Authoring diagnostic test sequences apparatus and method

• US 20060178791A1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Mayes, Randy L., Fountain, Gregory J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic test sequence authoring module includes a flowchart display screen, an add node display screen, an expression builder display screen, a panel editor display screen, a phrase editor display screen, and a meter editor display screen. Each of the author module display screens include a combination of selectable fields, including editable text fields, dropdown menu fields, checkbox fields, selectable bullet fields, logical display buttons, and logical links, that facilitate development of diagnostic test sequences, represented by hierarchical flowcharts, by vehicle diagnostics experts who do not have substantial knowledge of a computer programming language. A flowchart includes multiple nodes, representing individual test steps, and branches that connect the nodes. Logical expressions based on vehicle test conditions determine the flow of the test sequence.

Claims

1. An authoring tool, comprising:

a flowchart module to create or modify a diagnostic test sequence, the flowchart module including a first display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the diagnostic test sequence;

a panel editor module to create or modify a display panel that displays an instruction associated with the diagnostic test sequence during diagnostic testing, the panel editor module including a second display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the display panel; and

an expression editor module to create or modify a logical expression associated with the diagnostic test sequence, the expression editor module including a third display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the logical expression;

wherein the flowchart module incorporates the display panel and the logical expression into the diagnostic test sequence.

2. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the expression editor module is configured to evaluate a syntax of the logical expression in order to produce a valid computer program code to execute the logical expression.

3. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the expression editor module is configured to create or modify the logical expression to evaluate data, including a plurality of data types from a plurality of data sources, in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data.

4. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the logical expression is associated with a test step to determine an action to be taken if the logical expression is valid.

5. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the logical expression is associated with a branch to determine a next test step of the diagnostic test sequence if the logical expression is valid.

6. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein diagnostic test sequence data is stored to a database in a memory device.

7. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the modules store data in a memory device using a global signaling memory system, whereby the modules communicate to share the data.

8. The authoring tool of claim 7, wherein the expression editor module is configured to create or modify the logical expression to evaluate data from the global signaling memory system in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data.

9. The authoring tool of claim 8, wherein the expression editor module is further configured to create or modify the logical expression to evaluate data received from a peripheral device in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data.

10. The authoring tool of claim 8, wherein the expression editor module is further configured to create or modify the logical expression to evaluate user input data in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data.

11. The authoring tool of claim 8, wherein the expression editor module is further configured to create or modify the logical expression to generate a command signal to send to a peripheral device in order to command the peripheral device to perform a test action.

12. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein node data, branch data and node logical expression data are stored to a system database in a memory device;

test subject data, flowchart data, form data, panel data, tab data, meter data and form logical expression data are stored to a common database in the memory device; and

text and language data are stored to a dictionary database in the memory device.

13. The authoring tool of claim 12, wherein the expression editor module is configured to create or modify the logical expression to evaluate system data from the system database and common data from the common database in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the system data and the common data.

14. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic test sequence includes a test step represented by a node.

15. The authoring tool of claim 14, wherein the diagnostic test sequence is represented by a flowchart, and a flow path from the node to a next node is represented by a branch.

16. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third display images comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby the diagnostic test sequence, the display panel and the logical expression are created or modified through direct manipulation of displayed graphical representations of objects and symbols by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device.

17. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a phrase editor module to create or modify a text on the display panel, the phrase editor module including a fourth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the text, wherein the panel editor module incorporates the text into the display panel.

18. The authoring tool of claim 17, wherein the fourth display image comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby the text is created or modified through direct manipulation of displayed graphical representations of objects and symbols by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device.

19. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a meter editor module to create or modify a meter on the display panel, the meter editor module including a fourth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the meter, wherein the panel editor module incorporates the meter into the display panel.

20. The authoring tool of claim 19, wherein the fourth display image comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby the meter is created or modified through direct manipulation of displayed graphical representations of objects and symbols by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device.

21. An authoring tool, comprising:

a flowchart module to create or modify a diagnostic test sequence, the flowchart module including a first display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the diagnostic test sequence, wherein the diagnostic test sequence is represented by a hierarchical flowchart including a test step represented by a node and a flow path from the node to a next node represented by a branch;

a panel editor module to create or modify a display panel associated with the node that displays an instruction associated with the diagnostic test sequence during diagnostic testing, the panel editor module including a second display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the display panel;

a phrase editor module to create or modify a text on the display panel, the phrase editor module including a third display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the text;

a meter editor module to create or modify a meter on the display panel, the meter editor module including a fourth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the meter; and

an expression editor module to create or modify a logical expression associated with the flowchart to evaluate data, including a plurality of data types from a plurality of data sources, in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data, the expression editor module evaluating a syntax of the logical expression in order to produce a valid computer program code to execute the logical expression, the expression editor module including a fifth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the logical expression;

wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth display images comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby the diagnostic test sequence, the display panel, the text, the meter and the logical expression are created or modified through direct manipulation of displayed graphical representations of objects and symbols by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device; and

the panel editor module incorporates the text and the meter into the display panel, and the flowchart module incorporates the display panel and the logical expression into the flowchart; and

diagnostic test sequence data is stored to at least one database in a memory device.

22. The authoring tool of claim 21, wherein the logical expression is associated with the node to determine an action to be taken if the logical expression is valid.

23. The authoring tool of claim 21, wherein the logical expression is associated with a branch to determine a next test step of the diagnostic test sequence if the logical expression is valid.

24. The authoring tool of claim 21, wherein the modules store data in a memory device using a global signaling memory system, whereby the modules communicate to share the data.

25. A method of providing diagnostic test sequence authoring capability, comprising the steps of:

displaying a first display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying a diagnostic test sequence;

displaying a second display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying a display panel to display an instruction associated with the diagnostic test sequence during diagnostic testing;

displaying a third display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying a text on the display panel;

displaying a fourth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying a logical expression associated with the diagnostic test sequence to evaluate data, including a plurality of data types from a plurality of data sources, in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data;

evaluating a syntax of the logical expression in order to produce a valid computer program code to execute the logical expression;

receiving user input through direct manipulation of a graphical user interface (GUI) by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device, including input to modify the text or input to select one of the plurality of selectable fields; and

creating a diagnostic test sequence incorporating the display panel and the logical expression.

26. The method of providing diagnostic test sequence authoring capability of claim 25, further comprising the step of storing diagnostic test sequence data, display panel data and logical expression data in a database.

27. The method of providing diagnostic test sequence authoring capability of claim 25, further comprising the step of communicating shared data by way of a global signaling memory system.

28. An authoring tool, comprising:

means for creating or modifying a diagnostic test sequence, including means for displaying a first display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the diagnostic test sequence;

means for creating or modifying a display panel that displays an instruction associated with the diagnostic test sequence during diagnostic testing, including means for displaying a second display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the display panel;

means for creating or modifying a text on the display panel, including means for displaying a third display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the text; and

means for creating or modifying a logical expression associated with the diagnostic test sequence to evaluate data, including a plurality of data types from a plurality of data sources, in order to determine a test action or make a test sequence decision based on the data, including means for evaluating a syntax of the logical expression in order to produce a valid computer program code to execute the logical expression and means for displaying a fourth display image with a plurality of selectable fields to facilitate creating or modifying the logical expression;

wherein the first, second, third and fourth display images comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby the diagnostic test sequence, the display panel, the text and the logical expression are created or modified through direct manipulation of displayed graphical representations of objects and symbols by way of an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device; and

the means for creating or modifying a diagnostic test sequence incorporates the display panel and the logical expression into the diagnostic test sequence.

29. The authoring tool of claim 28, further comprising means for storing diagnostic test sequence data to a database in a memory device.

30. The authoring tool of claim 28, further comprising means for communicating shared data by way of a global signaling memory system.