Application launcher

• US 7,363,128 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Bumgarner, Michael A., Dietsch, Douglas Jay, Melvin, Steven Louis, Starks, Matthew Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tan Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/952,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/25, 701/1, 701/2, 701/35, 702/183, 702/185, 714/25, 714/26, 715/700, 715/819, 715/841, 715/845
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A computer, connected to a communications bus, includes a display that selectively displays a user interface. A plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection. Instructions executable on the computer provide a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface, accept input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched, and launch the indicated diagnostic application. In one embodiment, the communications bus is in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer including a display that selectively displays a user interface;

a connection between the computer and a communications bus;

a plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer that are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection; and

instructions executable on the computer for;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched;

stopping communications between the computer and the communications bus; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for monitoring the launched diagnostic application.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for determining whether the diagnostic application has stopped executing.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle, wherein the communications bus is within the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable on the computer for:

accepting input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated second diagnostic application.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched is accepted only if a determination is made that the initial indicated diagnostic application is no longer running on the computer.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for displaying a subset of the diagnostic applications in the list in response to an input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of diagnostic applications relates to one of a plurality of components, each component selectively providing data via the communications bus.

9. A method for launching diagnostic applications on a computer comprising:

displaying a user interface on the computer;

establishing a connection between the computer and a communications bus;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched;

stopping communications between the computer and the communications bus; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the launched diagnostic application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the diagnostic application has stopped executing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications bus is within a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accepting input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated second diagnostic application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said input indicating a second one of the diagnostic applications to be launched is accepted only if a determination is made that the initial indicated diagnostic application is no longer running on the computer.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising an instruction executable on the computer for displaying a subset of the diagnostic applications in the list in response to an input.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of diagnostic applications relates to one of a plurality of components, each component selectively providing data via the communications bus.

16. A system comprising:

means for communicating between a computer and a communications bus;

means for displaying a list of a plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer that are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection;

means for providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

means for accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched;

means for stopping communications between the computer and the communications bus; and

means for launching the indicated diagnostic application.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of diagnostic applications relates to one of a plurality of components, each component selectively providing data via the communications bus.

19. A system comprising:

a computer including a display that selectively displays a user interface;

a connection between the computer and a communications bus, wherein the communications bus is included in a vehicle;

a plurality of diagnostic applications installed on the computer that are capable of receiving data from the communications bus via the connection; and

instructions executable on the computer for;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.

20. A method for launching diagnostic applications on a computer comprising:

displaying a user interface on the computer;

establishing a connection between the computer and a communications bus, wherein the communications bus is included in a vehicle;

providing a list of the diagnostic applications in the user interface;

accepting input indicating one of the diagnostic applications to be launched; and

launching the indicated diagnostic application.