Vehicle diagnostic method and system with intelligent data collection

• US 7,739,007 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Logsdon, Matthew Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou; Ari M
• Application Number:
  US11/394,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Vehicle diagnostic devices and methods that detect the occurrence of a maintenance process performed on a vehicle, and responsive to the detected occurrence of the maintenance process, initiate a data collection process to collect data related to the performed maintenance process, and a data transmission process to provide the collected data to a remote data depository.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic method for using a vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the method including the steps of:

determining, by a data processor of the vehicle diagnostic device, an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of a maintenance process performed on a vehicle; and

responsive to the existence of the event;

automatically initiating, by the data processor, a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating, by the data processor, a data transmission process to transmit, by a transmitter of the vehicle diagnostic device, the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system via a data network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of soliciting input of the data related to the maintenance process from a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the maintenance process is performed in connection with a specific symptom; and

the collected data includes at least one of an effective fix of the symptom and a description of the symptom.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the soliciting step includes displaying, by a display of the vehicle diagnostic device, a message requesting an input of the data related to the maintenance process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the existence of the performance or completion of the maintenance process is determined based on the existence of a command to clear an error code, a change of a serial number associated with a controller on the vehicle, or a removal of an error code from an error code record.

6. A vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the device comprising:

a data processing unit configured to process data; and

a storage device storing instructions that, upon execution by the data processing unit, control the diagnostic device to perform the steps of;

determining an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of the maintenance process; and

responsive to the existence of the event;

automatically initiating a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating a data transmission process to transmit the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system coupled to the diagnostic device via a data network.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the data processing unit, control the diagnostic device to solicit input of the data related to the maintenance process from a user.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the maintenance process is performed in connection with a specific symptom; and

the collected data includes at least one of an effective fix of the symptom and a description of the symptom.

9. The device of claim 7 further including a screen configured to display a message requesting an input of the data related to the maintenance process.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the existence of the event representing a performance or completion of the maintenance process is determined based on the existence of a command to clear an error code, a change of a serial number associated with a controller on the vehicle, or a removal of an error code from an error code record.

11. The device of claim 6, wherein the device is non-integral to the vehicle and configured to couple to a data port of the vehicle to communicate with an on-board computer of the vehicle.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the data port is an OBD II interface.

13. The device of claim 6 further including a connector for coupling to a data bus of an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

14. The device of claim 6, wherein the data is transmitted in a wireless manner.

15. A vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the device comprising:

data processing means for processing data; and

storage means for storing instructions that, upon execution by the data processing means, controls the diagnostic device to perform the steps of;

determining an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of maintenance process; and

responsive to the existence of the event;

automatically initiating a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating a data transmission process to transmit the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system coupled to the diagnostic device via a data network.