System and Method for Transferring Vehicle Service Data

• US 20080306651A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Neil A., Dwulet, John H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system and method directed to generating a transfer file of categorized vehicle service data, wherein the vehicle service data was captured by a vehicle service tool, and transmitting the transfer file to a remote device. The remote device may store the categorized vehicle service data and thereafter send the categorized vehicle service data back to the vehicle service tool that captured the vehicle service data or to another vehicle service tool for use in comparing current vehicle service conditions to previous service conditions represented by the categorized vehicle service data. The transfer file may include a variety of categories such as diagnostic trouble codes, screen shots, calibration data, and parameter identifiers.

Claims

11-1. The method of claim 1,

wherein the remote device has access to data storage containing a database including a data record associated with the vehicle,

wherein the data record comprises a plurality of fields including a field containing the vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle,

the method further comprising:

receiving the transfer file at the remote device;

extracting the vehicle identifier from the transfer file received at the remote device so as to determine that the categorized vehicle service data is from the vehicle;

extracting at least a portion of the categorized vehicle service data from the transfer file received at the remote device, and

storing the extracted vehicle service data into one or more fields of the data record associated with the vehicle.

14. A method comprising:

connecting a vehicle service tool to a given vehicle having a service condition;

at the vehicle service tool, receiving vehicle service data associated with the given vehicle'"'"'s service condition;

wherein the vehicle service tool receives the vehicle service data from the given vehicle;

interpreting the vehicle service data received from the given vehicle and responsively categorizing at least a portion of the interpreted vehicle service data;

generating a transfer file including a vehicle identifier and one or more categories of vehicle service data related to the detected service condition, wherein generating the transfer file comprises populating the one or more categories of vehicle service data with the categorized vehicle service data; and

transmitting the transfer file to a network for transmission, in turn, to a remote device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the service condition is selected from the group consisting of (i) a diagnostic trouble code being set in an electronic control unit of the given vehicle, and (ii) a programming mode to download software to the given vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14,

wherein the one or more categories are pre-selected for the service condition;

and

wherein a manufacturer of the vehicle service tool pre-selects the one or more categories.

17. A vehicle service tool comprising:

a processor;

a vehicle interface that receives vehicle service data from a vehicle and provides the vehicle service data to the processor;

a network interface that interfaces to a network so as to allow the vehicle service tool to communicate with a remote device via the network; and

data storage containing computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions include instructions that (i) cause the processor to categorize the vehicle data received from the vehicle, (ii) generate a transfer file including one or more categories of vehicle service data and including a vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle, and (iii) cause the network interface to transmit the transfer file to the network for transmission, in turn, to a remote device.

18. The vehicle service tool of claim 17, further comprising:

a user interface,

wherein the vehicle service tool receives the vehicle identifier via the user interface, and

wherein the vehicle identifier is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a vehicle identification number associated with the vehicle, (ii) a customer name associated with the vehicle, (iii) a customer number associated with the vehicle, and (iv) a repair order number associated with the vehicle.

19. The vehicle service tool of claim 17,

wherein the vehicle service tool receives the vehicle identifier from the remote device, and

wherein the vehicle identifier is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a vehicle identification number associated with the vehicle, (ii) a customer name associated with the vehicle, (iii) a customer number associated with the vehicle, and (iv) a repair order number associated with the vehicle.