METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND ENGINE CONTROLS USING A SELF-SERVICE ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS KIOSK

• US 20070083306A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applus Technologies Incorporated (Applus Services SA)
• Original Assignee: Applus Technologies Incorporated (Applus Services SA)
• Inventors: Comeau, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• 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

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for testing vehicle emissions and engine control components using a self-service on-board diagnostics (OBD) kiosk, a stand-alone kiosk includes a computing device capable of gathering VIN information and OBD information from a vehicle using a VIN reader and OBD reader. The kiosk generates a readable display or printed report for the kiosk operator indicating any detected diagnostic trouble codes found during the OBD test. By networking a plurality of kiosks together in a secure network and accessible to the Internet, an OBD kiosk network maintains a centrally located vehicle interface database for storing and retrieving pertinent vehicle-related information during OBD testing.

Claims

1. A self-service on-board diagnostics (OBD) kiosk testing vehicle emissions and engine controls comprising:

a computer system including;

processing means; and

data storage means;

wherein the computer system is responsive to at least one of a touch screen monitor, a manual input device and a payment information collector to obtain at least one of credit card information and personal information of a user;

wherein the computer system is responsive to a vehicle information number (VIN) reader to capture the VIN information of a vehicle;

wherein the computer system is responsive to an OBD reader to capture OBD data of a vehicle; and

wherein the computer system generates a test report based on at least one of the capture vehicle information number and OBD data, and displays the results of the test report using at least one of the touch screen monitor and a printer.

2. A method of testing vehicle emissions and engine controls using a self-service on-board diagnostics (OBD) kiosk, the method comprising:

capturing and verifying user information;

capturing vehicle information number (VIN) information of a vehicle;

comparing the capture VIN information to a data file to determine if the VIN is on file;

if the VIN is on file, retrieving vehicle-related information from the data file;

if the VIN is not on file, decoding the vehicle'"'"'s VIN, generating vehicle-related information and storing the vehicle-related information in the data file;

displaying the vehicle-related information;

capturing OBD-related information stored on the vehicle'"'"'s OBD system;

processing the OBD-related information and generating test results based on the OBD-related information;

displaying the test results; and

storing the test results in a vehicle interface database.