US6405111B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for distributed computer automotive service equipment
Assignee: Snap On Inc
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Filing: 1997-10-31
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Granted: 2002-06-11
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Expires: 2017-10-31
Abstract
Abstract A computerized automotive service equipment system is adapted to access remotely located computer systems to retrieve or exchange data and/or software applications, or to undergo live or real-time and two-way interaction. The system and its components are dynamic with respect to both function and data, and can be easily updated or otherwise altered. The system of the present invention utilizes World Wide Web technology, which enables the use of universal and widely compatible programming tools and techniques for efficient and fast system development.
Inventors
- 👤 Steven W Rogers
- 👤 George M. Gill
- 👤 Jean de Belleuille
- 👤 Michael J. Kling, III
- 👤 Michael L. Baird
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 01:51
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C5/00; G07C5/008; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/12; H04L67/34; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; B; B60; B60R; B60R16/00; B60R16/02; B60R16/03; B60R16/0315; G01; G01B; G01B2210/00; G01B2210/10; G01B2210/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
An automotive service equipment system for use in conducting a diagnostic analysis of vehicle components, comprising: at least one measurement device; a data input controller having access to a first software; at least one networked controller coupled to the data input controller over a data transmission network; and an output device coupled to the data input controller; wherein the measurement device is operatively coupled to the data input controller and configured to provide signals to the data input controller representative of a vehicle diagnostic state; wherein the at least one networked controller has a memory for storing a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting the diagnostic analysis of vehicle components; the second software comprising a vehicle diagnostic specification; wherein the data input controller is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data transmission network the software object; and converting the signals representative of a vehicle diagnostic state, based on the vehicle diagnostic specification, to an output signal at the output device indicative of the vehicle diagnostic state.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
184 words
An automotive service equipment system for use in conducting a diagnostic analysis of vehicle components, comprising: at least one measurement device; a data input controller having access to a first software; at least one networked controller coupled to the data input controller over a data transmission network; and an output device coupled to the data input controller; wherein the measurement device is operatively coupled to the data input controller and configured to provide signals to the data input controller representative of a vehicle diagnostic state; wherein the at least one networked controller has a memory for storing a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting the diagnostic analysis of vehicle components; the second software comprising a vehicle diagnostic specification; wherein the data input controller is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data transmission network the software object; and converting the signals representative of a vehicle diagnostic state, based on the vehicle diagnostic specification, to an output signal at the output device indicative of the vehicle diagnostic state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the signals employ ISO 8879 syntax.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data transmission network employs hypertext transmission protocol (http).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one networked controller is configured for processing measurement data derived at least in part from the signals and transmitting the processes measurement data to the data input controller over the data transmission network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further stores one or more objects representative of one or more from the set of: vehicle owner information, a diagnostic computational routine, an automotive service operator instruction, and customer account information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a visual display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the visual display comprises a CRT.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises an audio output device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the audio output device comprises a voice audio output device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the automotive service equipment comprises a computerized wheel alignment system, the at least one measurement device comprises at least one wheel alignment sensor, the signals comprise signals representative of wheel alignment angles, and the output indicative of the vehicle diagnostic state comprises an output indicative of the difference between measured wheel alignment angles and a wheel alignment angle specification.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
64 words
The system of claim 10 wherein the data input controller and the at least one network controller communicate over the data transmission network using DCOM technologies, and wherein the output indicative of the difference between measured wheel alignment angles and a wheel alignment angle specification comprises a real-time DCOM display showing the difference between measured wheel alignment angles and a wheel alignment angle specification.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 11 wherein the DCOM technologies comprise ActiveX technologies.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system of claim 1 wherein one of the following types of automotive service equipment comprises the data input controller: engine analyzer, wheel alignment system, brake tester, suspension analyzer, wheel balancer; and one of the following types of automotive service equipment comprises the at least one networked controller: engine analyzer, wheel alignment system, brake tester, suspension analyzer, wheel balancer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the type of automotive service equipment which comprises the data input controller is different from the type of automotive service equipment that comprises the at least one networked controller.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data input controller comprises a browser and the at least one network controller comprises a server.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data input controller and the at least one network controller communicate over the data transmission network using DCOM technologies.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 16 , wherein the DCOM technologies comprise ActiveX technologies.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the output device comprises a display, the data input controller comprises a Java Virtual Machine, the at least one network controller is configured to transmit Java applets to the data input controller over the data transmission network, and the data input controller is configured to utilize the Java Virtual Machine for displaying on the output device the Java applets.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the Java applets comprise operator instructional information.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data input controller comprises a thin client and the at least one network controller comprises a server.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 wherein both the data input controller and the at least one network controller are located at the same vehicle servicing site.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 21 wherein the data transmission network comprises a local area network (LAN).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the data input controller is located at a vehicle servicing site and the at least one network controller is located remote from that vehicle servicing site.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising a second networked controller coupled to the at least one networked controller and the data input controller over the data transmission network, the second networked controller adapted to access the same software object in the memory of the at least one networked controller at substantially the same time as the data input controller.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the second networked controller comprises an item of automotive service equipment.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the second networked controller comprises a customer accounting database.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
178 words
A computerized wheel alignment system comprising a plurality of alignment angle sensors adapted to be mounted on vehicle wheels to sense wheel alignment angles, a computer coupled to the plurality of sensors and adapted to receive therefrom signals indicative of wheel alignment angles, a display coupled to the computer and adapted to display the respective wheel alignment angles, the improvement comprising: a connection to a data network; the computer having access to a first software and coupled to the connection to the data network for receiving information from at least one networked controller; wherein the computer is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data network a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting a wheel alignment procedure; the second software comprising a wheel alignment specification stored in the at least one networked controller; and converting the signals indicative of wheel alignment angles, based on the wheel alignment specification, to an output signal at the display indicative of the wheel alignment state.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
178 words
A computerized wheel alignment system comprising a plurality of alignment angle sensors adapted to be mounted on vehicle wheels to sense wheel alignment angles, a computer coupled to the plurality of sensors and adapted to receive therefrom signals indicative of wheel alignment angles, a display coupled to the computer and adapted to display the respective wheel alignment angles, the improvement comprising: a connection to a data network; the computer having access to a first software and coupled to the connection to the data network for receiving information from at least one networked controller; wherein the computer is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data network a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting a wheel alignment procedure; the second software comprising a wheel alignment specification stored in the at least one networked controller; and converting the signals indicative of wheel alignment angles, based on the wheel alignment specification, to an output signal at the display indicative of the wheel alignment state.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the information comprises help files.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 28 wherein the information employs the HTML file format.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the web browser comprises an ActiveX control.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
178 words
An automotive service equipment system for use in conducting a diagnostic analysis of vehicle components, comprising: at least one measurement device; a data input controller having access to a first software; at least one networked controller coupled to the data input controller over a data transmission network; and an output device coupled to the data input controller; wherein the measurement device is operatively coupled to the data input controller and configured to provide signals to the data input controller representative of a vehicle diagnostic state; wherein the at least one networked controller has a memory for storing a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting the diagnostic analysis of vehicle components; wherein the data input controller is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data transmission network the software object; and converting the signals representative of a vehicle diagnostic state, based on information contained in the software object, to an output signal at the output device indicative of the vehicle diagnostic state.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
178 words
An automotive service equipment system for use in conducting a diagnostic analysis of vehicle components, comprising: at least one measurement device; a data input controller having access to a first software; at least one networked controller coupled to the data input controller over a data transmission network; and an output device coupled to the data input controller; wherein the measurement device is operatively coupled to the data input controller and configured to provide signals to the data input controller representative of a vehicle diagnostic state; wherein the at least one networked controller has a memory for storing a software object representative of a second software necessary for conducting the diagnostic analysis of vehicle components; wherein the data input controller is configured for: executing the first software; accessing, in response to a request generated by executing the first software, over the data transmission network the software object; and converting the signals representative of a vehicle diagnostic state, based on information contained in the software object, to an output signal at the output device indicative of the vehicle diagnostic state.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the at least one network controller is further configured for calculating a usage fee based on the number of times the software object being accessed by the data input controller.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the at least one network controller is further configured for calculating a usage fee based on the duration the software object being accessed by the data input controller.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-06-10 | 2005-12-10 | 2006-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-06-10 | 2009-12-10 | 2010-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-06-10 | 2013-12-10 | 2014-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |