Workshop system with a plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices networked by data links for vehicles

• US 8,401,731 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Mueller, Stefan, Torlo, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/371,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/29.1, 701/29.3, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.7, 701/33.2, 701/33.7, 701/33.8, 701/33.9, 701/34.3
• US Class Current: 701/31.4
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm

Abstract

A workshop system, with a plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices, which are networked by means of data links and are intended for vehicles is provided. In order to enhance the reliability of workshop systems of the prior art, a warning indicating the occurrence of an event, which requires that a workshop employee intervene at a moment'"'"'s notice at a first diagnostic and/or programming device of the networked devices is forwarded, as an alternative or in addition, to a second or an additional diagnostic and/or programming device to be communicated to the workshop employee.

Claims

1. A workshop system comprising:

a plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices networked by data links,

wherein the plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices are programmed to generate a warning indicating the occurrence of an event which requires that a workshop employee intervene at a first diagnostic and/or programming device of the plurality of networked devices, at least the first diagnostic and/or programming device being programmed to autonomously forward the warning to a second diagnostic and/or programming device of the plurality of networked devices for communication to the workshop employee.

2. The workshop system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is the undershooting of a power supply voltage of the first diagnostic and/or programming device.

3. The workshop system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is an undershooting of a power supply voltage of a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle that is being tested and/or programmed by the first diagnostic and/or programming device.

4. The workshop system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event is the undershooting of a programming voltage of at least one control unit of a vehicle that is being tested and/or programmed by the first diagnostic and/or programming device.

5. The workshop system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the first diagnostic and/or programming device is programmed to output the warning to all of the plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices when the warning concerns an event having a high urgency for workshop employee intervention.

6. The workshop system as claimed claim 1, wherein at least the first diagnostic and/or programming device is programmed to present the warning initially only to the first diagnostic and/or programming device when the warning concerns an event having an urgency for workshop employee intervention which is lower than a first predetermined level of urgency, and then after a predetermined period of time if an intervention has not occurred, to forward the warning to one or more of the other of the plurality of devices.

7. The workshop system, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the number of the plurality of devices to which the warning is sent increases as time progresses if there has been no intervention.

8. The workshop system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workshop employee is a first workshop employee, the workshop system is programmed to forward the warning to the diagnostic an/or programming device wherein the workshop employee was last working or is currently working.

9. The workshop system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the workshop system the workshop system is programmed to forward the warning to the diagnostic and/or programming device associated with a second workshop employee.

10. The workshop system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the warning is not forwarded to the diagnostic and/or programming device associated with the second workshop employee until a predetermined period of time has passed without an intervention by the first workshop employee or the event has an urgency which is higher than a second predetermined level of urgency.

11. The workshop system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second predetermined level of urgency is a level of urgency associated with an expectation that in the absence of short-term intervention, vehicle or component damage is likely to result.