System and Method for Extending Communication Range and Reducing Power Consumption of Vehicle Diagnostic Equipment

• US 20120046824A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruther, Timothy G., Krzystofczyk, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for transmitting obtained vehicle diagnostic data to a separate display device. The method includes a first vehicle diagnostic device obtaining vehicle diagnostic data via a vehicle interface to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, determining whether a direct wireless connection with one or more display devices is available, and determining whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available via a second separate vehicle diagnostic device. Responsive to a further determination, the vehicle diagnostic device may transmit the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device. The further determination may be based on one or more of wireless connectivity status, power level status, transmission power requirements, or other facts or determinations.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic device for diagnosing a vehicle under test, comprising:

a processor;

data storage;

a vehicle interface configured to interface with the vehicle under test and obtain diagnostic data; and

a wireless communications interface configured to transmit the obtained diagnostic data to one or more display devices;

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available;

determine whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available via a second separate vehicle diagnostic device; and

responsive to a further determination, indirectly transmit the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second vehicle diagnostic device.

2. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the direct wireless connection;

and

wherein the further determination comprises a determination that direct wireless connectivity with the one or more display devices has been interrupted.

3. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to determining that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices has been restored, stop transmitting the obtained diagnostic data via the indirect wireless connection with the second separate vehicle diagnostic device and start transmitting the obtained diagnostic data via the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices.

4. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the further determination comprises a determination that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices is not available and a determination that an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is available.

5. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the further determination comprises a determination that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source.

6. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 5, wherein the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within a vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.

7. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the further determination comprises a determination that less transmission power is required to transmit indirectly to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit directly to the one or more display devices.

8. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 7, further comprising a local battery power source;

wherein the further determination further comprises a determination that an amount of power remaining in the local battery power source is less than an amount of power remaining in a second battery power source providing the second vehicle diagnostic device with operating power.

9. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether an indirect wireless connection is available comprises transmitting a packet to a broadcast address via the wireless communications interface, and responsive to the transmission, receiving a packet from the second vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the one or more display devices.

10. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle diagnostic device is one of a vehicle scanner and a data acquisition device (DAQ), and the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is the other of the vehicle scanner and the DAQ.

11. A method of transmitting vehicle diagnostic data comprising:

a first vehicle diagnostic device obtaining vehicle diagnostic data via a vehicle interface with a vehicle under test;

the first vehicle diagnostic device determining whether a direct wireless connection with one or more display devices is available;

the first vehicle diagnostic device determining whether an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices is available via a second separate vehicle diagnostic device; and

responsive to a further determination, the first vehicle diagnostic device indirectly transmitting the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the first vehicle diagnostic device transmitting the obtained diagnostic data to the one or more display devices via the direct wireless connection;

wherein the further determination comprises determining that direct wireless connectivity with the one or more display devices has been interrupted.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, responsive to determining that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices has been restored, the first vehicle diagnostic device stopping transmitting the obtained diagnostic data via the indirect wireless connection with the second separate vehicle diagnostic device and starting transmitting the obtained diagnostic data via the direct wireless connection to the one or more display devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the further determination comprises determining that the direct wireless connection with the one or more display devices is not available and determining that an indirect wireless connection with the one or more display devices via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is available.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the further determination comprises determining that the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is a vehicle scanner and the external power source is a vehicle battery contained within a vehicle under test to which the vehicle scanner is attached.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the further determination comprises determining that less transmission power is required to transmit indirectly to the second separate vehicle diagnostic device than to transmit directly to the one or more display devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the further determination further comprises determining that an amount of power remaining in a local battery power source is less than an amount of power remaining in a second battery power source providing the second vehicle diagnostic device with operating power.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether an indirect wireless connection is available comprises the first vehicle diagnostic device wirelessly transmitting a packet to a broadcast address, and responsive to the transmission, wirelessly receiving a packet from the second vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a wireless relay agent to the one or more display devices.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle diagnostic device is one of a vehicle scanner and a data acquisition device (DAQ), and the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is the other of the vehicle scanner and the DAQ.

21. A display device for communicating with vehicle diagnostic devices, comprising:

a display;

a processor;

data storage; and

a wireless communications interface configured to receive data and/or transmit commands with a plurality of vehicle diagnostic devices;

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a direct wireless connection with a first vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality is available;

determine whether an indirect wireless connection with the first vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality via a second separate vehicle diagnostic device in the plurality is available; and

responsive to a further determination, indirectly communicate with the first vehicle diagnostic device via the second vehicle diagnostic device.

22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the further determination comprises a determination that the second vehicle diagnostic device is operating off of an external power source.

23. The display device of claim 21, wherein the further determination comprises a determination that the direct wireless connection with the first vehicle diagnostic device is not available and a determination that the indirect wireless connection with the first vehicle diagnostic device via the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is available.

24. A vehicle diagnostic device for diagnosing a vehicle under test, comprising:

a processor;

data storage;

a vehicle interface configured to interface with the vehicle under test and obtain diagnostic data; and

a wireless communications interface configured to transceive information with a second vehicle diagnostic device and a display device;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive information from one of the second vehicle diagnostic device and the display device via the wireless communications interface using a first wireless protocol; and

responsive to receiving the information, forward the information to the other of the second vehicle diagnostic device and the display device via the wireless communications interface using a second wireless protocol.

25. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 24, wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

26. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 25, wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an IEEE 802.11 protocol and a Bluetooth protocol and the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the Bluetooth protocol.

27. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communications interface comprises a first transceiver for effecting communications using the first wireless protocol and a separate second transceiver for effecting communications using the second wireless protocol.

28. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a packet to a broadcast address via the wireless communications interface indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the display device.

29. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to receiving a broadcast packet from the second vehicle diagnostic device, transmit a unicast packet to the second vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the display device.

30. The vehicle diagnostic device of claim 24, wherein the vehicle diagnostic device is one of a vehicle scanner and a data acquisition device (DAQ), and the second separate vehicle diagnostic device is the other of the vehicle scanner and the DAQ.

31. A method of transmitting diagnostic communications comprising:

a first vehicle diagnostic device receiving a diagnostic communication, consisting of one or more communications selected from the group consisting of vehicle diagnostic information and vehicle diagnostic commands, from one of a second vehicle diagnostic device and a display device via a wireless communications interface using a first wireless protocol;

responsive to receiving the diagnostic communication, the first vehicle diagnostic device forwarding the diagnostic communication to the other of the second vehicle diagnostic device and the display device via the wireless communications interface using a second wireless protocol.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first wireless protocol is different from the second wireless protocol.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first wireless protocol is one of an IEEE 802.11 protocol and a Bluetooth protocol and the second wireless protocol is the other of the IEEE 802.11 protocol and the Bluetooth protocol.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising transmitting a packet to a broadcast address via the wireless communications interface indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the display device.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising the first vehicle diagnostic device, responsive to receiving a broadcast packet from the second vehicle diagnostic device, transmitting a unicast packet to the second vehicle diagnostic device indicating an ability to act as a relay agent to the display device.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic communication is a command instructing one of the display device and the second vehicle diagnostic device to execute a function in diagnosing a vehicle malfunction.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic communication is vehicle diagnostic data for use by the one of the display device and the second vehicle diagnostic device in diagnosing a vehicle malfunction.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the vehicle diagnostic data comprises image information illustrating how to operate the one of the display device and the second vehicle diagnostic device.