Vehicle or engine diagnostic systems with advanced non-volatile memory

• US 20060142905A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoevenaar, Robert, Brozovich, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A programmable vehicle or engine diagnostic tool includes an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine, a user interface, and a central processing unit, for processing the signal to generate information for presentation to the user. To facilitate fast boot yet enable re-programming of the diagnostic tool, the system utilizes a non-volatile random access memory main memory for the processor based tool, to store the programming for execution by the central processing unit. Disclosed examples of suitable memories include magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory.

Claims

1. A vehicle or engine diagnostic system, comprising:

an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine;

a user interface, comprising an output for presenting information to a user of the diagnostic system;

a central processing unit, for performing a processing operation responsive to the signal to generate the information for presentation to the user;

a non-volatile nano random access memory (NNRAM) coupled to the central processing unit as main memory for use by the central processing unit; and

programming for execution by the central processing unit stored in the NNRAM,

wherein execution of the programming directly from the NNRAM by the central processing unit controls the processing operation of the central processing unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the NNRAM comprises a memory selected from the group consisting essentially of:

magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming stored in the NNRAM comprises an operating system and at least one vehicle or engine diagnostic application.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an additional program storage containing at least one additional vehicle or engine diagnostic application, for loading into the NNRAM for execution by the central processing unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operating system enables the central processing unit to selectively replace the at least one vehicle or engine diagnostic application stored in NNRAM with the at least one additional vehicle or engine diagnostic application.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the selective replacement is performed in response to a selection input by the user.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the selective replacement is performed in response to application usage statistics obtained during operations of the diagnostic system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable housing for handheld manipulation by the user, the housing containing at least the user interface, the central processing unit and the NNRAM.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a portable unit for handheld manipulation by the user, the portable unit containing at least the user interface;

a module housing at least the interface, the central processing unit and the NNRAM; and

an interconnection for data communication between the portable unit and module.

10. A vehicle or engine diagnostic system, comprising:

an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine;

a user interface, comprising an output for presenting information to a user of the diagnostic system;

a central processing unit, for performing a processing operation responsive to the signal to generate the information for presentation to the user;

a non-volatile random access memory coupled to the central processing unit as main memory for use by the central processing unit, the non-volatile random access memory comprising a memory selected from the group consisting essentially of;

magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory; and

programming for execution by the central processing unit stored in the non-volatile random access memory,

wherein execution of the programming directly from the non-volatile random access memory by the central processing unit controls the processing operation of the central processing unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming stored in the non-volatile random access memory comprises an operating system and at least one vehicle or engine diagnostic application.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an additional program storage containing at least one additional vehicle or engine diagnostic application, for loading into the non-volatile random access memory for execution by the central processing unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operating system enables the central processing unit to selectively replace the at least one diagnostic application stored in non-volatile random access memory with the at least one additional diagnostic application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selective replacement is performed in response to a selection input by the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the selective replacement is performed in response to application usage statistics obtained during operations of the diagnostic system.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a portable housing for handheld manipulation by the user, the housing containing at least the user interface, the central processing unit and the non-volatile random access memory.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a portable unit for handheld manipulation by the user, the portable unit containing at least the user interface;

a module housing at least the interface, the central processing unit and the non-volatile random access memory; and

an interconnection for data communication between the portable unit and module.

18. A vehicle or engine diagnostic system, comprising:

an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine;

a central processing unit;

programming for execution by the central processing unit, for controlling processing of the signal by the central processing to implement a diagnostic function; and

means coupled to the central processing unit for storing the programming, wherein the means for storing has the following characteristics;

1) a critical dimension (CD) of storage cells of the means is less than 0.06 micron,

2) the storage cells are randomly accessible,

3) the storage cells provide non-volatile storage, and

4) the means for storing provide read and write access to information stored in the storage cells in times less than 25 ns.

19. The vehicle or engine diagnostic system of claim 18, wherein the means for storing comprises a memory selected from the group consisting essentially of:

magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory.