Handheld automotive diagnostic tool with VIN decoder and communication system
First Claim
1. A method of receiving a vehicle having an onboard computer, the onboard computer configured to establish a communication link with a diagnostic device in response to receipt of a first signal transmitted in a first protocol, the onboard computer further being operative to communicate diagnostic information in response to receipt of a second signal in a second protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. optically scanning vehicle identification data located on the vehicle;
b. accessing a second protocol database, the second protocol database having a plurality of second protocols, each second protocol being associated with respective vehicle identification data;
c. matching the scanned vehicle identification data with the second protocol database, to identify a specific second protocol associated with the scanned vehicle identification data and useful for retrieving desired diagnostic data from the vehicle;
d. connecting a diagnostic device to the onboard computer;
e. polling the onboard computer to identify the first protocol;
f. configuring the diagnostic device to establish a communication link with the onboard computer using the first protocol; and
g. configuring the diagnostic device to communicate an information request to the onboard computer in the second protocol;
h. receiving diagnostic data associated with the second protocol at the diagnostic device, via the onboard computer;
i. transmitting the diagnostic data from the diagnostic device to a cellphone via a local connectivity network; and
j. transmitting the diagnostic data from a cellphone to a main server via a cellular telephone network, the main server having a diagnostic database being arranged to map the vehicle diagnostic data to a possible vehicle fix(es).
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is a method of receiving data from a vehicle having an onboard computer. The vehicle identification data location on the vehicle is optically scanned and matched to a second protocol database to identify the specific protocol useful for retrieving desired diagnostic data from the vehicle. A diagnostic device is connected to the vehicle onboard computer and polls the onboard computer to identify a protocol useful to establish a communication link between the diagnostic device and the onboard computer. Once the communication link is established, the diagnostic device is configured communicate an information request to the onboard computer in the specific protocol(s) associated with vehicle identification data. The diagnostic data received from the onboard computer may then be communicated to a remote diagnostic database, via a cellphone, to identify a possible vehicle fix(es) for defects associated with the received diagnostic data.
154 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method of receiving a vehicle having an onboard computer, the onboard computer configured to establish a communication link with a diagnostic device in response to receipt of a first signal transmitted in a first protocol, the onboard computer further being operative to communicate diagnostic information in response to receipt of a second signal in a second protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a. optically scanning vehicle identification data located on the vehicle; b. accessing a second protocol database, the second protocol database having a plurality of second protocols, each second protocol being associated with respective vehicle identification data; c. matching the scanned vehicle identification data with the second protocol database, to identify a specific second protocol associated with the scanned vehicle identification data and useful for retrieving desired diagnostic data from the vehicle; d. connecting a diagnostic device to the onboard computer; e. polling the onboard computer to identify the first protocol; f. configuring the diagnostic device to establish a communication link with the onboard computer using the first protocol; and g. configuring the diagnostic device to communicate an information request to the onboard computer in the second protocol; h. receiving diagnostic data associated with the second protocol at the diagnostic device, via the onboard computer; i. transmitting the diagnostic data from the diagnostic device to a cellphone via a local connectivity network; and j. transmitting the diagnostic data from a cellphone to a main server via a cellular telephone network, the main server having a diagnostic database being arranged to map the vehicle diagnostic data to a possible vehicle fix(es). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification