Battery testers with secondary functionality

• US 7,398,176 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward R
• Application Number:
  US11/352,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/462, 731/463, 731/464, 731/465, 731/468, 340/438, 340/442, 340/446, 340/447, 340/448, 340/449, 702/138, 702/140, 702/141, 702/142, 702/145
• US Class Current: 702/140
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic vehicle tester includes a battery tester configured to measure a parameter of a battery of a vehicle. A tire tester is configured to receive a parameter of a tire of the vehicle. A wireless receiver can be configured to receive pressure information from a transmitter associated with a tire of a vehicle.

Claims

1. An electronic vehicle tester, comprising:

a tire tester for use by an operator to couple to a tire of the vehicle and configured to receive a tire parameter of the tire of the vehicle, the tire tester including, a user input to receive an input from the operator and radio frequency (RF) output configured to wireless transmit the tire parameter;

an electronic battery tester, comprising;

first and second Kelvin connections configured to couple to terminals of a battery of the vehicle;

a forcing function source configured to apply a forcing function to the battery through the Kelvin connections;

a microprocessor configured to test the battery based upon the response of the batter to the forcing function;

a memory; and

a radio frequency (RF) input configured to receive the RF output from the tire tester which contains the tire parameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester is spaced apart from the battery tester.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tread depth gauge.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tire pressure sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including an output configured to send data to a printer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user input is configured to receive information identifying the tire undergoing testing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including a database configured to couple to the electronic battery tester.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tire tester includes a display configured to prompt an operator to test a specific tire of the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including an input configured to receive information related to tire pressure specifications for the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tire parameter is sent to a point of sale device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a tire temperature sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a pressure measurement of the tire is adjusted based upon the tire temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tire tester includes a receiver configured to receive tire pressure data from a pressure sensor coupled to the tire of the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the receiver is configured to receive tire pressure data over a wireless connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tire tester includes memory to store data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 including an output configured to output data stored in the tire tester memory.