US Patent 9002572 Docked/undocked vehicle communication interface module

A diagnostic system that includes a vehicle communication interface (VCI) and a diagnostic tool is provided. When the VCI and the diagnostic tool are coupled together through a wired connection, the VCI and the diagnostic tool can communicate with each other and provide power, as needed, to each other. The VCI and the diagnostic tool can also communicate with each other wirelessly when they are not directly coupled to each other. The VCI and the diagnostic tool are configured so that communication is uninterrupted when going from the wired connection to the wireless connection and vice versa.