Diagnostic fault clearing system

• US 20070055421A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Stempnik, Joseph, Baltes, Kevin, Bauerle, Paul, Van Diepen, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostics clearing system that detects a clear diagnostic faults flag and clears diagnostic faults from a control module includes a clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module and a clear diagnostic faults module. The clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module periodically monitors the clear diagnostic faults flag in the control module. When the clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module detects that the clear diagnostic faults flag is set, the clear diagnostic faults module clears the diagnostic faults from the control module for a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostics clearing system that detects a clear diagnostic faults flag and clears diagnostic faults from a control module, comprising:

a clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module that periodically monitors the clear diagnostic faults flag in the control module; and

a clear diagnostic faults module that clears the diagnostic faults from the control module for a predetermined period after the clear diagnostic faults flag is set in the control module.

2. The vehicle diagnostics clearing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a timer that increments when said clear diagnostic faults flag monitoring module determines that the clear diagnostic faults flag has been set in the control module; and

a comparing module that determines if said timer is less than said predetermined period.

3. The vehicle diagnostics clearing system of claim 2 wherein said clear diagnostics faults module clears the diagnostic faults from the control module when said timer is less than said predetermined period.

4. A vehicle diagnostics clearing method that detects a clear diagnostic faults flag and clears diagnostic faults, comprising:

periodically determining if the clear diagnostics faults flag has been set; and

clearing the diagnostic faults for a predetermined period after the clear diagnostic faults flag has been set.

5. The vehicle diagnostics clearing method of claim 4 further comprising:

incrementing a timer when the clear diagnostic faults flag has been set; and

determining if said timer is less than said predetermined period.

6. The vehicle diagnostics clearing method of claim 5 wherein the diagnostic faults are cleared when said timer is less than said predetermined period.