Vehicle diagnostic system and method

• US 9,911,251 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Fountain, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US14/970,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20160171802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• 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 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic system for a vehicle including an electronic control unit (ECU) and an associated diagnostic port includes a dongle, an imaging device, and a single wireless device. The dongle is configured to mate with the diagnostic port to enable the dongle to establish a wired communication link with the ECU. The imaging device is configured to generate imaging data. The single wireless device includes a display unit, an input unit, a memory storing program instructions, and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the program instructions to establish a wireless communication link with the ECU via the dongle, to receive diagnostic data from the ECU, to render the received diagnostic data on the display unit, to receive user input data from the input unit based on the rendered diagnostic data, and to transmit the user input data to the ECU.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic system for a vehicle including an electronic control unit (ECU) and an associated diagnostic port, the vehicle diagnostic system comprising:

a dongle configured to mate with the diagnostic port to enable the dongle to establish a wired communication link with the ECU;

an imaging device configured to generate imaging data; and

a single wireless device including a display unit, an input unit, a memory storing program instructions, and a processor configured to execute the program instructions

to establish a first wireless communication link with the ECU via the dongle,

to receive diagnostic data from the ECU,

to render the received diagnostic data on the display unit,

to receive user input data from the input unit based on the rendered diagnostic data,

to transmit the user input data to the ECU,

to send component test data to the ECU based on the user input data, the component test data configured to cause the ECU to conduct a test of at least one vehicle component associated with the rendered diagnostic data, such that the at least one vehicle component undergoes a test sequence,

to establish a second wireless communication link with the imaging device,

to receive the imaging data from the imaging device of the at least one vehicle component undergoing the test sequence, and

to render the received imaging data on the display unit.

2. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein:

the memory stores on-board diagnostic (OBD) software, and

the processor is configured to execute the OBD software

to determine if the received diagnostic data includes diagnostic trouble code data, and

to render the diagnostic trouble code data on the display unit as at least one diagnostic trouble code.

3. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program instructions and the OBD software

to receive user selection data from the input unit identifying a selected rendered diagnostic trouble code, and

to render troubleshooting data associated with the selected rendered diagnostic trouble code on the display unit,

the troubleshooting data includes at least troubleshooting instructions to be performed on the vehicle based on the selected rendered diagnostic trouble code.

4. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 3, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program instructions and the OBD software to send the component test data to the ECU.

5. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the program instructions

to receive test result data associated with the at least one vehicle component undergoing the test sequence from the ECU, and

to render the received test result data on the display unit.

6. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is configured as a cellular phone.

7. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor establishes the first wireless communication link with the ECU by establishing a further wireless communication link with a transceiver of the dongle.

8. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor establishes the second wireless communication link with the imaging device by establishing a further wireless communication link with a transceiver of the imaging device.

9. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device includes:

a housing;

a processor located within the housing;

a flexible optic tube having a first end connected to the housing and a second opposite end spaced apart from the housing;

an imaging sensor located at the second opposite end of the flexible optic tube and electrically connected to the processor, the imaging sensor configured to generate the imaging data; and

a light source located at the second opposite end of the flexible optic tube and electrically connected to the processor,

wherein the imaging sensor and the light source are movable relative to the housing.

10. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9, wherein:

the imaging device further includes a transceiver, and

the processor establishes the second wireless communication link with the imaging device by establishing a further wireless communication link with the transceiver of the imaging device.

11. A method of operating a vehicle diagnostic system for a vehicle including an electronic control unit (ECU) and an associated diagnostic port, the method comprising:

mating a dongle of the vehicle diagnostic system with the diagnostic port to establish a wired communication link between the ECU and the dongle;

establishing a first wireless communication link with the ECU via the dongle using a wireless device of the vehicle diagnostic system;

receiving diagnostic data from the ECU with the wireless device;

rendering the received diagnostic data on a display unit of the wireless device;

receiving user input data with an input unit of the wireless device, the user input data based on the rendered diagnostic data;

transmitting the user input data to the ECU;

initiating a test of at least one vehicle component from the wireless device by transmitting component test data to the ECU from the wireless device, the at least one vehicle component associated with the rendered diagnostic data;

conducting a test sequence of at least one vehicle component based on the sent component test data using the ECU;

establishing a second wireless communication link with an imaging device of the vehicle diagnostic system using the wireless device;

generating imaging data with the imaging device of the at least one vehicle component associated with the rendered diagnostic data during the conducted test sequence;

receiving the imaging data from the imaging device with the wireless device; and

rendering the received imaging data on the display unit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

executing on-board diagnostic (OBD) software stored in a memory of the wireless device to determine if the received diagnostic data includes diagnostic trouble code data; and

rendering the diagnostic trouble code data on the display unit as at least one diagnostic trouble code.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving user selection data identifying a selected rendered diagnostic trouble code with the input unit; and

rendering troubleshooting data associated with the selected rendered diagnostic trouble code on the display, the troubleshooting data including at least troubleshooting instructions to be performed on the vehicle based on the selected rendered diagnostic trouble code.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using the wireless device as a cellular phone.