Snap-on Technologies, Inc.

Snap-on Inc.

Jean De Bellefeuille

George Michael Gill

Steven W Rogers

Michael L Baird

Alan David Casby

John C Brennan

Gary L Sandusky

Mike Kling

Ju Zheng

Frederick J Rogers

Michael J Kling, Iii

Patrick Brendan O'Mahony

Patrick O'Mahoney

Steve W Rogers

Michael J Iii Kling

A method and system for conducting a vehicle service comprises the steps of receiving signals representative of vehicle parameters, accessing data and/or software necessary for performing the vehicle service from at least one remote computer over a data transmission network, and performing signal processing related to the vehicle service based on the signals representative of the vehicle parameters and the accessed data and/or software. Since the data and/or software necessary for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis is distributed in different systems that are connected via a data communication network, an automotive service system can minimize the size of software stored locally and can access most of the information and/or algorithm required for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis from a remote system.

Distributed vehicle service method and system

An improved computerized automotive service equipment system has a number of novel features. The system causes the initiation of a servicing routine upon the detection of particular stimuli from the sensors. The novel system also places instructional output on the output device simultaneously with an output representative of a vehicle diagnostic state. Object oriented programming techniques are utilized to allow an automotive servicing application to be easily and conveniently updated. The automotive service equipment system is constructed so that replacement of the sensor hardware only requires the replacement of a single software object or collection of objects instead of the rewriting of the entire application. In the novel system, the operator/technician can program the sequence in which the automotive service routine will proceed. The system has other novel features as well.

Computerized automotive service system

The present invention is directed to computerized vehicle servicing and diagnostic systems that communicate with or access remotely located computers via the Internet that have pre-stored data or utilize pre-store data and parameters. The present system provides a navigational framework with two modules, the Menu Mode (random) and the Wizard Mode (sequential). The Menu Mode provides direct access to any required process and Wizard Mode provides a flexible control of process sequences and allows for user modification.

A method of calibrating a parameter entry device for a vehicle wheel balancer utilizes a parameter entry device having an elongated rod slideably and rotatably mounted to the balancer in parallel with the rotatable wheel-mounting shaft. A transverse arm having a known length and a wheel contacting tip is connected to the rod. A rotary encoder is coupled to the rod so that when the tip is positioned for measuring wheel components the encoder measures angular displacement. Angular measurements of two known radial positions are used for determining the relative angles between each angle and the rest position of the arm to establish a reference. Using the established reference, measurements for determining radius and diameter of various wheel components can be made.

Method of calibrating a wheel balancer parameter entry device

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Brunswick, ME, United States of America

Jean De Bellefeuille