Patent ID: 7340331

Claim:
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; and the 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; and a 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; and a 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; and record 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.