Patent ID: 8810385

Claim:
A method for performing a vehicle inspection, comprising the steps of: (a) providing: (i) a vehicle including at least one vehicle component configured to be remotely actuated, and a wireless data link component for wirelessly receiving an actuation command to remotely actuate the at least one vehicle component; and (ii) a portable device for recording data related to the inspection, said portable device including a wireless data link component configured to wirelessly convey an actuation command to the vehicle to remotely actuate the at least one vehicle component to facilitate an inspection of the vehicle; and (b) enabling an operator to use the portable device to remotely actuate the at least one vehicle component during the vehicle inspection, and to record data corresponding to a condition of the vehicle; (c) in response to remotely actuating the vehicle component, displaying to the operator a plurality of different possible conditions associated with the vehicle component; (d) enabling the operator to select one of the plurality of different possible conditions, to indicate a condition associated with the component as determined by the operator; and (e) storing in the portable device a record of said one of the plurality of different possible conditions selected by the operator.