Active wheel speed sensor tester

• US 20080053189A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bell, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US11/514,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053189A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.37
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/02 of speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844

Abstract

A tester for testing an active wheel speed sensor of a vehicle, comprising: a module testing portion to assess operation of a system control module by monitoring an electrical output from the system control module and to indicate proper operation of the system control module with a first indicator; and a sensor testing portion to assess the operation of the active wheel speed sensor and to indicate proper operation with a second indicator.

Claims

1. A tester for testing an active wheel speed sensor of a vehicle, comprising:

a module testing portion configured to assess operation of a system control module by monitoring an electrical output from the system control module and to indicate proper operation of the system control module with a first indicator; and

a sensor testing portion configured to assess operation of the active wheel speed sensor and to indicate proper operation with a second indicator.

2. The tester of claim 1 wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are LEDs.

3. The tester of claim 2 wherein the sensor testing portion includes electronic circuits to detect if a current in the active wheel speed sensor is in a predetermined range, a predetermined high current state, or a predetermined low current state.

4. The tester of claim 3 wherein the electronic circuit is configured to indicate a current level LED if the current is outside the predetermined range, and light a high current state LED if the current is in the predetermined high current state, and light a low current state LED if the current is in the predetermined low current state.

5. The tester of claim 4 wherein proper function of the active wheel speed sensor is indicated by blink of the lighting of the high current state LED and the low current state LED while a wheel is turned.

6. The tester of claim 1 wherein the wheel speed sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

7. The tester of claim 5 wherein the system control module is an anti-lock braking system (ABS) module and the module testing portion is configured to assess operation of the ABS module.

8. A tester for diagnosing an active wheel speed sensor of a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor testing portion to assess operation of the active wheel speed sensor and to indicate proper operation of the active wheel speed sensor by a plurality of indicators; and

a polarity switch, which is configured to enable variation of a polarity of the tester without having to disconnect the tester from the active wheel speed sensor.

9. The tester of claim 8 wherein the indicators are LEDs.

10. The tester of the claim 9 wherein the system control module is an anti-lock braking system (ABS) module.

11. The tester of claim 10 wherein the tester further includes an ABS module test portion to assess proper operation of the ABS circuit and to indicate proper operation of ABS circuit by a LED.

12. The tester of claim 9 wherein the sensor testing portion includes electronic circuits to detect if a current in the active wheel speed sensor is in a predetermined range, a predetermined high current state, or a predetermined low current state wherein a current level LED is lighted if the current is outside the predetermined range, a high current state LED is lighted if the current is in the predetermined high current state, and a low current state LED is lighted if the current is in the predetermined low current state.

13. The tester of claim 12 wherein proper operation of the active wheel speed sensor is indicated by blink of the lighting of the high current state LED and a low current state LED while a wheel is turned.

14. The tester of claim 9 wherein the LEDs are further configured to indicate a polarity match between the tester and the active wheel speed sensor wherein the polarity of the tester matches the polarity of the active wheel speed sensor if the light of the current level LED indicates that the current in the active wheel speed sensor is in the predetermined range, or if the high current state LED or the low current state LED is lighted when the active wheel speed sensor is plugged into the tester.

15. An active wheel speed sensor tester for a vehicle, comprising:

a tester body including electronics for diagnosing an active wheel speed sensor; and

a set of multiple detachable connection harnesses, where each connection harness has a tester connector and a sensor connector, the tester connector and sensor connector of each detachable connection harness being operable to cause the connection harness to electrically couple the tester body with an active wheel speed sensor of a vehicle, wherein each sensor connector includes a physical configuration of electrical contacts that is different from the other sensor connectors, and where the set of detachable connection harnesses collectively enables use of the active wheel speed sensor tester with a variety of different vehicle types.

16. The tester of claim 15 wherein the tester body is further configured to assess proper operation of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) module of a vehicle.

17. The tester of claim 16 wherein each connection harness further includes a module connector being operable to cause the connection harness to electrically couple the tester body with the ABS module.

18. The tester of claim 17 wherein the tester is configured to test both the active wheel speed sensor and the ABS module when the tester is connected to the active wheel speed sensor and the ABS module through each set of connection harness.

19. The tester of the claim 17 wherein the tester further includes an on-board battery so that the active wheel speed sensor can be tested independent of the testing of the ABS module when only the sensor connector is connected to the tester body.

20. The tester of the claim 15 wherein the physical configuration includes one of number, shape, size, and location of pins in the sensor connector.