SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORING AND SHARING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

A method and system for storing and sharing repair and maintenance information (RMI) of a product is described. The system comprises an embedded system comprised in the product configured to store the encrypted RMI. An encryption key is provided by a provider of the product to a customer of the product. The system further comprises a central system configured to read, write and copy the RMI in the embedded system via a communication network; a service device of a service facility configured to download an application module, establish a wireless connection between the embedded system and the service device, decrypt and display the RMI received from the embedded system when the encryption key is provided to the service device and when the product is in physical proximity to the service facility. The encryption key is provided to the service facility by the customer of the product.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method and system for storing and sharing repair and maintenance information (RMI) of a product. In particular, the invention relates to provision of RMI to service providers.

The invention can be applied in any products such as heavy-duty vehicles, trucks, buses, cars, superstructures, construction equipment as well as marine vessels etc. Although the invention will be described with respect to a vehicle, the invention is not restricted to this particular vehicle, but may also be used in other products and equipment.

BACKGROUND

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including various vehicle brands make Repair & Maintenance information (RMI) available through Web portals on the internet, charge a pre-defined fee to any customers or independent workshops that want to use the RMI. The portal content can be copied and distributed by 3rd parties on the internet. The customers currently don't own the RMI for their products, e.g., cars, trucks etc., apart from what is available in a service manual of the product.

US2019260580A1 describes a system and method for controlling access to encrypted vehicular data. The system described in this document employs a hierarchical access control method that allows select encrypted vehicular data stored in a cloud server to be accessed by an authorized user, e.g. a service provider, in a hierarchical manner whereby the authorized user is then able to decrypt the select encrypted data and all child data associated with the select encrypted data.

SUMMARY

An object of the invention is to provide an improved system and method for storing and sharing repair and maintenance information (RMI) of a product.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the method comprises storing the RMI in an embedded system comprised in the product, wherein the RMI is encrypted; providing by a provider of the product, an encryption key to a customer of the product; providing by the customer of the product, the encryption key to a service facility; downloading by a service device of the service facility, an application module; establishing a wireless connection between the embedded system and the service device and decrypting and displaying by the application module, the RMI received from the embedded system in the service device when the encryption key is provided to the service device and when the product is in physical proximity to the service facility.

By storing the encrypted RMI in an embedded system comprised in the product, the RMI becomes a part of the purchased or leased product and is made available to customers. Customers receive an encryption key which is unique to each product and can share the encryption key with 3rd party service facilities if they wish to have their products maintained by them. Service facilities can download an application module under a fee. The RMI content stored in the embedded system can be displayed by the application module in a service device of the service facility by entering the encryption key and when the product is in physical proximity to the service facility. In this way, the customer of a product has the control over the RMI preventing the RMI to be copied and used in an uncontrolled manner. The RMI is decentralized and encrypted, hence it is difficult to hack and distribute the RMI in large scale.

According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise keeping a copy of the encryption key in the central system for decrypting the RMI, re-encrypting the RMI and creating a new encryption key if the customer requires. That is a secondary key, i.e. the copy of the primary encryption key, is made available to the central system and the central system is able to create a new key if the primary key is lost. This will increase the security and convenience for customers.

According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise updating by the application module in the service device, the RMI after servicing and/or repairing has been performed for the product and storing the updated RMI in the embedded system. In this way, the RMI content in the product is always up to date.

According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise communicating and updating the RMI between the embedded system comprised in the product and the central system via a wireless communication system. The central system is able to read, write and mirror the RMI data in the product. The RMI data may be mirrored into the central systems in a two-way encrypted communication. This will keep the RMI data updated and avoid any unauthorized tampering of the product, and at the same time this will secure product compliance over the time as the RMI may be subject of changes, depending on the market and advances in the legislation.

According to a second aspect of the invention, system comprises an embedded system comprised in the product configured to store the RMI. The RMI is encrypted and an encryption key is provided by a provider of the product to a customer of the product. The system further comprises a central system configured to read, write and copy the RMI in the embedded system via a wireless communication network. The system further comprises a service device of a service facility configured to download an application module, establish a wireless connection between the embedded system and the service device, decrypt and display the RMI received from the embedded system when the encryption key is provided to the service device and when the product is in physical proximity to the service facility. The encryption key is provided to the service facility by the customer of the product.

According to one embodiment, the central system may be further configured to re-encrypt the RMI and create a new key if the customer requires. That is a secondary key, e.g. a copy of the primary encryption is available to the central system for the purpose of decrypting the RMI data in the central system and being able of creating a new key if the primary key is lost. Hereby an improvement of the security and convenience is achieved for customers.

According to a further embodiment, the central system may be further configured to update the RMI in the embedded system. Advantages of this embodiment include keeping the RMI data updated, avoiding any unauthorized tampering of the product and securing product compliance over the time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1shows a system100according to embodiments herein for storing and sharing RMI of a product or equipment. The system100comprises an embedded system ES111comprised in a product110, e.g. a vehicle as shown. The embedded system111is configured to store the encrypted RMI. When the product110is purchased or leased by a customer140, an encryption key141is provided to the customer140by a provider of the product. The encryption key141is unique to each product and may be a code delivered or provided to the customer140by any suitable way in a secure manner. Hence, the customer140owns the RMI which is a part of the purchased or leased product110.

Customers can share the encryption key141with 3rd party service facilities if they wish to have their product or equipment maintained by them. Service facilities may download an application module under a fee. The application module requires access to a connection to connect to the product. The application module also requires a unique encryption key that is owned by the customer. If the key is correctly entered, the RMI content stored in the embedded system111is displayed by the application module and when the product or equipment is in physical proximity to the service facilities. In this way, the customer140has the control over the RMI. Further, the RMI is decentralized and encrypted, hence it is difficult to hack and distribute the RMI in large scale.

The system100further comprises a central system120configured to read, write and copy the RMI in the embedded system111via a wireless communication network. The central system120may store information and databases for all products or a group of similar type of products produced by an OEM. The central system120may also store software consisting of database and modules that are combined to particularly serve the unique needs of a large organizations regarding the automation of corporate-wide business system and its functions. The central system120may be a cloud server or a local server. The local server may be installed and runs on computers on the premises of the person or organization using the software and databases. The cloud server may be at a remote facility such as a server farm.

The system100further comprises a service device D131of a service facility130. The service device131is configured to download an application module APP121as described above for decrypting and displaying the RMI on the service device131. The application module121is a piece of software that can be downloaded by customers, 3rd party workshops and authorized product dealers in some main platforms, such as Windows, iOS, Android, MacOS. The application module121may be made available by the central system120in application stores for several platforms and downloaded by service facilities under a fee. The service device131is configured to establish a wireless connection between the embedded system111and the service device D131, decrypt and display the RMI received from the embedded system130when the encryption key141is provided to the service device D131and when the product is in physical proximity to the service facility130. The encryption key141may be provided to the service facility130by the customer140of the product110in any suitable and secure way.

The central system120and the embedded system111, the service device131and the embedded system111are connected and communicate to each other through the Internet or wireless communication networks such as, but are not limited to, cellular communication networks, satellite communication networks, telecommunication networks, or Wide Area Networks (WAN). In addition to the above, the embedded system111is also configured to communicate directly with the service device131via a short-range radio frequency communication network when the product110is brought into close physical proximity with the service facility130and this close physical proximity wireless communications may take place through wireless communication means such as, but not limited to, Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, or Near Field Communication (NFC).

The central system120, the service device131and the embedded system111each may comprise, but is not limited to, a communication module provided within any device that is able to carry out wireless communication and computing functions such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a mobile computer, a netbook, a wearable electronic device etc. For example, the service device131may be any electronic device belonging to an approved third party service provider such as a repair shop mechanic's tablet or a smart mobile device. The communication module for the embedded system111may be a mobile module provided within any electronic device belonging to an owner or an authorized user of the product110, e.g. a smart mobile device. The embedded system111may also use a telematics device comprised in the vehicle110for wireless communication. The telematics device collects Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking data and a range of vehicle-specific information and sends it to the central system120.

A set of available RMI stored in the product110make it possible to diagnostic and repair that specific unit, following the legal demands on the specific market. According to some embodiments herein, the product110is a vehicle as shown inFIG.1. Then the RMI may comprise any one or any combination of the following information:a) Repair instructions;b) Bill of material and updates;c) Vehicle service records;d) Vehicle specification and variants;e) Component information, such as serial numbers required by law;f) Diagnostics status such as on-board diagnostics (OBD) data and basic fault tracing for those. OBD systems give the vehicle owner or repair technician access to the status of the various vehicle sub-systems. The amount of diagnostic information available via OBD has varied widely depends on versions of on-board vehicle computers;g) Latest software version;h) Data modules related to one or more superstructures. Additional data modules related to one or more superstructures may be stored together with the RMI of the vehicle in the embedded system111depending on partnership and agreement with the superstructure providers.FIG.1shows an example superstructure SS112e.g. a trailer associated to the vehicle110.

According to one embodiment, the central system120may be further configured to re-encrypt the RMI and create a new key if the customer140requires. That is a secondary key, e.g. a copy of the primary encryption key141, is made available at the central system120for the purpose of decrypting the RMI data in the central system120and being able to create a new key if the primary key141is lost.

According to one embodiment, the central system120may be further configured to update the RMI in the embedded system111. The above listed RMI data is mirrored into the central system120in a two-way encrypted communication through the Internet or wireless communication networks. The encrypted RMI data may be communicated via telematics to the central system120. This will keep the RMI data updated and avoid any unauthorized tampering of the product, and at the same time this will secure product compliance over the time as the RMI may be subject of changes, depending on the market and advances in the legislation.

A method for storing and sharing RMI of a product or equipment will be described in detail with reference toFIG.2. The method comprises the following actions which may be performed in any suitable order.

Storing encrypted RMI in an embedded system111comprised in a product110. The RMI may be stored as a database module or an application module together with other software codes configured and stored in the embedded system111for operating and controlling the product110. The RMI may be encrypted using any kinds of encryption technologies existing today and the encryption technology used to encrypt the RMI may also be subject to updates over the time.

Providing by a provider of the product110, an encryption key141to a customer140of the product110. As described above, when the product110is purchased or leased by a customer, the encryption key141is provided to the customer140by a provider of the product110by any suitable secured ways. The encryption key141is unique and is only known by the customer140.

Providing by the customer140of the product110, the encryption key141to a service facility130. When the customer140wishes to have the product110maintained by a 3rd party service facility, e.g. the service facility130, the customer140can share the encryption key141with the 3rd party service facility.

Downloading by a service device131of the service facility130, an application module121. The application module121may be made available in application stores for several platforms and downloaded by service facilities under a fee. The application module121may be subject of charges and/or target of product advertisements on repair and maintenance related offers.

Establishing by the application module121in the service device131, a wireless connection between the embedded system111and the service device131of the service facility130.

Decrypting and displaying by the service device131, the RMI received from the embedded system111when the encryption key141is provided to the service device131and when the product110is in physical proximity to the service facility130.

According to some embodiments herein, the method may further comprise the following actions:

Re-encrypting the RMI and creating a new encryption key if the customer requires. A copy of the encryption key141is kept in the central system120for decrypting the RMI data in the central system120and creating a new key if the primary key141is lost.

Updating by the application module in the service device131, the RMI after servicing and/or repairing has been performed for the product and storing the updated RMI in the embedded system111. The service records, e.g. the information on which component has been replaced, the information on new components, updated software version, updated bill of materials etc. are stored in the embedded system111after each servicing and/or repairing has been performed. The communication between the service device131and the embedded system111may be carried out via a wireless communication network such as, but not limited to, a cellular communication network, a satellite communication network or via a short-range radio frequency communication network such as, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC when the product110is brought into close physical proximity with the service facility130.

Communicating and updating the RMI between the embedded system111comprised in the product110and the central system120via a wireless communication system such as cellular communication networks, satellite communication networks or the Internet. The central system120is able to read, write and mirror the RMI data on-board of the product110. The RMI data may be mirrored into the central system120in a two-way encrypted communication. This will keep the RMI data updated and avoid any unauthorized tampering of the product, and at the same time this will secure product compliance over the time as the RMI may be subject of changes, depending on the market and advances in the legislation.

To summarize, according to embodiments herein, the RMI is encrypted and stored in an embedded system111comprised in a product110, thus the RMI becomes a part of the purchased or leased product and is made available to customers and owed by customers. Customers receive a unique encryption key141and can share the encryption key141with 3rd party service facilities if they wish to have their products maintained by them. Service facilities can download an application module121under a fee. The RMI content stored in the embedded software111can be displayed by the application module in a service device131of a service facility130by entering the encryption key141and when the product110is in physical proximity to the service facility130. In this way, the customer140of a product110has the control over the RMI which can prevent the RMI to be copied and used in an uncontrolled manner. The RMI is thus decentralized and encrypted, hence it is difficult to hack and distribute the RMI in large scale. Further, by communicating and updating the RMI between the embedded system111, the central system120and the service device131in a two-way encrypted communication, the RMI content in the product can be updated timely. This will secure product compliance over the time and avoid any unauthorized tampering of the product.