Wireless gateway for intelligent diagnostics

As automotive technology becomes more sophisticated the ability to troubleshoot and identify a malfunction becomes a more difficult and complex task, particularly without the assistance of specialised tools. A car manufacturer with the facility to identify and diagnose a malfunction before direct contact from the customer and possibly before the customer becomes aware that a problem exists would have a real competitive advantage in the market place. This paper proposes an architecture that may make this a reality. The architecture enables diagnostic information to be sent to a Case Based Reasoning (CBR) tool at the manufacturers premises when the car enters a hotspot (WI-FI enabled location). The CBR tool subsequently reviews diagnostic information to determine if a malfunction has occurred. If a malfunction is identified the customer is informed of the problem and is prompted to bring the car to a garage. Once the car is in the garage, the CBR tool views the diagnostic information and attempts to find a matching problem and associated solution, called a case. The solution section of the case will be outputted to the motor technician, which should result in a speedier service. The CBR will grow more efficient and effective over time as it collects more cases and calculates the accuracy of the established solutions.