Vehicle diagnostic method and system with intelligent data collection

1. A vehicle diagnostic method for using a vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the method including the steps of:

determining, by a data processor of the vehicle diagnostic device, an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of a maintenance process performed on a vehicle; and

responsive to the existence of the event:

automatically initiating, by the data processor, a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating, by the data processor, a data transmission process to transmit, by a transmitter of the vehicle diagnostic device, the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system via a data network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of soliciting input of the data related to the maintenance process from a user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the maintenance process is performed in connection with a specific symptom; and

the collected data includes at least one of an effective fix of the symptom and a description of the symptom.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the soliciting step includes displaying, by a display of the vehicle diagnostic device, a message requesting an input of the data related to the maintenance process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the existence of the performance or completion of the maintenance process is determined based on the existence of a command to clear an error code, a change of a serial number associated with a controller on the vehicle, or a removal of an error code from an error code record.

6. A vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the device comprising:

a data processing unit configured to process data; and

a storage device storing instructions that, upon execution by the data processing unit, control the diagnostic device to perform the steps of:

determining an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of the maintenance process; and

responsive to the existence of the event:

automatically initiating a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating a data transmission process to transmit the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system coupled to the diagnostic device via a data network.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, upon execution by the data processing unit, control the diagnostic device to solicit input of the data related to the maintenance process from a user.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein:

the maintenance process is performed in connection with a specific symptom; and

the collected data includes at least one of an effective fix of the symptom and a description of the symptom.

9. The device of claim 7 further including a screen configured to display a message requesting an input of the data related to the maintenance process.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein the existence of the event representing a performance or completion of the maintenance process is determined based on the existence of a command to clear an error code, a change of a serial number associated with a controller on the vehicle, or a removal of an error code from an error code record.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the device is non-integral to the vehicle and configured to couple to a data port of the vehicle to communicate with an on-board computer of the vehicle.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the data port is an OBD II interface.

13. The device of claim 6 further including a connector for coupling to a data bus of an on-board diagnostic system of the vehicle.

14. The device of claim 6 , wherein the data is transmitted in a wireless manner.

15. A vehicle diagnostic device, external to a vehicle, for performing a maintenance process on the vehicle, the device comprising:

data processing means for processing data; and

storage means for storing instructions that, upon execution by the data processing means, controls the diagnostic device to perform the steps of:

determining an existence of an event representing a performance or completion of maintenance process; and

responsive to the existence of the event:

automatically initiating a data collection process to collect data related to the maintenance process; and

initiating a data transmission process to transmit the collected data related to the maintenance process to a remote data processing system coupled to the diagnostic device via a data network.