Wireless vehicle service systems using addressable devices

• US 7,729,880 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Mashburn, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cherry; Stephen J
• Application Number:
  US10/805,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 702/151, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A wireless vehicle service system using addressable devices to avoid interference from similar devices within communications distance. The system includes a host and a plurality of devices that communicate with the host wirelessly. Each of the devices has a unique address, and stores information describing the device, such as the type of the device, a system to which the device is associated, a location of the device, etc. During an enumeration process, each device sends signals including its address and the information describing that device to a host of the vehicle service system. The host stores relationships between the addresses and associated information. For signals sent by the devices and received by the host, the host decodes an embedded address from the signals, and obtains information related to the device sending the signals based on the decoded address and the stored information associated to the decoded address. The host then processes the received signals by referring to the information describing the device sending the signals.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a plurality devices for collecting information related to a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a request to solicit identifications of the devices;

receiving signals sent by each of the plurality of devices in response to the request, wherein the signals include an address identifying the device sending the signals and information describing the device sending the signals;

decoding the information describing the device sending the signals; and

processing the signals based on the information describing the device sending the signals;

wherein;

the devices include a measurement sensor for determining positional parameters of vehicle wheels;

and an address associated with the measurement sensor is created by;

receiving information input by a user identifying a wheel to which the measurement sensor is associated;

accessing the information identifying the wheel to which the measurement sensor is associated; and

creating the address identifying the sensor by incorporating the information identifying the wheel to which the measurement sensor is associated into the address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting signals embedding the address unique to the measurement sensor in response to a request soliciting identification of the measurement sensor.

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

accessing information identifying an alignment system to which the measurement sensor is associated; and

incorporating the information identifying the alignment system to which the measurement sensor is associated into the address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information identifying the alignment system to which the measurement sensor is associated is input by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of incorporating information identifying the manufacturer of the measurement sensor into the address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the address includes the steps of:

accessing a preset ID of the measurement device; and

generating the address by combining the preset ID with the information identifying the wheel to which the measurement sensor is associated.

7. A method for communicating with a plurality devices for collecting information related to a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a request to solicit identifications of the devices;

receiving signals sent by each of the plurality of devices in response to the request, wherein the signals include an address identifying the device sending the signals and information describing the device sending the signals;

decoding the information describing the device sending the signals; and

processing the signals based on the information describing the device sending the signals,

wherein the address includes information identifying an alignment system to which the device sending the address is associated.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of decoding the information identifying the alignment system to which the device sending the address is associated.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of associating the address with the information identifying the alignment system to which the device sending the address is associated.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

decoding the address from the signals received from the device;

accessing information that identifies a wheel to which the device sending the decoded address is associated based on the decoded address;

accessing information that identifies an alignment system to which the device sending the decoded address is associated based on the decoded address; and

calculating positional parameters of the wheel to which the device sending the decoded address is associated based on the received signals.

11. A method for communicating with a plurality devices for collecting information related to a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a request to solicit identifications of the devices;

receiving signals sent by each of the plurality of devices in response to the request, wherein the signals include an address identifying the device sending the signals and information describing the device sending the signals;

decoding the information describing the device sending the signals; and

processing the signals based on the information describing the device sending the signals, the method further comprising steps of;

decoding the address from the signals received from the device;

accessing information that identifies a wheel to which the device sending the decoded address is associated based on the decoded address; and

calculating positional parameters of the wheel to which the device sending the decoded address is associated based on the received signals.

12. A method for communicating with a plurality devices for collecting information related to a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a request to solicit identifications of the devices;

receiving signals sent by each of the plurality of devices in response to the request, wherein the signals include an address identifying the device sending the signals and information describing the device sending the signals;

decoding the information describing the device sending the signals;

processing the signals based on the information describing the device sending the signals; and

creating an address associated with the device for obtaining parameters for various parts of a vehicle, wherein creating an address comprises the steps of;

receiving information input by a user identifying a part of the vehicle to which the device is associated;

accessing the information identifying the part of the vehicle to which the device is associated; and

creating an address unique to the device by incorporating the information identifying the part of the vehicle to which the device is associated into the address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting signals embedding the address unique to the device in response to a request soliciting identification of the device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

accessing information identifying a vehicle service system to which the device is associated; and

incorporating the information identifying the vehicle service system to which the device is associated into the address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information identifying the vehicle service system to which the device is associated is input by a user.