Wireless electrical interface system

Abstract

The invention comprises a wireless electrical interface system and method for establishing a non-intrusive interface with the vehicle's electrical subsystems required for the operation of an aftermarket electrical device, such as an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) or a GPS tracking device with integrated immobilizer technology. Said non-intrusive interface is established through utilizing engineered connectors for electrical connections to the vehicle's electrical system, and by incorporating wireless interface technology to establish a wireless electrical interface between the vehicle's electrical subsystems accessible only within the passenger compartment and the vehicle's electrical subsystems accessible only within the engine/trunk compartment, eliminating the conventional hardwired electrical interface between aftermarket electrical devices and the vehicle's electrical system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle interface system for connecting aftermarket electronic devices to a vehicle's electrical system, comprising:
 a master control module directly connected to a vehicle's ODBII port for transferring information and commands between a first aftermarket device and the vehicle's control system; and   at least one slave control module wherein each slave control module is directly connected to the vehicle's electrical system through a corresponding fuse box for controlling electrical devices within the vehicle by commands, from a second aftermarket device, received through the master control module, and for communicating with the master control module,   wherein the master and the at least one slave modules are in wireless communication such that the master module controls the slave module and forms a pico net.   
     
     
       2. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the aftermarket device is a breath alcohol ignition interlock device or a GPS tracking device with immobilizer circuit. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication between the master and slave modules uses a Bluetooth or ZigBee communications protocol. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the master control module further comprises a terminal block for connecting to the first aftermarket electrical device. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the master control module further comprises a wireless microprocessor for wireless communication with the first aftermarket electrical device. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the master control module further comprises a connection to the vehicle's electrical system through a direct connection to a fuse box not connected to a slave control module. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , further comprising add-a circuit fuses to connect the slave module to the fuse box. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the slave module connects to a plurality of fuse connections to form a terminal block. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the slave control module further comprises a crank enable/disable circuit to control the operation of the engine. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle interface system of  claim 1 , wherein the slave control module further comprises an ignition status circuit. 
     
     
       11. A method of establishing an interface between an aftermarket electrical device and a vehicle's electrical system, comprising:
 connecting a master control module to the ODBII port of the vehicle;   connecting at least one slave control module to at least one fuse box in the vehicle;   establishing a wireless connection between the master control and the slave control module to form a pico net;   connecting an aftermarket electrical device to the master control module; and   transferring data and/or commands between the aftermarket device and the master control module and wirelessly relaying the data and/or commands to the slave control module if the data and/or commands are intended for the slave module.   
     
     
       12. A breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) system, the BAIID system comprising:
 an aftermarket electrical device for detecting breath alcohol levels;   an internal interface module (IIM) coupled to the aftermarket electrical device and mounted within a cabin of a vehicle, the IIM physically separate from the aftermarket electrical device, the IIM including:
 an electronic circuit that is directly connected to an on-board diagnostics II (OBDII) port of the vehicle for transferring information from a control system of the vehicle to the BAIID system, and 
 a first wireless microprocessor configured to wirelessly transmit, via a Bluetooth communications protocol, a command for enabling or disabling a starter system of the vehicle; and 
   an external interface module (EIM) located outside the cabin of the vehicle and mounted inside an engine compartment or a trunk compartment of the vehicle, the EIM including:
 a crank relay that is electrically connected to the starter system of the vehicle via at least one direct electrical connection with an engine compartment fuse box or a trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle, and 
 a second wireless microprocessor, the second wireless microprocessor of the EIM configured to wirelessly receive, via the Bluetooth communications protocol, the command from the first wireless microprocessor of the IIM and based thereon to enable or disable the starter system of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
       13. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the aftermarket electrical device is a BAIID device. 
     
     
       14. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the electronic circuit of the IIM is further directly connected to a passenger compartment fuse box of the vehicle. 
     
     
       15. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the command is for disabling the starter system of the vehicle, and wherein the second wireless microprocessor of the EIM disables the starter system of the vehicle by removing a digital voltage to an output pin connected to the crank relay to open a contact of the crank relay. 
     
     
       16. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the command is for enabling the starter system of the vehicle, and wherein the second wireless microprocessor of the EIM enables the starter system of the vehicle by applying a digital voltage to an output pin connected to the crank relay to close a contact of the crank relay. 
     
     
       17. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the aftermarket electrical device includes a starter immobilizer circuit. 
     
     
       18. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the EIM and the engine compartment fuse box or the trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle are connected through an insulated multi-conductor electrical wire terminated with a piggy-back fuse, the piggy-back fuse inserted into the engine compartment fuse box or the trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle. 
     
     
       19. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the IIM further includes a controller area network (CAN) transceiver that transfers information from the control system of the vehicle to the first wireless microprocessor of the IIM. 
     
     
       20. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the IIM further comprises a terminal block for connecting to the aftermarket electrical device. 
     
     
       21. The BAIID system of claim 12, wherein the EIM further comprises an ignition status circuit. 
     
     
       22. A method, the method comprising:
 transmitting, via a wireless communications protocol by a first wireless microcontroller (MCU) of an internal interface module (IIM), a command for enabling or disabling a starter system of a vehicle, wherein the IIM is coupled to an aftermarket electrical device and mounted within a cabin of the vehicle, the IIM physically separate from the aftermarket electrical device, wherein the IIM further includes an electronic circuit that is directly connected to an on board diagnostics II (OBDII) port of the vehicle, and wherein the electronic circuit of the IIM is further directly connected to a passenger compartment fuse box of the vehicle; and   receiving, via the wireless communications protocol by a second wireless MCU of an external interface module (EIM) located outside the cabin of the vehicle and mounted inside an engine compartment or a trunk compartment of the vehicle, the command from the first wireless MCU and based thereon to enable or disable the starter system of the vehicle,   wherein the EIM includes a crank relay that is electrically connected to the starter system of the vehicle via at least one direct electrical connection with an engine compartment box or a trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first wireless MCU establishes unidirectional control over the second wireless MCU via the wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22, wherein the aftermarket electrical device is wirelessly connected to the IIM, and the first wireless MCU coordinates communications within a wireless network formed by the first wireless MCU, the second wireless MCU, and the aftermarket electrical device. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 22, wherein the aftermarket electrical device is a BAIID device. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 22, wherein the command is for disabling the starter system of the vehicle, and wherein the second wireless MCU disables the starter system of the vehicle by removing a digital voltage to an output pin connected to the crank relay to open a contact of the crank relay. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 22, wherein the command is for enabling the starter system of the vehicle, and wherein the second wireless MCU enables the starter system of the vehicle by applying a digital voltage to an output pin connected to the crank relay to close a contact of the crank relay. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 22, wherein the aftermarket electrical device includes a starter immobilizer circuit. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 22, wherein the EIM and the engine compartment box or the trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle are connected through an insulated multi-conductor electrical wire terminated with a piggy-back fuse, the piggy-back fuse inserted into the engine compartment box or the trunk compartment fuse box of the vehicle. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 22, wherein the IIM further includes a controller area network (CAN) transceiver that transfers information from a control system of the vehicle to the first wireless MCU of the IIM.