Vehicle diagnostic tool with packet and voice over packet communications and systems incorporating such a tool

• US 8,793,049 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Brozovich, Roy Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US12/820,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/29.1, 701/29.3, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/31.8, 701/33.2, 701/34.3, 455/411
• US Class Current: 701/33.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• 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

In an exemplary vehicle service facility that provides vehicle related sales, maintenance services or the like, a diagnostic tool has wireless packet data communication capabilities. To support voice communication, the tool also has one or more audible input/output transducers and a vocoder, and is configured to use VoIP technology or the like to enable wireless packet data transport of voice calls over the same wireless data links. The packet voice capability can support voice communications with technicians using other tools at the facility or with personnel in an office at the service facility. If the facility has a data link to a wide area packet network, like the Internet, the packet voice capability may also support voice communications with other parties having packet service. Examples are technicians at other locations or various personnel of technical support services for the tools or for different types of vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic and communication system for a vehicle service facility, comprising:

a data communication network configured for installation within the vehicle service facility;

a wireless access point coupled to the data communication network configured for installation within the vehicle service facility; and

first and second vehicle diagnostic tools for use in the vehicle service facility, wherein each of the first and second vehicle diagnostic tools comprises;

(a) an interface configured to obtain diagnostic data from a vehicle in the vehicle service facility;

(b) at least one audio transducer configured for audible input and output;

(c) a vocoder configured to encode audio signals coming from the at least one audio transducer and to decode received encoded audio signals for the at least one audio transducer;

(d) a wireless packet data transceiver, configured for wireless packet data communication, with the wireless access point, of data relating to operation of the interface and two-way wireless packet data communication of the encoded audio signals;

(e) a processor configured to control operations of the vehicle diagnostic tool including communications via the wireless packet data transceiver;

(f) a memory;

(g) programming stored in the memory for execution by the processor,

wherein the programming includes;

at least one vehicle diagnostic application to configure the processor to control operation of the interface to obtain diagnostic data from the vehicle and to cause the processor to perform diagnostic functions of the respective vehicle diagnostic tool including data processing on the data obtained from the interface to help identify a vehicle problem or to propose a remedial action and to control the communication of data relating to at least one of the diagnostic functions via the wireless packet data transceiver; and

a voice communication application to configure the processor to control the vocoder and the wireless packet data transceiver for wireless packet data communication of the encoded audio signals, for two-way voice communication for a user of the respective vehicle diagnostic tool; and

(h) a housing separate from the vehicle, enclosing the interface, processor, memory, at least one audio transducer, vocoder and wireless packet data transceiver, for configuring the respective tool for operation in the vehicle service facility in accord with the at least one vehicle diagnostic application and the voice communication application,

wherein each of the first and second vehicle diagnostic tools is configured to enable communication with other vehicle diagnostic tools used in the vehicle service facility over the data communication network of the vehicle service facility, so as to enable a user of one vehicle diagnostic tool to communicate with a user of another vehicle diagnostic tool in the vehicle service facility.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice communication application configures the respective tool to support two-way voice communication for the user of the respective vehicle diagnostic tool with the user of the other vehicle diagnostic tool via the data communication network.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one access server coupled to the data communication network of said system, for providing a two-way packet data communication link with a wide area data communication network for voice communication for each vehicle diagnostic tool via the wide area data communication network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to enable handheld operation of the respective tool for operation in accord with the at least one vehicle diagnostic application and the voice communication application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a diagnostic instrument.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the diagnostic instrument comprises at least one instrument selected from the group consisting of:

an interface configured to receive image data from an image sensor;

a data interface configured for scanner communication with one or more on-board controllers in the vehicle;

a gas analyzer;

a digital volt-ohm meter; and

a laboratory oscilloscope.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle diagnostic tool further comprises a display and at least one user data input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle diagnostic tool further comprises an audio filter associated with the at least one audio transducer and the vocoder configured for the filtering of the audible input or the audible output.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer for use by office personnel within the vehicle service facility, the computer having a packet data communication interface coupled to the data communication network, and an audible input/output mechanism,

wherein the computer is configured to provide two-way communication of audio information to and from the audible input/output mechanism over the data communication network, and

wherein each of the first and second vehicle diagnostic tools is configured to enable two-way voice communication with the computer over the data communication network of the vehicle service facility, so as to enable a user of the first or second vehicle diagnostic tool to communicate with a user of the computer in the vehicle service facility.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second vehicle diagnostic tools are configured to enable peer-to-peer communication between each other.