Method and apparatus for an OnBoard diagnostic interface tool

• US 9,251,628 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ubik, Henry Thomas, Shelcusky, Darren Peter, Sankaran, Vijay, Coughlin, William Jude
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, ANA D
• Application Number:
  US14/021,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

An apparatus includes a processor and a plurality of on-board diagnostic (OBD) interfaces, in communication with the processor. The exemplary apparatus also includes a configurable housing, adapted to flexibly present an orientation of an OBD interface. The apparatus further includes persistent and non-persistent memory, in communication with the processor and a non-OBD I/O interface, in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to detect external device communication through a first OBD interface and function as a pass-through to a second OBD interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first and second on-board diagnostic (OBD) interface;

a processor, configured to detect external device communication through the first OBD interface and cause the apparatus to function as a pass-through to the second OBD interface;

a configurable housing, including a flexible portion adapted to flex to change an OBD interface-orientation;

persistent and non-persistent memory, in communication with the processor; and

a non-OBD I/O interface, in communication with the processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes a USB interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes an SD card slot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes an external modem.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the external modem is installed into an SD card slot.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes an internal modem.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes an RJ45 connector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive and interpret a signal from an external device providing the external communication, and to function as a pass-through upon request of the external device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to function as a pass-through whenever an external device is connected to the first OBD interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes a BLUETOOTH interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes a WiFi interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-OBD I/O interface includes a radio frequency (RF) interface.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting connection of an external device to a first OBD port provided to a dongle;

detecting connection of the dongle to a vehicle-OBD port through a second OBD port provided to the dongle;

evaluating, via a dongle-processor, whether pass-through capability is desired; and

providing pass-through capability between the external device and the vehicle-OBD port through the dongle when pass-through capability is desired.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the evaluating further comprises determining that pass-through capability is desired whenever the external device connection is detected.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the evaluating further comprises determining that pass-through capability is desired whenever the external device requests pass-through capability.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the evaluating further comprises determining that pass-through capability is desired whenever the external device is a diagnostic tool.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising engaging a sleep mode in the dongle-processor when pass-through capability is being provided.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising disengaging the sleep mode when the external device is removed from the first OBD port.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising disengaging the sleep mode when the external device requests termination of pass-through capability.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

detecting connection of an external device to a first OBD port provided to a dongle;

detecting connection of the dongle to a vehicle-OBD port through a second OBD port provided to the dongle;

evaluating, via a dongle-processor, whether pass-through capability is desired; and

providing pass-through capability between the external device and the vehicle-OBD port through the dongle when pass-through capability is desired.