Abstract: In an exemplary vehicle service facility that provides vehicle related sales, maintenance services or the like, a diagnostic tool has wireless packet data communication capabilities. To support voice communication, the tool also has one or more audible input/output transducers and a vocoder, and is configured to use VoIP technology or the like to enable wireless packet data transport of voice calls over the same wireless data links. The packet voice capability can support voice communications with technicians using other tools at the facility or with personnel in an office at the service facility. If the facility has a data link to a wide area packet network, like the Internet, the packet voice capability may also support voice communications with other parties having packet service. Examples are technicians at other locations or various personnel of technical support services for the tools or for different types of vehicles.

Abstract: In an exemplary vehicle service facility that provides vehicle related sales, maintenance services or the like, a diagnostic tool has wireless packet data communication capabilities. To support voice communication, the tool also has one or more audible input/output transducers and a vocoder, and is configured to use VoIP technology or the like to enable wireless packet data transport of voice calls over the same wireless data links. The packet voice capability can support voice communications with technicians using other tools at the facility or with personnel in an office at the service facility. If the facility has a data link to a wide area packet network, like the Internet, the packet voice capability may also support voice communications with other parties having packet service. Examples are technicians at other locations or various personnel of technical support services for the tools or for different types of vehicles.

Abstract: A programmable vehicle or engine diagnostic tool includes an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine, a user interface, and a central processing unit, for processing the signal to generate information for presentation to the user. To facilitate fast boot yet enable re-programming of the diagnostic tool, the system utilizes a non-volatile random access memory main memory for the processor based tool, to store the programming for execution by the central processing unit. Disclosed examples of suitable memories include magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory.

Abstract: A programmable vehicle or engine diagnostic tool includes an interface for receiving a signal relating to a performance parameter of the vehicle or engine, a user interface, and a central processing unit, for processing the signal to generate information for presentation to the user. To facilitate fast boot yet enable re-programming of the diagnostic tool, the system utilizes a non-volatile random access memory main memory for the processor based tool, to store the programming for execution by the central processing unit. Disclosed examples of suitable memories include magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), carbon nanotube random access memory (CN-RAM) and programmable metallization memory cell (PMC) memory.

Abstract: A high efficiency multiple power level amplifier circuit for reducing power consumption during low power operations. A plurality of power amplifier stages are cascaded to provide multiple levels of amplification. At least one power amplification stage includes a signal switching network to allow one or any combination of power amplifiers to be switched out when lower power operations are desired. The switched out power amplifiers are biased such that substantially no current is drawn from the power source.