Tire Pressure Monitor System Tool with Parts Number Database

A tool for use with a tire pressure monitor system of a vehicle, comprising:

• means for storing configured to store a plurality of communication protocols used by the tire pressure monitor system to interface with a vehicle electronic control unit, the means for storing further including a database having parts number of sensors utilized with the tire pressure monitor system, the database further includes vehicle data associated with the tire pressure monitor system;
• means for requesting configured to request the vehicle data from the means for storing based on a parts number of the sensor entered by a user;
• means for accessing configured to access the means for storing to retrieve at least one communication protocol based on the vehicle data;
• means for selecting configured to select the communication protocol based on the vehicle data;
• means for communicating configured to receive and transmit the communication protocol to and from the electronic control unit and to and from the sensor;
• and
• means for processing in communication with the means for storing, the means for requesting, the means for receiving, the means for accessing, the means for selecting and the means for communicating, the means for processing configured to operate the tool and its functionality.

A method of using a tire pressure monitor system, comprising:

• storing in memory a plurality of communication protocols used by the tire pressure monitor system to interface with a vehicle electronic control unit, and a database having parts number of sensors utilized with the tire pressure monitor system, wherein the database further includes vehicle data associated with the tire pressure monitor system;
• requesting vehicle data from the memory based on a parts number of the sensor entered by a user;
• receiving vehicle data from the memory based on the parts number of the sensor entered by the user;
• accessing the memory to retrieve at least one communication protocol based on the vehicle data;
• determining communication protocol based on the vehicle data;
• and
• communicating with electronic control unit utilized by the tire pressure monitoring system with the communication protocol.