Patent ID: 7577503

Claim:
A vehicle diagnostic tool comprising: a processor that can be operably coupled to a vehicle diagnostic connector to diagnose a vehicle; at least one vehicle communication protocol interface operatively coupled to the processor and allows the processor to communicate with the vehicle at a time interval; a memory operably coupled to processor; a software stored in the memory, wherein the software adaptively changes the time interval at which the processor communicates with the vehicle when the software detects that the data being received from the vehicle is not progressing for a particular diagnostic test; and a housing surrounding the processor, the at least one vehicle communication protocol interface, the memory, wherein the housing has a port configured to couple to a computing device; and wherein the software saves characterization data of a plurality of vehicles, and the software determines whether the vehicle is one of plurality of vehicles that the tool previously tested and, if the vehicle has been previously tested by the tool, the software is configured to retrieve a previously saved time interval and iteration limit enabling the tool to begin communicating with the vehicle at the previously saved time interval and iteration limit.