Patent ID: 7379801

Claim:
A method for enabling a user to control, monitor, and evaluate performance of a vehicle via a portable device, the vehicle having an onboard diagnostic system for monitoring a set of operational characteristics of the vehicle and for enabling control of the vehicle's engine computer and having a diagnostic port for enabling access to the engine computer and onboard diagnostic system and selected data accessible therefrom, comprising: enabling the portable device to access said onboard diagnostic system and engine computer via said diagnostic port; enabling selection by the user of a plurality of distinct device modes of operation provided via the portable device including: a performance tuning mode for enabling the user to reprogram engine tuning calibration settings stored in a programmable memory of the engine computer of the vehicle via said diagnostic port; a dynamometer mode for providing calculations and the display of horsepower and torque characteristics for the vehicle based on vehicle speed data read from said diagnostic port; and a drag strip mode for enabling the calculation and selective display of times associated with driving the vehicle based on vehicle speed data read from said diagnostic port; providing a touch screen user interface for enabling selection of the modes and operations of the portable device by the user; and detecting via the portable device the start time of vehicle travel independent of said onboard diagnostic system to enable correction of errors in data generated by said onboard diagnostic system.