Dynamic information method and system

• US 7,555,376 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Beronja, Gerald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/010,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 34, 700 95-110, 700/11, 700/23, 700/17
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system and a machine-implemented method for receiving at least one data string from a remote device. A data string is selected from the at least one data string received, and technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string is retrieved.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one data string from an electronic control unit of a motor vehicle;

receiving a selection of a data string from the at least one data string received;

associating the selected data string with information of a make and model of the vehicle; and

retrieving technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string according to the selected data string and the make and model of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a data string includes the step of clicking on the selected data string with a pointing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a data string includes the step of highlighting the selected data string with a pointing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is stored on a local data store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is stored on a remote data store.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the make and model of the vehicle; and

rendering the technical/diagnostic information, on a display device, related to the make and model of vehicle selected.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes a schematic diagram associated with the make and model of vehicle selected.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the schematic diagram is selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical schematic diagram;

a vacuum schematic diagram;

a pneumatic schematic diagram; and

a hydraulic schematic diagram.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is selected from the group consisting of:

a part number;

an image;

an operational description;

one or more condition-dependent variables;

location information;

one or more instructional videos;

service bulletin information; and

remedial information.

9. A machine-implemented method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one data string from an electronic control unit of a vehicle;

receiving a selection of a data string from the at least one data string received;

associating the selected data string with information of a make and model of the vehicle;

retrieving technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string according to the selected data string and the make and model of the vehicle, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes a schematic diagram associated with the vehicle, and the schematic diagram includes a plurality of discrete portions; and

allowing a user to graphically select one or more of the discrete portions of the schematic diagram, resulting in one or more selected discrete portions and one or more unselected discrete portions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes portion-specific technical/diagnostic information related to the one or more selected discrete portions, the method further comprising the step of:

rendering the portion- specific technical/diagnostic information on the display device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion-specific technical/diagnostic information is selected from the group consisting of:

a part number for the one or more selected discrete portions;

an image of the one or more selected discrete portions;

a description of the normal operation of the one or more selected discrete portions;

one or more condition-dependent variables concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

location information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

one or more instructional videos concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

service bulletin information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions; and

remedial information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition-dependent variables are selected from the group consisting of a voltage, an amperage, a resistance, an impedance, and a waveform.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more selected discrete portions are selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical component;

an electromechanical component; and

a wiring harness.

15. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause that processor to:

receive at least one data string from an electronic control unit of a vehicle;

receive a selection of a data string from the at least one data string received;

associate the selected data string with a make and model of the vehicle; and

retrieve technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string according to the selected data string and the make and model of the vehicle.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for selecting a data string include instructions for clicking on the selected data string with a pointing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for selecting a data string include instructions for highlighting the selected data string with a pointing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is stored on a local data store.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is stored on a remote data store.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving selection of the make and model of the vehicle; and

rendering the technical/diagnostic information, on a display device, related to the make and model of vehicle selected.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes a schematic diagram associated with the make and model of vehicle selected.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the schematic diagram is selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical schematic diagram;

a vacuum schematic diagram;

a pneumatic schematic diagram; and

a hydraulic schematic diagram.

28. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the technical/diagnostic information is selected from the group consisting of:

a part number;

an image;

an operational description;

one or more condition-dependent variables;

location information;

one or more instructional videos;

service bulletin information; and

remedial information.

23. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause that processor to:

receive at least one data string from an electronic control unit of a vehicle;

receive a selection of a data string from the at least one data string;

associate the selected data string with a make and model of the vehicle; and

retrieve technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string according to the selected data string and the make and model of the vehicle, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes a schematic diagram associated with the vehicle and includes a plurality of discrete portions, and

allow a user to graphically select one or more of the discrete portions of the schematic diagram, resulting in one or more selected discrete portions and one or more unselected discrete portions.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the technical/diagnostic information includes portion-specific technical/diagnostic information related to the one or more selected discrete portions, the computer program product further comprising instructions for:

rendering the portion- specific technical/diagnostic information on the display device.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the portion-specific technical/diagnostic information is selected from the group consisting of:

a part number for the one or more selected discrete portions;

an image of the one or more selected discrete portions;

a description of the normal operation of the one or more selected discrete portions;

one or more condition-dependent variables concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

location information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

one or more instructional videos concerning the one or more selected discrete portions;

service bulletin information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions; and

remedial information concerning the one or more selected discrete portions.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the condition-dependent variables are selected from the group consisting of a voltage, an amperage, a resistance, an impedance, and a waveform.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the one or more selected discrete portions are selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical component;

an electromechanical component; and

a wiring harness.

29. A vehicular diagnostic information retrieval system comprising:

a data receiving device for receiving at least one data string from an electronic control unit of a vehicle;

a selection device for allowing a user to select a data string from the at least one data string received; and

a retrieval device for associating the selected data string with a make and model of the vehicle and retrieving technical/diagnostic information related to the selected data string according to the selected data string and the information of the make and model of the vehicle.