The interface between a vehicle's electrical system and aftermarket electrical devices require hardwired installation methods performed by 3rd party installers. An example is the requirement for aftermarket Ignition Interlock Devices (IIDs) to interface with the following vehicle's electrical subsystems: (1) the battery system, (2) the ignition system, (3) the starter system, (4) the horn system, and (5) the lighting system. Currently, to achieve the interface the 3rd party installer must hardwire said IIDs into said vehicle's electrical subsystems, which generally requires modifications to the OEM's electrical and, or structural design of the vehicle. Examples of IIDs include but are not limited to Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIIDs) and GPS tracking devices having an immobilizer system.
As stated, aftermarket electrical devices requiring an interface with multiple vehicle electrical subsystems, typically requires 3rd party installers to hardwire the device into the vehicle's electrical wiring system. The hardwired method typically includes but is not limited to: (1) probing of the vehicle's electrical wiring system to locate the correct electric subsystem circuit, within a wire loom, required by the aftermarket electrical device, (2) splicing into various vehicle electrical subsystems for interfacing with the aftermarket electrical device, (3) modifying the wiring of the vehicle's starter subsystem for connecting to the immobilizer circuit of the aftermarket electrical device, (4) altering and/or damaging the vehicle's firewall for access to the required electrical subsystem(s) within the vehicle's engine/trunk compartments, (5) stripping and terminating multiple electrical conductors for electrical connections to required electrical subsystems, and (6) routing additional aftermarket electrical wiring throughout the vehicle for electrical connections between the vehicle and the aftermarket electrical device. Although the conventional hardwiring method establishes an interface between an aftermarket electrical device and the required vehicle's electrical subsystems, recent advancements in the design of the overall vehicle's electrical system, significantly increases the complexity of each electrical subsystem and vastly impacts the hardwired method, encouraging the use of alternative methods.
Examples of advancements in the design of a vehicle's electrical system, significantly impacting the hardwired method by increasing the complexity of each electrical subsystem, include but is not limited to: (1) the introduction of solid-state devices within the vehicle's electrical subsystems, (2) the introduction of factory installed remote starting systems, (3) the introduction of factory installed push-button ignition systems, (4) the introduction of key ignition systems using pulse width modulation, and (4) the introduction of totally integrated fuse and relay power centers. Improvements in microcontroller (MCU) technology specifically designed for automotive and industrial applications is the primary reason for these advancements. These breakthroughs have allowed vehicle manufacturers to improve the electrical system, by using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). PWM is a technique for getting analog results by digital means.
The significance of MCU improvements is aftermarket electrical devices designed to interface with a vehicle's analog, 12-volt, electrical subsystems and are not currently capable of interfacing with the vehicle's PWM, 5-volt, electrical subsystems. Thus, the hardwired method is required to establish the required interface between the aftermarket electrical devices and the vehicle's electrical system, requiring modifications to the OEM wiring system of various electrical subsystems and/or modifications to the vehicle's firewall and/or body. The firewall is a primary safety structure preventing smoke and, or fire entering the vehicle's passenger compartment from the engine compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. US20140229061 (Tarnutzer and Prohaszka) discloses a control module relating to a CAN based vehicle immobilizer through a processor being capable of immobilizing said CAN bus, and said control module is installed by an aftermarket supplier. In addition, said patent references supplemental patented vehicle interface systems, which are intended to be used by an OEM and are factory installed. Moreover, the referenced control module and systems utilize the vehicle's CAN bus data lines, via the OBD-II system, for input and output (I/O) operations, specifically relating to vehicle immobilization, and are generally designed to withstand the environment of the vehicle's passenger compartment. Consequently, the referenced control module and systems cannot withstand the harsh operating environments of the vehicle's exterior compartments, such as the engine compartment. Finally, vehicle's manufactured before 1996 were not required to be equipped with the OBD-II system. Therefore, vehicles manufactured without the OBD-II system will not communicate with control modules and systems having this communication protocol.
What is needed is a wireless electrical interface system creating a wireless interface between the vehicle's electrical subsystems by using a wireless master/slave piconet between an interior interface module, electrically connected to the vehicle's electrical subsystems which are only accessible within the passenger compartment, and an exterior interface module, electrically connected to the vehicle's electrical subsystems which are only accessible within the engine/trunk compartment, whereby the electrical connections are established at the vehicle's passenger compartment fuse box, the vehicle's OBDII-port, and the vehicle's engine/trunk compartment fuse box, by using a non-intrusive method to electrically connect the interior and exterior interface modules of the wireless electrical interface system to the required electrical subsystems.
What is a needed is a wireless electrical interface system which is installed by a 3rd party to eliminate the conventional hardwired method required for aftermarket electrical devices to interface with the vehicle's electrical system, eliminating modifications to the firewall and, or the body of the vehicle, and reducing modifications to the vehicle's electrical system.
What is needed is a wireless electrical interface system which can establish an interface with the vehicle's digital and, or analog electrical subsystems through the non-intrusive electrical connections at the vehicle's fuse boxes and a pass-through electrical connection at the vehicle's OBD-II port, utilizing the OBD-II port to interface with the vehicle's CAN bus network for communication with the vehicle's auxiliary electrical subsystems (i.e. horn and/or lighting system) controlled by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), Body Control Module (BCM), or other control module.
What is needed is a wireless electrical interface system which can withstand the harsh environment outside of the vehicle's passenger compartment, more specifically, the environment of the vehicle's engine compartment.