Vehicle Information Collection System and Module Therefor
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center comprising the steps of connecting a device to the diagnostic port of an unknown vehicle and, without user input to the device, automatically downloading vehicle identification data and odometer data from the vehicle, transferring the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the device to work station at the service center, wherein the work station include a database, programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and odometer data into the database, the work station retrieving information based on one or both of the vehicle identification data and the odometer; and displaying the retrieved data on one or both of a computer and a paper printout.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center and identifying a procedure to retrieve specific information including vehicle identification data and odometer data related to one or more unknown vehicles at the automotive service center, the method comprising the steps of:
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connecting a device to the diagnostic port of one of the one or more unknown vehicles; downloading the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the vehicle, wherein the procedure to retrieve the specific information including the vehicle identification data and the odometer data is unknown to the device prior to this connection step and is automatically identified during this connection step by the device; transferring the vehicle identification data and odometer data from the device to a work station, wherein the work station include a database; programmatically populating the vehicle identification data and odometer data into the database; retrieving information based on one or both of the vehicle identification data and the odometer at the workstation; and displaying the automatically-retrieved data on one or both of a computer and a paper printout. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 37)
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24. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center comprising the steps of:
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connecting a device to the diagnostic port of an unknown vehicle; downloading vehicle identification data and odometer data, vehicle, wherein the specific method to access the vehicle identification data and the odometer data are unknown to the device prior to this connection step and is automatically identified by the device; transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data from the device to a programmed computer at the service center; and entering one or both of the vehicle identification information and the odometer into the service center business software on said programmed computer.
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25. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center for one or more vehicles having a diagnostic port, vehicle identification data and odometer data, the method comprising:
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connecting a device to the diagnostic port of a vehicle; determining a protocol to retrieve the vehicle odometer information; downloading the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to the device; and transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to a computer for processing. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 38)
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30. A system for managing a fleet of automotive vehicles, wherein on or more of the vehicles include a diagnostic port connected to an OEM computer, the system comprising:
a programmed control circuit including means for acquiring information from the OEM computer of a vehicle, wherein the acquired information is selected from the group consisting of an odometer report, a fuel level report and a combination thereof, and wherein the information acquiring means includes a database that includes a plurality of predetermined procedures and an information collection means for electrically, and identifying a procedure from the predetermined procedures that handshakes with a procedure specific to the vehicle such that the information collector can automatically obtain the information without manual input. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. An information collection module for acquiring information from a vehicle and automatically identifying a procedure to acquire vehicle specific information from the vehicle, the tool comprising:
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a connector for connecting the tool to a vehicle; and means for acquiring the vehicle specific information from the vehicle, wherein the vehicle specific information is selected from the group consisting of a an odometer report, a fuel level report and a combination thereof, wherein the procedure to retrieve the specific information is unknown to the tool prior to the step for acquiring the information and wherein the procedure is automatically identified during this connection step by the device. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A scan tool for collecting data from a vehicle having an odometer and where the scan tool receives no user input for configuring the scan tool to the unknown vehicle, comprising:
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a connector that interfaces with a vehicle'"'"'s data link connector; a signal translator coupled to the connector that, without user intervention, automatically communicates with the vehicle in at least one protocol; a processor that communicates with the vehicle via the signal translator; and a software controlled by the processor that is programmed with an algorithm to determine the odometer without manual input.
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39. A method for managing vehicle check in at an automotive service center for one or more vehicles having a diagnostic port, vehicle identification data and odometer data, the method comprising:
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connecting a device to the diagnostic port of a random vehicle from a group of vehicles; determining the protocol parameters to retrieve the vehicle odometer information; downloading the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to the device; and transferring the vehicle identification data and the odometer data to a computer for processing. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification