Scan tool with dropped communications detection and recovery and improved protocol selection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of operating an off-board device to communicate with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising the steps of:
- (a) requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a first communications protocol;
(b) determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol;
(c) requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a second communications protocol;
(d) determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol;
(e) selecting from the plurality of communications protocols a communications protocol to use for subsequent communications between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using at least the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol and the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol; and
(f) communicating between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using the selected communications protocol.
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Abstract
An improved scan tool, e.g., for OBD II. According to one aspect of the present invention, the improved scan tool uses a novel method of determining the proper protocol to use to communicate with a vehicle computer network. According to another aspect of the present invention, the improved scan tool determines and automatically recovers from a communications drop-out.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of operating an off-board device to communicate with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising the steps of:
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(a) requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a first communications protocol;
(b) determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol;
(c) requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a second communications protocol;
(d) determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol;
(e) selecting from the plurality of communications protocols a communications protocol to use for subsequent communications between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using at least the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol and the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol; and
(f) communicating between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using the selected communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of operating an off-board device to communicate with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising the steps of:
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(a) sequentially requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a plurality of different communications protocols, one communications protocol at a time;
(b) for each of the communications protocols, receiving data if any from the one or more modules using the communications protocol;
(c) using at least the received data, selecting from the plurality of communications protocols a communications protocol to use for subsequent communications between the off-board device and the diagnostic system; and
(d) communicating between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using the selected communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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13. An off-board device that communicates with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising:
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(a) means for requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a first communications protocol;
(b) means for determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol;
(c) means for requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a second communications protocol;
(d) means for determining a number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol;
(e) means for selecting from the plurality of communications protocols a communications protocol to use for subsequent communications between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using at least the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the first communications protocol and the number of pieces of information received from the one or more modules using the second communications protocol; and
(f) means for communicating between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using the selected communications protocol.
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14. An off-board device that communicates with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising:
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(a) means for sequentially requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using a plurality of different communications protocols, one communications protocol at a time;
(b) means for, for each of the communications protocols, receiving data if any from the one or more modules using the communications protocol;
(c) means for using at least the received data, selecting from the plurality of communications protocols a communications protocol to use for subsequent communications between the off-board device and the diagnostic system; and
(d) means for communicating between the off-board device and the diagnostic system using the selected communications protocol.
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15. A method of operating an off-board device to communicate with a diagnostic system of a vehicle, the diagnostic system having one or more modules, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a communications protocol to use to communicate between the off-board device and the diagnostic system;
(b) sending an initial request using the selected communications protocol that will prompt a response from the modules;
(c) storing information received from the modules in response to the initial request;
(d) requesting data from one or more of the diagnostic system modules using the selected communications protocol;
(e) determining whether one or more of the modules has ceased to communicate using the selected communications protocol by performing at least the steps of (i) sending a subsequent request using the selected communications protocol that will prompt a response from the modules, (ii) receiving information from the modules in response to the subsequent request, and (iii) comparing the stored information received from the modules in response to the initial request with the information received from the modules in response to the subsequent request. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification