Mobile device based vehicle diagnostic system
First Claim
1. A vehicular diagnostic system for use with a vehicle associated with vehicle identification information, the vehicular diagnostic system comprising:
- a) a hand transportable diagnostic device having;
1) a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from a vehicle diagnostic port located on the vehicle; and
2) a local wireless radio frequency (RF) communication circuit, in communication with the vehicle diagnostic port, for communicating vehicle diagnostic data between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local wireless RF communication network;
b) an intermediate, hand transportable wireless RF communication device in communication with the local wireless communication network for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from the diagnostic device, the intermediate wireless communication device being separate from the diagnostic device;
c) a diagnostic database in wireless RF communication with the intermediate wireless communication device, the diagnostic database being configured to automatically derive vehicle identification information from the diagnostic data, to automatically match the vehicle identification information and diagnostic data from the vehicle with a most likely diagnostic solution, and to automatically identify at least one repair part associated with the most likely solution, in response to receipt of the diagnostic data at the diagnostic database; and
d) a repair parts database in communication with the diagnostic database, the repair parts database having information associated with a plurality of repair parts, each repair part being associated with specific vehicle identification information and a specific universal part number, the repair parts database being configured to automatically identify the specific universal part number in response to receipt of the identified repair part(s) and the vehicle identification information at the repair parts database;
e) wherein the diagnostic device includes an autonomous data transfer circuit that automatically initiates communication of diagnostic data to the intermediate wireless communication device in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic data at the diagnostic device diagnostic port connector;
wherein the wireless communication device is operative to regulate communication of diagnostic data between the diagnostic device and the diagnostic database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular diagnostic communications system, and components thereof, are provided for an apparatus and technique for communicating vehicular diagnostic information over a cellphone network. The system includes a code reader having a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic information from the vehicle diagnostic port. The code reader also has a local connectivity network circuit for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local connectivity circuit. A cellphone is arranged in communication with the local connectivity network for communicating vehicle diagnostic information between the code reader and a cellular telephone network.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A vehicular diagnostic system for use with a vehicle associated with vehicle identification information, the vehicular diagnostic system comprising:
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a) a hand transportable diagnostic device having; 1) a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from a vehicle diagnostic port located on the vehicle; and 2) a local wireless radio frequency (RF) communication circuit, in communication with the vehicle diagnostic port, for communicating vehicle diagnostic data between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local wireless RF communication network; b) an intermediate, hand transportable wireless RF communication device in communication with the local wireless communication network for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from the diagnostic device, the intermediate wireless communication device being separate from the diagnostic device; c) a diagnostic database in wireless RF communication with the intermediate wireless communication device, the diagnostic database being configured to automatically derive vehicle identification information from the diagnostic data, to automatically match the vehicle identification information and diagnostic data from the vehicle with a most likely diagnostic solution, and to automatically identify at least one repair part associated with the most likely solution, in response to receipt of the diagnostic data at the diagnostic database; and d) a repair parts database in communication with the diagnostic database, the repair parts database having information associated with a plurality of repair parts, each repair part being associated with specific vehicle identification information and a specific universal part number, the repair parts database being configured to automatically identify the specific universal part number in response to receipt of the identified repair part(s) and the vehicle identification information at the repair parts database; e) wherein the diagnostic device includes an autonomous data transfer circuit that automatically initiates communication of diagnostic data to the intermediate wireless communication device in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic data at the diagnostic device diagnostic port connector; wherein the wireless communication device is operative to regulate communication of diagnostic data between the diagnostic device and the diagnostic database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of diagnosing a vehicle having vehicle identification information, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) retrieving vehicle diagnostic data from the vehicle using a hand transportable diagnostic device connected to a vehicle diagnostic port; b) initiating communication of vehicle diagnostic data to a remote diagnostic database in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic data by the diagnostic device; c) wirelessly communicating the vehicle diagnostic data by radio frequency (RF) transmission from the diagnostic device to a separate, intermediate hand transportable wireless RF communication device; d) wirelessly communicating the vehicle diagnostic date by RF transmission from the intermediate hand transportable wireless communication device to a remote diagnostic database; e) deriving vehicle identification information from the vehicle diagnostic data at the diagnostic database; f) analyzing the vehicle diagnostic data at the diagnostic database to match the diagnostic data from the vehicle with a most likely solution associated with at least one repair part; and g) analyzing the repair part at a repair parts database to identify a specific universal part number associated with the repair part, the repair parts database having information associated with a plurality of repair parts, each repair part being associated with specific vehicle identification information and a specific universal part number that the repair parts database identifies when the repair part and vehicle identification information are known; h) wherein the steps of e), f) and g) proceed automatically in response to receipt of the diagnostic data at the diagnostic data database. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A vehicular diagnostic system for use with a vehicle associated with vehicle identification information, the vehicular diagnostic system comprising:
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a) a hand transportable diagnostic device having; 1) a vehicle diagnostic port connector for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from a vehicle diagnostic port located on the vehicle; and 2) a local wireless radio frequency (RF) communication circuit, in communication with the vehicle diagnostic port, for communicating vehicle diagnostic data between the vehicle diagnostic port connector and a local wireless RF communication network; b) an intermediate, hand transportable wireless RF communication device in communication with the local wireless communication network for receiving vehicle diagnostic data from the diagnostic device, the intermediate wireless communication device being separate from the diagnostic device; c) a diagnostic database in wireless RF communication with the intermediate wireless communication device, the diagnostic database being configured to automatically derive vehicle identification information from the diagnostic data, to automatically match the vehicle identification information and diagnostic data from the vehicle with a most likely diagnostic solution, and to automatically identify at least one repair part associated with the most likely solution, in response to receipt of the diagnostic data at the diagnostic database; and d) a repair parts database in communication with the diagnostic database, the repair parts database having information associated with a plurality of repair parts, each repair part being associated with specific vehicle identification information and a specific universal part number, the repair parts database being configured to automatically identify the specific universal part number in response to receipt of the identified repair part(s) and the vehicle identification information at the repair parts database; e) wherein the diagnostic device includes an autonomous data transfer circuit that automatically initiates communication of diagnostic data to the intermediate wireless communication device in response to receipt of the vehicle diagnostic data at the diagnostic device diagnostic port connector. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification