Snap-on Inc.

Patrick S Merg

Jacob G Foreman

Roy Steven Brozovich

Joshua C Covington

Brett A Kelley

Bradley R Lewis

Todd Mercer

David Costantino

Joseph R Grammatico

Steven E Miskovic

Kahlil H Cacabelos

Lester B Johnson

Joshua D Williamson

Thomas Southward

Mark Theriot

Oswaldo Neri

R Steven Brozovich

Ozzy Neri

Michel B Alberry

Tilak B Kasturi

John P McGraw

Michael S Knize

Robert Pilz

Thomas W Tipps

Steve Brozovich

Eric J Wade

Brendan J O'Mahony

Mark C Theriot

Brendan J O'mahony

Roy S Brozovich

Brendan J O'MAHONY

In an embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a computing device, (i) a user identifier, (ii) a vehicle identifier for a vehicle, and (iii) contextual information related to vehicle service content currently displayed on the computing device. Based on the contextual information, the method includes determining a vehicle scan tool function to perform on the vehicle. The method further includes identifying a vehicle scan tool associated with the user identifier. The method also includes causing a selectable vehicle scan tool initialization option to be displayed on the computing device. The method further includes receiving, from the computing device, a selection of the selectable vehicle scan tool initialization option. In response to receiving the selection, the method additionally providing instructions to initialize the vehicle scan tool to perform the vehicle scan tool function on the vehicle.

Automated vehicle scan tool initialization

An example method involves receiving, at a computing system, vehicle diagnostic information from a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostic information may include one or more sets of parameters corresponding to parameter identifiers (PIDs). The method further involves identifying a first set of parameters corresponding to a PID representing a state of a particular system of the vehicle and determining, using the first set of parameters, a current value of the PID. The method may also involve performing a comparison between the current value and a predetermined value for the PID and determining a health of the particular system of the vehicle such that the health reflects a difference between the current value and the predetermined value for the PID. The method may also involve displaying, by the computing system at a graphical interface, a vehicle health record representing the health of the particular system of the vehicle.

Vehicle health record

A method and system for generating and outputting a real-fix tip (RFT) augmented with a pointer to additional content. The additional content may be relevant to any of a complaint, vehicle, cause of complaint, how the cause for complaint was discovered, and service-operation performed on the vehicle to resolve the complaint. The RFT may include a complaint, cause, and correction, and may be stored within a database containing repair orders that include complaints, causes, and corrections regarding various vehicles. A processor may generate the RFT after determining a threshold number of RO with a common complaint, vehicle, cause, and correction. A processor may search the database for the RFT based on a complaint and vehicle, display a list of RFT located during the search, display an RFT selected from the list, obtain additional content pointed to by a pointer in the RFT, and output the additional content to a display.

Method and system for augmenting real-fix tips with additional content

Methods and system pertaining to performing a diagnostic flowchart are described. A method includes determining a first input indicative of a vehicle problem, and transmitting a request indicative of the problem to a server. The method includes receiving a diagnostic flowchart associated with the vehicle problem. Each diagnostic flowchart includes one or more path elements. Each path element is ordered within the diagnostic flowchart and performable. Each path element leads to one or more ordered decision elements. Each path element comprises one or more diagnostic steps. The method includes outputting a GUI including at least a portion of diagnostic flowchart, and determining a second input indicative of an instruction to perform a first path element of the diagnostic flowchart. The method further includes performing the first path element, determining first feedback data associated with performing the first path element, and outputting the first feedback data onto a display.

Method and system of performing diagnostic flowchart

In an embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a computing device, textual vehicle service content. The method further includes identifying, by the computing device, a vehicle scan tool function relevant to associated text at a location within the textual vehicle service content. The method additionally includes modifying, by the computing device, the textual vehicle service content to include a selectable link at the location of the associated text, wherein the selectable link is selectable to initialize a vehicle scan tool to perform the identified vehicle scan tool function on a vehicle. The method also includes providing, by the computing device, the modified textual vehicle service content including the selectable link.

Supplementing vehicle service content with scan tool initialization links

Disclosed are methods and devices related to diagnosing a device-under-service (DUS) are disclosed. DUS-related data is received. The DUS-related data is determined to be aggregated into aggregated data based on a determined classification of the DUS-related data. An aggregated-data comparison of the DUS-related data and aggregated data is generated. The aggregated-data comparison can include a statistical analysis of the DUS-related data and/or a differential analysis of DUS-related data taken while the DUS is operating in two or more operating states. A DUS report is generated based on the aggregated-data comparison. The DUS report can include one or more sub-strategies. At least one of the one or more sub-strategies can include a sub-strategy-success estimate. The DUS report can be sent and a DUS-report display can be generated based on the DUS report.

Diagnostic baselining

A method includes determining a test drive script (TDS) to perform while a tool monitors an electronic system in a mobile machine during a test drive of the mobile machine. The TDS includes an ordered sequence of drive cycle procedures (DCPs). The ordered sequence of DCPs begins with an initial DCP and ends with a final DCP. Each DCP is indicative of a respective mobile machine state. The TDS includes a first particular DCP associated with both a first particular mobile machine state and a first condition pertaining to the first particular mobile machine state. The method also includes outputting a representation of at least a portion of the TDS. Additionally, the method includes determining and outputting one or more of: status information corresponding to achieving the first particular mobile machine state or status information corresponding to achieving the first condition pertaining to the first particular mobile machine state.

Method and system for test driving mobile machine

Methods and apparatus are provided for repairing vehicles. A particular vehicle can be repaired during a repair session using a computing device. The repair session can include the computing device: receiving a functional task setup with first and second identifiers, the first identifier identifying the particular vehicle, and the second identifier identifying a particular functional task for the computing device to perform on the particular vehicle; determining whether the computing device is available to perform the particular functional task; after determining the computing device is available to perform the particular functional task, receiving an input to initiate performance of the particular functional task on the particular vehicle; after receiving the input, sending a message to the particular vehicle to initiate performance of the particular functional task on the particular vehicle; and after sending the message, displaying a notification indicative of performing the particular functional task.

Method and system for outputting diagnostic content based on capability of diagnostic device selected to receive content

An example method includes receiving a first service procedure including a plurality of procedural steps for servicing a vehicle, identifying at least one procedural step of the plurality of procedural steps to supplement with supplemental service information, receiving information about vehicles sharing one or more attributes with the vehicle, determining at least one piece of supplemental service information to supplement the at least one identified procedural step, and providing a supplemented service procedure comprising the first service procedure with the at least one piece of supplemental service information included with the at least one identified procedural step.

Systems and methods for predictive augmentation of vehicle service procedures

An example method includes determining identifying information for a vehicle to be serviced. The method further includes receiving at least one symptom identifier for the vehicle. The method further includes sending a request over a communication network to a remote server for a PID filter list for the vehicle, the request comprising the identifying information for the vehicle and the at least one symptom identifier for the vehicle. The method additionally includes receiving a response to the request over the communication network from the remote server, the response comprising the PID filter list for the vehicle. The method further includes determining, based on the PID filter list for the vehicle, a symptom-based subset of PIDs for the vehicle from a set of available PIDs. The method additionally includes displaying, on a display interface, the symptom-based subset of PIDs for the vehicle.

Method and system for displaying PIDs based on a PID filter list

A method performed by a first computing system includes receiving, from a second computing system, a message identifying a symptom of a first vehicle; and sending a repair tip to the second computing system. The repair tip includes a first phrase describing a first procedure performed on a second vehicle that exhibited the symptom, wherein the first procedure performed on the second vehicle yielded a result insufficient to determine that a component of the second vehicle associated with the symptom is defective. The repair tip also includes a second phrase describing a second procedure performed on a given vehicle, wherein the given vehicle is either (i) the second vehicle or (ii) a third vehicle that also exhibited the symptom, wherein the second procedure performed on the given vehicle yielded a result sufficient to determine that a component of the given vehicle associated with the symptom is defective.

Methods and systems for providing a vehicle repair tip

A client computing system (CCS) receives a download including (i) an image representative of at least one circuit in a vehicle, the at least one circuit including a first circuit configured for carrying a first signal within the vehicle, and (ii) symbol data associated with at least one symbol, the at least one symbol including a first symbol. After receiving the download, the CCS displays the image and the at least one symbol. The CCS then receives a first input corresponding to selection of the first symbol. The CCS then responsively receives, from the vehicle, data representing value(s) of the first signal. The CCS then determines a first display-location at which to display the data representing the value(s) of the first signal. While the image and the at least one symbol are displayed, the CCS then displays, at the first display-location, the data representing the value(s) of the first signal.

System and method for providing an interactive vehicle diagnostic display

A method includes receiving, at one or more processors, a content description and a matrix code. The content description includes data describing one or more computer-readable files. The matrix code is encoded with a link to the one or more files. The method includes the one or more processors determining a condition indicative of a first computing device being unable to display the file with at least a minimum quality level. The determination is based, at least in part, on the content description. The method includes the processor outputting the matrix code to a first display operatively coupled to the one or more processors. Outputting the matrix code occurs in response to determining the condition indicative of the first computing device being unable to display the one or more files with at least the minimum quality level. Furthermore, the method includes displaying, on the first display, the matrix code.

Method and system for using matrix code to display content

Methods and systems for using natural language processing and machine-learning algorithms to process vehicle-service data to generate metadata regarding the vehicle-service data are described herein. A processor can discover vehicle-service data that can be clustered together based on the vehicle-service data having common characteristics. The clustered vehicle-service data can be classified (e.g., categorized) into any one of a plurality of categories. One of the categories can be for clustered vehicle-service data that is tip-worthy (e.g., determined to include data worthy of generating vehicle-service content (e.g., a repair hint). Another category can track instances of vehicle-service data that are considered to be common to an instance of vehicle-service data classified into the tip-worthy category. The vehicle-service data can be collected from repair orders from a plurality of repair shops. The vehicle-service content generated by the systems can be provided to those or other repair shops.

Method and system for generating vehicle service content

In an embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a vehicle scan tool, a request for automated vehicle scan tool initialization, the request comprising a function identifier for a vehicle scan tool function and a vehicle identifier for a vehicle, where the vehicle scan tool is configured to display at least one navigable menu. The method additionally includes determining a current operating state of the vehicle scan tool. Based on the current operating state of the vehicle scan tool, the method further includes making a determination to initialize the vehicle scan tool according to the request for automated vehicle scan tool initialization. In response to making the determination, the method also includes using the function identifier and the vehicle identifier to initialize the vehicle scan tool to perform the vehicle scan tool function on the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Hollister, CA, United States of America

Patrick S Merg