Multi-Stage Diagnostic System and Method

摘要

A multi-stage diagnostic system and related method which seeks diagnostic information from a secondary information source when a first information source does not yield sufficient data for producing a diagnostic result. In particular, diagnostic process includes a first stage of communicating with an onboard vehicle computer to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes therefrom. If no diagnostic trouble codes are retrieved from the onboard computer, the diagnostic process proceeds to a second stage wherein symptomatic diagnostic information is solicited from the user. A series of symptomatic questions may be presented to the user on a smartphone. The answers from the symptomatic questions may be used to identify a most likely solution, which may be associated with a repair part(s). The corresponding repair part(s) may be identified by an associated universal part number(s) based on vehicle identification information associated with the vehicle needing repair.

主权项

1. A system for providing diagnostics for a vehicle having an onboard computer and vehicle identification information using a handheld communication device, the system comprising:
a scan tool disposable in operative communication with the onboard computer for retrieving vehicle data therefrom; a diagnostic database having most likely solutions matched with diagnostic data; a repair parts database in operative communication with the diagnostic database, the repair parts database having repair parts associated with most likely solutions, vehicle identification information, and universal part numbers; and a set of computer executable instructions downloadable onto the handheld communication device for configuring the handheld communication device to:
establish communication between the handheld communication device and the scan tool;display a symptomatic question sequence for the user when there the vehicle data does not include a preset condition;store symptomatic data received from the user; andcommunicate the symptomatic data to the diagnostic database; the diagnostic database being configured to identify a most likely solution based on symptomatic data received from the handheld communication device; the repair parts database being configured to identify a repair part(s) associated with an identified most likely solution and suitable for use on a vehicle identified by the vehicle identification information, the repair part(s) being identified by an associated universal part number(s).