Transfer dongle for stored vehicle information
A dongle for transferring electronic information from and to a vehicle module. The dongle collects and stores data specific to a module or component in the original format and enables that original data to be written or uploaded to a repaired or new module or component. Preferably, the dongle is programmed for limited use and will disable itself after a successful data transfer to the module or component.
1. A dongle for reprogramming a vehicle component with pre-existing electronic data, the dongle comprising:
an interface that connects with a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a diagnostic circuit that interrogates a vehicle's on-board electronics and determines a communication protocol for pre-existing data stored in a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a circuit that collects pre-existing data associated with a specific vehicle component in the data's original format;
a memory that receives and stores the collected pre-existing data in the data's original format;
a circuit that transfers the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component in the data's original format; and
a controller that deactivates the dongle in response to a positive indictor signal that the pre-existing data stored in the memory transferred from the memory into a specific vehicle component.
2. The dongle of claim 1 further comprising an indicator, which signals that the diagnostic circuit successfully determined a communication protocol for pre-existing data stored in the vehicle's on-board electronics.
3. The dongle of claim 1 further comprising an indicator, which signals that the memory stored the pre-existing data.
4. The dongle of claim 1 further comprising an indicator, which signals that the pre-existing data stored in the memory transferred from the memory into a specific vehicle component.
5. The dongle of claim 1 , wherein the dongle connects through a communication protocol selected from a group comprised of: J1850 PWM; J1850 VPW; ISO 9141-2; ISO 14230; KWP2000; and, ISO 15765 CAN.
6. A dongle for reprogramming a vehicle component with pre-existing electronic data, the dongle comprising:
an interface that connects with a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a diagnostic circuit that interrogates a vehicle's on-board electronics and determines a communication protocol for pre-existing data stored in a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a circuit that collects pre-existing data associated with a specific vehicle component in the data's original format;
a memory that receives and stores the collected pre-existing data in the data's original format;
a circuit that transfers the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component in the data's original format; and
a controller that limits attempts to transfer the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component to a predetermined number and deactivates the dongle in response to a positive indictor signal that the pre-existing data stored in the memory transferred from the memory into a specific vehicle component.
7. The dongle of claim 6 , wherein the dongle connects through a communication protocol selected from a group comprised of: J1850 PWM; J1850 VPW; ISO 9141-2; ISO 14230; KWP2000; and, ISO 15765 CAN.
8. A dongle for reprogramming a vehicle component with pre-existing electronic data, the dongle comprising:
an interface that connects with a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a diagnostic circuit that interrogates a vehicle's on-board electronics and determines a communication protocol for pre-existing data stored in a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a circuit that collects pre-existing data associated with a specific vehicle component in the data's original format;
a memory that receives and stores the collected pre-existing data in the data's original format;
a circuit that transfers the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component in the data's original format; and
a controller that limits attempts to transfer the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component to a predetermined number of available attempts and deactivates the dongle in response to an indication that the predetermined number of attempts available were attempted.
9. The dongle of claim 8 wherein the controller deactivates the dongle in response to a positive indictor signal that the pre-existing data stored in the memory transferred from the memory into a specific vehicle component.
10. The dongle of claim 8 , wherein the dongle connects through a communication protocol selected from a group comprised of: J1850 PWM; J1850 VPW; ISO 9141-2; ISO 14230; KWP2000; and, ISO 15765 CAN.
11. A dongle for reprogramming a vehicle component with pre-existing electronic data, the dongle comprising:
an interface that connects with a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a diagnostic circuit that interrogates a vehicle's on-board electronics and determines a communication protocol for pre-existing data stored in a vehicle's on-board electronics;
a circuit that collects pre-existing data associated with a specific vehicle component in the data's original format;
a memory that receives and stores the collected pre-existing data in the data's original format;
a circuit that transfers the stored pre-existing data from the memory into a specific vehicle component in the data's original format; and
a security key that prevents the circuit for collecting pre-existing data from collecting data associated with any component other than the specific vehicle component.
12. The dongle of claim 11 , wherein the dongle connects through a communication protocol selected from a group comprised of: J1850 PWM; J1850 VPW; ISO 9141-2; ISO 14230; KWP2000; and, ISO 15765 CAN.