Car Wash With Integrated Vehicle Diagnostics

• US 20170186247A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Thorley, Simon, Wittliff, III, William W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,339,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• 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 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/20 for washing or drying articles, e.g. clothes, motor cars

Abstract

A car wash with integrated diagnostic functions is provided that includes the ability to wash and dry a connected vehicle and perform various diagnostic functions. The various diagnostic functions such as tread depth measurement, measuring tire pressures, performing safety inspection, emissions testing and performing vehicle diagnostics and the like may be performed while the connected vehicle is at the car wash. The results of the diagnostic tests may be provided to the driver at the end of the car wash via the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device.

Claims

1. A car wash, comprising:

a wash bay configured to wash and dry a connected vehicle;

a diagnostic bay configured to perform various diagnostic functions including tire depth measurement and retrieving a set diagnostic trouble code from a connected vehicle'"'"'s electronic control unit; and

a control configured to receive the tire depth measurement and the set diagnostic trouble code, the control diagnoses the connected vehicle based on the received tire depth measurement and the set diagnostic trouble code, wherein a diagnosis is sent to a driver'"'"'s wireless computing device, and wherein instructions to a driver to turn on a light of the connected vehicle as part of a safety inspection is displayed on a display of the car wash.

2. The car wash of claim 1 further comprising a wireless battery tester that conducts a battery test when connected to a vehicle'"'"'s battery and sends the results wirelessly to the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device or the control.

3. The car wash of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic bay is also configured to perform the battery test via the wireless battery tester that is connected to a vehicle'"'"'s battery.

4. The car wash of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic bay is positioned before the wash bay so that the wash does not interfere with the diagnostic functions of the diagnostic bay.

5. The car wash of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic functions include the safety inspection.

7. The car wash of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic functions include an emission inspection.

8. The car wash of claim 7, wherein the emission inspection includes retrieving a set emissions related diagnostic trouble code.

9. The car wash of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic bay is positioned after the wash bay so that the wash does not interfere with the diagnostic functions of the diagnostic bay.

10. The car wash of claim 7, wherein the diagnostic functions also include interrogation of a tire sensor on the connected vehicle via a tire integrator system.

6. (canceled)

11. A method of washing and performing a diagnostic test on a connected vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving the connected vehicle within a car wash;

retrieving, via a connected vehicle'"'"'s wireless computer system, a set diagnostic trouble code;

receiving the set diagnostic trouble code at a control of the car wash;

determining a diagnosis of the connected vehicle by the control based on the retrieved set diagnostic trouble code;

controlling a car wash functionality with the control of the car wash to not allow a wash function to start before measuring a tread depth of a tire;

determining the tread depth of the tire of the connected vehicle via a tire tread determination system;

receiving the determined tread depth of the tire by the control;

determining if the determined tread depth of the tire indicates that the tire needs an alignment;

sending the diagnosis of the connected vehicle and an indication if the tire needs to be aligned to a driver'"'"'s wireless computing device;

displaying on the display of the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device the indicator and the diagnosis; and

washing the connected vehicle after the sending the diagnosis.

12. A car wash, comprising:

a wash bay configured to wash, dry and wax a connected vehicle;

a diagnostic bay configured to perform various diagnostic functions including tire pressure interrogation to activate a tire sensor on a wheel of the connected vehicle, and emission testing by retrieving a set emission related diagnostic trouble code from a connected vehicle'"'"'s electronic control unit; and

a control configured to receive a tire pressure from the activated tire sensor and the set emissions related diagnostic trouble code, the control determines if the connected vehicle will pass or fail an emission test for a state based on the set emission related diagnostic trouble code, wherein a pass or fail determination is sent to a driver'"'"'s wireless computing device, and wherein instructions to a driver to turn on a light of the connected vehicle as part of a partial safety inspection is displayed on a display of the car wash.

13. The car wash of claim 12 further comprising a wireless battery tester that conducts a battery test when connected to a vehicle'"'"'s battery and sends results wirelessly to the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device or the control.

14. The car wash of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic bay is also configured to perform the battery test via the wireless battery tester when connected to a vehicle'"'"'s battery.

15. The car wash of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic bay is positioned before the wash bay so that the wash does not interfere with the diagnostic functions of the diagnostic bay.

16. The car wash of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic functions include a safety inspection.

18. The car wash of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic bay is positioned after the wash bay so that the wash does not interfere with the diagnostic functions of the diagnostic bay.

19. The car wash of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic functions also include tire depth measurement via a tire tread determination system.

20. The car wash of claim 12, wherein a contact information for the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device is provided when a mobile pay system on the driver'"'"'s wireless computing device is used to pay for a car wash.

17. (canceled)