Patent ID: 6957133

Claim:
A wireless appliance for monitoring a vehicle, comprising: (a) a microprocessor configured to determine a vehicle-communication protocol of a host vehicle; (b) a vehicle-communication circuit in electrical communication with the microprocessor and integrated into a single ASIC comprising modules that each manage a vehicle-communication protocol, wherein a module in the vehicle-communication circuit comprises a circuit configured to support at least one of the J1850 PWM, J1850 VPWM, ISO 9141-2, CAN, Keyword 2000, and J1708 vehicle-communication protocols, and wherein the vehicle-communication circuit is configured to be interfaced with a diagnostic connector in the host vehicle; (c) a multiplexing circuit configured to provide electrical communication between the microprocessor and a module of the vehicle-communication circuit, wherein the multiplexing circuit is configured to switch electrical communication from one module to another; (d) a GPS module in electrical communication with the microprocessor; (e) a wireless transmitter configured to transmit data generated by the GPS module and collected by the vehicle-communication circuit; (f) a GPS antenna in electrical contact with the GPS module; (g) a radio antenna in electrical contact with the wireless transmitter; and (h) a single housing that houses the GPS antenna, the radio antenna, the microprocessor, the vehicle-communication circuit, the GPS module, and the wireless transmitter, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to select a module in the vehicle-communication circuit that supports the determined vehicle-communication protocol.