Technical Information Management Apparatus and Method for Vehicle Diagnostic Tools

Abstract

A technical information management device includes an information manager, a data manager, a user interface builder, and a vehicle technical information database. The information manager accesses the database in order to provide a segment of the vehicle technical information to the user interface builder. The data manager receives conditioned input data from a vehicle diagnostic tool and sends it to the user interface builder. The user interface builder includes a graphics generator and a display screen formatter. The graphics generator converts the vehicle diagnostic data into graphical coordinate data and the display screen formatter formats the graphical coordinate data for real time display in a digital multimeter mode or in a scope mode. The user interface builder further can display a dual-display screen wherein half of the screen is a vehicle diagnostic data display and the other half of the screen displays vehicle technical information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of managing technical information in a vehicle diagnostic tool, comprising the steps of:
 storing a database containing vehicle technical information;   facilitating user selection of a vehicle component for which to retrieve information;   storing the component selection throughout a component functional test session;   accessing the database to retrieve a segment of the information corresponding to the component selection; and   preparing an information display including the segment of the information.   
     
     
         2 . A computer program product configured to manage technical information in a vehicle diagnostic tool, including a computer-readable medium encoded with instructions configured to be executed by a processor in order to perform predetermined operations comprising the steps of: storing a database containing vehicle technical information;
 facilitating user selection of a vehicle component for which to retrieve information;   storing the component selection throughout a component functional test session;   accessing the database to retrieve a segment of the information corresponding to the component selection; and   preparing an information display including the segment of the information.