Vehicle remote diagnostic methods, vehicle connectors, diagnostic tools and systems

Abstract

This application discloses a vehicle remote diagnostic method, a vehicle connector, a diagnostic tool, and a vehicle remote diagnostic system. The method includes: establishing a first VPN connection with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server, wherein a second VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the diagnostic tool; sharing the first VPN connection with the vehicle, so that the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool form a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections, the VLAN being used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool; and forwarding TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool to enable the diagnostic tool to perform DoIP (Do-In-Service) diagnostics on the vehicle's in-vehicle Ethernet diagnostic protocol. This application's solution enables remote DoIP diagnostics of vehicles by the diagnostic tool, providing significant convenience to users.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of vehicle diagnostics, and particularly relates to a vehicle remote diagnostic method, a vehicle connector, a diagnostic instrument, and a vehicle remote diagnostic system. Background Technology

[0002] Diagnostic Communication over Internet Protocol (DoIP) is a vehicle diagnostic technology based on a local area network (LAN). When a user wants to perform DoIP diagnostics on a vehicle using a diagnostic tool, the diagnostic tool needs to be wired to the vehicle, ensuring both are on the same LAN. However, in remote vehicle diagnostics scenarios, the vehicle and the diagnostic tool are in different locations, making it impossible to establish a LAN via a wired connection. Therefore, DoIP diagnostics is currently unsuitable for remote diagnostic scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a vehicle remote diagnostic method, a vehicle connector, a diagnostic tool, and a vehicle remote diagnostic system, which can enable the diagnostic tool to remotely perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle, bringing great convenience to users.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a vehicle remote diagnostic method applied to a vehicle connector, comprising:

[0005] Establish a first VPN connection with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server, wherein a second VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the diagnostic instrument;

[0006] The first VPN connection is shared with the vehicle so that the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server and the diagnostic instrument can form a virtual local area network through the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection. The virtual local area network is used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument.

[0007] The TCP data packets transmitted between the aforementioned vehicle and the aforementioned diagnostic instrument are forwarded to enable the aforementioned diagnostic instrument to perform DoIP diagnostics on the aforementioned vehicle.

[0008] Optionally, before forwarding the TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument, the remote vehicle diagnostic method further includes:

[0009] When the first Internet Protocol IP allocation request is received from the aforementioned vehicle, the first IP allocation request is sent to the aforementioned VPN server;

[0010] Receive the first IP address assigned to the vehicle by the VPN server based on the first IP allocation request;

[0011] Send the first IP address mentioned above to the vehicle mentioned above.

[0012] Optionally, before forwarding the TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument, the remote vehicle diagnostic method further includes:

[0013] Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client;

[0014] The client sends a second IP allocation request to the VPN server via the aforementioned Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) protocol.

[0015] Receive the second IP address assigned to the vehicle connector by the VPN server in accordance with the second IP allocation request.

[0016] Optionally, establishing the first VPN connection with the VPN server as described above includes:

[0017] A connection request is sent to the VPN server based on the public IP address of the vehicle connector, wherein the connection request is used to request the establishment of a first VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a remote vehicle diagnostic method, applied to a diagnostic instrument, comprising:

[0019] A second VPN connection is established with the VPN server, wherein the VPN server has a first VPN connection with the vehicle connector, and the vehicle connector shares the first VPN connection with the vehicle, so that the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server and the diagnostic instrument form a virtual local area network through the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection, and the virtual local area network is used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument.

[0020] Based on the aforementioned TCP connection, TCP data packets are sent to the aforementioned vehicle to achieve DoIP diagnosis of the aforementioned vehicle.

[0021] Optionally, before sending TCP packets to the vehicle based on the aforementioned TCP connection, the vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes:

[0022] Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client;

[0023] The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client sends an Internet Protocol (IP) allocation request to the VPN server.

[0024] Receive the IP address assigned to the diagnostic instrument by the VPN server based on the IP allocation request.

[0025] Optionally, establishing a second VPN connection with the VPN server as described above includes:

[0026] The diagnostic instrument sends a connection request to the VPN server based on its public IP address. The connection request is used to request the establishment of a second VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0027] Thirdly, this application provides a vehicle connector, which includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method described in the first aspect above.

[0028] Fourthly, this application provides a diagnostic instrument, which includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method described in the second aspect above.

[0029] Fifthly, this application provides a vehicle remote diagnostic system, including a vehicle connector as described in the third aspect above, a diagnostic tool as described in the fourth aspect above, a VPN server, and a vehicle.

[0030] As can be seen from the above, in this application's solution, the vehicle connector first establishes a first VPN connection with the VPN server, while the VPN server establishes a second VPN connection with the diagnostic tool. Then, the first VPN connection is shared with the vehicle, enabling the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. This VLAN is used to establish a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, and finally, it forwards the TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool. Because this application's solution uses VPN technology to add the vehicle and diagnostic tool to the same VLAN, it eliminates the need for a physical VLAN via a wired connection. Therefore, it enables the diagnostic tool to remotely perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle, providing significant convenience to the user.

[0031] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle remote diagnostic system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of a vehicle remote diagnostic method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of another vehicle remote diagnostic method provided in this application embodiment;

[0036] Figure 4 This is an interactive flowchart provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a diagnostic instrument provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.

[0040] DoIP is a local area network (LAN)-based vehicle diagnostic technology. Users connect a diagnostic tool to the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) interface via a wiring harness, ensuring both are on the same LAN. This allows for DoIP diagnostics via the diagnostic software on the tool. However, a prerequisite for DoIP is that the diagnostic tool and vehicle are on the same LAN. Therefore, current DoIP diagnostics are not suitable for remote vehicle diagnostics, causing significant inconvenience for users. To address this, this application proposes a remote vehicle diagnostic method, a vehicle connector, a diagnostic tool, and a remote vehicle diagnostic system. The vehicle connector first establishes a first VPN connection with a VPN server. A second VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the diagnostic tool. The first VPN connection is then shared with the vehicle, enabling the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form a virtual LAN via the first and second VPN connections. This virtual LAN is used to establish a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, and finally, it forwards TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool. Because this application's solution uses VPN technology to add the vehicle and diagnostic tool to the same virtual local area network (LAN), eliminating the need for a physical LAN via wired connection, it enables remote DoIP diagnostics of the vehicle by the diagnostic tool, greatly facilitating users. To illustrate the technical solution proposed in this application's embodiments, specific examples are provided below.

[0041] The vehicle remote diagnostic system provided in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 The vehicle remote diagnostic system includes the vehicle, vehicle connectors, a VPN server, and diagnostic tools. Figure 1 Solid lines in the diagram represent wired connections, while dashed lines represent wireless connections. Specifically, the vehicle connector can be connected to the car's OBD interface via a wiring harness, such as an Ethernet cable or a Controller Area Network (CAN) cable. The VPN server can wirelessly connect to both the diagnostic tool and the vehicle connector via the internet. The diagnostic tool contains diagnostic software that it runs to remotely diagnose the vehicle. The VPN server hosts a VPN service. The vehicle connector is responsible for forwarding data and converting protocols between the vehicle and the VPN server.

[0043] The following describes a vehicle remote diagnostic method provided by an embodiment of this application. This vehicle remote diagnostic method can be applied to... Figure 1 For the vehicle connector, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 The remote diagnostic method for this vehicle includes:

[0044] Step 201: Establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0045] Step 202: Share the first VPN connection to the vehicle.

[0046] Step 203: Forward the TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool to enable the diagnostic tool to perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle.

[0047] In this embodiment, the vehicle connector can establish a VPN connection with a VPN server via the Internet; this VPN connection is denoted as the first VPN connection. Furthermore, the vehicle connector is also wired to the OBD interface of the vehicle to be diagnosed via a wiring harness, thus enabling the vehicle connector to communicate with any Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the vehicle. The VPN server also establishes a VPN connection with the diagnostic tool; this VPN connection is denoted as the second VPN connection. It should be noted that the establishment time of the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the diagnostic tool may first establish the second VPN connection with the VPN server, and then the vehicle connector may establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server; or, conversely, the vehicle connector may first establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server, and then the diagnostic tool may establish the second VPN connection with the VPN server. Exemplarily, the vehicle connector can use Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), or Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) to establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server. It should be understood that the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection should be established based on the same protocol. For example, both the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection should be established using the PPTP protocol.

[0048] After establishing the first VPN connection, the vehicle connector can share this connection with the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to communicate with the VPN server through it. Specifically, after sharing the first VPN connection, the vehicle can first send data to the vehicle connector, which then forwards the data to the VPN server via the first VPN connection. It should be noted that this VPN sharing implementation is similar to the VPN sharing method provided by the Windows operating system; for details, please refer to the VPN sharing implementation method provided by the Windows operating system, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0049] After sharing the first VPN connection with the vehicle, a first VPN connection is established between the vehicle and the VPN server, a first VPN connection is established between the vehicle connector and the VPN server, and a second VPN connection is established between the diagnostic tool and the VPN server. Based on this, to enable TCP communication between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool can form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. Specifically, IP addresses belonging to the same network segment can be assigned to the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form this VLAN. For example, the VPN server can provide a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, assigning IP addresses to the vehicle and vehicle connector through the first VPN connection, and assigning an IP address to the diagnostic tool through the second VPN connection. For example, the vehicle's IP address might be 192.168.100.102, the vehicle connector's IP address 192.168.100.101, the diagnostic tool's IP address 192.168.100.100, and the VPN server, acting as the gateway, might have an IP address of 192.168.100.1. In this scenario, the vehicle, vehicle connector, and diagnostic tool need to be equipped with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client. After establishing a virtual local area network (VLAN), the vehicle and diagnostic tool can establish a TCP connection through this VLAN. Specifically, the vehicle can run a TCP server, and the diagnostic tool can run a TCP client, thereby performing a three-way handshake between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool to establish the TCP connection. The IP addresses used to establish this TCP connection include the IP address assigned to the vehicle by the VPN server and the IP address assigned to the diagnostic tool by the VPN server.

[0050] After establishing a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, the vehicle can send TCP packets to the diagnostic tool through this connection, and the diagnostic tool can also send TCP packets to the vehicle through the same connection. It's important to note that all TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool can be forwarded through a VPN server and the vehicle connector. When the vehicle connector receives TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, it can forward them. For example, when the vehicle needs to send TCP packets to the diagnostic tool, it first sends the packets to the vehicle connector, which then forwards them to the VPN server, and finally the VPN server forwards them to the diagnostic tool. Similarly, when the diagnostic tool needs to send TCP packets to the vehicle, it first sends the packets to the VPN server, which then forwards them to the vehicle connector, and finally the vehicle connector forwards them to the vehicle. Based on this TCP connection, the diagnostic tool can perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle.

[0051] In some embodiments, prior to step 203, the above-described vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes:

[0052] When the first Internet Protocol IP allocation request is received from the vehicle, the first IP allocation request is sent to the VPN server.

[0053] The VPN server receives the first IP address assigned to the vehicle based on the first IP allocation request.

[0054] Send the first IP address to the vehicle.

[0055] After obtaining a shared first VPN connection with the vehicle connector, the vehicle can send a first IP address allocation request to the vehicle connector. Upon receiving this request, the vehicle connector can forward it to the VPN server via the first VPN connection. The vehicle runs a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client, which can generate this request. Upon receiving the request, the VPN server can assign a first IP address to the vehicle via DHCP and then send this address to the vehicle connector. When the vehicle connector receives the assigned IP address from the VPN server, it can send it back to the vehicle, ensuring that the vehicle's IP address belongs to the same network segment as the diagnostic tool, vehicle connector, and VPN server.

[0056] In some embodiments, prior to step 203, the above-described vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes:

[0057] Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client.

[0058] The client sends a second IP allocation request to the VPN server via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

[0059] The VPN server receives the second IP address assigned to the vehicle connector based on the second IP allocation request.

[0060] The vehicle connector is equipped with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client. Once the DHCP client is enabled, the vehicle connector can generate a second IP address allocation request. This request can then be sent to the VPN server via the first VPN connection. Upon receiving the request, the VPN server can assign a second IP address to the vehicle connector via the DHCP server and then send that address to the vehicle connector, ensuring that the vehicle connector's IP address belongs to the same network segment as the vehicle, the VPN server, and the diagnostic tool.

[0061] In some embodiments, the IP address assigned by the VPN server to the vehicle connector is an IP address within a virtual local area network, and the vehicle connector also has a public IP address. Step 201 above includes:

[0062] A connection request is sent to the VPN server based on the public IP address of the vehicle connector.

[0063] The connection request is used to request the establishment of an initial VPN connection with the VPN server. If a VPN connection has not yet been established with the VPN server, the vehicle connector can send a connection request to the VPN server using its public IP address as the source IP address and the VPN server's public IP address as the destination IP address. Upon receiving the connection request, the VPN server begins the process of establishing a VPN connection with the vehicle connector.

[0064] As can be seen from the above, in this application's solution, the vehicle connector first establishes a first VPN connection with the VPN server, while the VPN server establishes a second VPN connection with the diagnostic tool. Then, the first VPN connection is shared with the vehicle, enabling the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. This VLAN is used to establish a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, and finally, it forwards the TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool. Because this application's solution uses VPN technology to add the vehicle and diagnostic tool to the same VLAN, it eliminates the need for a physical VLAN via a wired connection. Therefore, it enables the diagnostic tool to remotely perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle, providing significant convenience to the user.

[0065] Another vehicle remote diagnostic method provided in this application embodiment is described below. This vehicle remote diagnostic method can be applied to... Figure 1 For diagnostic tools, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 The remote diagnostic method for this vehicle includes:

[0066] Step 301: Establish a second VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0067] Step 302: Send TCP data packets to the vehicle based on the TCP connection to perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle.

[0068] In this embodiment, the diagnostic tool can establish a VPN connection with a VPN server via the Internet, referred to as the second VPN connection. A first VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the vehicle connector. The vehicle connector is also wired to the OBD interface of the vehicle to be diagnosed via a wiring harness, enabling the vehicle connector to communicate with any ECU of the vehicle. The vehicle connector can also share the first VPN connection with the vehicle, allowing the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. This VLAN is used to establish a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool. The VPN sharing method is similar to that provided by the Windows operating system; details can be found in the implementation of VPN sharing provided by the Windows operating system, and will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that the establishment time of the first and second VPN connections is not restricted in this embodiment. For example, the diagnostic tool may first establish the second VPN connection with the VPN server, and then the vehicle connector may establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server; or the vehicle connector may first establish the first VPN connection with the VPN server, and then the diagnostic tool may establish the second VPN connection with the VPN server. For example, the vehicle connector can establish a first VPN connection with the VPN server using PPTP, L2TP, or IPsec. It should be understood that the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection should be established based on the same protocol; for example, both the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection can be established using the PPTP protocol.

[0069] After establishing the second VPN connection, a first VPN connection is established between the vehicle and the VPN server, a first VPN connection is established between the vehicle connector and the VPN server, and a second VPN connection is established between the diagnostic tool and the VPN server. Based on this, to enable TCP communication between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool can form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. Specifically, IP addresses belonging to the same network segment can be assigned to the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form this VLAN. For example, the VPN server can act as a DHCP server, assigning IP addresses to the vehicle and vehicle connector through the first VPN connection and assigning an IP address to the diagnostic tool through the second VPN connection. For instance, the vehicle's IP address might be 192.168.100.102, the vehicle connector's IP address 192.168.100.101, the diagnostic tool's IP address 192.168.100.100, and the VPN server, acting as the gateway, might have an IP address of 192.168.100.1. In this scenario, the vehicle, vehicle connector, and diagnostic tool need to have a DHCP Client deployed accordingly. After establishing a virtual LAN, the vehicle and diagnostic tool can establish a TCP connection through this LAN. Specifically, the vehicle can run a TCP Server, and the diagnostic tool can run a TCP Client, thereby performing a three-way handshake between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool to establish the TCP connection. The IP addresses used to establish this TCP connection include the IP address assigned to the vehicle by the VPN server and the IP address assigned to the diagnostic tool by the VPN server.

[0070] After establishing a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, the vehicle can send TCP packets to the diagnostic tool through this connection, and the diagnostic tool can also send TCP packets to the vehicle through the same connection. It's important to note that all TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool can be forwarded through a VPN server and the vehicle connector. When the vehicle connector receives TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool, it can forward them. For example, when the vehicle needs to send TCP packets to the diagnostic tool, it first sends the packets to the vehicle connector, which then forwards them to the VPN server, and finally the VPN server forwards them to the diagnostic tool. Similarly, when the diagnostic tool needs to send TCP packets to the vehicle, it first sends the packets to the VPN server, which then forwards them to the vehicle connector, and finally the vehicle connector forwards them to the vehicle. Based on this TCP connection, the diagnostic tool can perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle.

[0071] In some embodiments, prior to step 302, the remote diagnostic method further includes:

[0072] Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client.

[0073] The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client sends an Internet Protocol (IP) allocation request to the VPN server.

[0074] Receive the IP address assigned to the diagnostic instrument by the VPN server based on the IP allocation request.

[0075] The diagnostic tool is equipped with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client. Once the DHCP client is enabled, the diagnostic tool can generate an IP address allocation request. This request can then be sent to the VPN server via a second VPN connection. Upon receiving the request, the VPN server can assign an IP address to the diagnostic tool via the DHCP server and then send that IP address back to the diagnostic tool, ensuring that the diagnostic tool's IP address is on the same network segment as the vehicle connector, the VPN server, and the vehicle's IP address.

[0076] In some embodiments, step 301 includes:

[0077] The diagnostic instrument sends a connection request to the VPN server based on its public IP address.

[0078] The connection request is used to request the establishment of a second VPN connection with the VPN server. If a VPN connection has not yet been established with the VPN server, the diagnostic tool can send a connection request to the VPN server using its public IP address as the source IP address and the VPN server's public IP address as the destination IP address. Upon receiving the connection request, the VPN server begins the process of establishing a VPN connection with the vehicle connector.

[0079] As can be seen from the above, in this application's solution, the diagnostic tool first establishes a second VPN connection with the VPN server. The VPN server establishes a first VPN connection with the vehicle connector, and the vehicle connector shares this first VPN connection with the vehicle. This allows the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool to form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first and second VPN connections. The VLAN is used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool. Then, TCP data packets are sent to the vehicle based on this TCP connection to achieve DoIP diagnostics. Since this application's solution uses VPN technology to add the vehicle and diagnostic tool to the same VLAN, eliminating the need for a physical VLAN via a wired connection, it enables remote DoIP diagnostics of the vehicle by the diagnostic tool, providing significant convenience to users.

[0080] To facilitate understanding, the following will be combined with Figure 4 The interaction process between the vehicle, vehicle connector, VPN server, and diagnostic tool is described.

[0081] Step 401: The diagnostic instrument sends a connection request to the VPN server to request the establishment of a second VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0082] Step 402: The vehicle connector sends a connection request to the VPN server to request the establishment of a first VPN connection with the VPN server.

[0083] Step 403: The VPN server establishes a second VPN connection based on the connection request sent by the diagnostic tool; the VPN server establishes a first VPN connection based on the connection request sent by the vehicle connector.

[0084] Step 404: The vehicle connector sends an IP allocation request to the VPN server to request the allocation of an IP address.

[0085] Step 405: The diagnostic tool sends an IP allocation request to the VPN server to request the allocation of an IP address.

[0086] Step 406: The VPN server assigns an IP address to the vehicle connector based on the IP allocation request sent by the vehicle connector; the VPN server assigns an IP address to the diagnostic tool based on the IP allocation request sent by the diagnostic tool.

[0087] Step 407: The vehicle connector shares the first VPN connection with the vehicle connector.

[0088] Step 408: The vehicle performs a three-way handshake with the diagnostic tool through the first VPN connection, and the diagnostic tool performs a three-way handshake with the vehicle through the second VPN connection, thereby establishing a TCP connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool.

[0089] Step 409: The vehicle and the diagnostic tool send TCP data packets to each other via a TCP connection to achieve DoIP diagnostics.

[0090] Corresponding to the vehicle remote diagnostic method provided above, this application also provides a vehicle connector. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 The vehicle connector 5 in this embodiment includes: a memory 501, and one or more processors 502. Figure 5(Only one is shown in the image) and a computer program stored in memory 501 and executable on the processor. Memory 501 stores software programs and units, and processor 502 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and units stored in memory 501. Specifically, processor 502 implements the aforementioned vehicle remote diagnostic method by running the computer program stored in memory 501.

[0091] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor 502 may be a central processing unit (CPU), but it may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0092] Memory 501 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to processor 502. Some or all of memory 501 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, memory 501 may also store device category information.

[0093] Corresponding to the other vehicle remote diagnostic method provided above, this application also provides a diagnostic instrument. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 The diagnostic instrument 6 in this embodiment includes: a memory 601, and one or more processors 602. Figure 6 (Only one is shown in the image) and a computer program stored in memory 601 and executable on the processor. Memory 601 stores software programs and units, and processor 602 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and units stored in memory 601. Specifically, processor 602 implements the aforementioned vehicle remote diagnostic method by running the computer program stored in memory 601.

[0094] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor 602 may be a central processing unit (CPU), but it may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0095] Memory 601 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to processor 602. Some or all of memory 601 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, memory 601 may also store device category information.

[0096] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the above device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0097] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of external device software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0099] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units described above is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0100] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0101] If the integrated units described above are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can also be implemented by a computer program instructing associated hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable storage medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a recording medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer-readable storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the contents of the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may be appropriately added to or subtracted from the contents according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable storage media may not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0102] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for remote vehicle diagnostics, characterized in that, Applications in vehicle connectors, including: A first VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the diagnostic instrument, wherein a second VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the diagnostic instrument; the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection are established based on the same protocol. The first VPN connection is shared with the vehicle, enabling the vehicle to communicate with the VPN server through the first VPN connection; To enable the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server, and the diagnostic tool to form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection, wherein the VLAN is used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool; The TCP data packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic tool are forwarded to enable the diagnostic tool to perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle's in-vehicle Ethernet diagnostic protocol. Before forwarding the TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument, the vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes: When a first Internet Protocol (IP) allocation request is received from the vehicle, the first IP allocation request is sent to the VPN server; Receive the first IP address assigned to the vehicle by the VPN server according to the first IP allocation request; Send the first IP address to the vehicle; Before forwarding the TCP packets transmitted between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument, the vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes: Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client; The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client sends a second IP allocation request to the VPN server. Receive the second IP address assigned to the vehicle connector by the VPN server according to the second IP allocation request; Specifically, the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server, and the diagnostic instrument are assigned IP addresses belonging to the same network segment to form a virtual local area network.

2. The vehicle remote diagnostic method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Establishing the first VPN connection with the VPN server includes: The vehicle connector sends a connection request to the VPN server based on its public IP address, wherein the connection request is used to request the establishment of a first VPN connection with the VPN server.

3. A method for remote vehicle diagnostics, characterized in that, Applications in diagnostic instruments, including: A second VPN connection is established between the VPN server and the vehicle connector, wherein the VPN server has a first VPN connection with the vehicle connector, and the vehicle connector shares the first VPN connection with the vehicle, enabling the vehicle to communicate with the VPN server through the first VPN connection; so that the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server, and the diagnostic instrument form a virtual local area network (VLAN) through the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection, and the VLAN is used to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the vehicle and the diagnostic instrument; the first VPN connection and the second VPN connection are established based on the same protocol; Based on the TCP connection, TCP data packets are sent to the vehicle to perform DoIP diagnostics on the vehicle's in-vehicle Ethernet diagnostic protocol. Before sending TCP packets to the vehicle based on the TCP connection, the vehicle remote diagnostic method further includes: Enable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client; The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client sends an Internet Protocol (IP) allocation request to the VPN server. Receive the IP address assigned to the diagnostic instrument by the VPN server according to the IP allocation request; Specifically, the vehicle, the vehicle connector, the VPN server, and the diagnostic instrument are assigned IP addresses belonging to the same network segment to form a virtual local area network.

4. The vehicle remote diagnostic method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Establishing a second VPN connection with the VPN server includes: The diagnostic instrument sends a connection request to the VPN server based on its public IP address, wherein the connection request is used to request the establishment of a second VPN connection with the VPN server.

5. A vehicle connector, characterized in that, The method includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method as claimed in claim 1 or 2.

6. A diagnostic instrument, characterized in that, The method includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method as described in claim 3 or 4.

7. A vehicle remote diagnostic system, characterized in that, Includes the vehicle connector as described in claim 5, the diagnostic tool as described in claim 6, the virtual private network (VPN) server, and the vehicle.

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