System and method for using vehicle attributes to identify a vehicle under service

• US 8,095,256 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: McDonald, Stuart, Krzystofczyk, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/758,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 340/988, 340/989, 340991-993, 340/995.1, 340/902, 340/905, 340/426.3, 340/286.01, 340/10.1, 340/10.6, 342/457, 342/458, 342/463
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method directed to determining vehicle attributes associated with a vehicle under service so as to eliminate the need for a user of a vehicle service tool to enter the vehicle attributes or to reduce the quantity of vehicle attributes that the user has to enter in order for the vehicle service tool to identify the vehicle under service and, in turn, to retrieve vehicle reference data associated with the vehicle under service. The vehicle service tool may include vehicle service applications for servicing various systems and/or components of the vehicle under service. A vehicle service application selected by the user may function as a requester application that queries other applications and/or data storage for the vehicle attributes needed by the requester application to identify the vehicle under service.

Claims

1. A method, carried out via a vehicle service tool including computer-readable data storage, a user interface, and a requestor application that requests vehicle attributes, the method comprising:

receiving, from the requestor application, a first request for a first attribute of a given vehicle, wherein the first request for the first attribute of the given vehicle comprises (i) an indicator associated with the given vehicle, (ii) an indicator of the requestor application, and (iii) an indicator of the first vehicle attribute; and

performing a first search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute for both the requestor application and the given vehicle;

wherein, if a result of the first search indicates that the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute for both the requestor application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises providing, from the data storage to the requestor application, the first attribute of the given vehicle contained within the data storage as an attribute for both the requestor application and the given vehicle,

wherein, if the result of the first search indicates that the data storage does not contain the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute for both the requestor application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises performing a second search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute associated with both another application and the given vehicle, and

wherein, if a result of the second search indicates that the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute for both the other application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises providing, from the data storage to the requestor application, the first attribute of the given vehicle contained with the data storage as an attribute for both the other application and the given vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein, if the result of the second search indicates that the data storage does not contain the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the other application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises:

(i) displaying at the user interface a request for a user to enter the first vehicle attribute of the given vehicle, (ii) receiving from the user interface the first attribute of the given vehicle, and (iii) providing the first attribute of the given vehicle, received from the user interface, to the requestor application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising after performing the second search:

at the data storage, storing the first attribute of the given vehicle received from the user interface as the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle;

receiving from the requestor application a second request for the first attribute of the given vehicle, wherein the second request for the first attribute of the given vehicle comprises (i) the indicator associated with the given vehicle, (ii) the indicator of the requestor application, and (iii) the indicator of the first vehicle attribute;

performing a third search of the data storage, wherein the third search is carried out to determine whether the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle, and

providing to the requestor application from the data storage the stored first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a third search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle for any of at least one other application, wherein the third search is performed if the result of the second search indicates that the data storage does not contain the first attribute of the given vehicle for the other application and the given vehicle;

wherein if a result of the third search indicates that the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle for any of the at least one other application and the given vehicle, providing to the requestor application the first attribute of the given vehicle for one of the at least one other application and the other vehicle, and

wherein if the result of the third search indicates that the data storage does not contain the first attribute of the given vehicle for any of the at least one other application, the method further comprises;

(i) displaying at the user interface a request for a user to enter the first attribute of the given vehicle, (ii) receiving from the user interface the first attribute of the given vehicle, and (iii) providing the first attribute of the given vehicle, received from the user interface, to the requestor application.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the other application is defined as a master application, and

wherein each of the at least one other application is associated with at least one vehicle attribute.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the master application comprises a pre-selected peer application, and

wherein the master application remains the master application for all vehicles connected to the vehicle service tool.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein the master application comprises an application that first identifies the given vehicle, and

wherein another application that first identifies another vehicle becomes the master application for the other vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a third search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains any vehicle attributes from which the first attribute of the given vehicle may be derived, wherein the third search is performed if the result of the second search indicates that the data storage does not contain the first attribute of the given vehicle as an attribute for both the other application and the given vehicle;

wherein if a result of the third search indicates that the data storage contains a vehicle attribute from which the first attribute of the given vehicle may be derived, the method further comprises deriving the first attribute of the given vehicle and providing the derived first attribute of the given vehicle to the requestor application, and

wherein if the result of the third search indicates that the data storage does not contain any vehicle attributes from which the first attribute of the given vehicle may be derived, the method further comprises;

(i) displaying at the user interface a request for a user to enter the first attribute of the given vehicle, (ii) receiving from the user interface the first attribute of the given vehicle, and (iii) providing the first attribute of the given vehicle, received from the user interface, to the requestor application.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the vehicle attribute from which the first attribute of the given vehicle may be derived is a vehicle attribute selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a vehicle model year attribute, (ii) a vehicle make attribute, (iii) a vehicle model attribute, (iv) a vehicle engine-type attribute, (v) a vehicle transmission-type attribute, (vi) a vehicle system attribute, (vii) a vehicle manufacturer attribute, and (viii) a country of manufacture attribute, and

wherein the derived attribute of the given vehicle is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a vehicle model year attribute, (ii) a vehicle make attribute, (iii) a vehicle model attribute, (iv) a vehicle engine-type attribute, (v) a vehicle transmission-type attribute, (vi) a vehicle system attribute, (vii) a vehicle manufacturer attribute, and (viii) a country of manufacture attribute.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the data storage, storing the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the other application and the given vehicle as the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle;

receiving from the requestor application a second request for the first attribute of the given vehicle, wherein the second request for the first attribute of the given vehicle comprises (i) the indicator associated with the given vehicle, (ii) the indicator of the requestor application, and (iii) the indicator of the first attribute of the given vehicle;

performing a third search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle, and

providing to the requestor application from the data storage the stored first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using at least the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle or the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the other application and the given vehicle so as to identify the given vehicle;

receiving from the data storage vehicle reference data for the identified vehicle; and

displaying the vehicle reference data on a display device of the vehicle service tool.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the requestor application a request for a second attribute of the given vehicle; and

performing a third search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the second attribute of the given vehicle for the requestor application and the given vehicle;

wherein if a result of the third search indicates that the data storage contains the second attribute of the given vehicle for the requestor application and the given vehicle, the method further comprising providing the second attribute of the given vehicle for the requestor application and the given vehicle from the data storage to the requestor application,

wherein if the result of the third search indicates that the data storage does not contain the second attribute of the given vehicle for the requestor application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises performing a fourth search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the second attribute of the given vehicle for the other application and the given vehicle, and

wherein if a result of the fourth search indicates that the data storage contains the second attribute of the given vehicle for the other application and the given vehicle, the method further comprises providing the second attribute of the given vehicle for the other application and the given vehicle from the data storage to the requestor application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using to identify the given vehicle;

(i) the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle or the first attribute of the given vehicle for both the other application and the given vehicle, and (ii) the second attribute of the given vehicle for both the requestor application and the given vehicle or the second attribute of the given vehicle for both the other application and the given vehicle; and

receiving from the data storage vehicle reference data for the identified vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator associated with the given vehicle comprises a vehicle identification number of the given vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator associated with the given vehicle comprises a repair order indicator generated by a service facility at which the given vehicle is to be serviced.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the vehicle service tool to the given vehicle via an interface cable, wherein the given vehicle comprises a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a truck, a boat, a ship, a motorcycle, or an airplane.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the vehicle service tool interfacing to the given vehicle via an air interface so that the vehicle service tool can communicate wirelessly with the given vehicle, wherein the given vehicle comprises a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a truck, a boat, a ship, a motorcycle, or an airplane.

18. A vehicle service tool comprising:

a user interface;

a processor; and

data storage containing;

(i) a computer-readable requestor application, (ii) a computer-readable interceptor application, and (iii) a computer-readable common vehicle descriptor (CVD) application,

wherein the requestor application, the interceptor application, and the CVD application are executable by the processor,

wherein the requestor application provides to the interceptor application a first request for a vehicle attribute, and receives from the interceptor application the requested vehicle attribute,

wherein the interceptor application (i) receives from the requestor application the first request for the vehicle attribute and responsively provides the CVD application with a second request for the vehicle attribute, and (ii) receives from the CVD application (a) a non-match indicator, or (b) a match indicator and the requested vehicle attribute,

wherein in response to receiving the non-match indicator, the interceptor application provides to the user interface a third request for the vehicle attribute, receives the requested vehicle attribute from the user interface, and provides the requested vehicle attribute to the requestor application,

wherein in response to receiving the match indicator, the interceptor application provides the requested vehicle attribute received from the CVD application to the requestor application, and

wherein the CVD application;

(i) searches the data storage to determine whether the data storage contains the requested vehicle attribute, and (ii) provides to the interceptor application the non-match indicator if the data storage does not contain the requested vehicle attribute or provides to the interceptor application the match indicator and the requested vehicle attribute if the data storage contains the requested vehicle attribute.

19. The vehicle service tool of claim 18,

wherein the interceptor application further provides the CVD application with the requested vehicle attribute received from the user interface, and

wherein the CVD application causes the data storage to store the vehicle attribute received from the user interface as a vehicle attribute for the requestor application.

20. A vehicle service tool comprising:

a user interface;

a processor; and

data storage containing computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions comprise;

(i) a first set of program instructions arranged as a first application that requests a first vehicle attribute for use in identifying a vehicle,

(ii) a second set of program instructions arranged as second application associable with a vehicle attribute,

(iii) a third set of program instructions executable to cause the processor to perform a first search of the data storage so as to determine whether the data storage contains the first vehicle attribute for the first application, wherein the third set of program instructions are executed in response to the first application requesting the first vehicle attribute,

(iv) a fourth set of program instructions executable to cause the first vehicle attribute for the first application to be provided to the first application, wherein the fourth set of program instructions are executed if a result of the first search indicates the data storage contains the first vehicle attribute for the first application,

(v) a fifth set of program instructions executable to cause the processor to perform a second search of the data storage to determine whether the data storage contains the first vehicle attribute for the second application, wherein the fifth set of program instructions are executed if the result of the first search indicates the data storage does not contain the first vehicle attribute for the first application, and

(vi) a sixth set of program instruction executable to cause the first vehicle attribute for the second application to be provided to the first application, wherein the sixth set of program instructions are executed if a result of the second search indicates the data storage contains the first vehicle attribute for the second application.

21. The vehicle service tool of claim 20,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions further comprise a seventh set of program instruction executable to cause the user interface to display a request for a user to enter the first vehicle attribute, and to provide first vehicle attribute entered via the user interface to the first application, and

wherein the seventh set of program instructions are executed if the result of the second search indicates the data storage does not contain the first vehicle attribute for the second application.

22. The vehicle service tool of claim 21,

wherein the data storage contains vehicle reference data associated with the vehicle,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions further comprise:

(i) an eighth set of program instructions executable to cause the processor to use the first vehicle attribute of the first application or the first vehicle attribute of the second application so as to identify the vehicle, and (ii) a ninth set of computer-readable program instructions executable to retrieve at least a portion of the vehicle reference data associated with the vehicle and to cause the user interface to display the retrieved vehicle reference data.

23. The vehicle service tool of claim 20,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions further comprise a seventh set of program instructions that cause the first vehicle attribute for the second application to be stored in the data storage as the first vehicle attribute for the first application.