Volvo On Call Plus

Fig 1: Identifying Volvo On Call Plus Input And Output Signals

Courtesy of VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA.

Volvo On Call Plus is a system developed by Volvo which gives the owner access to various safety and service features. The system has been developed to give the driver and passengers, using the carphone quick contact with the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center. The staff at the service center determine the action required depending on the circumstances. The Service Center, using the data provided by the Volvo On Call Plus system, are able to identify the exact position of the car so that they can direct the ambulance, police and/or breakdown services to the car. The different services provided by the Service Center can be divided into two categories, safety and service.

Each time a Volvo On Call Plus service is started, the relevant vehicle data is transmitted to the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center. The vehicle data contains information about:

Type of call , SOS or On Call services
The time at which the message was transmitted. The phone module (PHM) (16/60) receives time data from the central electronic module (CEM) (4/56) via the CAN network
The car VIN number. This data is stored in the phone module (PHM)
Alarm status (off, activated, triggered). The phone module (PHM) receives data about the status of the alarm from the upper electronic module (UEM) (4/70) via the CAN network
Position of the ignition key. The phone module (PHM) receives information about the position of the ignition key (in/out, position 1, 2 or 3) from the central electronic module (CEM) via the CAN network
The position of the car. The phone module (PHM) receives the position of the car from the integrated global positioning system (GPS). If there is no GPS signal, the phone module (PHM) will calculate the position based on the last known positioning. This is known as "Dead Reckoning". In order to calculate the position, the phone module (PHM) uses the signal from the brake control module (BCM) (4/16). This signal contains information about the number of wheel pulses. A signal containing data about the gear position from the central electronic module (CEM) is also used
Power source. The power source used by the phone module (PHM). Main or back-up battery
Engine running or not. The phone module (PHM) receives a signal from the central electronic module (CEM)
Quantity of fuel. The phone module (PHM) receives data about the quantity of fuel remaining from the rear electronic module (REM) (4/58)
Status of the main battery. The phone module (PHM) receives data about the voltage of the main battery from the central electronic module (CEM)
Ambient and interior temperatures. The phone module (PHM) receives data about the interior and ambient temperatures from the central electronic module (CEM)
Locked/unlocked. The phone module (PHM) receives data indicating whether the car is locked from the inside or outside from the central electronic module (CEM)
Front side windows open or closed. The phone module (PHM) receives data about the status of the front side windows from the driver's door module (DDM) (3/126) and the passenger door module (PDM) (3/127)
SRS (supplemental restraint system) activated or not. The phone module (PHM) receives data if the car has been involved in a collision indicating whether the SRS system has been activated. The data comes from the supplemental restraint system (SRS) module (4/9). Both via the CAN network and via a directly connected collision cable. The collision cable runs from the supplemental restraint system (SRS) module to the phone module (PHM) and the central electronic module (CEM). The collision cable is a back-up solution in case there is no CAN communication.

Safety

An SOS service can be started in two different ways:

Automatically, in the event of a collision in which an SRS component has been activated
Manually, if the customer presses the SOS button.

In a collision in which an SRS component has been activated, a signal is transmitted from the supplemental restraint system module (SRS) to the phone module (PHM). The phone module (PHM) transmits vehicle data to the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center which then connects a voice call to the car. The voice call is connected to determine the action required, e.g. ambulance, breakdown services etc. The phone module (PHM) also transmits data to the driver information module (5/1) so that a text message is displayed indicating that a Volvo On Call Plus service has been activated and its status.

The central electronic module (CEM) transmits a signal to the phone module (PHM) about the status of the main battery on the CAN network. The phone module (PHM) uses this information to determine whether the main or reserve battery should be used. When an SOS service is first activated, the phone module (PHM) will always use the reserve battery while it checks that there is sufficient voltage from the main battery. The main battery is then used if it has sufficient power.

Service

Using the ON CALL button, the customer has access to different services such as:

Roadside assistance, for example in the event of a puncture or running out of fuel
Remote unlocking
Car tracking, can be activated at the request of the customer if the car is stolen
Notification to the owner when the alarm is activated.

The car is unlocked remotely after the owner has contacted the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center, identified themselves with a password and requested the required service. The owner and the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center then decide the time at which the car will be unlocked. The Service Center will then send a command to the phone module (PHM) to unlock the car.

For cars without a switch in the tailgate , the phone module (PHM) then transmits a request via the CAN network to the central electronic module (CEM), which unlocks the car at the agreed time. The phone module (PHM) then transmits a confirmation that the car has been unlocked to the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center. When one of the doors or tailgate is opened, the alarm is triggered. The alarm is then active until it is correctly deactivated.

For cars with a switch in the tailgate , the rear electronic module (REM) sends a signal via the CAN network to the phone module (PHM) when the tailgate handle is closed. If the signal from the rear electronic module (REM) matches the time interval agreed by the customer and the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center, the phone module (PHM) then transmits a request to unlock the car to the central electronic module via the CAN network. The phone module (PHM) then transmits an acknowledgment to the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center that the car has been unlocked. When one of the doors or tailgate is opened, the alarm is triggered. The alarm is then active until it is correctly deactivated.

If the alarm is activated, for example during an attempted theft, data about the status of the alarm is transmitted from the upper electronic module (UEM) to the phone module (PHM) via the central electronic module (CEM). The phone module (PHM) then transmits the vehicle data to the Volvo On Call Plus Service Center, which contacts the owner to tell them what is happening.

If the car has been stolen, the owner can ask the Service Center to trace the car. The Volvo On Call Plus Service Center then transmits a request to the phone module (PHM) requesting that the vehicle data is sent continuously. The Volvo On Call Plus Service Center determines the interval at which vehicle data is transmitted.