Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic system comprising:a trigger data storage system configured to store:the identity of diagnostic data from a vehicle that is to be monitored for a trigger characteristic;the trigger characteristic; andthe identity of diagnostic data from a vehicle that is to be recorded in response to detection of the trigger characteristic in the diagnostic data that is to be monitored;a diagnostic data storage system configured to store diagnostic data from the vehicle; anda processing system configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to:receive from a user of the vehicle diagnostic system:a selection of diagnostic data that is to be monitored for a trigger characteristic from among both digital and analog diagnostic data types;the trigger characteristic; anda selection of diagnostic data that is to be recorded in response to detection of the trigger characteristic from among both the digital and analog diagnostic data types;store the selections and the trigger characteristic in the trigger data storage system;read the selections and the trigger characteristic from the trigger data storage system;receive both analog and digital diagnostic data from the vehicle, including the selection of diagnostic data that is to be monitored and the selection of diagnostic data that is to be recorded;monitor the received diagnostic data that was selected to be monitored to determine whether the received diagnostic data meets the user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecord the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded in the diagnostic data storage system in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 2. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to cause user-selected digital diagnostic data to be recorded in response to user-selected analog diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 3. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to cause user-selected analog diagnostic data to be recorded in response to user-selected digital diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 4. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 3 wherein the processing system is further configured to cause user-selected digital diagnostic data to be recorded in response to user-selected analog diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 5. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein:the trigger data storage system is configured to store:an identification of diagnostic data to be monitored of both the digital and analog type;a trigger characteristic of both analog and digital diagnostic data; andan identification of diagnostic data to be recorded of both the digital and analog type; andthe diagnostic data storage system is configured to store diagnostic data of both the analog and digital type. 6. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein:the trigger data storage system is further configured to store a commencement time for recording the diagnostic data that is to be recorded relative to when a determination has been made that the trigger characteristic has been met; andthe processing system is further configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to:receive a commencement time from the user for recording of the diagnostic data that is to be recorded relative to when a determination has been made that the trigger characteristic has been met;store the commencement time in the trigger data storage system;read the commencement time from the trigger data storage system; andbegin recording the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded at the commencement time. 7. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 6 wherein the trigger storage system and the processing system are configured to allow the commencement time to be specified to be before or after the trigger characteristic is met. 8. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein:the trigger data storage system is further configured to store a recording length for recording the diagnostic data that is to be recorded;the processing system is further configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to:receive a recording length for recording the diagnostic data that is to be recorded from the user;store the recording length in the trigger data storage system;read the recording length from the trigger data storage system; andrecord the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded for the recording length in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 9. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to repeatedly request certain types of digital diagnostic information that is selected to be recorded from the vehicle. 10. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to repeatedly request certain types of digital diagnostic information that is selected to be monitored from the vehicle. 11. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1 further including:a digital data connector configured to connect to a data port on the vehicle; andan analog probe configured to extract analog diagnostic information from the vehicle. 12. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 1:further including a display configured to communicate diagnostic data that is recorded in the diagnostic data storage system to the user; andwherein the processing system is further configured to cause the diagnostic data that is stored in the diagnostic data storage system to be delivered to the display when requested by the user. 13. A vehicle diagnostic method comprising:receiving from a user:a selection of diagnostic data that is to be monitored for a trigger characteristic from among both digital and analog diagnostic data types;the trigger characteristic; anda selection of diagnostic data that is to be recorded in response to detection of the trigger characteristic from among both the digital and analog diagnostic data types;storing the selections and the trigger characteristic;reading the selections and the trigger characteristic;receiving the selections of diagnostic data from the vehicle;monitoring the received diagnostic data that was selected to be monitored to determine whether the received diagnostic data meets the user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecording the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 14. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 wherein user-selected digital diagnostic data is recorded in response to user-selected analog diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 15. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 wherein user-selected analog diagnostic data is recorded in response to user-selected digital diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 16. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 15 wherein user-selected digital diagnostic data is recorded in response to user-selected analog diagnostic data meeting the trigger characteristic. 17. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising:receiving a commencement time from the user for recording the diagnostic data that is to be recorded relative to when a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met;storing the commencement time;reading the commencement time; andbeginning to record the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded at the commencement time. 18. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 17 wherein the commencement time is before or after the trigger characteristic is met. 19. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising:receiving a recording length from the user for recording the diagnostic data that is to be recorded;storing the recording length;reading the recording length; andrecording the received diagnostic data that was selected to be recorded for the recording length in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 20. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising repeatedly requesting the digital diagnostic information that was selected to be recorded from the vehicle. 21. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising repeatedly requesting the digital diagnostic information that was selected to be monitored from the vehicle. 22. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising connecting a digital data connector to a data port on the vehicle and attaching an analog probe to the vehicle. 23. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 13 further comprising delivering the diagnostic data that is stored to a display when requested by the user. 24. A vehicle diagnostic system comprising a processing system configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to:monitor analog diagnostic data that is received from a vehicle to determine whether the analog diagnostic data meets a user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecord digital diagnostic data that is received from the vehicle in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 25. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 24 wherein the processing system is also configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to receive a selection from a user of the analog diagnostic data that is to be monitored and the digital diagnostic data that is to be recorded, both from among analog and digital diagnostic data types that is received from the vehicle. 26. A vehicle diagnostic method comprising:monitoring analog diagnostic data that is received from a vehicle to determine whether the analog diagnostic data meets a user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecording digital diagnostic data that is received from the vehicle in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 27. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 26 further comprising receiving a selection from a user of the analog diagnostic data that is to be monitored and the digital diagnostic data that is to be recorded, both from among analog and digital data types. 28. A vehicle diagnostic system comprising a processing system configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to:monitor digital diagnostic data that is received from a vehicle to determine whether the digital diagnostic data meets a user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecord analog diagnostic data that is received from the vehicle in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 29. The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 28 wherein the processing system is also configured to cause the vehicle diagnostic system to receive from a user a selection of the digital diagnostic data that is to be monitored and the analog diagnostic data that is to be recorded, both from among analog and digital data types. 30. A vehicle diagnostic method comprising:monitoring digital diagnostic data that is received from a vehicle to determine whether the digital diagnostic data meets a user-specified trigger characteristic; andrecording analog diagnostic data that is received from the vehicle in response to a determination that the trigger characteristic has been met. 31. The vehicle diagnostic method of claim 30 further comprising receiving a selection from a user of the digital diagnostic data that is to be monitored and the analog diagnostic data that is to be recorded, both from among analog and digital data types.