Method and apparatus for remote maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of a motorized wheelchair

A wheelchair diagnostic system, comprising:

• a data communications network;
• a motorized wheelchair having a controller associated therewith;
• a modem coupled between the controller and the data communications network;
• a remote data processing unit coupled to the data communications network;
• and
• a diagnostics tool executing on the remote data processing unit which facilitates communicating with the controller across the data communications network, the diagnostics tool including computer readable code means for causing first data from the controller to be downloaded across the data communications network to the remote data processing unit.

A program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to display first data received across a data communication network from a controller associated with a wheelchair, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing the computer to effect downloading of the first data from a memory associated with the controller;
• and
• computer readable program code means for causing the computer to effect displaying the first data on a video monitor, the first data including at least one of error code data and drive parameter data.