After creating and authenticating the user profile, the user profile module 216 may provide an option to define preferences to the user, for example, through the registered user device. For instance, the user may define priorities for different type of information to be notified to the user. Further, the user may also define recipients of information, for instance, information related to fuel status and temperature condition be 10 communicated to the user, whereas information associated with engine condition be communicated to both a car technician at a nearby location and the user. After defining the preferences, such information may then be sent to their intended recipients based on the preferences.
[0042] In a scenario, the user profile module 216 may provide an option to the user 15 to provide feedback related to the quality of communication between the vehicle and the user and promptness in resolving an issue within the vehicle. The user may also provide feedback related to services, dealers and car technicians that the user may have contacted for maintenance of the vehicle. Accordingly, the user profile module 216 may provide an option to change the preferences of the user to improve subsequent feedbacks from the user. 20 The user profile module 216 may also provide an option of completing a survey. The survey, for instance, may be related to performance of the vehicle, or any shortcoming in the vehicle the user may have faced. The information in the survey may then be gathered from multiple users associated with multiple vehicles and communicated to a backend server for analysis. 25
[0043] In an implementation of the present subject matter, the user profile module 216 may receive images of documents related to the vehicle uploaded by the registered user device of a user. For instance, the documents may be certificate of registration of the vehicle, an insurance of the car, a pollution certificate, a car handbook, a warranty
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certificate and a driving license of the user. The uploaded documents may then be stored as a list of documents on which the user may perform certain operations such as, download, view, edit or delete one or more documents from the list of documents. The documents stored in digital format may provide an ease of access to information associated with the vehicle and prevent carrying of separate physical documents in the vehicle that may have a 5 risk of getting lost or misplaced.
[0044] In another scenario, the user profile module 216 may store a calendar that may be tagged with dates of relevant events such as, pollution under control renewal due date, and insurance instalment payment date for the vehicle. At any time, a user may select the relevant dates and view further historical details such as specific time, contact details or 10 address of stations from where the last PUC check was performed and the insurance was claimed.
[0045] In an implementation, the user may intend to access information related to a new car for purchase or for referring the new car to another user. The sales and service module 218 may allow the user to generate a new car enquiry through the registered user 15 device. The car enquiry may be related to a query with query parameters such as, the new car in a segment from the same company, a new car within a specified budget, and a car with specific features. In response to the new car enquiry, the sales and service module 218 may provide information related to the new car based on the query parameters defined in the new car enquiry. 20
[0046] Further, the sales and service module 218 may enable comparison of different cars across different segments and across different companies and generate a comparison chart for the user to provide a better analysis. In a scenario, the sales and service module 218 may also provide an option of custom comparison to the user, whereby the user may specify one or more conditions for comparing different cars and generate the 25 comparison chart. For instance, the user may specify two segments, sedan and Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) for two companies A and B. The sales and service module 218 may then generate a comparison chart for different cars within the two segments for comparison between company A and company B. In another scenario, the sales and service module 218
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may generate a sales reference and provide the sales reference to the user. The sales reference may include information related to new car, features of the car, and different variants of the car.
[0047] In an implementation, the user may book an appointment for servicing the vehicle at a service station by utilizing the sales and service module 218 and generate 5 booking information or appointment through the registered user device. The booking information may include time and date of servicing, any specific component of the vehicle to be serviced, address of the service station, and a service agent at the service station. In a scenario, the booking information may be communicated to the service agent at the service station such that the service agent may get aware of the appointment and accordingly 10 prepare for servicing the vehicle. In a scenario, the sales and service module 218 may generate a reminder for the next servicing of the vehicle and send it to the registered user device to notify the user of the vehicle. The notification may be in form of one of a sound alert, a vibration alert, and a message displayed on a display screen of the registered user device. 15
[0048] The user may also access a service history of past services of the vehicle. The past services may be stored as a list of servicing events with respective dates. The user may select any servicing event to access details such as, the booking information associated with the servicing event. Further, in the said scenario, the sales and service module 218 may also provide an option of accessing information related to past invoices of the services. 20
[0049] In an implementation, the vehicle health monitoring module 240 of the vehicle diagnostic system 104 may monitor health of the vehicle. The health of the vehicle can be monitored based on as different operating parameters such as engine and cylinder condition, level of lubrication, temperature of the vehicle, tire wear and tear, and oil levels that may affect performance of the vehicle. The vehicle health monitoring module 240 may 25 be connected to multiple embedded sensors such as, pressure sensors, oxygen sensors, image capturing sensors, proximity sensors and may receive information related to the vehicle health from the embedded sensors. After receiving the health information, the vehicle decision module 242 may compare the health information with levels of parameters
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under normal operation to determine deviation in any value of the parameters. The deviation in the value can be indicative of an error condition. Further, the vehicle decision module 242 may determine a unique identifier for the data based on the determination. The unique identifier is indicative effect of the deviation on vehicle performance.
[0050] In a scenario, the vehicle health information may be received in form of a 5 unique data from different sensors within different parts of the vehicle. The unique data can be understood as encoded information that is indicative of value of a parameter of the health information. The unique data is usually defined for each part of the vehicle by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and therefore the unique identifier may vary from one OEM to another. In the said scenario, the unique identifier may be indicative of 10 the deviation in the data value.
[0051] In an implementation, the vehicle communication module 110 of the vehicle diagnostic system 104 may send the health information in form of the unique data to the health monitoring module 220 of the vehicle management system 102 where the unique data may be converted to an error message of plain language text that can be easily 15 understood by the user. In a scenario, the health monitoring module 220 may convert the unique data using a mapping table that may store equivalent plain language text for each unique identifier. At the vehicle management system 102, varying unique data from different OEMs may also be normalized to a common set of error messages with plain language text. Thereafter, the communication module 224 of the vehicle management 20 system 102 may send the error message in plain language text to the registered user device such that the same is accessible to the user in a human interpretable format.
[0052] In an example, the health monitoring module 242 may receive a unique data ABC02 from an engine monitoring sensor, and the communication module 240 may transmit the unique data ABC02 to the vehicle management system 102. At the vehicle 25 management system 102, the unique data ABC02 may be converted to the error message in the plain language text as ‘one of the cylinder on the engine is having misfiring and causing unstable engine running’. Thereafter, the communication module 224 may transmit the error message to the registered user device. In a scenario, the communication module 224
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may also provide information related to the impact of deviation on the vehicle health. In an example, the corrective action includes communicating one of the data and the unique identifier to a service center. In an example, the VDS may transmit location of the vehicle to the vehicle management system based on a Global Positioning System (GPS).
[0053] In another implementation, the communication module 224 securely 5 communicates with multiple vehicles in real time for monitoring the multiple vehicles. The health monitoring module 220 collects operating parameters and performance characteristics of each vehicle and performs analysis of the operating parameters and the performance characteristics received from each vehicle to determine deviation in performance of vehicles subject to different operating conditions. For instance, the health 10 monitoring module 220 may determine that for efficient fuel consumption, the speed maintained for a vehicle should be within the range of about 40-80 kilometre per hour (Kmph). The health monitoring module 220 may then derive recommended operating parameters, such as driving speed of 40-80 Kmph for efficient fuel consumption based on the analysis. The health monitoring module 220 may also determine error conditions, such 15 as overheating of engine, or low fuel level based on the analysis. Thereafter, the health monitoring module 220 assesses operating parameters of a vehicle based on the operating parameters associated with the multiple vehicles to determine recommended operating parameters and error conditions for the vehicle. Thereafter, communication module provides secure access to the recommended operating parameters and the error conditions 20 to a user of the vehicle in real time.
[0054] In an implementation, the vehicle communication module 110 may communicate the health information to the vehicle management system 102 for relaying the information to a service agent or a car technician in the company. The vehicle management system 102 may be preconfigured with relevant contact details for the user, such as a 25 service agent or a car technician, for example at the time of registration of the user, and may contact such users to inform them about the severity of the impact in real time.
[0055] The communication module 224 may enable the registered user device to provide an option to the user for calling a dealer or the car technician in the company for
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any assistance in real time. Further, the communication module 224 may allow the user to communicate with the dealer or the car technician of the company and provide details about the error message. In an example, the present subject matter provides information associated with the error condition to various users, such as the dealers, the car technicians and provides options to them to communicate with the user to resolve the error condition. 5 Therefore, the functionality aids the user in dealing with the error condition.
[0056] In a scenario, an emergency situation may be determined in an event of a collision of the vehicle with another vehicle or damage of one or more parts of the vehicle. The communication module 224 may enable the registered user device to provide an option of activating an emergency mode to the user whereby the user may use a manual SoS to 10 send an alert message to friends and family members from a contact list of the user in real time. In another scenario, upon detecting the emergency situation, the communication module 224 may automatically send the alert message to the friends and family members of the user whose contact details the user may have provided to the vehicle management system 102. The alert message may include a link that may be associated with a current 15 location of the user on a map. The alert message may also include last known time with the date such that the friends and the family members may get to know the last location of the user. In the said scenario, the communication module 224 may also connect a call in real time to the friends and family members of the user such that the family members may get to know about safety of the user. 20
[0057] In an implementation, a location module 222 may determine the location of the dealer or the car technician for resolving the issue. The location module 222 may make use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality for determining location of the dealer and the car technician and identifying a route to the dealer on a map in real time. After locating the nearest dealer or the car technician, the location module 222 may display, 25 on the registered user device, a map on which the route from the current location of the vehicle to the dealer or the car technician is highlighted. In a scenario, the location module 222 may locate two or more dealers at different distances from the user on the map with location of each dealer indicated using a pointer. In the said scenario, the pointer of the
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closest dealer may be largest in size on the map such that the user may locate the nearest dealer with convenience. Further, the location module 222 may also navigate the user along the highlighted route by providing one of a visual navigation and/or voice navigation. In a scenario, the location module 222 may pair with the vehicle diagnostic system 104 and provide the route display and one of the visual navigation and/or voice navigation through a 5 display of the vehicle diagnostic system 104, depending on the implementation, or display of the registered user device.
[0058] In a similar manner, the location module 222 may determine location of the nearest fuel pump, in a scenario when it is determined that the fuel of the vehicle is about to be exhausted by the vehicle. The location module 222 may also locate two or more fuel 10 pumps at different distances with pointers on the map with the pointer of the closest fuel pump largest in size on the map.
[0059] In another scenario, the location module 222 may determine location of the vehicle using the GPS functionality and display the same on the registered user device when the user may be at a distance from the vehicle, for instance, to direct the user towards 15 the car that the user may have parked at a distance. Thereafter, the location module 222 may display the location of the vehicle on the map. In the scenario, the map may be displayed with a pointer indicating location of the user and another indicator, for instance a car symbol, to indicate location of the vehicle and an arrow pointing towards the pointer of the vehicle from the indicator of the user. In a scenario, a highlighted route between the 20 user and the vehicle may be displayed on the map in real time. Thereafter, one of the visual navigation and voice navigation may be provided to the user for aiding the user to reach to the vehicle. The location module 222 may also provide details of the last known location of the vehicle with time and date information to aid the user in reaching to the location of the vehicle in real time. 25
[0060] Further, on some instances, the user may be travelling with a large group of family and friends with two or more vehicles. On such instances, the user may intend to share the location of the vehicle if the vehicle is at certain distance from other vehicles, and the family and friends in other cars are unable to locate the vehicle of the user. On such
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instances, the location module 222 may determine the current location of the vehicle using the GPS functionality and provide an option to the user to share the current location of the vehicle with family and friends in other vehicles using the registered user device. If the user selects the option and a text message or an email related to the location of the vehicle may be sent to the family and the friends. 5
[0061] In another implementation of the present subject matter, a user may intend to access trip data associated with a trip. For instance, the trip data can include a route map covered during the trip, an average speed, that can be gathered by the trip analysis module 226 on it own based on tracking the location of the vehicle, and other data like engine operation, maximum speed, braking pattern, etc., that can be gathered based on inputs from 10 the vehicle trip analysis module 244. The communication module 224 may provide an option of securely accessing the trip data to the user through the registered user device. The vehicle trip analysis module 244 may provide information such as engine off and on duration, braking pattern with respective timestamp information. In an implementation, the trip analysis module 226, may also maintain a logbook for amount of fuel refilled in the 15 vehicle and distance travelled by the vehicle after each refill, for example, based on inputs provided by the user during the trip. In a scenario, the vehicle trip analysis module 244 may receive the distance travelled information from an odometer of the vehicle. Thereafter, the trip analysis module 226 may compute the fuel efficiency of the vehicle based on the amount of fuel refilled and the distance travelled by the vehicle. 20
[0062] In an implementation, the communication between the vehicle management system 102, the vehicle diagnostic system 104 as well as the communication between the vehicle management system 102 and the registered user device may be performed in a secured manner. The communication may be secured by utilizing a private Access Point Name (APN) to establish a secure channel of communication between the vehicle 25 diagnostic system 104 and the vehicle management system 102. The secure channel may prevent intrusion of any network threat. Further, the data stored at the vehicle management system 102 may also be encrypted using a standard encryption technique such as, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Further, any other vehicle diagnostic system that is not
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configured and verified by the vehicle management system 102 may be declined communication with the vehicle management system 102. Therefore, the private APN and the encrypted data at the external source may prevent a data security threat from affecting the communication over the communication network 112.
[0063] To further enhance the security of communication, security firewalls may be 5 configured for scanning data communicated between the vehicle diagnostic system 104 and the vehicle management system 102 and the vehicle management system 102 may be placed in a private secure zone. In such a scenario, data with appropriate private-public encryption is allowed to pass through the security firewall and reach the external source.
[0064] In another implementation, the communication received by the vehicle 10 management system 102 may also be performed in a secured manner. In an example, to initiate communication between the registered user device and the vehicle management system 102, a user may first be authenticated based on his credentials. For example, the user, using the registered user device, may provide his username and a corresponding password to the vehicle management system 102 for authentication. Once the user is 15 authenticated, the communication module 224 may initiate a secure session for communication with the registered user device.
[0065] Further, in another example implementation of the present subject matter, the secure session between the communication module 224 and the registered user device may be may be implemented based on allocation of unique and dynamic set of tokens. It 20 would be noted that the unique set of tokens may be randomly generated and allocated to the communication module 224 and the registered user device, such that the exchange of data between the communication the vehicle management system 102 and registered user device is validated based on the unique set of tokens.
[0066] For example, in a secure session established between the vehicle 25 management system 102 and the registered user device, a unique set of tokens “XFGB256425” may be randomly generated and shared with both of the registered user device and the vehicle management system 102. The registered user device and the vehicle management system 102 may utilize the token “XFGB256425” to securely communicate
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data with each other, such that any communication between the registered user device and the vehicle management system 102, not bearing the token “XFGB256425” may be treated as malicious communication and may be dropped. It would be noted that the unique set of tokens may be formed based on any predefined rules and may include different set of characters, such as numeral values, alpha numeric values, and special character values. 5
[0067] In an example implementation of the present subject matter, the unique set of tokens may be dynamically modified after every predetermined time period. In other words, the unique set of tokens generated for communication between the registered user device and the vehicle management system 102 may expire after every predetermined time period and may be renewed to further secure the secure session. For instance, in reference 10 to the last example, the unique set of tokens “XFGB256425” may be expire after every 2 minutes and another set of unique tokens may be randomly generated and shared with the registered user device and the vehicle management system 102. Thus, a malicious user device that may have intervened a communication session is unable to communicate with the vehicle management system 102 beyond the expiry of the next predetermined time 15 period.
[0068] The explanation regarding the methods of communicating between the vehicle management system 102, the registered user device, and the vehicle diagnostic system 104 have been explained in details with respect to the description of forthcoming figures. 20
[0069] Fig.3 and Fig.4 illustrate the methods 300 and 400 in accordance with implementations of the present subject matter. The order in which the methods 300 and 400 are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the methods 300 and 400 or an alternative method. Furthermore, the methods 300 and 400 may be implemented 25 by processor(s) or computing system(s) through any suitable hardware, non-transitory machine readable instructions, or combination thereof.
[0070] It may be understood that steps of the methods 300 and 400 may be performed by programmed diagnostic systems. The steps of the methods 300 and 400 may
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be executed based on instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, as will be readily understood. The non-transitory computer readable medium may include, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media, such as one or more magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. In an implementation of the present subject matter, the method 300 may be executed by the 5 vehicle diagnostic system 104, and the method 400 may be executed by the vehicle management system 102 as described earlier.
[0071] Fig. 3 illustrates a method for communicating data, associated with a vehicle, to a vehicle management system 102, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. At block 302, data may be received from multiple sensors of the 10 vehicle. The data may be related to performance characteristics or operating parameters of the vehicle in terms of engine status, fuel condition, distance travelled. The data may also be related to a trip for instance, route map during the trip, average speed and maximum speed during the trip. In an implementation, the data may be received by a vehicle health monitoring module 240 of a vehicle diagnostic system 104. 15
[0072] Thereafter, at block 304, synchronization with the vehicle management system 102 may be performed in real-time by communicating the data to the vehicle management system 102. In an implementation, the vehicle communication module 110 may synchronize with the vehicle management system 102 in real-time by communicating the data. At block 306, the data may be processed to determine deviation of the data form 20 normal operation values of the vehicle. In an example, the synchronization and the processing of the data may be performed in parallel to identify an anomaly related to the data and initiate a corrective action. Such parallel operation saves time and provides assistance in a timely manner in case of the anomaly.
[0073] At block 308, a unique identifier may be assigned for the data based on the 25 determination, wherein the unique identifier is indicative of the effect of the deviation on vehicle performance. In a scenario, the data deviating from the normal operation may be identified and the unique identifier may be determined by a vehicle decision module 242. Thereafter, at block 310, the unique identifier is transmitted to the vehicle management
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system 102. In an implementation, the vehicle communication module 110 may transmit the unique identifier to the vehicle management system 102. In a scenario, the vehicle communication module 110 may request the vehicle management system 102 to relay an error message associated with the unique identifier to an external agent, such as other users explained earlier. The external agent may be one of a dealer, a car technician, a family 5 member, and a friend of the user. Further, the vehicle communication module 110 may provide a remote accessing facility to an external agent, such as a servicing center agent, for accessing the unique identifier, determining an issue associated with the vehicle and resolving the issue.
[0074] Fig. 4 illustrates a method 400 for communicating health information 10 associated with a vehicle to a user of the vehicle according to an implementation of the present subject matter. At block 402, a vehicle diagnostic system 104 may be communicated, for example by the vehicle management system 102, for receiving operating parameters associated with a vehicle. In an implementation, the communication module 224 of vehicle management system 102 may communicate with the vehicle diagnostic system 15 104 to receive the operating parameters. In a scenario, an error message may be received from the vehicle diagnostic system 104 in real time, wherein the error message is a code associated with a deviation of performance of the vehicle from normal operation. In an implementation, the communication module 224 may receive the error message from the vehicle diagnostic system 104 in real-time. 20
[0075] Thereafter at block 404, an error condition associated with the vehicle may be identified based on the operating parameters. In a scenario, the health monitoring module 220 may identify the error condition based on the operating parameters. In an example, the health monitoring module 220 may identify the error condition based on stored values of the operating parameters, wherein the stored values indicate normal range 25 of operating parameters. At block 406, an access of the operating parameters and the error condition may be provided to a user in real time. In an implementation, the communication module 224 may provide the health information and the error condition to a registered user device of the user. In a scenario, after providing the health information and the error
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condition, an indication may be received from the user for establishing communication with an external agent in real time. The external agent can be a dealer or a car technician. In an implementation, a communication with the external agent may be established accordingly.
[0076] Thereafter, the error message may be provided to the external agent. In a scenario, the communication module 224 may provide information related to the error 5 condition to the external agent. Thereafter, a response for resolving the error condition may be received from the external agent. The communication module 224 may receive the response for resolving the issue.
[0077] Fig. 5 illustrates a network environment where the VDS 104 may communicate with the VMS 102 to communicate information. The health related 10 information associated with the vehicle may be gathered by the VDS 104, and may be communicated to the VMS 102, as depicted in the figure.
[0078] Fig. 6 illustrates a communicating environment where the VDS 104 and the VMS 102 may securely communicate with each other. The VDS 104 may communicate securely with the VMS 102. In an example implementation of the present subject matter, 15 the VDS 104 and the VMS 102 may utilize unique set of tokens for communication, as depicted in the figure.
[0079] Thus, the described techniques provide efficient mechanism of communicating status of a vehicle to a portable device using a vehicle diagnostic system in real time such that a user is aware of the condition of the vehicle and can take timely 20 corrective actions to prevent an unfavorable situation. Further, the techniques provide a secure manner of communicating data thereby ensuring integrity of the data reported to the users. Further, the techniques provide multiple features to users to make their travel safe and convenient.
[0080] Although implementations of present subject matter have been described in 25 language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the present subject matter is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed and explained in the
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context of a few example implementations for vehicle management systems and vehicle diagnostic systems.

I/We Claim:
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a Vehicle Diagnostic System (VDS) of a vehicle, data from a plurality of sensors of the vehicle, the data being indicative of at least one of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle; 5
synchronizing, by the VDS, the data with a vehicle management system in real time, wherein the data is communicated to the vehicle management system in a secured manner;
processing, by the VDS, the data to determine deviation of the data from normal operation values of the vehicle, wherein the processing of the data is 10 performed in parallel to the synchronization of the data such that a corrective action to resolve an anomaly corresponding to the data is initiated by the VDS and the vehicle management system;
assigning, by the VDS, a unique identifier based on the determination, wherein the unique identifier is indicative of effect of the deviation on vehicle 15 performance; and
transmitting, by the VDS, the unique identifier to the vehicle management system for maintaining track of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle.
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2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a knock sensor, a crankshaft position sensor, a coolant temperature sensor, an electronic load detector, a vehicle speed sensor, a fuel supply pressure sensor, a throttle position sensor, and an odometer.
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3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises communicating at least one of the data and the unique identifier to a service center.
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4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises generating an alert based on the determination of the deviation in the data.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing comprises comparing the data with a maximum level and a minimum level of the normal operation values of the 5 vehicle to determine the deviation of the data from the normal operation.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data is synchronized through a private Access Point Name (APN) for establishing communication in secured manner.
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7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronizing comprises transmitting, by the VDS, location of the vehicle to the vehicle management system based on a Global Positioning System (GPS).
8. A method for monitoring health of a vehicle, the method comprising: 15
communicating, by a Vehicle Management System (VMS), with a vehicle diagnostic system in a secured manner to receive operating parameters associated with the vehicle, wherein the vehicle diagnostic system is positioned within the vehicle to monitor operating parameters and performance characteristics of the vehicle; 20
identifying, by the VMS, an error condition associated with the vehicle based on stored values of operating parameters of the vehicle.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising providing, in real time, access to the operating parameters and the error condition to a user in a secured manner. 25
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10. The method as claimed in claim 8 comprising relaying the operating parameters and the error condition to at least one of a dealer, a car technician, a family member, and a friend of the user.
11. The method as claimed in claim 8, comprising receiving at least one unique 5 identifier from the vehicle diagnostic system, wherein the unique identifier is indicative of effect of a deviation of a data on vehicle performance, wherein the deviation is determined based on comparing the data with normal operation values of the vehicle.
12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the access to the operating parameters 10 and the error condition is performed based on security tokens, wherein the security tokens are allocated to the VMS and a user device for validating the access by the user.
13. A Vehicle Diagnostic System (VDS) comprising:
a vehicle processor; 15
a vehicle health monitoring module, coupled to the vehicle processor, to receive, from a plurality of sensors within a vehicle, data indicative of at least one of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle;
a vehicle communication module, coupled to the vehicle processor, to synchronize the data to a vehicle management system, in real time, wherein the data 20 is securely communicated to the vehicle management system;
a vehicle decision module, coupled to the vehicle processor, to:
process the data to determine deviation of the data from the normal operation values of the vehicle, wherein the processing of the data is performed in parallel to the synchronization of the data, such that a 25 corrective action to resolve an anomaly corresponding to the data is initiated in parallel to the processing of the data; and
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determine a unique identifier based on the determination, wherein the unique identifier is indicative of the effect of the deviation on vehicle performance; wherein the communication module transmits the unique identifier to the vehicle management system for maintaining track of performance characteristics and operating parameters of the vehicle. 5
14. The VDS as claimed in claim 13 comprising a vehicle trip analysis module to provide the user, access to a trip data, the trip data being indicative of data related to at least one trip covered by the vehicle.
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15. The VDS as claimed in claim 14, wherein the trip data includes at least one of an engine off and on duration, a braking pattern, a logbook for amount of fuel refilled, and distance travelled by the vehicle after each refill.
16. The VDS as claimed in claim 13, comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 15 card.
17. A Vehicle Management System (VMS), comprising
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor; 20
a communication module, coupled to the processor, to
securely communicate with a plurality of vehicles to monitor performance of each vehicle from amongst the plurality of vehicles; and
collect operating parameters and performance characteristics associated with each vehicle; 25
a health monitoring module, coupled to the processor, to
perform analysis of the operating parameters and the performance characteristics associated with each vehicle to determine variation in
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performance of the plurality of vehicles subject to different operating conditions;
derive at least one of a recommended operating parameters, and error conditions based on the analysis; and
assess operating parameters of a vehicle based on the operating 5 parameters associated with the plurality of vehicles to determine at least one of recommended operating parameters for the vehicle and error conditions for the vehicle.
18. The VMS as claimed in claim 17, wherein the communication module provides 10 secure access to the recommended operating parameters and the error conditions to a user of the vehicle in real time.
19. The VMS as claimed in claim 17, comprising;
a user profile module, coupled to the processor, to: 15
register a user with the VMS by associating a user device of the user with the VMS, wherein the user device is associated by storing user information of the user and device information of the user device;
receive vehicle information associated with the vehicle through the user device; 20
consolidate the user information and the vehicle information in a user profile; and
authenticate the user profile by verifying the user information provided by the user; and
a sales and service module to: 25
receive a new car enquiry from the user device; and
provide information related to a new car in response to the new car enquiry.
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20. The VMS as claimed in claim 19, wherein the sales and service module is to provide a comparison of different cars across different segments and across different companies to generate a comparison chart for the user, in response to the new car enquiry.
21. The VMS as claimed in claim 19, wherein the sales and service module is to: 5
allow booking a service appointment for the vehicle of the user through the user device; and
generate a reminder for the servicing of the vehicle, the reminder communicated to the user device.
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22. The VMS as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:
a trip analysis module to monitor trip data associated with the vehicle, wherein the trip data is associated with at least one trip covered by the vehicle; and
a location module to determine a location of a dealer or a car technician through GPS for resolving an issue corresponding to the trip data. 15
23. The VMS as claimed in claim 22, wherein the communication module provides secure access of the trip data to the user.