System to View Automobile Diagnostic Information

• US 20140107886A1
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Miljkovic, Ljubinko, Jayaraman, Ramprabhu
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.6
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A system has a Link device coupled to an on-board diagnostics (OBD) system of a vehicle, the Link device enabled to monitor trouble codes presented by the OBD system, and having a port enabled to transmit to and receive from external devices, a mobile communication device, the device having a display screen, and an application (App) executing on the mobile communication device from a non-transitory medium. The Link device receives trouble codes from the vehicle OBD system and transmits them to either to the App or to an Internet-connected server, where the trouble codes are associated with the issues they represent, and wherein the App, having associated the trouble codes with the issues or having received the association data from the server, presents a display to the driver comprising at least the problem represented by the problem code and suggested action to correct the problem.

Claims

1. A system, comprising

a Link device coupled to an on-board diagnostics (OBD) system of a vehicle, the Link device enabled to monitor trouble codes presented by the OBD system, and having a communication port enabled to transmit to and receive from external devices;

a mobile communication device associated with a driver of the vehicle, the device having a display screen; and

an application (App) executing on the mobile communication device from a non-transitory medium;

wherein the Link device receives trouble codes from the vehicle OBD system and transmits them to either to the App or to an Internet-connected server, where the trouble codes are associated with the issues they represent, and wherein the App, having associated the trouble codes with the issues or having received the association data from the server, presents a display to the driver comprising at least the problem represented by the problem code and suggested action to correct the problem.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the Link device connects to an OBD connector of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication port comprises a near-field pairing mechanism enabled to pair with a pairing mechanism in the mobile communication device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the display further comprises identity of the vehicle, the actual trouble codes detected, and a link button providing a signal to the Link device to cause the OBD system to cancel the trouble code or codes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the App associates the trouble codes with the issues they represent through contact with the Internet-connected server that has a stored resource of data and information concerning vehicle makes and models, trouble codes, and associated troubles and possible corrections.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein trouble codes received and displays presented are archived either by the mobile communication device or by the Internet-connected server for future reference, in a manner that the archived material may be downloaded and printed.

8. A method, comprising steps:

receiving trouble codes from a vehicle on-board diagnostics (OBD) system by a Link device coupled to the (OBD) system;

transmitting the trouble codes to either an Internet-connected server or to a mobile communication device associated with a driver of the vehicle;

associating the trouble codes with the issues they represent by an application (App) executing on the mobile communications device or the server; and

presenting a display on a display screen of the mobile communications device, the display comprising at least the problem represented by the problem code and suggested action to correct the problem.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the Link device connects to an OBD connector of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the communication port comprises a near-field pairing mechanism enabled to pair with a pairing mechanism in the mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the display further comprises identity of the vehicle, the actual trouble codes detected, and a link button providing a signal to the Link device to cause the OBD system to cancel the trouble code or codes.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the App associates the trouble codes with the issues they represent through contact with the Internet-connected server that has a stored resource of data and information concerning vehicle makes and models, trouble codes, and associated troubles and possible corrections.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein trouble codes received and displays presented are archived either by the mobile communication device or by the Internet-connected server for future reference, in a manner that the archived material may be downloaded and printed.