Method and apparatus for testing vehicle emissions and engine controls using a self-service on-board diagnostics kiosk

US7925399B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• APPLUS TECHNOLOGIES INC. · US

Inventors

• David Arthur Comeau · Sussex, US
• Timothy E. Schwantes · Sussex, US
• Timothy J. Raml · Pewaukee, US
• Gregory A. Werner · Hartford, US
• Mark J. Werner · Sussex, US
• Victor E. McCartney · Brown Deer, US
• William D. Nicholson · Waukesha, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 2006
• Grant date: Apr 12, 2011
• Expiry date: Apr 12, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07C2205/02
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for testing vehicle emissions and engine control components using a self-service on-board diagnostics (OBD) kiosk, a stand-alone kiosk includes a computing device capable of gathering VIN information and OBD information from a vehicle using a VIN reader and OBD reader. The kiosk generates a readable display or printed report for the kiosk operator indicating any detected diagnostic trouble codes found during the OBD test. By networking a plurality of kiosks together in a secure network and accessible to the Internet, an OBD kiosk network maintains a centrally located vehicle interface database for storing and retrieving pertinent vehicle-related information during OBD testing.