Patent ID: 7596435

Claim:
A vehicle communication system, comprising: a plurality of vehicles, each having a vehicle diagnostic system; a plurality of vehicle units each positioned in one of said vehicles, each of said vehicle units comprising an interface that is configured to connect with the vehicle diagnostic system, a vehicle wireless communication transceiver and a control for controlling said wireless communication transceiver, said control including memory for storing data, wherein said control retrieves vehicle data from the vehicle diagnostic system and stores the vehicle data in said memory; another vehicle; a communication system for two-way wireless communication with said vehicle units, said communication system made up of a mobile unit positioned in said another vehicle, said mobile unit comprising a data storage unit and a mobile wireless communication transceiver, wherein said mobile wireless communication transceiver activates said vehicle wireless communication transceiver of one of said vehicle units to communicate vehicle data in said memory to said mobile wireless communication transceiver in response to said mobile wireless communication transceiver being transported by said another vehicle to a vicinity of said one of said vehicle units in order to increase geographic coverage for data transfer from the vehicle diagnostic systems of said vehicles.