Patent ID: 7627406
Filing Date: 2009-12-01
Classification: G01M

Abstract:
1. A method of performing vehicle diagnostics, comprising: sending diagnostic information from an electronic module of a vehicle to a vehicle communication device located in the vehicle, wherein the sending step further comprises sending the diagnostic information over a vehicle communication network that interconnects the vehicle communication device with a plurality of other electronic modules; sending the diagnostic information from the vehicle communication device to a portable communication device, wherein a short-range wireless chip in the vehicle communication device communicates the information from the vehicle communication device to the portable communication device via a short-range wireless connection; storing the received diagnostic information in a memory in the portable communication device to form a recent-history vehicle database, wherein the storing step further comprises storing the received diagnostic information alone with previously-received diagnostic information such that the recent-history vehicle database includes both the received diagnostic information and the previously-received diagnostic information; performing a diagnostic analysis based on the recent-history vehicle database; and sending the received diagnostic information from the portable communication device to an external memory to form an historic vehicle database.