Patent ID: 8463946

Claim:
A method for collecting information in a machine including an on-board data link connecting a wireless device and at least one on-board module, the method comprising: providing a first operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a first set of operations on data associated with the at least one on-board module, wherein the first set of operations includes (i) collecting data for at least one of storing or processing by the wireless device (ii) communicating data; (iii) collecting data received from the at least one on-board module; (iv) forwarding data received from the at least one-board module to an off-board system remotely located from the machine; (v) collecting data received from the off-board system directed to the machine and (vi) forwarding data received from the off-board system to the at least one on-board module; determining whether to provide the first operational mode for the wireless device based on absence of an interface control system in the machine, the interface control system being removable from the machine; providing a second operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform at least a second set of operations on the data associated with the at least one on-board module, wherein the second set of operations includes forwarding data received from at least one on-board module to the off-board system and forwarding data received from the off-board system to the at least one one-board module; and wherein the second set of operations is a subset of the first set of operations such that at least one operation of the first set is disabled on the wireless device when the second operational mode is provided; determining whether to provide the second operational mode for the wireless device based on presence of the interface control system in the machine; operating the interface control system to perform the at least one operation of the first set that is disabled on the wireless device when the wireless device operates in the second operational mode; configuring the wireless device based on the determined operational mode, wherein configuring includes enabling functionalities of the wireless device related to the determined operational mode; and disabling functionalities of the wireless device unrelated to the determined operational mode; and operating the wireless device in either the first or second operational mode based on the configuring.