Diagnostic tree substitution system and method
Contents
1. Yes Does it require editing Edit branch Provisional Go to step 602 status removed 612 Revert back to 61 4 original branch a 616 618 Provisional status removed 620 Additional branches to Sa End 600 evaluate U S Patent Yes Jun 23 2009 Sheet 7 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 Fig 7 702 Identify a specific procedure in OEM diagnostic tree 104 Have expert technician create an alternate procedure 706 Store alternate procedure in library Additional procedures to look at 708 N O U S Patent Jun 23 2009 Sheet 8 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 Fig 8 801 Identify a specific procedure in OEM diagnostic tree 802 Compare procedure to substitutions in library 803 Yes Is there a Substitute match procedure with alternate procedure Additional procedures to look at No End Co e US 7 551 993 B1 Sheet 9 of 11 Jun 23 2009 U S Patent uoneulJojul sseuppe pue Buiddiys 10 jenuew JASN au 01 Jaja AOR JiedaJ e 0 1958 puss Uonounjjeui e seu 787584 uomnisoduio jand eut g37 ueeJB pue pas eu ejou pue 19358 jan 34 NO WNL o J8js9 JON BU ojur Jexeag ay LOY jen aU Jejsue1 CG 511591 eu UYM payddns sayeaq oy oyu abel ainssaid jary au woy jan MEIG p esou JU episul WOJ jen snoi aJd Aue ysny 03 3525 y ubnouu ssed oj jan ubnoue moly 3626 eunsseid jani ay uo eA BA ay ued2. If the change is acceptable as is i e if the proposed change will allow the diagnostic tree to function properly the SME accepts the proposed change from the comparison engine 340 as shown at block 606 the provisional status is removed at block 608 and the optimized diagnostic tree is approved for further use in diagnostic devices and products If the change is not acceptable but merely requires editing to make it acceptable as shown at block 610 the SME edits the branch at block 612 the provisional status is removed at block 614 and the optimized diagnostic tree is approved for further use in diagnostic devices and products If the change is unacceptable i e if the proposed change will prevent the diagnostic tree from functioning properly the SME reverts back to the branch from the original subject as shown at block 616 and the status of provisional is removed at block 618 The method shown in FIG 6 continues as shown at block 620 until all of the branches in the provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 have been evaluated by the SME By automating this process the discovery time for an SME to identify the matching and similar sets of data is significantly reduced such as from about eight hours to about thirty min utes In another embodiment of the present application the sys tem 300 modifies the OEM diagnostic trees by substituting procedures that require the use of a specific tool with alter nat
3. be set by each specific automotive vehicle As a result an expert technician will manually prepare automotive diagnostic code tips within the diagnostic trees repair procedures component opera tions testing processes and other similar functions for all possible vehicle problems and this information can then be displayed in a diagnostic tool However the experts then spend much time preparing many hypothetical repair pro cesses that are never used because many of the problems never occur It is estimated that more than 80 of this infor mation is never used read or selected by a technician This information is still necessary though because technicians need to be prepared for all problems Inaddition many diagnostic trees are identical or similarin content and structure from year to year However each tree for a new model should still be evaluated by a Subject Matter Expert SME to determine if the existing knowledge e g diagnostic code tips for a specific vehicle applies to the new model or a similar vehicle in part or in total This process can take a significant amount of time and effort and is repetitive for SMEs which assist in the evaluation of many other diag nostic systems and data Furthermore the manufacturer s diagnostic trees are writ ten assuming the availability of specific equipment Techni cians that do not have the equipment specified may not be able to follow the diagnostic trees for symptom resolution The
4. e g recall notices or any other information sources than can be used to diagnose problems with the vehicle 102 Alterna tively one or more ofthe information sources might be stored remotely from the diagnostic information portal 106 in a diagnostic information store 110 which can be accessed by the diagnostic information portal 106 via one or more data networks 112 e g a intranet a LAN a WAN the Internet etc Once the diagnostic information portal 106 accesses the information sources to determine the possible causes of the problem the diagnostic information portal 106 can then send a list or other description of the possible causes back to the diagnostic tool 100 The diagnostic tool 100 can in turn dis play the possible causes of the problem to the vehicle repair technician Before sending the possible causes back to the diagnostic tool 100 the diagnostic information portal 106 might statistically prioritize the possible causes so as to alert the vehicle repair technician to the more likely causes of the problem This may aid the vehicle repair technician in more quickly diagnosing and fixing the problem with the vehicle 102 While FIG 1 illustrates a single diagnostic information portal 106 a diagnostic system might include more than one diagnostic information portal Each diagnostic information portal in the system might communicate one or more diag nostic tools Thus it should be understood that the configu ratio
5. may be modi fied to include diagnostic code tips or further suggestions or instructions indicating what tool to use or how to use the tool for example Many of the instructions or procedures within a diagnostic tree are performed using specialized tools An automotive expert SME may thus customize the diagnostic trees for specific tools and for specific problems known to occur on a specific automotive vehicle Further an automo tive expert can customize the diagnostic trees to indicate procedures to attempt first that are likely to have the greatest probability of solving a specific problem Since diagnostic trees for automotive vehicles manufactured by the same car manufacturer or of the same model year tend to be similar e g internal mechanisms of automotive vehicles manufac tured by the same car company tend to be similar then some notes and suggestions added by an expert on a diagnostic tree fora previous model can be transferred to a diagnostic tree for a new model Thus a diagnostic tree for a given automotive vehicle can be modified or customized by comparing the diagnostic tree to previously modified diagnostic trees corresponding to similar vehicles and nodes or work arounds referenced within a library can be linked to the diagnostic tree For example a diagnostic tree for a 2004 Buick LeSabre can be modified in much the same way to include comments and suggestions as within a previously customized diagnostic tree for a 20
6. used together or in any combination to produce more efficient diagnostic trees For example as explained above diagnostic trees may be modified by substituting branches or nodes from previously modified tree by substituting proce dures that require the use of a specific tool with alternate more generic procedures and or by including information within nodes such as diagnostic code tips or further sugges tions or instructions from previously modified diagnostic trees Note that while the present application has been described in the context of a fully functional diagnostic tree system and method those skilled in the art will appreciate that mecha nisms of the present application are capable of being distrib uted in the form of a computer readable medium of instruc tions in a variety of forms and that the present application applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution Examples of such computer accessible devices include com puter memory RAM or ROM floppy disks and CD ROMs as well as transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links While examples have been described in conjunction with present embodiments ofthe application persons of skill inthe art will appreciate that variations may be made without depar ture from the scope and spirit ofthe application For example the apparatus and methods described herein may be imple mented in
7. 03 Buick LeSabre The diagnostic tree for the 2004 model may be further modified or may include additional or different instructions than those for the 2003 model How ever many initial or basic customizations for specific faults a 5 40 45 50 55 65 12 that are experienced by the Buick LeSabre can be automati cally inserted into the diagnostic tree for the 2004 model for example In particular in one example electronic software such as that from Mitchell 1 of Poway Calif can receive diagnostic tree information from OEMs such as automotive repair infor mation vehicle maintenance information automotive diag nostic data labor estimating shop management software and service manuals and can aggregate the information into an electronic format in a common repository Once the informa tion is aggregated into a diagnostic tree a computer algorithm can analyze the trees For example each diagnostic tree includes multiple text boxes and each may be considered a node as discussed above In this manner each node of a tree can be compared to nodes of another tree Once nodes are compared information relating to one node may be transferred to a node of another tree if appropriate FIG 10 depicts one embodiment of a method of transferring data between diagnostic trees Initially a diagnostic tree of information relating to faults that can be experienced by a first apparatus under diagnosis is selected as shown a
8. 100 to perform various tests on the vehicle 102 or to acquire certain other diagnostic information about the vehicle 102 This might be in addition to or in place ofthe previously described automated diagnostic information col lection methods Thus the diagnostic tool 100 might auto matically collect predetermined data might collect additional data as directed by the vehicle repair technician or might perform a combination of these methods to acquire the diag nostic information Currently the vehicle repair technician might manually input to the diagnostic tool 100 information about a problem with the vehicle 102 or a modification to the OEM diagnostic tree For example the vehicle repair technician might input a description of the problem such as by typing a description of the problem into the diagnostic tool 100 or by selecting one or more problems from a drop down menu or some other pre programmed selection of possible problems The vehicle repairtechnician might also input possible causes ofthe prob lem into the diagnostic tool 100 or might eliminate possible causes of the problem for example in the instance where the vehicle repair technician has already performed some tests or ruled out some possible causes The vehicle repair technician might additionally enter other information about the vehicle 102 such as its VIN its make and model or other identifying information Alternatively a technician may evaluate and modify the bra
9. OL ue esneo M SIY se aBneB jany Jo 12js9 Yeyeag aides jan au sjeuiuejuco suqap episjno Jaujo Aue Jo J8 A Jeams sjuudieBuy Arye 0 jou nja1e5 eg ajdwes jany e Burye e1ojeq jamo Jaded Up uea e uy Jayeaq 34 uea 2 J9js9 JU WY eyejduioo suoja y usq ueyoduy uoneoyioeds y Jo ZH 9 uii Bulped y s Buipeei e exej pue ejeos ZH H OY O WING Ou 38S Sjeuiul9 J9js8 eu 0 WANG B EU z QUOJOOR YPM 193759 eu p GA4LFr f 90110 189 oe nooe ue uuojag pes 10328fut By 03 Bul jan e qixoep 24 JUU 9poN IBUIBuO U S Patent Jun 23 2009 Sheet 10 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 1002 Receive a diagnostic tree and a library of tests which can be performed to diagnose causes of faults listed in the diagnostic tree 1004 Receive another diagnostic tree 1006 Compare the two diagnostic trees to identify matching information relating to faults experienced by the automotive vehicles 1008 Produce a second library of tests corresponding to the second diagnostic tree that can be performed to diagnose causes of faults listed in the second diagnostic tree Fig 10 U S Patent Jun 23 2009 Sheet 11 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 1102 New Diagnostic Tree 1 1 04 Link to vehicle ID Similar to previous System 1106 NO Analyze each node with natural language New system 1114 7 engine and look for not similar to 1108 work around based other
10. az United States Patent US007551993B1 10 Patent No US 7 551 993 B1 Cancilla et al 45 Date of Patent Jun 23 2009 54 DIAGNOSTIC TREE SUBSTITUTION 4 418 388 A 11 1983 Allgoretal 364 431 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD 4 658 370 A 4 1987 Erman etal 364 513 4 796 206 A 1 1989 Boscove etal 364 551 01 75 Inventors Jim Cancilla San Jose CA US Sunil 5 250 935 A 10 1993 Jonker et al 345 134 Reddy Corpus Christi TX US Jeff H1273 H 1 1994 Novick 434 224 Grier Royal Oak MI US Brad 5 337 320 A 8 994 Kung 371454 Lewis Gilroy CA US Dale Trsar 5 442 549 A 8 1995 Larson 364 424 01 Mount Prospect IL US Carl 5 533 093 A 7 1996 Horton etal 379 21 Krzystofezyk Mount Prospect IL US 5 633 197 A 5 1997 Luretal 438 668 5 835 871 A 11 1998 Smith et al 701 29 73 Assignee Snap on Incorporated Kenosha WI 6 141 608 A 10 2000 Rother e 701 33 US 7 373 226 B1 5 2008 Cancillaetal 701 29 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS U S C 154 b by 805 days EP 991 0 8097 9 4 2002 This patent is subject to a terminal dis claimer cited by examiner 21 Appl No 11 188 919 Primary Examiner Gertrude Arthur Jeanglaud 22 Filed Jul 25 2005 74 Attorney Agent or F
11. e more generic procedures FIG 7 is a flowchart illustrat ing another example of a functional process flow for the diagnostic tree editor 320 of system 300 First the diagnostic tree editor 320 identifies a specific procedure in an OEM diagnostic tree 312 for modification as shown at block 702 Next an SME creates an alternate procedure by analyzing the procedure and identifying an alternative manner of obtaining the same result with a more readily available tool or method as shown at block 704 For example a J 39200 is a specific type of voltmeter that may be called for in a diagnostic tree to measure voltage However a standard voltmeter could give the same voltage reading as a J 39200 Therefore a procedure in a diagnostic tree requiring the use of a J 39200 can be replaced with a voltmeter There may be more than one alternate procedure permitted to replace a single procedure and they may be either generic or specific Alternate procedures are then captured and stored along with the original procedure in library 330 as substitutions 334 as shown at block 706 e g voltmeter is stored as a reference to J 39200 This process continues as shown at block 708 until the entire diagnostic tree has been evaluated to build a comprehensive library 330 of substitutions 334 for individual procedures in one or more OEM diagnostic trees Referring to FIG 8 a flowchart illustrating another example of a functional process flow
12. e frequency rise above the specification at any time 1 Turn OFF the engine 2 Relieve the fuel system pressure Refer to Fuel Pressure Relief Procedure 3 Remove the flexible fuel line from the injector fuel rail 4 Place the flexible fuel line into a suitable container and activate the fuel pump Collect about 1 liter of fuel and allow the fuel sample to set tle Is any water present in the sam ple of fuel taken Connect the flexible fuel line to the injector rail Perform an accuracy test of the J 44175 1 Fill the tester with acetone 2 Connect a DMM to the tester ter minals 3 Set the DMM to AC Hertz scale and take a reading Is the reading within 6 Hz of the specification Important Drain the acetone com pletely from the tester Clean the bea ker with a clean dry paper towel be fore taking a fuel sample Be careful not to allow fingerprints sweat water or any other outside debris contaminate the fuel sample beaker tester or fuel gauge as this will cause an error in the test result leading to a misdiagnosis 1 Perform a fuel test using the J 44175 2 Install a fuel pressure gage into the service port located on the rear of the injector rail 3 Start the engine and open the valve on the fuel pressure gage Allow enough fuel to pass through the gage to flush any previous fuel from inside the hose 4 Draw fuel from the fuel pressure gage into the beaker supplied with the test kit 5 Transfe
13. ed diagnostic tree The comparison engine 340 com pares the new diagnostic tree to the model tree first to deter mine whether the new diagnostic tree falls within the same class or is a similar or matching tree If so the comparison engine 340 will incorporate any edits changes or tips from the edited version of the tree into the new diagnostic tree A modified version of the new or subject diagnostic tree is stored as a provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 in the second memory 350 Then an SME uses the diagnostic tree editor 320 to review the modifications within flagged sections of the provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 The SME may accept or edit any of the changes made to the tree FIG 4 is a flowchart 400 illustrating one example of a functional process flow for the diagnostic tree editor 320 of system 300 Initially an OEM diagnostic tree 312 1s selected for modification as shown at block 402 The tree 312 is selected from a group of unedited trees possibly from a new shipment of diagnostic trees for new arriving car models for example The SME uses her expertise to modify and or opti mize the selected diagnostic tree as shown at block 404 These modifications may include the addition of comments suggestions code or tips to the branches or nodes within a tree The modified tree is then saved in the library 330 along with a set of metadata describing the class of vehicles or genus to which the modified tree may be a
14. evaluate and apply edits from one diag nostic tree to a similar diagnostic tree to update and or modify vehicle information from one year to the next or from one model to a similar model As illustrated in FIG 2 a diagnostic tree has a variety of branches 220 with codes e g tests to perform From year to year sometimes new codes are added while old codes may be manually removed or edited by an expert In an exemplary embodiment an edited tree is compared to a new unedited tree possibly from a new model to determine whether to transfer the edits to the new tree Referring to FIG 3 one example of a system 300 for evaluating diagnostic trees is illustrated The system 300 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 65 8 evaluates the branches of original diagnostic trees to ensure that updated and or modified branches of the edited tree are included in the new tree if appropriate The system 300 includes a first memory 310 for storing original equipment manufacturer OEM diagnostic trees 312 a diagnostic tree editor 320 for evaluating and modifying the OEM diagnostic trees 312 a library 330 for storing opti mized tree templates 332 and tree branch substitutions 334 a comparison engine 340 for comparing individual branches of diagnostic trees and a second memory 350 for storing pro visional optimized trees 352 These elements work together to modify an OEM diagnostic tree 312 for use in a repair shop environment by profe
15. for the diagnostic tree editor 320 of system 300 is described Through the use ofthe library 330 many modified diagnostic trees 360 can be auto matically edited As shown at block 801 a specific procedure is identified in the OEM diagnostic tree 312 At block 802 the procedure is compared to procedures stored in the library along with the substitutions 334 in the library 330 that the expert has created For example ifa portion ofthe procedure includes J 39200 the tree editor 320 would search the library for a listing including J 39200 Using the example above J 39200 would be found and that portion of the pro cedure would be matched to voltmeter If no match 1s found as shown at block 803 then the procedure remains unchanged If a match is found however then the OEM US 7 551 993 BI 11 diagnostic tree is modified by substituting the procedure with the matching substitution 334 stored in the library 330 as shown at block 804 Thus when a diagnostic tree 312 informs a technician to use the J 39200 to measure the voltage the diagnostic tree editor 320 identifies this procedure as replace able and modifies the procedure to read use the voltmeter to measure the voltage In another example referring again to Table 1 steps 5 6 and 12 require the use of a J 44175 which is a specific type of fuel composition tester In accordance with the present appli cation an SME would create an alternate procedure for the u
16. fying an alternate procedure for obtaining a substan tially same result storing the alternate procedure in a library and US 7 551 993 B1 15 replacing the procedure in the original diagnostic tree with a matching alternate procedure in the library to create a modified diagnostic tree 8 The method of claim 7 wherein the procedure requires the use of a specific tool from a category of tools 9 The method of claim 8 wherein the alternate procedure requires the use of a generic tool from the category of tools 10 The method of claim 9 wherein replacing the procedure in the original diagnostic tree with a matching alternate pro cedure in the library comprises providing options for per forming the procedure 11 The method of claim 7 wherein the procedure requires the use of a generic tool from a category of tools 12 The method of claim 11 wherein the alternate proce dure requires the use of a specific tool from the category of tools 13 The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating the process until the entire diagnostic tree is evaluated 14 A method for modifying diagnostic trees comprising selecting a procedure in a first diagnostic tree identifying an alternate procedure for obtaining a substan tially same result as the procedure storing the alternate procedure in a library 5 20 16 receiving a second diagnostic tree for modification comparing a procedure in the second diagnostic tree to the pr
17. hardware software or a combination such as a general purpose or dedicated processor running a software application through volatile or non volatile memory The true scope and spirit of the application is defined by the appended claims which may be interpreted in light of the foregoing We claim 1 A system for modifying diagnostic trees comprising an original diagnostic tree including procedures a library for storing at least one alternate procedure for obtaining a substantially same result as a procedure in the original diagnostic tree and a diagnostic tree editor that compares procedures of the original diagnostic tree to alternate procedures in the library and substitutes an alternate procedure from the library for a matching procedure in the original diagnos tic tree 2 The system of claim 1 wherein the alternate procedure is created by an expert technician 3 The system of claim 1 wherein the procedure requires the use of a specific tool from a category of tools 4 The system of claim 3 wherein the alternate procedure requires the use of a generic tool from the category of tools 5 The system of claim 1 wherein the procedure requires the use of a generic tool from a category of tools 6 The system of claim 5 wherein the alternate procedure requires the use of a specific tool from the category of tools 7 A method for modifying diagnostic trees comprising selecting a procedure in an original diagnostic tree identi
18. he comparison engine 340 can first identify if the subject matches the model or an unedited version of the tree To compare the subject and the model diagnostic trees the comparison engine 340 evaluates individual branches of the subject by comparing them to a corresponding branch of the model diagnostic tree 312 as shown at block 506 Corre sponding branches are branches that have similar content and are located in the same or similar position in a diagnostic tree e g at the beginning or end ofa tree As shown at block 508 if the branches of the subject and the model tree match or are substantially similar the comparison engine 340 substitutes the corresponding branch from the optimized tree template 332 for the corresponding branch in the subject as shown at block 510 Alternatively the comparison engine 340 may compare and substitute nodes within the branches In this manner the changes and edits from the optimized tree tem plate can be transferred to the subject tree As shown at block 512 if the branches are similar but do not match the differ ence is noted and the branch is flagged for review by the SME to resolve the discrepancies as shown at block 514 For example referring to Table 1 if a branch in the subject tree e g the combination of Did you perform the Diagnos tic System Check Engine Controls and Go to Diagnostic System Check Engine matches the corresponding branch of the model tree the comparison eng
19. he drawings in which FIG 1 is a block diagram illustrating a diagnostic system coupled to a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present application US 7 551 993 BI 3 FIG 2 is a representation of a diagnostic tree in accordance with the present application FIG 3 is a block diagram illustrating a diagnostic tool in accordance with one embodiment of the present application FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a func tional process flow for the diagnostic tree editor of FIG 3 FIG 5 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a func tional process flow for the comparison engine of FIG 3 FIG 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a functional process flow for the diagnostic tree editor of FIG 3 FIG 7 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a functional process for the diagnostic tree editor of FIG 3 FIG 8 is a flowchart illustrating another example of a functional process for the diagnostic tree editor of FIG 3 FIG 9 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the functional process of FIG 8 FIG 10 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method of transferring data between diagnostic trees FIG 11 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a more detailed method of transferring data between diagnostic trees DETAILED DESCRIPTION I Exemplary Diagnostic System Architecture FIG 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system using a diagnostic infor
20. ine 340 substitutes the corresponding branch from the optimized tree template 332 for the branch in the subject tree Therefore the changes and edits from the optimized tree template 332 for a branch are incorporated into the subject tree and thus the subject tree does not have to be manually evaluated by the SME The comparison process continues until all branches ofthe subject have been evaluated and either optimized or flagged for the attention of the SME as shown at block 516 When the process is complete the modified version of the subject is stored as a provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 along with metadata regarding the original subject and the opti mized tree template 332 that was applied Then the SME is notified that a provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 is ready for review The original subject can be retained in its unmodified state for future reference within a local storage device for example FIG 6 is a flowchart 600 illustrating another example of a functional process flow for the diagnostic tree editor 320 During this session the SME uses the diagnostic tree editor 320 to select a provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 and 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 related metadata as shown at block 602 The SME then reviews the modifications along with the flagged sections of the provisional optimized diagnostic tree 352 and selects a flagged branch to review as shown at block 604
21. irm McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert amp Berghoff LLP 51 Int CI G01M 17 00 2006 01 57 ABSTRACT 52 US CL cies 701 29 701 30 701 32 701 33 340 438 340 439 A system and method for identifying and substituting proce 58 Field of Classification Search 701 29 30 dures in an OEM diagnostic tree with alternate procedures T 701 32 36 340 425 5 438 439 analyzed by highly experienced technicians to eliminate the See application file for complete search history use of potentially unavailable equipment and make the diag 56 References Cited nostic tree more accessible to a greater number of technicians The system includes a diagnostic tree editor and a library U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 418 338 A 11 1983 Burt 340 578 20 Claims 11 Drawing Sheets DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION PORTAL 106 108 DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION STORE 110 US 7 551 993 B1 Sheet 1 of 11 Jun 23 2009 U S Patent Sls zor 801 ori 34015 NOILYNYOZINI SILSONDVIG 90 W1LYOd NOLLVIAHOJNI OILSONSVIG US 7 551 993 B1 Sheet 2 of 11 Jun 23 2009 U S Patent 00c JoyeuJeyje eoejde Aiayeg eoejdo len YPM JES l3 fuayeg jo uonounj elN 077 f c big Joyeuslaye jo uonounjje A ON ON eni jueiouinsu oe ulejs S euiBu3 yooyuD onsouBeig 0 oc SIA YO JOJBUJIHE S JoyeuJaye 329
22. mation portal to provide enhanced vehicle diagnostics As illustrated a diagnostic tool 100 interfaces with a vehicle 102 via a wired connection 104 The diagnostic tool 100 may be various types of devices used by a vehicle repair technician For example the diagnostic tool 100 may comprise a personal digital assistant PDA or other handheld device Alternatively the diagnostic tool 100 may comprise a desktop computer a laptop computer or some other type of diagnostic equipment Also while FIG 1 depicts the diag nostic tool 100 interfacing with the vehicle 102 through the wired connection 104 a wireless connection might alterna tively be used The diagnostic tool 100 interfaces with the vehicle 102 to collect diagnostic information about the vehicle 102 The information is often in the form of diagnostic trees which are created by the Original Equipment Manufacturer OEM of the vehicle For example a number of outside vendors e g Original Equipment Managers OEM exist from which car manufacturers buy many of their parts OEMs provide flow charts or diagnostic trees indicating instructions to diagnose a fault experienced by automotive vehicles Thus the diagnos tic trees can be used to diagnose a problem with the vehicle 102 Although FIG 1 depicts the vehicle 102 as a car the principles discussed herein are applicable to many types of vehicles The principles are also applicable to non vehicles such as machinery industrial eq
23. mission mechanical systems air conditioning systems braking system power system or any other system Automotive mechanics are increasingly relying upon com puterized diagnosis of vehicle operational information that can be accessed via a vehicle on board computer to diagnose and repair vehicle faults This information is often in the form of diagnostic trees which are created by Original Equipment Manufacturers OEMs Diagnostic tools typically allow a user to enter information including fault symptoms into the diagnostic tool to be used instead of or in conjunction with the information downloaded from the vehicle s on board com puter to diagnose and assist in the repair of fault conditions in the vehicle A number of different types of diagnostic tools have been used such as engine analyzers which are designed to monitor a variety of operating conditions of an internal combustion engine and scanners for downloading data from vehicle on board computers In addition diagnostic tools may include laboratory type tools like oscilloscopes digital volt Ohm meters DVOM and the like Any ofthese diagnostic tools may be used with a computer based diagnostic platform that permits a fault based drivabil ity diagnosis of a vehicle The platform may present a user with a menu of problems indicated e g by symptoms or service codes and the user selects those problems that are pertinent to the vehicle under test Based upon the selected fa
24. n at block 1102 The new tree may simply be a diagnostic tree that has not yet been reviewed by an expert The new diagnostic tree will be linked to a vehicle identifier as shown at block 1104 to reference the tree For example an expert will briefly review the tree and classify the tree into a group or with a specific vehicle identifier Next the system 300 will determine if the vehicle to which the new diagnostic tree has been classified or corresponds is similar to any previous vehicles for which an expert has already reviewed corresponding diagnostic trees as shown at block 1106 To determine whether the tree is similar to previously modified trees the vehicle ID of the tree is compared to vehicle IDs of previously modified trees If the vehicle ID matches or substantially matches then the trees may be con sidered similar Or if the vehicle ID of the new tree falls within a class of vehicles for which a representative tree has been modified then a similarity may exist For example a similarity may exist if the vehicle ID refers to a truck and in such a case vehicles in the class of trucks or large vehicles may be considered similar Alternatively a similarity may only exist if matching manufacturers along with vehicle mod US 7 551 993 B1 13 els are found Various criteria may be used to determine whether vehicles sufficiently match so as to compare diag nostic trees Other examples are possible as well Ifthe tree does n
25. n the modified diagnostic tree for transfer to the new tree Ap proved nodes may be nodes that an expert has modified Alternatively the system 300 may look for known work arounds that are linked to the matching node in order to link the work around also to the new node For example any work around nodes or listed approved nodes are found and they can be substituted into the new diagnostic tree as shown at block 1118 Either the entire node or simply text or steps within the node can be substituted for or within the node in the new tree Subsequently the substituted nodes or simply the work around or modified information will be processed to be trans ferred into the new diagnostic tree as shown at block 1120 If no additive information is found within the matching node or no work arounds are found or referred to in the library 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 then the node in the new diagnostic tree may be flagged for expert review such that an expert can review the node and manually link it to any appropriate known work arounds as shown at block 1122 Subsequently the expert will approve the node as shown at block 1124 and the node modification will be complete Each node ofthe new diagnostic tree can be processed in this manner Many embodiments have been described as being per formed individually or in combination with other embodi ments However any of the embodiments described above may be
26. nches of an OEM diagnostic tree This infor mation might be collected automatically by the diagnostic tool 100 when it is connected to the vehicle 102 Once the diagnostic tool 100 acquires the diagnostic infor mation from the vehicle 102 and additional information if any is entered by the vehicle repair technician the diagnostic tool 100 may then formulate a request to a diagnostic information portal 106 The diagnostic information portal 106 can provide a centralized location for vehicle repair technicians through the use of diagnostic tools to submit diagnostic information and to in return obtain possible causes of problems with their vehicles The diagnostic information portal 106 can be located atthe vehicle repair technician s worksite and be used by multiple vehicle repair technicians at that worksite Alter natively the diagnostic information portal 106 can be located at a more central location and might then be accessed by vehicle repair technicians a multiple different worksites Thus the diagnostic information portal 106 might communi cate with multiple diagnostic tools although FIG 1 illustrates only a single such device The diagnostic tool 100 preferably communicates with the diagnostic information portal 106 over a wireless communi cation link 108 however a wired link or a combination of wired and wireless links might alternatively be used The wireless communication link 108 can use a variety of differ ent wireless pr
27. ns described herein are merely exemplary in nature and many alternative configurations might also be used FIG 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of an OEM diagnostic tree that may be used in connection with the diagnostic tool 100 and the system in FIG 1 The diagnostic tree 200 is a flowchart comprising nodes 210 and branches 220 As shown the nodes 210 include steps which technicians follow to help them determine both the cause and solution to problems with vehicles for example The steps shown in FIG 2 are examples only since many other tests or procedures may be performed depending on the type of assessment being conducted Table 1 provided below is another example of information included within an OEM diagnostic tree The nodes include specific steps and or indicate equipment to be used by tech nicians for diagnosing vehicle problems for example 10 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 TABLE 1 Test to be performed Node Did you perform the Diagnostic Sys tem Check Engine Controls 1 Connect a scan tool 2 Start the engine and allow the engine to idle 3 Read the fuel composition fre quency on the scan tool Is the reading steady above the specifi cation 1 Allow the engine to idle 2 Agitate the fuel in the fuel tank by pushing the rear of the vehicle from side to side for 5 seconds 3 Monitor the scan tool fuel com position frequency for 5 minutes Does th
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29. ocedure in the first diagnostic tree and replacing the procedure in the second diagnostic tree with the alternate procedure in the library if a match is found to create a modified diagnostic tree 15 The method of claim 14 wherein the procedure requires the use of a specific tool from a category of tools 16 The method of claim 15 wherein the alternate proce dure requires the use of a generic tool from the category of tools 17 The method of claim 16 wherein replacing the proce dure in the original diagnostic tree with a matching alternate procedure in the library comprises providing options for per forming the procedure 18 The method of claim 14 wherein the procedure requires the use of a generic tool from a category of tools 19 The method of claim 18 wherein the alternate proce dure requires the use of a specific tool from the category of tools 20 The method of claim 14 further comprising repeating the process until the entire diagnostic tree is evaluated
30. ot correspond to a vehicle that is similar to any previous vehicles as shown at block 1108 the system 300 flags the new tree for manual review by an expert An expert will then manually review the tree and provide code tips suggestions work arounds or other helpful information as appropriate within the tree as shown at block 1110 Example tips or work arounds include adding information to a proce dure like suggesting use of a specific tool e g hook up pressure gage and check pressure Tips or suggestions may originate from OEM manuals or from other validated sources for example The tree including the modifications may now be stored in a library e g library 330 as shown at block 1112 so that other new trees can be compared to this stored tree As a specific example the expert begins reviewing the diagnostic tree at the top of the tree and examines each node of the tree individually and as part of the sequence In each case the expert determines if a specific tool e g a Snap on tool is capable of performing the listed procedure for example and if not the expert substitutes a known work around Each time a work around is written in the node the work around or suggestion is given an identifier and listed in a library of available calls e g library 330 Also the entire modified node is given an identifier and listed in a library of replacement nodes e g library 330 Thus as explained below when a new unknown node ap
31. otocols such as the protocols under the Insti tute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE 802 11 umbrella IEEE 802 16 IEEE 802 20 Bluetooth code divi sion multiple access CDMA frequency division multiple access FDMA time division multiple access TDMA US 7 551 993 BI 5 Global System for Mobile Communications General Packet Radio Service GSM GPRS Bluetooth or others In formulating the request the diagnostic tool 100 might include the diagnostic information received from the vehicle 102 Alternatively the diagnostic tool 100 might only include part of the diagnostic information received from the vehicle 102 such as that information most directly related to the problem or modification The request might additionally include information about the make model year VIN or other identifying information for the vehicle 102 and the request might also additionally include information entered by the vehicle repair technician The diagnostic information portal 106 receives the request from the diagnostic tool 100 In response the diagnostic information portal 106 uses the diagnostic information in the request to search various information sources to determine possible causes for the problem The diagnostic information portal 106 might itself store these various information sources such as OEM diagnostic trees proprietary third party repair procedures publicly available documentation
32. pears it could be flagged for the expert to review and then linked with a work around in the library However in some cases a new work around may still need to be created If the vehicle ID match is found as shown at block 1106 then the tree can be compared to the previously reviewed tree Thus when a vehicle match is found then nodes of the new diagnostic tree can be analyzed using a natural language engine to find matches to nodes of the previously modified tree as shown at block 1114 For example a first node ofthe new tree can be compared to possibly the first three nodes of the similar tree and when substantially the same language is found then a match may be considered sufficient A given node of the new tree may be compared to any number of nodes on the similar tree however it may only be appropriate to compare nodes to those within a similar position on the trees For example nodes within certain groups on the trees can be compared or nodes at the beginnings and ends can be com pared since the nodes will be more likely to match For nodes that match information added by an expert within the modified tree can be transferred or copied to the node on the new diagnostic tree Thus the system 300 will then check the matching node for additional information such as a work around that is contained or referenced within the library 330 as shown at block 1116 The system 300 will look for approved nodes within the library 330 withi
33. pplied as shown at block 406 The modified tree may be referred to as a template or an optimized tree template for that class or model and the SME can refer to this template when modifying trees that are US 7 551 993 BI 9 within such a class The SME continues to analyze diagnostic trees until all trees or all representative trees have been evalu ated as shown at block 408 Referring to FIG 5 a flowchart 500 illustrating one example of a functional process flow for the comparison engine 340 is illustrated The comparison engine 340 is used to compare the data in a new diagnostic tree e g a subject to a model OEM diagnostic tree 312 For example data from an OEM 2005 diagnostic tree for Dodge Ram trucks a subject is compared to data from an OEM 2004 diagnostic tree for Dodge Ram trucks a model Initially the comparison engine 340 selects a subject OEM diagnostic tree 312 for optimization as shown at block 502 The comparison engine 340 then selects the appropriate opti mized tree template 332 from the template library 330 based on metadata of the templates as shown at block 504 For example each subject will include identifying data such as metadata indicating a class to which the tree belongs such as within the class of large trucks Other types of identifiers may also be used If the subject has metadata matching the model for Dodge Ram trucks the optimized tree template for Dodge Ram trucks is used In this manner t
34. r the fuel from the beaker into the fuel tester 6 Turn ON the fuel tester and note the red and green LED Isthe green LED ON Isthe red LED ON 1 Connect a DMM to the fuel tester terminals 2 Set the DMM to the AC Hz scale and take a reading of the fuel sample 3 Start the engine and monitor the fuel composition frequency on the Value Yes No 155 Hz 155 136 12 Hz Go to Go to Step2 Diagnostic System Check Engine Go to Go to Step 3 Step 5 Go to Go to Step4 Diagnostic Aids Go to Go to Step 5 Step 9 Go to Go to Step 6 Step 11 Go to Go to Step 7 Step 8 Go to Go to Step9 Step 11 Go to Go to Step9 Step 10 US 7 551 993 BI 7 TABLE 1 continued Test to be performed Node Value Yes No scan tool Is the reading from the scan tool and the DMM within the specified amount 9 Connect the flexible fuel line to the Go to injector rail Step 13 The fuel is contaminated 2 Drain the fuel tank Refer to Fuel Tank Draining Procedure 3 Replace the fuel with E85 or less Did you complete the replacement 0 Replace the FCS Refer to Fuel Com Go to position Sensor Replacement Did Step 13 you complete the replacement 1 Replace the 9 volt battery and refill Go to Goto with a fuel sample Is the RED or Step5 Step 12 GREEN led ON 2 The J 44175 has a malfunction Send ester to a repair facility Refer to the user manual for shipping and address information 3 1 Use
35. re fore while reviewing diagnostic tress SMEs may substitute methods in a tree with alternate methods for obtaining the same information which can make the diagnostic tree more accessible to a greater number of technicians The SMEs usually go through each tree and type the changes by hand which again takes a significant amount of time and effort SUMMARY The present application provides a system for modifying diagnostic trees comprising an original diagnostic tree including procedures a library for storing at least one alter nate procedure for obtaining a substantially same result as a procedure in the original diagnostic tree and a diagnostic tree editor The diagnostic tree editor compares the procedures of the original diagnostic tree to alternate procedures in the library and substitutes an alternate procedure from the library for a matching procedure in the original diagnostic tree A method for modifying diagnostic trees is also provided The method comprises selecting a procedure in an original diagnostic tree identifying an alternate procedure for obtain ing the substantially same result storing the alternate proce dure in a library as a substitution and replacing the procedure in the original diagnostic tree with a matching alternate pro cedure in the library to create a modified diagnostic tree BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An example embodiment of the present application is described herein with reference to t
36. s on platform Expert creates new work 1116 Work Around around 1110 found Work around library 1112 Expert reviews Substitute work each node and 1118 5 around nodes links to work or list approved around or lists nodes node as approved Expert approves node 1120 s Approved nodes processed Fig 11 End US 7 551 993 B1 1 DIAGNOSTIC TREE SUBSTITUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD BACKGROUND 1 Field of the Application This application relates generally to test and diagnostic systems for machines or other operating equipment More particularly the application relates to an automated process for optimizing diagnostic trees While the application is described in the context of a vehicle diagnostic system and method the principles of the present application are equally applicable for air conditioning testing and servicing systems wheel systems as well as for various non automotive appa ratus 2 Description of the Related Art Automotive vehicles are becoming highly computerized products Consequently a number of different types of diag nostic tools have been used to assist in diagnosis and repair of fault conditions in automotive vehicles Such diagnostic tools can typically be connected to an on board computer of a vehicle in order to download and analyze vehicle operational information from the on board computer For example a diagnostic tool may obtain information about a vehicle s engine trans
37. se ofa J 44175 such as the use ofa generic fuel composition tester that would yield the same results as the J 44175 Thus the diagnostic tree editor 320 would substitute J 44175 with fuel composition tester when it appears in a diagnostic tree forexample An example of nodes corresponding to steps 5 6 and 12 both before and after the substitution is illustrated in FIG 9 This procedure may occur hundreds or thousands of times at various spaces in the diagnostic trees for example Accord ingly this process is continued as shown at block 805 until the entire diagnostic tree 312 is evaluated and modified 360 for simplicity purposes In another arrangement the system 300 may modify a previously modified tree 360 For example a tree that was previously modified by the diagnostic tree editor 320 to include changes and updates to its branches to comply with the changes made for the current year could then be modified by the diagnostic tree editor 320 to substitute procedures that require use of a specific tool with alternate more generic procedures Similarly a tree that was previously modified by the diagnostic tree editor 320 substituting procedures that require the use of a specific tool with alternate more generic procedures could then be modified by the diagnostic tree editor 320 to include changes and updates to its branches to comply with the changes made for the current year In yet another arrangement diagnostic trees
38. ssional mechanics for example In one embodiment the system 300 modifies OEM diag nostic trees by updating individual branches of a diagnostic tree to comply with changes made in a tree for a previous year In this embodiment a subject matter expert SME first uses the diagnostic tree editor 320 to evaluate and edit a diagnostic tree For example the expert adds comments suggestions code or other tips to the branches or tests within the diagnostic tree The expert may not edit every single tree Instead the expert may select a template diagnostic tree as a representa tive for a class of vehicles For example the Dodge Ram 1500 OEM diagnostic tree is representative of all Dodge Ram truck diagnostic trees as a class and is considered the model for that class In this instance the expert selected a representative genus diagnostic tree e g Dodge Ram 1500 model such that changes and edits made to this tree can also be applied to all diagnostic trees that are considered a species of this genus e g all Dodge Ram trucks For example all Dodge Ram trucks may include certain characteristics present within the Dodge Ram 1500 model After editing a representative tree or editing each tree the comparison engine 340 compares data in a new diagnostic tree e g a subject to a model OEM diagnostic tree 312 to determine whether to apply edits from the edited tree to the new tree The model diagnostic tree is an unedited version of an edit
39. t block 1002 The tree may have already been modified by an expert to include a library of tests that can be performed on the first apparatus to diagnose causes of these faults Subsequently a new diagnostic tree of information relating to faults which can be experienced by a second apparatus under diagnosis is received as shown at block 1004 The second tree may need to be modified as well Suppose the second tree corresponds to a diagnostic tree for a new car model Instead of having the expert manually review the tree and provide specific sugges tions instructions or tips for performing diagnosis using the tree the second tree can be compared to a previously modified diagnostic tree that corresponds to a similar car model for example to identify matching information relating to faults that can be experienced by the first apparatus and the second apparatus as shown at block 1006 Then a second library of tests that can be performed on the second apparatus to diag nose causes of the faults experienced by the second apparatus can be produced which includes tests corresponding to the matching information as shown at block 1008 for example The method described in FIG 10 may be performed by the system 300 illustrated in FIG 3 for example FIG 11 depicts one example of a more detailed method of transferring data between diagnostic trees Initially the sys tem 300 receives a new diagnostic tree including new vehicle code tips as show
40. the scan tool in order to clear Go to Goto he DTCs Step 14 Step 2 2 Turn OFF the ignition for 30 seconds 3 Start the engine 4 Operate the vehicle within the Conditions for Running the DTC as specified in the supporting text Does the DTC run and pass 14 With a scan tool observe the stored Go to System OK information Capture Info Does the Diag scan tool display any DTCs that you nostic have not diagnosed Trouble Code DTC List The information in Table 1 is exemplary in nature to illus trate one arrangement of a diagnostic tree Some of the infor mation in the tree is standard information that is received from the OEM Additional information may be inserted by an expert after reviewing the tree to provide code tips or sugges tions for performing some of the steps The expert may draw upon his her experience or observations to provide helpful advice For example within step 6 above the expert may have provided the tip that it is important to drain the acetone completely from the tester clean the beaker and not allow fingerprints or outside debris to contaminate the fuel sample in order to give further guidance to technicians II Exemplary Diagnostic System Operation The diagnostic tool 100 or any other computer may update or edit diagnostic trees as shown for example within step 6 above Since many diagnostic trees are identical or similar in content and structure from year to year the diag nostic tool 100 can
41. u2 SO yO Aueneq si Asayeq yoyo SIA lany Jo JUNOWE Juans e 394 s Jen 329u2 yeys jou seop euifBu3 US 7 551 993 B1 Sheet 3 of 11 Jun 23 2009 U S Patent euipu3 uosueduio ejejduie saei suonnigsqns asil peziundo peziundo EUOISMOId Aowa puooas Sool onsouBbeig W30 10 p3 14 onsouBeiq S221 Payipoy blz U S Patent Yes Jun 23 2009 Sheet 4 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 Fig 4 Select an OEM diagnostic tree for modification Ns 402 404 Modify and optimize tree Save in template library with metadata as Optimized Tree Template 406 408 Additional trees to evaluate I e U S Patent Jun 23 2009 Sheet 5 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 Yes 502 Select a diagnostic tree for optimization Subject Comparison engine selects appropriate optimized tree template based on metadata 504 Evaluate and compare branches of subject to corresponding branches of model tree 506 510 Yes Substitute branch from optimized tree template in subject Do branches match Flag branch for review by SME Are branches similar Additional trees to evaluate U S Patent Jun 23 2009 Sheet 6 of 11 US 7 551 993 B1 SME selects a provisional optimized diagnostic tree 604 Select a flagged branch 608 606 ls it Yes Provisional acceptable status removed Go to step 602
42. uipment or other objects that might need to be diagnosed and repaired The diagnostic tool 100 may interface with one or more systems within the vehicle 102 to obtain diagnostic informa tion about those systems For example the diagnostic tool 100 might obtain information about the vehicle s engine transmission electrical systems air conditioning system braking system power steering system or any other systems The diagnostic tool 100 might interface directly with these various systems as is illustrated in FIG 1 Alternatively the diagnostic tool 100 might interface with other diagnostic equipment not shown which in turn interfaces with various systems or components in the vehicle 102 Other configura tions are also possible 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 Depending on the vehicle 102 and the particular configu ration of the diagnostic tool 100 or other equipment the diagnostic tool 100 may automatically obtain information about the various systems in the vehicle 102 That is the diagnostic tool 100 might obtain this information automati cally upon being connected to the vehicle 102 or upon an appropriate prompt from a user ofthe diagnostic tool 100 An automated process such as this allows a vehicle repair tech nician to quickly and efficiently obtain diagnostic informa tion about various systems in the vehicle 102 The vehicle repair technician might also manually direct the diagnostic tool
43. ults the system then presents the user with a list of tests to be performed to diagnose the cause or causes of the faults The tests can be listed in the order in which they would most likely be effective in diagnosing the vehicle faults based upon manufacturer s information and previous repair and diagno sis experience with this type of vehicle for example Manufacturers create diagnostic trees to illustrate the tests for their vehicles on an annual basis such as for individual Year Make Model combinations The menu of problems and diagnostic trees can include a standard list of symptoms to be used for all vehicles since vehicles use common technology For example all vehicles have mechanical ignition fuel and computer components that function in roughly the same man ner A standard list of symptoms is used because it provides a consistent interface and diagnostic philosophy for all vehicles and promotes technician and service writer famil 0 40 45 55 2 larization Other more specific symptoms can then be assigned to specific vehicles for which particular problems are known to exist In developing test procedures expert automotive techni cians may evaluate each individual symptom for each specific vehicle Based on their experience they develop a list of causes for each symptom and determine a test procedure the user should perform for each cause The experts attempt to cover any diagnostic trouble code that could
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