Method and Apparatus to Manage Information Between a Scan Tool and Networked Devices

• US 20120324075A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions, Inc. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Bertosa, Thomas, Gessner, Michael, Fish, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• 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 for managing information between a diagnostic tool and a networked computing device are provided. The system made up of a diagnostic tool for retrieving information from a vehicle under test, a networked computing device for providing information concerning the vehicle under test, and an information management device for assisting communication between the diagnostic tool and the networked computing device. Information is gathered by the diagnostic tool and sent to the information management device which determines how to process the information, which may then be sent to the networked computing device for processing and returning relevant data to the information management device, and potentially to the diagnostic tool.

Claims

1. A base computing device for managing information between a portable vehicle diagnostic tool and a networked computing device over a communication network, the base computing device comprising:

a processor configured to execute modules;

a memory configured to store the modules; and

a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device over the communication network, wherein the communication interface allows information in real time to be exchanged between the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device, and wherein the modules include;

an instruction module configured to determine whether to execute one or more modules configured to process signals received from the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device; and

a pass-through module configured to transmit the signals from the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device to the other of the devices with an information represented in the signals in a same condition as received.

2. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

a command module configured to associate an instruction with the signals to instruct the networked computer on a desired return information.

3. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

a destination determination module configured to determine which of a plurality of the portable vehicle diagnostic tools and the networked computing devices to route the signals.

4. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

a format module configured to reformat the information for use by the portable vehicle diagnostic tool or the networked computing device.

5. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

a data analysis module configured to extract portions of data from the information and convert the information into another form.

6. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

an input module configured to keep track of a source and a destination of the signals and to tag the signals with the source and destination.

7. The base computing device of claim 1, wherein the modules further comprises:

a communication module configured to create a communicative connection between the processor and the portable vehicle diagnostic tool, and the processor and the networked computing device.

8. A method for managing information between a diagnostic tool and a networked computing device over a communication network, comprising the steps of:

connecting wirelessly a base computing device to the diagnostic tool and the networked computing device over the communication network via a communication interface of the base computing device;

receiving signals in real time representative of information from the diagnostic tool or the networked computing device via the communication interface;

determining in real time whether to execute an information processing function, stored in a memory of the base computing device, via a processor of the base computing device;

executing one or more of the information processing functions via the processor; and

sending output signals in real time to the diagnostic tool representative of a returned information based on the information received from the diagnostic tool via the communication interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the information processing function further comprises passing through the information, via the processor, from the diagnostic tool or the networked computing device to the other of the diagnostic tool or networked computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the information processing function further comprises determining, via the processor, a destination of the signals received.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the information processing function further comprises formatting, via the processor, the information received for use by the diagnostic tool or the networked computing device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the information processing function further comprises analyzing, via the processor, the information received by extracting portions of data from the information or converting the information into a representative form.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the information processing function further comprises determining, via the processor, a command to instruct the networked computing device on a desired return information based on the diagnostic tool information.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

managing the signals by keeping track of a source and a destination of the signals or tagging, via the processor, the signals with the source and destination.

15. A base computing device for managing information between a portable vehicle diagnostic tool and a networked computing device over a communication network, the base computing device comprising:

a means for processing modules;

a means for storing the modules; and

a means for wirelessly communicating with the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device over the communication network, wherein the means for wirelessly communicating allows information in real time to be exchanged between the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device, and wherein the modules include;

an instruction module configured to determine whether to execute one or more modules configured to process signals received from the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device; and

a pass-through module configured to transmit the signals from the portable vehicle diagnostic tool and the networked computing device to the other of the devices with an information represented in the signals in a same condition as received.

16. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

a command module configured to associate an instruction with the signals to instruct the networked computer on a desired return information.

17. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

a destination determination module configured to determine which of a plurality of the portable vehicle diagnostic tools and the networked computing devices to route the signals.

18. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

a format module configured to reformat the information for use by the portable vehicle diagnostic tool or the networked computing device.

19. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

a data analysis module configured to extract portions of data from the information and convert the information into another form.

20. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

an input module configured to keep track of a source and a destination of the signals and to tag the signals with the source and destination.

21. The base computing device of claim 15, wherein the modules further comprises:

a communication module configured to create a communicative connection between the processor and the portable vehicle diagnostic tool, and the processor and the networked computing device.