Diagnostic director

• US 20020138185A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: Trsar, Dale A., Kreft, Keith A., Cancilla, James J., Lewis, Bradley R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A diagnostic system includes a host system having a processor, storage media and a user interface including a display screen, and a plurality of support data sources, which may be resident at or remote from the host system. The system stores libraries of information regarding vehicle identifications, driveability symptoms exhibited by vehicles, vehicle systems and components, service or maintenance procedures and service or fault codes which can be registered by the vehicle on-board computer. System software permits the user to input an identification of the vehicle being serviced and make selections from the displayed libraries to describe the condition to be serviced, the system responding by display a list of tests designations pertinent to the condition, which list may be hierarchically arranged. Upon selection of a test designation, the system automatically displays the first page of the test description and automatically links to appropriate support data sources and displays pertinent support data on a portion of the display screen, simultaneously with display of the test description. As the user scrolls through successive pages of a test description and successive tests, the system continues to automatically link to and display the appropriate support data.

Claims

1. A directed service system comprising:

a processor operating under stored program control,

a user interface including a display device and an input device both coupled to the processor for interactive control thereof and thereby,

a storage utility storing a knowledge database including a library of service information items relating to aspects of an apparatus to be serviced and test information items relating to tests which can be performed on the apparatus,

at least one source of support data relating to particular tests, and

a computer routine executed by the processor for controlling the operation of the display device and controlling communications with the storage utility and the at least one source of support data, the computer routine including

(a) a first portion for controlling activation of and communication over communication links between the processor and the storage utility and between the processor and each source of support data,

(b) a second portion responsive to user inputs via the user interface regarding selected aspects of the apparatus for displaying a test description applicable to the selected aspects, and

(c) a third portion responsive to display of a test description for automatically retrieving from the at least one source of support data and displaying information related to the displayed test description to assist a user in implementing the test.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device is controllable in a split-screen mode wherein the test description and the associated support data are respectively displayed on different portions of a display screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one source of support data includes plural sources of support data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one source of support data includes an instrumentation source for acquiring live data from the apparatus.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the instrumentation source includes a probe assembly for acquiring data signals from the apparatus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the display device is operable for real-time display of signals acquired by the probe assembly.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one source of support data includes an on-board monitoring and control device on the apparatus.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one source of support data includes a source of reference information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the source of reference information includes service manual portions in electronic format.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the reference information source includes an expert database compiled from prior experience in servicing and diagnosing the apparatus.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is a personal computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the storage utility is local to the personal computer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the storage utility and the at least one source of support data are remote units disposed remote from the processor and the display device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the remote units resides at an Internet Web site.

15. The system of claim 1, and further comprising means for providing wireless communication between at least one of the remote units support data and the processor.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the computer routine includes a sub-portion responsive to user selection of one or more displayed service information items relating to symptoms for selecting from the library those tests applicable to diagnosing the cause of the symptoms, hierarchically arranging the selected tests in a list in the order of their likelihood of successfully diagnosing the cause of the symptoms, and displaying designations of the hierarchically arranged list of tests.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the displayed test description and the related support data are displayed simultaneously on the display device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the displayed test description and the related support data are displayed on separate portions of a display screen of the display device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more of the library and the at least one source of support data are remote units disposed remotely from the display device, and further comprising providing communication between the display device and the remote units.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing at least one source of support data includes compiling a case-based expert database based on actual experience in servicing and diagnosing the apparatus.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing at least one source of support data includes providing instrumentation for obtaining real-time signals from the apparatus.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing at least one source of support data includes providing communication with an on-board monitoring and control device on the apparatus.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting and displaying step includes first displaying a collection of service information items relating to symptoms and then responding to user selection of one or more displayed service information items for selecting tests applicable to diagnosing of the cause of the symptoms related to the selected service information items, hierarchically arranging the selected tests in a list in the order of their likelihood of successfully diagnosing the cause of the symptoms, and displaying designations of the hierarchically arranged list of tests.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing means includes means for controlling the display means in a split-screen mode wherein the displayed test description and the related support data are respectively displayed on different portions of a display screen.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein one or more of the storage means and the support data means are remote units disposed remote from the processing means and the display means.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the support data means includes a case-based expert database compiled from prior experience in servicing and diagnosing the apparatus.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the support data means includes an instrumentation source for acquiring live data from the apparatus.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the support data means includes an on-board monitoring and control device on the apparatus.

17. A method of servicing an apparatus, comprising:

providing a library of service information items relating to aspects of an apparatus to be serviced and test descriptions relating to tests which can be performed on the apparatus,

providing at least one source of support data relating to particular tests,

selecting and displaying on a display device test descriptions from the library, and

as each test description is being displayed, automatically retrieving from the at least one source of support data and displaying on the display device support data relating to the displayed test description.

25. A directed service system comprising:

processing means operating under stored program control,

user interface means including display means and data input means both coupled to the processing means for interactive control thereof and thereby,

storage means for storing information relating to tests which can be performed on an apparatus for the purpose of servicing the apparatus, and

support data means for providing support data relating to particular tests,

the processing means including means for causing display on the display means of descriptions one or more tests,

the processing means further including means responsive to display of a test description for automatically simultaneously causing display of support data received from the support data means and related to the displayed test description to assist a user in implementing the test.