Patent ID: 7532962

Claim:
A system for interfacing with an on-board diagnostic computer in a vehicle, wherein the on-board diagnostic computer is configured to monitor a set of operational characteristics of the vehicle, the system comprising: a wireless appliance in the vehicle configured to communicate with the vehicle's on-board diagnostic computer, said wireless appliance comprising (i) a wireless communication component and (ii) a data-collection component, said wireless communication component configured to wirelessly receive from a base station a software component configured to identify a subset of the set of operational characteristics that are monitored by the on-board diagnostic computer, a user specified first schedule, and a user specified second schedule, said data-collection component configured to process the received software component and to automatically, repeatedly collect from the vehicle's on-board diagnostic computer data for the subset of operational characteristics identified in the received software component according to said user specified first schedule, said wireless communication component being further configured to automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmit to a base station said collected data according to said user specified second schedule, wherein the software component includes a field configured to describe said user specified first schedule, wherein the software component includes a second field configured to describe said user specified second schedule, wherein the operational characteristics include at least one of the following: diagnostic trouble codes, vehicle speed, fuel level, fuel pressure, miles per gallon, engine RPM, mileage, oil pressure, oil temperature, tire pressure, tire temperature, engine coolant temperature, intake-manifold pressure, engine-performance tuning parameters, alarm status, accelerometer status, cruise-control status, fuel-injector performance, spark-plug timing, or a status of an anti-lock braking system, wherein the wireless appliance is configured to send an outgoing data packet that indicates a vehicle's location, wherein the data-collection component is configured to automatically, repeatedly collect said data from the vehicle's on-board diagnostic computer at times determined by said user specified first schedule specified in the software component, and wherein the wireless communication component is configured to automatically, repeatedly, and wirelessly transmit to a base station the collected data at times determined by said user specified second schedule specified in the software component.