System and method for extending communication range and reducing power consumption of vehicle diagnostic equipment

• US 8,560,168 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruther, Timothy G., Krzystofczyk, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US12/859,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/33.2, 701/34.3, 701/29.1, 370/338
• US Class Current: 701/34.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for transmitting obtained vehicle diagnostic data to a separate display device. The method includes a first vehicle diagnostic device obtaining vehicle diagnostic data via a vehicle interface to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, determining whether a direct wireless connection with one or more display devices is available, and determining whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available via a second separate vehicle diagnostic device. Responsive to a further determination, the vehicle diagnostic device may transmit the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device. The further determination may be based on one or more of wireless connectivity status, power level status, transmission power requirements, or other facts or determinations.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic device for diagnosing a vehicle under test, comprising:

a processor;

data storage;

a vehicle interface configured to interface with the vehicle under test and obtain diagnostic data; and

a wireless communications interface configured to transmit the obtained diagnostic data to one or more display devices;

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available;

determine whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available using at least a direct wireless connection with a second separate vehicle diagnostic device; and

determine that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source;

determine whether less transmission power is required to transmit to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit directly to the one or more display devices; and

responsive to the processor determining that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off an external power source and that less transmission power is required, indirectly transmit a first portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device.

2. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a second portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices after the processor determines that direct wireless connectivity with the one or more display devices has been interrupted and then restored.

3. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to determining that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices has been restored, stop the indirect transmission of the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data and start transmission of the second portion of the obtained diagnostic data via the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices.

4. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within a vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.

5. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available comprises transmitting a packet to a broadcast address via the wireless communications interface, and responsive to the transmission, receiving a packet from the second separate vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the one or more display devices.

6. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle diagnostic device is one of a vehicle scanner and a data acquisition device (DAQ), and the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is the other of the vehicle scanner and the DAQ.

7. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1,

wherein the indirect transmission of the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device includes transmission of the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data from the vehicle diagnostic device to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device using a first wireless protocol and then transmission of the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data from the second separate vehicle diagnostic device to the one or more display devices using a second wireless protocol, and

wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

8. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 7,

wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 and an IEEE 802.15protocol, and

wherein the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the IEEE 802.15protocol.

9. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 8, wherein the IEEE 802.15 protocol is an IEEE 802.15.1 protocol.

10. A method of transmitting vehicle diagnostic data comprising:

obtaining, by a first vehicle diagnostic device, vehicle diagnostic data via a vehicle interface with a vehicle under test;

determining, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, whether a direct wireless connection with one or more display devices is available;

determining, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available using at least a direct wireless connection with a second separate vehicle diagnostic device;

determining, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source;

determining, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, whether less transmission power is required to transmit to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit to the one or more display devices; and

responsive to the first diagnostic device determining that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off an external power source and that less transmission power is required, indirectly transmitting, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, a first portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising;

transmitting, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, a second portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices after the first vehicle diagnostic device determines that direct wireless connectivity with the one or more display devices has been interrupted and then restored.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, responsive to determining that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices has been restored, the first vehicle diagnostic device stopping transmission of the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data and starting transmission of the second portion of the obtained diagnostic data via the direct wireless connection to the one or more display devices.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within a vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available comprises the first vehicle diagnostic device wirelessly transmitting a packet to a broadcast address, and thereafter wirelessly receiving a packet from the second separate vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a wireless relay agent to the one or more display devices.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first vehicle diagnostic device is one of a vehicle scanner and a data acquisition device (DAQ), and the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is the other of the vehicle scanner and the DAQ.

16. The method of claim 10,

wherein indirectly transmitting, by the first vehicle diagnostic device, the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device includes transmitting the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data from the vehicle diagnostic device to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device using a first wireless protocol and then transmitting the first portion of the obtained diagnostic data from the second separate vehicle diagnostic device to the one or more display devices using a second wireless protocol, and

wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 and an IEEE 802.15protocol, and

wherein the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the IEEE 802.15protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the IEEE 802.15 protocol is an IEEE 802.15.1 protocol.

19. A display device for communicating with vehicle diagnostic devices, comprising:

a display;

a processor;

data storage; and

a wireless communications interface configured to receive data and/or transmit commands with a plurality of vehicle diagnostic devices;

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a direct wireless connection with a first vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality of vehicle diagnostic devices is available;

determine whether an indirect wireless connection with the first vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality of vehicle diagnostic devices is available using at least a direct wireless connection with a second separate vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality of vehicle diagnostic devices; and

determine that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source;

determine whether less transmission power is required to transmit to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit directly to the one or more display devices; and

responsive to the processor determining that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off an external power source and that less transmission power is required indirectly communicate with the first vehicle diagnostic device via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device.

20. The display device of claim 19,

wherein the indirect communication with the first vehicle diagnostic device via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device includes communication of a command from the display device to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device using a first wireless protocol and then communication of the command from the second separate vehicle diagnostic device to the first vehicle diagnostic device using a second wireless protocol, and

wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

21. The display device of claim 20,

wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 and an IEEE 802.15protocol, and

wherein the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the IEEE 802.15protocol.

22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.15 protocol is an IEEE 802.15.1 protocol.

23. The display device of claim 19, wherein the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within a vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.

24. A system comprising:

a display device including a first wireless communications interface and a display to visually present diagnostic data;

a first vehicle diagnostic device including a first processor, a vehicle interface configured to obtain diagnostic data from a vehicle under test, and a second wireless communications interface; and

a second vehicle diagnostic device including a second processor and a third wireless communications interface,

wherein the first processor is configured to determine whether an indirect wireless connection with the display device is available using at least a direct wireless connection with the second vehicle diagnostic device, determine that the second vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source, determine whether less transmission power is required to transmit to the second vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit directly to the display device, and responsive to the first processor determining that the second vehicle diagnostic device is operating off an external power source and that less transmission power is required, cause the second wireless communications interface to transmit a first portion of the diagnostic data, obtained by the vehicle interface, to the second vehicle diagnostic device,

wherein the third wireless communications interface is configured to receive the first portion of the diagnostic data, transmitted to the second vehicle diagnostic device by the second communications interface, and then transmit the first portion of the diagnostic data, received by the third wireless communications interface, to the display device,

wherein the first wireless communications interface is configured to receive the first portion of the diagnostic data transmitted by the second communications interface, and

wherein the display is configured to visually present the first portion of the diagnostic data received by the first wireless communications interface.

25. The system of claim 24,

wherein the first processor is configured to determine whether a direct wireless connection with the display device is available, and responsive to the first processor determining that the direct wireless connection is available, cause the first wireless communications interface to transmit a second portion of the diagnostic data, obtained by the vehicle interface, to the display device,

wherein the first wireless communications interface is configured to receive the second portion of the diagnostic data transmitted by the first communications interface, and

wherein the display is configured to visually present the second portion of the diagnostic data received by the first wireless communications interface.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the vehicle interface is further configured to connect to an on-board diagnostic port or diagnostic link connector of the vehicle under test.

27. The system of claim 24,

wherein the vehicle interface comprises an input lead configured to connect to an input signal acquisition point of the vehicle under test, and

wherein the input lead is selected from the group consisting of an alligator clip, a spring hook, a test probe, and a backprobe.

28. The system of claim 24,

wherein transmission of the diagnostic data by the second wireless communications interface to the second vehicle diagnostic device occurs using a first wireless protocol,

wherein transmission of the diagnostic data by the third wireless communications interface to the display device occurs using a second wireless protocol, and

wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

29. The system of claim 28,

wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 and an IEEE 802.15protocol, and

wherein the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the IEEE 802.15protocol.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the IEEE 802.15 protocol is an IEEE 802.15.1 protocol.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the second vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within the vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.