System and method for automated vehicle selection and automated fix detection

• US 9,213,332 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Service Solutions US LLC
• Original Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Fish, James, Lipscomb, Edward, Keane, Dennis, Gray, Kevin, Krishnegowda, Madhusudhan Mavanoor, Hamilton, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US13/606,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.6, 701/31.4, 701/33.4, 43/61, 714/38.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system and method for automating the selection of vehicle identifying information for a diagnostic tool and for searching multiple databases of fix information and providing such information to a user.

Claims

1. A system for providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an input configured to receive data associated with said vehicle; and

one or more microprocessors configured to execute;

an automatic identification process that reads a vehicle identification number from said vehicle using global OBDII mode 9 functionality and if an incorrect controller is installed on said vehicle, the automatic identification process will notify a user of an improper identification and allows the user to override the automatic identification process and manually enter vehicle identification information;

an auto-fix trigger module comprising computer executable instructions stored on a memory of the system that process said data received from the input and instructs a search of repair assets;

an auto-fix asset module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory that search an on-tool database, and if a tool is connected to a network, also on an off-tool database, to retrieve repair assets corresponding to said data associated with said vehicle, said repair assets comprising at least one repair action;

an auto-fix observer module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory that notify the user of the retrieved repair assets via a blinking light when the user is absent from the tool, the absence of the user determined by an absence of input to the tool; and

an auto-fix detector module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory that display a user interface including selectable repair assets that are provided to the user, wherein

the auto-fix asset module further comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory to conduct a further search on the on-tool database, and if the tool is connected to the network, also on the off-tool database, automatically and without human interaction, to retrieve other repair assets in response to new data received from the input following performance of the at least one repair action on the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the vehicle includes vehicle identification data that is read by the system from the vehicle via a link to an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool is connected to the network, and the data associated with the vehicle includes vehicle identification data that is obtained by the system from the off-tool database based upon data input to the system by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes diagnostic trouble codes read by the system via a link to an on-board diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool is connected to the network, and the auto-fix asset module conducts an additional search in the off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through the user interface.

6. A method of providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving data associated with said vehicle at an input of a diagnostic tool;

identifying, using an automatic identification process, said vehicle by reading a vehicle identification number from said vehicle using global OBDII mode 9 functionality and if an incorrect controller is installed on said vehicle, notifying a user of an improper identification and allowing the user to override the automatic identification process and manually enter vehicle identification information;

receiving, from an auto-fix trigger module comprising computer executable instructions stored on a memory of the system that process said data received from the input, instruction for a search of repair assets;

searching, using an auto-fix asset module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory, an on-tool database, and if the diagnostic tool is connected to a network, also on an off-tool database, to retrieve repair assets corresponding to said data associated with said vehicle, said repair assets comprising at least one repair action;

triggering, using an auto-fix observer module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory, an alert regarding existence of the retrieved repair assets via a blinking light when the user is absent from the tool, the absence of the user determined by an absence of input to the tool;

receiving, using an auto-fix detector module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory, a selected repair action from among the retrieved repair assets provided to the user on a user interface; and

performing, using the auto-fix asset module comprising computer executable instructions stored on the memory, a further search on the on-tool database, and if the tool is connected to the network, also on the off-tool database, automatically and without human interaction, to retrieve other repair assets in response to new data received from the input following performance of the selected repair action on the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of linking the input to the vehicle via an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle to receive data associated with said vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, and further comprising the step of obtaining vehicle identification data from the off-tool database.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of receiving a diagnostic trouble code via a link to an on-board diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, and further comprising the step of performing, using auto-fix asset module, an additional search of the off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through the user interface.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, and further comprising the step of displaying, using an auto-fix detector module, the other repair assets retrieved by the search of the off-tool database in response to the new data.

12. A system for providing automated fix detection for a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for receiving data associated with said vehicle at an input of a diagnostic tool;

means for identifying, using an automatic identification process said vehicle by reading a vehicle identification number from said vehicle using global OBDII mode 9 functionality and if an incorrect controller is installed on said vehicle, notifying a user of the improper identification and allowing the user to override the automatic identification process and manually enter vehicle identification information;

means for processing said data received from the input and instructing a search of repair assets;

means for searching on an on-tool database, and if the diagnostic tool is connected to a network, also on an off-tool database, to retrieve repair assets corresponding to said data associated with said vehicle, said repair assets comprising at least one repair action;

means for notifying a user of the retrieved repair assets via a blinking light when the user is absent from the tool, the absence of the user determined by an absence of input to the tool; and

means for selecting repair assets that are provided to the user on a user interface, wherein

the means for searching further searching on the on-tool database, and if the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, also on the off-tool database, automatically and without human interaction, to retrieve other repair assets in response to new data received from the input following performance of the at least one repair action on the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for linking the microprocessor to the vehicle via an on board diagnostic connector on the vehicle to receive vehicle identification data.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, and further comprising means for obtaining vehicle identification data from the off-tool database.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a diagnostic trouble code via a link to an on-board diagnostic connector on the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic tool is connected to the network, and further comprising means for performing an additional search of the off-tool database for repair assets in response to data input through the user interface.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for displaying the retrieved repair assets.