Serial data gauge

• US 20060017552A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Keith, Rich, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/67 Foldable or movable displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/736 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/654 the user being the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/02 Arrangement of instruments arrangement of lighting devices for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/02 Indicating value of two or more variables simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

An instrument is provided which is in electronic communication with an on board diagnostic system (OBD) of an automobile. The instrument selectively queries the OBD with batch requests for the purpose of reducing a processing load placed on the OBD PCM. The instrument obtains numerous operating conditions through the OBD, and displays the operating conditions in an intuitive format. The operating conditions may be grouped into five different modes, and the five most relevant operating conditions within each mode may be displayed on the monitor either by default or through customization by the user.

Claims

1. A method of establishing an efficient communication link between a scan tool and a vehicle'"'"'s computer such that the scan tool is transformed into a real time gauge, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of vehicle operating conditions, at least one operating condition being associated with a first request rate and the remaining operating condition(s) being associated with a second request rate;

b. formulating a request to be sent to the vehicle'"'"'s computer, the request comprising requests for operating conditions with synchronized request rates;

c. sending the request to the vehicle'"'"'s computer; and

d. repeating step b periodically.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in the providing step, at least one of the operating conditions associated with two different modes has a different request rate for providing data on such operating condition(s) in a timely fashion to a user based on a function of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operating conditions that are less time variant has a lower request rate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request complies with an on board diagnostic protocol.

5. An instrument for a vehicle equipped with an on board diagnostic system (OBD), the instrument comprising:

a. a monitor in electronic communication with the OBD for receiving vehicle operating conditions data, the monitor having displayed thereon data on at least two operating conditions of the vehicle received from the OBD; and

b. at least some of the operating conditions being associated with an alarm threshold and a different visual alarm is displayed for each operating condition that has exceeded its alarm threshold.

6. The instrument of claim 5 wherein a plurality of visual alarms is displayed simultaneously.

7. The instrument of claim 5 wherein each visual alarm from a plurality of visual alarms is displayed successively at pre set time intervals.

8. The instrument of claim 7 wherein the visual alarms of the plurality of triggered alarms are displayed successively based on a priority code of the OBD.

9. The instrument of claim 5 wherein at least one suggested remedial action is displayed on the monitor based on a combination of operating conditions that have exceeded its respective alarm threshold.

10. The instrument of claim 5 wherein at least one suggested remedial action is displayed on the monitor when at least one operating condition has exceeded its respective alarm threshold, the suggested remedial action being based on a combination of data collected on the operating condition which has exceeded the alarm threshold and on data on at least one other operating condition.

11. The instrument of claim 5 wherein the displayed data on the operating conditions define a primary operating condition and the data on the remaining operating conditions displayed on the monitor define secondary operating conditions, the primary operating condition being displayed on the monitor in a larger format compared to the secondary operating conditions.

12. The instrument of claim 11 wherein depressing one of the secondary operating conditions is operative to change the depressed secondary operating condition into the primary operating condition.

13. The instrument of claim 5 further comprising:

a. a first port located on a longitudinal edge of the monitor;

b. a second port located on a lateral edge of the monitor; and

c. wherein the visual alarm is an external warning light engageable with either the first or second port wherein engagement of the light with the first port displays the vehicle operating conditions data horizontally and engagement of the light with the second port displays the vehicle operating conditions data vertically.

14. The instrument of claim 5 further comprising:

a. a port attached to the monitor; and

b. wherein the visual alarm is an external warning light engageable with the port, the light having a pin uniquely positioned to contact respective pads of the port for setting a mode of the instrument.