Automotive diagnostic and remedial process

• US 20090006476A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Innova Electronics Corporation (Innova Telematics Solutions)
• Inventors: Andreasen, Keith, Madison, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A method of processing vehicle diagnostic data is provided for identifying likely vehicle fix(s) associated with a diagnostic data, and identifying a repair procedure(s) for correcting the likely fix(s). The process receiving vehicle diagnostic data from a vehicle onboard computer at a remote diagnostic database, the database being arranged to map vehicle diagnostic data to possible vehicle fix(s). The possible vehicle fix(s) are prioritized in accordance with ranked matches of the received diagnostic data to combinations of diagnostic data stored in a prior experience database. The prior experience database having an identified fix associated with each stored combination of diagnostic data. The fix associated with the highest ranked combination of diagnostic data is identified as the most likely fix. The most likely fix is mapped to a vehicle repair database, the most likely fix being directly mapped to an associated repair procedure for repairing the most likely fix.

Claims

1. A method of processing vehicle diagnostic data to identify likely vehicle fix(s) associated with the diagnostic data and identifying a repair procedure(s) for correcting the likely fix(s), the process comprising:

receiving vehicle diagnostic data from a vehicle onboard computer at a remote diagnostic database, the database being arranged to map vehicle diagnostic data to possible vehicle fix(s);

prioritizing the possible vehicle fix(s) in accordance with ranked matches of the received diagnostic data to combinations of diagnostic data stored in a prior experience database, the prior experience database having an identified fix associated with each stored combination of diagnostic data, the fix associated with the highest ranked combination of diagnostic data being identified as the most likely fix; and

mapping the most likely fix to a vehicle repair procedure database, the most likely fix being directly mapped to an associated repair procedure for repairing the most likely fix.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 comprising the step of communicating the information concerning the most likely fix and the associated repair procedure to a remote user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of prioritizing possible vehicle fix(s) comprises comparing combinations of diagnostic trouble codes received from the vehicle onboard computer with stored combinations of diagnostic trouble codes in the prior experience database, and identifying the stored combination of diagnostic trouble codes ranked highest in relation to the diagnostic trouble codes received from the vehicle onboard computer.

4. The process as recited in claim 3 wherein the step of prioritizing possible vehicle fix(s) further comprises the step of identifying the stored combination of diagnostic trouble codes that includes each of the diagnostic trouble codes received from the vehicle onboard computer, and has the least number of diagnostic trouble codes that do not correspond to diagnostic trouble codes received from the vehicle onboard computer.

5. The process as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of prioritizing possible vehicle fix(s) further comprises the step of identifying stored combinations of diagnostic trouble codes having the highest successful fix count associated therewith.

6. The process as recited in claim 3 wherein the step of prioritizing possible vehicle fix(s) further includes the step of prioritizing store combinations of diagnostic trouble codes in accordance with a cost of repair associated therewith.

7. An automotive diagnostic and remedial process comprising:

i. accessing automotive diagnostic data stored in an automotive electrical control system;

ii. transferring the automotive diagnostic data to a diagnostic device;

iii. uploading the diagnostic information to a remote first database, the first database being operative to correlate the automotive diagnostic data with at least one possible fix;

iv. accessing a second database of automotive repair procedures for repairing a range of automotive conditions;

v. linking the possible fix to a selected repair procedure(s) in the second database, the selected repair procedure(s) being effective to repair the possible fix; and

vi. accessing the selected repair procedure(s) effective to repair the possible fix.

8. The process as recited in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

comparing the automotive diagnostic data to stored combinations of diagnostic data stored in the first database; and

prioritizing the stored combination set of diagnostic data that most closely conforms to the automotive diagnostic data stored in the automotive electrical control system.

9. The process as recited in claim 8 wherein the step of prioritizing the stored set of diagnostic data comprises the step of applying prioritization rules based upon whether the stored combinations of diagnostic data include the diagnostic data stored in the automotive electrical control system, whether the stored combinations of diagnostic data include diagnostic data other than the diagnostic data stored in the automotive electrical control system, and the successful fix count associated with each stored combination of diagnostic data.

10. A process of presenting vehicle repair procedures in response to input of vehicle diagnostic data from a hand held scan tool, the process comprising:

a. downloading vehicle diagnostic data and vehicle identification information from a vehicle electronic control system to a hand held scan tool;

b. uploading the vehicle diagnostic data and vehicle identification information from the scan tool to an online diagnostic web site;

c. mapping the vehicle diagnostic data to at least one fix;

d. mapping the fix and vehicle identification information to a repair procedure path addressable at an online repair procedure data base; and

e. selectively accessing a repair procedure using the repair procedure path.

11. The process as recited in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

comparing the downloaded vehicle diagnostic data to stored combinations of diagnostic data; and

prioritizing stored combinations of diagnostic data that most closely conforms to the vehicle diagnostic data.

12. The process as recited in claim 10 wherein the step of prioritizing a stored combination of diagnostic data comprises the step of applying prioritization rules based upon whether stored combinations of diagnostic data include the vehicle diagnostic data, whether stored combinations of diagnostic data include diagnostic data other than the vehicle diagnostic data, and a successful fix rate associated with each combination of diagnostic data and correlated fix.

13. The process as recited in claim 10 wherein the vehicle identification information defines vehicle year, make and model information.

14. The process as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of uploading the vehicle diagnostic data and vehicle identification information from the hand held scan tool to a personal computer and uploading the vehicle diagnostic data and vehicle identification information from the personal computer to the diagnostic web site.