System and method for accessing vehicle communication applications requiring vehicle identification without re-entering vehicle identification

• US 10,671,623 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S., Foreman, Jacob G., Covington, Joshua C., Brozovich, Roy Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US16/409,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20190266156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29, 701 296
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for repairing vehicles. A computing device having first and second software executables can determine vehicle identification information (VII) that identifies a vehicle. The computing device can store first and second vehicle identifiers that are based on the VII and are respectively associated with the first and second software executables, where the first vehicle identifier differs from the second vehicle identifier. The computing device can be used to repair the vehicle by at least: receiving a request to activate the first software executable, and activating the first software executable at least by providing the stored first vehicle identifier to the first software executable.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining vehicle identification information (VII) that identifies a vehicle to be serviced;

storing a first vehicle identifier associated with a first software executable and a second vehicle identifier associated with a second software executable, wherein each of the first vehicle identifier and the second vehicle identifier is based on the VII, and wherein the first vehicle identifier differs from the second vehicle identifier;

determining repair-related information about the vehicle by;

receiving a request to activate the first software executable,

after receiving the request to activate the first software executable, activating the first software executable at least by;

retrieving the first vehicle identifier that is associated with the first software executable, and

providing the retrieved first vehicle identifier to the first software executable as part of initiating execution of the first software executable;

after initiating execution of the first software executable, receiving a request to activate the second software executable;

after receiving the request to activate the second software executable, activating the second software executable at least by;

retrieving the second vehicle identifier that is associated with the second software executable, and

providing the retrieved second vehicle identifier to the second software executable as part of initiating execution of the second software executable;

determining the repair-related information about the vehicle based on execution of the first software executable and execution of the second software executable; and

generating a display based on the repair-related information about the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the VII that identifies the vehicle to be serviced comprises determining the VII that identifies the vehicle to be serviced using a computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to a server computing device, and wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable comprises:

providing a first query to the server computing device, the first query based on an identifier of the first software executable and the VII;

after providing the first query to the server computing device, receiving a first query response to the first query from the server computing device;

determining the first vehicle identifier based on the first query response; and

storing the first vehicle identifier at the computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device comprises an identifier database and is not communicatively coupled to a server computing device for determining vehicle identifiers, and wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable comprises:

providing a first query to the identifier database, the first query based on an identifier of the first software executable and the VII;

after providing the first query to the identifier database, receiving a first query response to the first query from the identifier database;

determining the first vehicle identifier based on the first query response; and

storing the first vehicle identifier.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable based on the VII comprises:

providing a first query based on the VII;

receiving a first query response to the first query;

determining the first vehicle identifier and the second vehicle identifier based on the first query response; and

storing the first vehicle identifier and the second vehicle identifier at the computing device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable based on the VII comprises:

providing a first query based on the VII and an identifier of the first software executable;

after providing the first query, receiving a first query response to the first query;

determining the first vehicle identifier based on the first query response;

storing the first vehicle identifier at the computing device;

providing a second query based on the VII and an identifier of the second software executable, wherein the second query differs from the first query;

after providing the second query, receiving a second query response to the second query;

determining the second vehicle identifier based on the second query response; and

storing the second vehicle identifier at the computing device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device is connected to the vehicle, and wherein determining the VII comprises:

sending a request for the VII from the computing device to the vehicle; and

receiving the VII at the computing device from the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first software executable and the second software executable resides on the computing device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device is connected to the vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises:

after activating the second software executable, sending a request for second repair-related information to the vehicle;

receiving the second repair-related information from the vehicle; and

generating a second display of the computing device based on the second repair-related information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the VII comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN) for the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software executable is configured for one or more functions of:

a vehicle scanning function, a vehicle testing function, and a repair-information retrieval function.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first software executable comprises activating the first software executable using an activation control of a page for activating the first software executable, the page comprising a plurality of activation controls for activating a plurality of software executables.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the repair-related information comprises data associated with one or more parameter identifiers (PIDs) and/or one or more diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the repair-related information comprises a particular DTC, and wherein generating the display based on the repair-related information about the vehicle comprises:

determining information about one or more tests and/or repairs related to the particular DTC; and

generating a display based on the information about one or more tests and/or repairs related to the particular DTC using a computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the information about one or more tests and/or repairs related to the particular DTC comprises:

sending a query including the particular DTC to a server computing device; and

receiving, from the server computing device, the information about one or more tests and/or repairs related to the particular DTC.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the information about one or more tests and/or repairs related to the particular DTC utilizing data stored on the computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first vehicle identifier or the second vehicle identifier, wherein generating the first vehicle identifier or the second vehicle identifier includes translating a vehicle identifier based on the VII from a first language or dialect to a second language or dialect.

18. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium configured to store at least executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

determining vehicle identification information (VII) that identifies a vehicle to be serviced;

storing a first vehicle identifier associated with a first software executable and a second vehicle identifier associated with a second software executable based on the VII, wherein the first vehicle identifier differs from the second vehicle identifier;

determining repair-related information about the vehicle by;

receiving a request to activate the first software executable,

after receiving the request to activate the first software executable, activating the first software executable at least by;

retrieving the first vehicle identifier that is associated with the first software executable, and

providing the retrieved first vehicle identifier to the first software executable as part of initiating execution of the first software executable;

after initiating execution of the first software executable, receiving a request to activate the second software executable;

after receiving the request to activate the second software executable, activating the second software executable at least by;

retrieving the second vehicle identifier that is associated with the second software executable, and

providing the retrieved second vehicle identifier to the second software executable as part of initiating execution of the second software executable;

determining the repair-related information about the vehicle based on execution of the first software executable and execution of the second software executable; and

generating a display based on the repair-related information about the vehicle.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to a server computing device, and wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable comprises:

providing a first query to the server computing device, the first query based on an identifier of the first software executable and the VII;

after providing the first query to the server computing device, receiving a first query response to the first query from the server computing device;

determining the first vehicle identifier based on the first query response; and

storing the first vehicle identifier at the computing device.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the computing device comprises an identifier database and is not communicatively coupled to a server computing device for determining vehicle identifiers, and wherein storing the first vehicle identifier associated with the first software executable and the second vehicle identifier associated with the second software executable comprises:

providing a first query to the identifier database, the first query based on the identifier of the first software executable and the VII;

after providing the first query to the identifier database, receiving a first query response to the first query from the identifier database;

determining the first vehicle identifier based on the first query response; and

storing the first vehicle identifier.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store at least executable instructions, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining vehicle identification information (VII) that identifies a vehicle to be serviced;

storing a first vehicle identifier associated with a first software executable and a second vehicle identifier associated with a second software executable based on the VII, wherein the first vehicle identifier differs from the second vehicle identifier;

determining repair-related information about the vehicle by;

receiving a request to activate the first software executable,

after receiving the request to activate the first software executable, activating the first software executable at least by;

retrieving the first vehicle identifier that is associated with the first software executable, and

providing the retrieved first vehicle identifier to the first software executable as part of initiating execution of the first software executable;

after initiating execution of the first software executable, receiving a request to activate the second software executable;

after receiving the request to activate the second software executable, activating the second software executable at least by;

retrieving the second vehicle identifier that is associated with the second software executable, and

providing the retrieved second vehicle identifier to the second software executable as part of initiating execution of the second software executable;

determining the repair-related information about the vehicle based on execution of the first software executable and execution of the second software executable; and

generating a display based on the repair-related information about the vehicle.