Automotive diagnostic system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating the diagnosing and servicing of an automotive vehicle from service request to completed servicing and invoicing comprising:
- (a) diagnostic test equipment including means for attaching said equipment to said vehicle and means for measuring operating conditions of said vehicle;
(b) a display means;
(c) means for entering into said display means vehicle identification data unique to said vehicle;
(d) data base storage means, said data base including specifications for automotive vehicles including said vehicle to be serviced;
(e) means for selecting from said data base the specification data unique to said vehicle in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said selected specifications to said diagnostic test equipment attached to said vehicle,(f) means for transferring measured data representing the current operating condition of said vehicle from said diagnostic test equipment to said display means,(g) means for producing a printed record and a stored record of said transferred measured data and said specification data,(h) means for selecting service manual index data unique to said vehicle from said data base in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said indices to said display means,(i) means for selecting parts data unique to said vehicle from said data base in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said parts data to said display means,
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating the diagnosis and servicing of automotive vehicles wherein a communicating network computer interfaces between a plurality of service agencies and a vehicle data base plus a record storage system. The service agencies have diagnostic test equipment that are provided with unique vehicle specifications and diagnostic information from the vehicle data base through the network computer. Measured diagnostic data from the diagnostic test equipment is supplied to the record storage system through the network computer as well as to display and printing equipment at the service agency. The data stored and displayed and the unique vehicle specifications are sorted by the unique identification of the vehicle. The apparatus permits data base access for improvements and changes to the data base. The storage permits retrieval of data by vehicle, type of service, and summary records to provide improved service agency operation.
286 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating the diagnosing and servicing of an automotive vehicle from service request to completed servicing and invoicing comprising:
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(a) diagnostic test equipment including means for attaching said equipment to said vehicle and means for measuring operating conditions of said vehicle; (b) a display means; (c) means for entering into said display means vehicle identification data unique to said vehicle; (d) data base storage means, said data base including specifications for automotive vehicles including said vehicle to be serviced; (e) means for selecting from said data base the specification data unique to said vehicle in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said selected specifications to said diagnostic test equipment attached to said vehicle, (f) means for transferring measured data representing the current operating condition of said vehicle from said diagnostic test equipment to said display means, (g) means for producing a printed record and a stored record of said transferred measured data and said specification data, (h) means for selecting service manual index data unique to said vehicle from said data base in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said indices to said display means, (i) means for selecting parts data unique to said vehicle from said data base in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said parts data to said display means, - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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2. (j) means for selecting diagnostic and service remarks unique to said vehicle from said data base in accordance with said vehicle identification data and means for transferring said diagnostic and service remarks data, to said display means, and
(k) means for producing a stored record and a printed record of said data supplied to said display means.
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19. A method for facilitating the diagnosing and servicing of an automotive vehicle having a unique vehicle identification with apparatus including diagnostic test equipment, storing means for storing and retrieving data pertaining to said vehicle and measured with respect to said vehicle, a vehicle data base including vehicle specifications and diagnostic data pertaining to operation of said diagnostic test equipment, a communicating network computer for interconnecting said diagnostic test equipment, said storing means and said data base, display means for displaying data from said diagnostic test equipment, said storing means and said vehicle data base, and printing means for producing a printed record of said retrieved data, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting said vehicle having said unique identification to said diagnostic test equipment and identifying said vehicle in said test equipment by said unique identification, said diagnostic test equipment having the capability of sensing a plurality of conditions representing the operating condition of said vehicle, (b) supplying to said diagnostic test equipment from said data base the specifications that apply to operation of said vehicle in accordance with said vehicle identification, (c) supplying to said diagnostic test equipment from said data base any unique sequence of diagnostic tests for operating said diagnostic test equipment in sensing said conditions representing the operation of said vehicle, (d) measuring data with said diagnostic test equipment in accordance with said unique sequence of diagnostic tests to produce a first set of data representing the current operating condition of said vehicle, (e) displaying and storing said first set of data measured in step (d) in a manner permitting comparison to said specifications that apply to operation of said vehicle, (f) determining from said display and comparison the diagnosis and services to be performed on said vehicle to accomplish servicing of said vehicle, (g) storing said diagnosis and services to be performed with respect to said vehicle, (h) deriving from said data base information pertaining to said vehicle and said diagnosis and services to be performed with respect to said vehicle, (i) based on said diagnosis and services to be performed, servicing said vehicle to change said operating conditions and measuring said data with said diagnostic test equipment to produce a second set of data representing serviced operating condition of said vehicle, (j) displaying and storing said second set of data measured in step (i), (k) supplying to said storing means data pertaining to parts and services involved in servicing said vehicle including pricing data applicable thereto, (l) retrieving at least part of said data stored in said storing means and producing a printed record of said retrieved data, (m) and maintaining a record of said stored data with respect to said unique vehicle identification. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification