US-12620269-B1 - Vehicle diagnostic scan and collision data recorder reader device and method

US12620269B1US 12620269 B1US12620269 B1US 12620269B1US-12620269-B1

Abstract

A system and method for assessing a vehicle's electronic system after a crash includes a vehicle diagnostic computer tool configured to be operatively connected with an electronic system of a vehicle to obtain scan data from the electronic system of the vehicle using a diagnostic scanning program and to obtain collision data from an event data recorder of the vehicle using a collision data recorder program. The collision data and scan data are reported together, such as in a report generated by the vehicle diagnostic computer tool, for evaluating whether vehicle systems requiring repair based on the scan data are attributable to a particular collision event based on the collision data.

Inventors

Brian J. Herron

Assignees

OPUS IVS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221012

Claims (15)

1 . A method of assessing damage to a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a vehicle diagnostic system comprising a vehicle diagnostic computer tool configured to operate in a mode to scan a vehicle to obtain scan data and configured to obtain collision data from an event data recorder installed and retained on the vehicle, wherein the event data recorder is configured to record collision data during a collision event of the vehicle; connecting the vehicle diagnostic computer tool with a diagnostic port of the vehicle to be in communication with an electronic system of the vehicle; obtaining scan data from the electronic system of the vehicle with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool using a diagnostic scanning program, wherein the scan data is used to determine vehicle systems requiring repair; obtaining collision data from the event data recorder with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool using a collision data reader program, wherein the scan data and the collision data are obtained contemporaneously; and indicating with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool whether the vehicle systems requiring repair are attributable to a collision event by analyzing with an evaluation program both the scan data and the collision data to determine if the vehicle systems requiring repair based on the scan data (i) are attributable to the collision event based on the collision data or (ii) are not attributable to the collision event based on the collision data.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising reporting the scan data together with the collision data and generating a report comprising the evaluation of the scan data based on the collision data, wherein the report identifies those vehicle systems requiring repair that are attributable to the collision event.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool generates the report.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the report, the scan data, and the collision data are transmitted to a remote computer via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program and the collision data reader program are retained in a memory of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program and the collision data reader program are retained at a remote computer and accessible via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program, the collision data reader program and the evaluation program are retained in a memory of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program, the collision data reader program and the evaluation program are retained at a remote computer and accessible via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
9 . A vehicle diagnostic system configured for scanning an electronic system of a vehicle to obtain scan data and configured to obtain collision data from an event data recorder installed and retained on the vehicle, said vehicle diagnostic system comprising: a vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprising a vehicle interface and a computer module, wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to connect to a data port of a vehicle to be in communication with an electronic system of the vehicle; a diagnostic scanning program configured for use with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool to obtain scan data from the electronic system of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to use the scan data to determine vehicle systems requiring repair; a collision data reader program configured for use with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool to obtain collision data from the event data recorder, wherein the event data recorder is configured to record collision data during a collision event on the vehicle, wherein the scan data and the collision data are obtained contemporaneously; wherein the vehicle diagnostic system comprises an evaluation program operable to indicate whether the vehicle systems requiring repair are attributable to a collision event by analyzing both the scan data and the collision data to determine if the vehicle systems requiring repair based on the scan data (i) are attributable to the collision event based on the collision data or (ii) are not attributable to the collision event based on the collision data.
10 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to generate a report of the scan data together with the collision data, wherein the report comprises the evaluation of the scan data based on the collision data and identifies those vehicle systems requiring repair that are attributable to the collision event based on the collision data.
11 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool includes an internet interface for connecting to a remote computer, and wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to transmit the report, the scan data, and the collision data to a remote computer.
12 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program and the collision data reader program are retained in a memory of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
13 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the diagnostic scanning program and the collision data reader program are retained at a remote computer and accessible via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.
14 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprises a vehicle interface and a computer module, and wherein the vehicle interface includes a vehicle protocol for enabling communications with the electronic system of the vehicle.
15 . The vehicle diagnostic system of claim 9 , wherein the evaluation program is retained in a memory of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/743,060, filed on May 12, 2022, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a vehicle diagnostic system, and in particular to a vehicle diagnostic scan tool configured to obtain diagnostic data while performing a diagnostic scan of the electronic system of a vehicle and obtain collision data from an event data recorder (“EDR”) of the vehicle. Vehicle diagnostic systems employing diagnostic scan devices or tools are used in automotive repair facilities to diagnose and repair computer-based vehicle systems, where vehicles may have differing computer-based systems depending on the configuration and options installed on the vehicle. Vehicle diagnostic scan systems may include or use one or more diagnostic software scanning programs or applications, such as applications developed by an OEM or an aftermarket diagnostic company. OEM diagnostic applications may include proprietary diagnostic application software exclusive to a particular OEM and may be required for certification purposes to validate repairs performed on a vehicle. As part of an accident investigation, crash data can be read from a vehicle's event data recorder(s) for accident investigations by law enforcement. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a vehicle diagnostic system and method including a vehicle diagnostic computer tool or device for performing a diagnostic vehicle scan of a vehicle electronic system, including electronic control units (ECUs), and also reads or scans or obtains data from an event data recorder (EDR) or crash data recorder of the vehicle. Such a vehicle diagnostic tool can be used to obtain diagnostic data or scan data by scanning a vehicle after a collision, or any other event causing damage to the vehicle, to determine if there are any faults such as may be reported as diagnostic trouble codes (“DTCs”) by the ECUs of the vehicle's electronic system that need to be repaired. The vehicle diagnostic system additionally reads collision data out of or from one or more vehicle crash data recorders. The collision data output from the crash data recorder is incorporated with the scan data from the diagnostic vehicle scan program to generate a vehicle report such as may be used for a repair estimate. In particular, the data from the crash data recorder may be used to evaluate the results of the vehicle scan to determine if the vehicle systems requiring repair would have been expected or attributable to a particular collision event based on the collision data from the vehicle data recorder. In this way, repairs to a vehicle may be limited to just those that are attributable to the specific collision event, or insurance coverage for vehicle repairs may be limited to those attributable to the specific collision event. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method of assessing damage to a vehicle includes providing a vehicle diagnostic system comprising a vehicle diagnostic computer tool configured to operate in a mode to scan a vehicle to obtain scan data and configured to obtain collision data from an event data recorder of the vehicle, connecting the vehicle diagnostic computer tool with a diagnostic port of the vehicle to be in communication with an electronic system of the vehicle, obtaining scan data from the electronic system of the vehicle with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool using a diagnostic scanning program, and obtaining collision data from the event data recorder with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool using a collision data reader program. In particular embodiments, the method further comprises reporting the scan data together with the collision data for evaluating whether vehicle systems requiring repair based on the scan data are attributable to a particular collision event based on the collision data, which may include generating a report comprising the scan data together with the collision data. The vehicle diagnostic computer tool may be configured to generate the report. Still further, the scan data and the collision data may be transmitted to a remote computer via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool. In a further particular embodiment, the method additionally comprises providing a scan data evaluation program, and wherein the method further comprises evaluating the scan data and the collision data with the scan data evaluation program for attributing vehicle systems requiring repair based on the scan data to a particular collision event based on the collision data. One or more of the of the diagnostic scanning program, the collision data reader program and the scan data evaluation program may be retained in a memory of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool, or may be retained at a remote computer and accessible via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool. In a