Patent ID: 7516193

Claim:
A method, comprising: obtaining a unique identification of a motor vehicle of a vendor and dynamic state information regarding an operating condition of the motor vehicle from a memory in the motor vehicle, wherein the dynamic state information indicates the operating condition of the motor vehicle; automatically initiating, at the motor vehicle, a regular interval internet transmission of the unique identification and the dynamic state information from the motor vehicle to a service center computer of the vendor which is at a location remote from the motor vehicle; receiving the unique identification at the service center computer of the vendor at the location which is remote from the motor vehicle, wherein the service center computer of the vendor is a central computer that receives messages that include dynamic state information only from a plurality of motor vehicles of the vendor regardless of their proximity to the service center computer; analyzing, at the service center of the vendor at the location remote from the motor vehicle, the dynamic state information to diagnose a malfunction in the motor vehicle; and transmitting, by the service center of the vendor through the internet, a message identifying the malfunction in the motor vehicle to a computer at a repair center of the vendor remote from the motor vehicle and the service center of the vendor.