WIRELESS NETWORK AND METHODOLOGY FOR AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE SYSTEMS

• US 20120042031A1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Rogers, Steven W., Gill, George M., Moran, Robert O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/10 Wheel alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/16 Active or passive device attached to the chassis of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a wireless communications network using a standard communications link between a master controller and at least one slave device. In one example, a list of available slave devices for the network is generated, valid slave devices are determined from the list of available slave devices based on an identification protocol of the standard communications link, and the at least one slave device is selected from the valid slave devices. A network identification is established between the master controller and the at least one slave device, and the network identification is used to establish a network comprising only the master controller and the at least one slave device.

Claims

1. A method for forming a wireless communications network, using a standard communications link, between a master controller and at least one slave device, the method comprising:

generating a list of available slave devices for the network having the standard communications link;

determining valid slave devices from the list of available slave devices based on an identification protocol of the standard communications link;

selecting the at least one slave device from the valid slave devices;

establishing a network identification between the master controller and the at least one slave device; and

using the network identification to establish a network comprising only the master controller and the at least one slave device.

2-30. -30. (canceled)