Multi-application data display

• US 6,937,926 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Liebl, Troy, Lipscomb, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/319,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/32, 701/35, 701/99, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/459, 702/183, 702/188, 731/16, 731/173
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2252 in a vehicle exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A data display firmware improvement for a scan tool adds the capability to view in a single presentation data uploaded from a motor vehicle'"'"'s onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer synchronized with data from external test apparatus. The data display algorithms permit viewing of OBD data, including certain real-time oscilloscope-like waveforms, and allow viewing test results from compatible instruments, such as exhaust gas analyzers, including capturing realtime OBD signals, holding them until delayed events such as gas analyzer test results become available, then displaying the events on a common display as though available simultaneously in real time. The firmware upgrade is downloadable to existing products.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle data, comprising:

a scan interface component permitting communication between said device and a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer;

a first external test instrument interface component permitting communication between said device and an external test instrument, which is linked to a subsystem of a motor vehicle;

a display in communication with said scan interface and said first external test instrument interface component, said display simultaneously or individually displaying data from said scan interface and from said external test instrument; and

a subsystem of said device able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said vehicle OBD computer in response to data properties of event time of occurrence, external test instrument data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting comparison between said data despite disparities in properties.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of external device interface components permitting communication between said device and a plurality of additional test instruments.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to display test and status data in graphical form, to include text messages.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to display test and status data in graphical form, to include representation of a horizontal axis representing time plotted against a vertical axis representing a test parameter, such as voltage, temperature, concentration of oxides of nitrogen, and other parameters of interest to test instrument users.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured able to display data previously acquired.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to alter the time representation of sets of data in order to present on the same display sets of data that occurred at different times.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic type II (OBD-II®

) computer scan interface using universal OBD-II interface ports and protocols.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to write data to a motor vehicle onboard computer using universal OBD-II interface ports and protocols.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test instrument, where such external test instrument employs an interface port and protocol unique to the present inventive apparatus to supply data.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from external test instrument, where such external test instrument employs an industry-standard Infrared Data Association®

(IrDA) infrared interface port and protocol to communicate.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test instrument, where such said external test instrument employs an industry-standard serial interface port and protocol to communicate.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, said external test instrument, where such interface employs an industry-standard Personal Computer Memory Card International Association®

(PCMCIA®

) interface port and protocol to communicate.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test instrument, where such said external test instrument employs an industry-standard universal serial bus (USB) interface port and protocol to supply data.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to output data to said external test instrument, where such external apparatus employs a Hewlett-Packard Corporation®

(HP®

) wireless interface port and protocol to output data.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire replacement executable binary code for said device from said external test instrument, where such said external test instrument employs an industry-standard Class II Compact Flash Card®

interface port and protocol to supply replacement executable binary code.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to acquire replacement executable binary code for said device from said external test instrument, where such said external test instrument employs an industry-standard universal serial bus (USB) interface port and protocol to supply replacement executable binary code.

17. A device for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle data, comprising:

a scan interface component permitting communication between said device and a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer;

a first external test instrument interface component permitting communication between said device and an external test instrument, which is linked to a subsystem of a motor vehicle;

a display in communication with said scan interface and said first external test instrument interface component, said display simultaneously or individually displaying data from said scan interface and from said external test instrument; and

a subsystem of said device able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said external test instrument in response to disparate data properties of event time of occurrence, external test instrument data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting direct data comparison despite disparities in event rate.

18. A device for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle data, comprising:

a scan interface component permitting communication between said device and a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer;

a first external test instrument interface component permitting communication between said device and an external test instrument, which is linked to a subsystem of a motor vehicle;

a display in communication with said scan interface and said first external test instrument interface component, said display simultaneously or individually displaying data from said scan interface and from said external test instrument;

a subsystem of said device able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said external test instrument in response to disparate data properties of event time of occurrence, external test instrument data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting direct data comparison despite disparities in time of occurrence.

19. A device for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle data, comprising:

a scan interface component permitting communication between said device and a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer;

a first external test instrument interface component permitting communication between said device and an external test instrument, which is linked to a subsystem of a motor vehicle;

a display in communication with said scan interface and said first external test instrument interface component, said display simultaneously or individually displaying data from said scan interface and from said external test instrument, a subsystem of said device able to alter graphical display representation of data for the purpose of permitting the horizontal (time) axis of a time-synchronized set of data traces to display in part at a first rate and in part at a second rate.