Vehicle alternator monitoring system and related failure monitoring method
First Claim
1. A vehicle alternator failure monitoring system for monitoring an operational failure of a vehicle alternator, the vehicle alternator failure monitoring system comprising:
- an external control device operative to perform processing depending on a power generation status of the vehicle alternator; and
a vehicle alternator control device controlling a generated voltage of the vehicle alternator at a given level and operative to transmit a serial communication signal representing the power generation status of the vehicle alternator to the external control device over a serial communication;
wherein the vehicle alternator control device comprises power generation status signal transmission means operative to transmit the serial communication signal in at least two transmission modes including a first power generation status signal transmission mode to transmit a first data representing a first content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator and a failure flag indicative of the presence of or absence of the operational failure of the vehicle alternator and a second power generation status signal transmission mode to transmit a second data representing a second content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle alternator failure monitoring system and related monitoring method are disclosed wherein an ECU executes operations depending on a power generation status of a vehicle alternator and a vehicle alternator control device has a serial communication transmitter circuit operative to transmit a serial communication signal, indicative of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator, to the ECU. The serial communication transmitter circuit has a first power generation status signal transmission mode in which a first power generation status signal, representing the power generation status, is transmitted together with a failure flag representing the presence of or absence of an operational failure, related to the vehicle alternator, and a second power generation status signal transmission mode in which a second power generation status signal, representing the power generation status, is transmitted together with additional data representing an operational state of the vehicle alternator.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A vehicle alternator failure monitoring system for monitoring an operational failure of a vehicle alternator, the vehicle alternator failure monitoring system comprising:
-
an external control device operative to perform processing depending on a power generation status of the vehicle alternator; and
a vehicle alternator control device controlling a generated voltage of the vehicle alternator at a given level and operative to transmit a serial communication signal representing the power generation status of the vehicle alternator to the external control device over a serial communication;
wherein the vehicle alternator control device comprises power generation status signal transmission means operative to transmit the serial communication signal in at least two transmission modes including a first power generation status signal transmission mode to transmit a first data representing a first content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator and a failure flag indicative of the presence of or absence of the operational failure of the vehicle alternator and a second power generation status signal transmission mode to transmit a second data representing a second content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18)
-
-
15. A method of monitoring an operational failure of a vehicle alternator, the method comprising:
-
preparing an external control device operative to perform processing depending on a power generation status of the vehicle alternator;
preparing a vehicle alternator control device controlling a generated voltage of the vehicle alternator at a given level and operative to transmit a serial communication signal representing the power generation status of the vehicle alternator to the external control device over a serial communication; and
transmitting one of the first and second serial communication signals in at least two transmission modes including a first power generation status signal transmission mode and a second power generation status signal transmission mode;
wherein the first serial communication signal includes a first data representing a first content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator and a failure flag indicative of the presence of or absence of the operational failure of the vehicle alternator; and
the second serial communication signal includes a second data representing a second content of the power generation status of the vehicle alternator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 19)
-
Specification