System and Method for Automated Vehicle Selection and Automated Fix Detection

• US 20140074343A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Service Solutions US LLC
• Original Assignee: Service Solutions US LLC
• Inventors: Fish, James, Lipscomb, Edward, Gray, Kevin, Keane, Dennis, Krishnegowda, Madhusudhan Mavanoor, Hamilton, Randy
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.6
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system and method for automating the selection of vehicle identifying information for a diagnostic tool and for searching multiple databases of fix information and providing such information to a user.

Claims

1. A system for providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, comprising:

an input for receiving data associated with a vehicle;

a microprocessor for processing said data received from the input and for instructing a search of repair assets corresponding to said data regarding said vehicle;

a notification device for notifying a user of located repair assets; and

a user interface for selecting repair assets to be provided to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the vehicle includes vehicle identification data that is read by the system from the vehicle via a link to an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the vehicle includes vehicle identification data that is obtained by the system from an external database based in part upon data input to the system by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the vehicle includes diagnostic trouble codes read by the system via a link to a diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor causes the search to be performed in an off-tool database for repair assets associated with the diagnostic trouble codes read by the system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor causes the search to be performed in an off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through the user interface.

7. A method of providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving data associated with a vehicle at a microprocessor of a diagnostic tool;

instructing a search of repair assets corresponding to said data associated with said vehicle;

triggering an alert regarding the located repair assets; and

selecting repair assets to be provided to a user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of linking the microprocessor to the vehicle via an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle to receive vehicle identification data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of obtaining vehicle identification data from an external database.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of receiving a diagnostic trouble code via a link to a diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of searching an off-tool database for repair assets associated with the received diagnostic trouble code.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of performing an additional search of an off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through a user interface.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of displaying an identified repair asset located by the search of the off-tool database in response to the received diagnostic trouble code.

14. A system for providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, comprising:

means for receiving data associated with a vehicle;

means for instructing a search of repair assets corresponding to said data associated with said vehicle;

means for triggering an alert regarding located repair assets; and

means for selecting located repair assets to be provided to a user.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for linking to the vehicle via an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle to receive vehicle identification data.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for obtaining vehicle identification data from an external database.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for receiving a diagnostic trouble code via a link to a diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for searching an off-tool database for repair assets associated with the received diagnostic trouble code.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for performing an additional search of an off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through the means for inputting.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for displaying an identified repair asset located by the search of the off-tool database in response to the received diagnostic trouble code.