Universal serial bus memory device for use in a vehicle diagnostic device

• US 20080103656A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Service Solutions US LLC
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Chinnadurai, Manokar, Lipscomb, Edward, Boac, Corneliu
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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 method and apparatus are provided that allow an off-the-shelf USB flash memory device to used with a scan tool. The USB flash memory device can have a different operating system then the proprietary operating system of the scan tool. The method and apparatus allows the scan tool to read from and write on the USB flash memory device regardless of the formatted operating system on the device.

Claims

1. A computer software product for use by a vehicle diagnostic scan tool, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by the diagnostic scan tool, cause the diagnostic scan tool to perform the steps comprising:

detecting if a USB flash memory device that is formatted for an operating system that is different from the operating system used by the vehicle diagnostic scan tool is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool;

collecting diagnostic information from a vehicle that is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool; and

writing the diagnostic information on the USB flash memory device at a sector level.

2. The computer software product of claim 1 further comprising saving diagnostic information on an internal memory of the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

3. The computer software product of claim 1 further comprising displaying a counter on a display of the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

4. The computer product of claim 1 further comprising determining if a predetermined number of frames have been captured.

6. The computer of product of claim 4, wherein a file is closed when the predetermined number of frames have been captured.

7. The computer product of claim 1 further comprising communicating with a driver of the USB flash memory device in order to determine if the USB flash memory device is attached to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

5. The computer product of claim 5, wherein the number of frames is between about 1-1000.

8. A method of writing onto a USB flash memory device connected to a vehicle diagnostic scan tool, comprising:

detecting if the USB flash memory device that is formatted for an operating system that is different from the operating system used by the vehicle diagnostic scan tool is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool;

collecting diagnostic information from a vehicle that is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool; and

writing the diagnostic information on the USB flash memory device at a sector level.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring diagnostic information to a computer having the same operating system as the USB flash memory device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising saving diagnostic information on an internal memory of the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining if a predetermined number of frames have been captured.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of frames is between about 1-1000.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising communicating with a driver of the USB flash memory device in order to determine if the USB flash memory device is attached to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

14. A vehicle diagnostic scan tool having a computer software product, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by the vehicle diagnostic scan tool, cause the vehicle diagnostic scan tool to perform the steps comprising:

detecting if a USB flash memory device that is formatted for an operating system that is different from the operating system used by the vehicle diagnostic scan tool is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool;

collecting diagnostic information from a vehicle that is coupled to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool; and

writing the diagnostic information on the USB flash memory device at a sector level.

15. The scan tool of claim 14 further comprising saving diagnostic information on an internal memory of the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

16. The scan tool of claim 14 further comprising displaying a counter on a display of the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.

17. The scan tool of claim 14 further comprising determining if a predetermined number of frames have been captured.

18. The scan tool of claim 17, wherein the number of frames is between about 1-1000.

19. The scan tool of claim 14, wherein a file is closed when the predetermined number of frames have been captured.

20. The scan tool of claim 14 further comprising communicating with a driver of the USB flash memory device in order to determine if the USB flash memory device is attached to the vehicle diagnostic scan tool.