Wireless network and methodology for automotive service systems

• US 8,452,484 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Rogers, Steven W., Gill, George M., Moran, Robert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou, Ari M
• Application Number:
  US13/281,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.5, 701/34.3
• US Class Current: 701/31.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2755 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/10 Wheel alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/16 Active or passive device attached to the chassis of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a wireless communications network using a standard communications link between a master controller and at least one slave device. In one example, a list of available slave devices for the network is generated, valid slave devices are determined from the list of available slave devices based on an identification protocol of the standard communications link, and the at least one slave device is selected from the valid slave devices. A network identification is established between the master controller and the at least one slave device, and the network identification is used to establish a network comprising only the master controller and the at least one slave device.

Claims

1. A vehicle service system comprising a main processor, a master controller and at least one slave device;

wherein the master controller has a wireless module for wirelessly communicating with the at least one slave device;

wherein the at least one slave device is for gathering vehicle sensor data and transmitting the data to the master controller via the wireless module;

wherein the master controller includes a processor configured to pre-process vehicle data gathered by the at least one slave device; and

wherein the main processor and the master controller are in communication with each other via a standard communications link, and the processor of the master controller sends the processed data to the main processor for further processing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor data comprises data from a vehicle internal sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor data comprises data from an external tire pressure sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor data comprises data from a ride height sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor data comprises data from a steering wheel angle sensor.

6. A vehicle service system comprising a master controller and at least one slave device;

wherein the master controller has a wireless module for wirelessly communicating with the at least one slave device;

wherein the at least one slave device is for gathering vehicle service data and transmitting the data to the master controller via the wireless module; and

wherein the master controller includes a processor configured to pre-process the vehicle service data gathered by the at least one slave device and serve the processed data using a standard communications link.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured as a web server to serve the processed data as a web page to a browser based client.

8. A vehicle service system comprising a main processor, a master controller and at least one slave device;

wherein the master controller has a wireless module for wirelessly communicating with the at least one slave device;

wherein the at least one slave device is for gathering vehicle data and transmitting the data to the master controller via the wireless module;

wherein the master controller includes a processor configured to pre-process vehicle data gathered by the at least one slave device; and

wherein the main processor and the master controller are in communication with each other using a standard communications link, and the processor of the master controller sends the processed data to the main processor for further processing and to a second networked service system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second networked service system comprises a shop management system.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second networked service system comprises a second alignment system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the second networked service system comprises a collision repair system.