Snap-on Technologies, Inc.

Snap-on Inc.

Richard H Shepherd

Dale A Trsar

Tyrone J Moritz

Mark H Petersen

Yosuf M Taraki

Brad R Lewis

Neil A Davis

Edward A Maron

Randall S Harbin

Mary Beth Siddons

David R Ellingen

Tyrone M Moritz

Neil Davis

An expert diagnostic service system using a distributed architecture for generating expert diagnostic suggestions based on input received from a plurality of diagnostic systems. The expert service system collects data related to effective diagnostic results, such as effective fixes, corresponding to various symptoms/faults from a plurality of diagnostic systems via a data transmission network, and accumulates the number of each effective fix corresponding to each of the various symptoms. The expert service system then assigns at least one effective fix to one of the various symptoms based on a result of the accumulating step, such as the rank of the accumulated number of each fix. The expert service system uses the assigned fix corresponding to a symptom as expert suggestions.

Distributed expert diagnostic service and system

A digital engine analyzer has an oscilloscope display screen operable in single-trace and dual-trace modes and in live and freeze modes, and having signal pickup leads for respectively acquiring different input signal waveforms from the engine and digitizing them for storage and display. When the freeze mode is entered, the last-displayed screen display format is frozen, and can then be reconfigured by the user by altering one or more of the number of traces, the signal plotted on each trace, the engine sweep of each trace, the scale and the scale offset for each trace and, in the case of a cylinder sweep, the displayed cylinder. In dual trace screen display formats, the user can also select for display on trace a waveform pattern selected from a stored library of patterns.

System for reconfiguring oscilloscope screen in freeze mode

A display control apparatus includes a display screen and a mouse and a processor coupled to the screen and mouse for displaying a mouse cursor and icons graphically representing switches, with each switch having assigned thereto a circular list of indicia respectively representing different switch options. If the mouse button is clicked on an icon the switch associated with the icon is activated and if the mouse button is held down while the cursor is on an activated icon the list of indicia assigned to the icon switch is scrolled through the icon while the cursor remains trapped in the icon. The display screen is incorporated in an engine analyzer which stores frames of digitized waveform data, the screen having a frame icon which indicates number in a decimal number, the number of the frame being displayed. When the cursor button is held down while the cursor is on the frame icon, vertical movements of the mouse will scroll the whole or integer part of the frame number through the icon window, i.e., the digits to the left of the decimal point will be scrolled, and when the mouse is moved horizontally, the numbers to the right of the decimal point will be scrolled to display portions of two consecutive frames, thereby effectively shifting on the screen the position of the beginning of the frame.

Mouse control for scrolling switch options through screen icon for the switch

An engine analyzer has an oscilloscope screen display operable with a fixed-time sweep. The analyzer includes a data acquisition system for digitizing analog input waveforms and a memory for storing the digitized waveform data, the analyzer including sensors for detecting each cylinder firing and the firing of the no. 1 cylinder for identification of the cylinders. A processor includes trigger means for controlling the triggering of the oscilloscope display at a trigger point which corresponds to the firing of a trigger cylinder which is selectable by the user, so that the displayed waveform data begins with the stored data for the selected trigger cylinder. The user can also selectively vary the location of the trigger point on the screen display.

Engine analyzer with cylinder triggering of oscilloscope display having

An engine analyzer having a dual-trace digital oscilloscope includes a memory for storing a library of digitized waveform patterns, the patterns being stored together with identifying data for each pattern and lists of groups of patterns respectively corresponding to different vehicles and/or engines. The analyzer includes a user interface for inputting identifying information relating to the vehicle under test, a waveform acquisition module and a central processor for cooperation with the memory and the oscilloscope for acquiring, digitizing and storing an analog input waveform from the vehicle engine and displaying it on a first trace of the scope in accordance with selected display parameters. The system automatically selects a stored list of patterns corresponding to the vehicle under test and then compares the items in that list one at a time with each of a sequence of search criteria, which criteria may include the particular input pickup lead from which the input waveform is acquired and the sweep selected for the display of that waveform, eliminating from the list any library pattern which fails to meet all the search criteria to produce a set of relevant library, patterns which can then be displayed selectively, one-at-time, on the second trace of the scope.

Engine analyzer with pattern library linked to vehicle ID and display

An engine analyzer having a dual-trace digital oscilloscope display provides a discrete waveform plot area for each trace and displays in each plot area a cursor array which may selectively include one or two vertical-line cursors which can be selectively moved one at a time horizontally along the plot area. The movements of the two cursor arrays can selectively be either synchronized or unsynchronized. The scope provides alphanumeric indications of the position of each cursor, the waveform value at the point where each cursor intersects the waveform. When two cursors are displayed on a trace the scope provides alphanumeric indications of the distance between the cursors and the difference between the waveform values at the points where the cursors intersect the waveform.

Independent cursor control in dual-trace engine analyzer scope

An engine analyzer having a dual-trace digital oscilloscope includes a memory for storing a library of digitized waveform patterns, the patterns being stored together with identifying data for each pattern and lists of groups of patterns respectively corresponding to different vehicles and/or engines. The analyzer includes a user interface for inputting identifying information relating to the vehicle under test, a waveform acquisition module and a central processor for cooperation with the memory and the oscilloscope for acquiring, digitizing and storing an analog input waveform from the vehicle engine and displaying it on a first trace of the scope in accordance with selected display parameters. The system automatically selects a stored list of patterns corresponding to the vehicle under test and then compares the items in that list one at a time with each of a sequence of search criteria, which criteria may include the particular input pickup lead from which the input waveform is acquired and the sweep selected for the display of that waveform, eliminating from the list any library pattern which fails to meet all the search criteria to produce a set of relevant library patterns which can then be displayed selectively, one-at-time, on the second trace of the scope.

An engine analyzer with a digital oscilloscope display includes a processor for controlling the acquisition and display of a high-voltage secondary ignition signal waveform with the use of only a single high-voltage reactive pickup probe, the waveform being displayed with a fixed-time sweep and either auto or signal triggering. The system provides for user selection of the sweep and trigger modes.

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McHenry, IL, United States of America

Richard H Shepherd