Devices for Testing the Operability of Electronic Circuitry

• US 20090303062A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: McGuire, Andrew I., Hamilton, Lance E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,859,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/656
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/12 Circuits for multi-testers , i.e. multimeters, e.g. for measuring voltage, current, or impedance at will
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/69 of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances

Abstract

A device for testing the operability of an AC power outlet, a DC power outlet and A/V input jacks may include an AC test circuit, a DC test circuit, an A/V test circuit, a logic circuit, and a system OK indicator. At least the AC test circuit and the DC test circuit may be operatively connected to the logic circuit such that when at least the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning power outlets, the system OK indicator is activated.

Claims

1. A device for simultaneously testing the operability of an AC power outlet, a DC power outlet an A/V input jack, the device comprising an AC test circuit, a DC test circuit, an A/V test circuit, a logic circuit, and a system OK indicator, wherein:

the AC test circuit comprises an AC plug operatively connected to an AC OK indicator such that, when the AC plug is inserted in a functioning AC power outlet, the AC OK indicator is activated;

the DC test circuit comprises a DC plug operatively connected to a DC OK indicator such that, when the DC plug is inserted in a functioning DC power outlet, the DC OK indicator is activated;

the A/V test circuit comprises a video plug such that, when the video plug is connected to a functioning video input jack the user of the testing device is provided with an indication of proper operation of the video input jack wherein the indication may be visual, audible or both; and

at least the AC test circuit and the DC test circuit are operatively connected to the logic circuit, wherein the logic circuit is operable to trigger the system OK indicator when at least the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning AC power outlet and a functioning DC power outlet, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the A/V test circuit further comprises an A/V OK indicator operatively connected to the video plug such that, when the video plug is inserted into a video input jack operatively connected to a continuous video circuit, the A/V OK indicator is activated;

and

the A/V test circuit is operatively connected to the logic circuit and the logic circuit is operable to trigger the system OK indicator when the video plug is operatively connected to a continuous video circuit and the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning AC power outlet and a functioning DC power outlet, respectively.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the A/V test circuit further comprises a media source operatively connected to the video plug such that, when the video plug is connected to a video input jack which is operatively connected to a video monitor, video media from the media source may be displayed on the video monitor thereby providing the user of the device with a visual indication of the operability of the video input jack.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the A/V test circuit further comprises an audio plug operatively connected to the media source such that, when the audio plug is connected to an audio input jack which is operatively connected to an audio system, audio from the media source may be played over the audio system thereby providing the user of the device with audible verification of the operability of the audio input jack.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a remote control module.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the AC plug, the DC plug and the video plug are detachable.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the AC plug, the DC plug and the video plug are attached to the device with leads.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the AC outlet, the DC outlet and the video input jack are located in a vehicle.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the system OK indicator comprises an audible indicator, a visual indicator or both.

19. The device of claim 3 wherein the A/V test circuit further comprises an A/V OK indicator operatively connected to the video input plug such that, when the video plug is connected to a video input jack operatively connected to a continuous video circuit, the A/V OK indicator is illuminated;

and

the A/V test circuit is operatively connected to the logic circuit and the logic circuit is operable to trigger the system OK indicator when the video plug is operatively connected to a continuous video circuit and the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning AC power outlet and a functioning DC power outlet, respectively.

20. The device of claim 3 further comprising a remote control module.

10. A device for simultaneously testing the operability of an AC power outlet, a DC power outlet and a video input jack, the device comprising an AC test circuit, a DC test circuit, an A/V test circuit, a logic circuit, and a system OK indicator, wherein:

the AC test circuit comprises an AC plug operatively connected to a rectifying circuit and an AC OK indicator such that, when the AC plug is inserted in a functioning AC power outlet, an AC signal from the AC power outlet is converted to a DC signal and the AC OK indicator is illuminated;

the DC test circuit comprises a DC plug operatively connected to a voltage regulator and a DC OK indicator such that, when the DC plug is inserted in a functioning DC power outlet, the DC signal of the DC power outlet is regulated and the DC OK indicator is illuminated;

the A/V test circuit comprises a video plug operatively attached to an A/V OK indicator such that, when the video plug is connected to a video input jack operatively connected to a continuous video circuit, the A/V OK indicator is illuminated; and

the AC test circuit, the DC test circuit and the A/V test circuit are operatively connected to the logic circuit, wherein the logic circuit is operable to trigger the system OK indicator when the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning AC power outlet and a functioning DC power outlet, respectively, and the video plug is connected to a video input jack operatively connected to a continuous video circuit.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the rectifying circuit comprises a bridge rectifying circuit and the AC output signal of the AC power outlet is a 115 volt AC signal which is rectified to a 1.8 volt DC by the rectifying circuit before the AC OK indicator is illuminated.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the DC output signal of the DC power outlet is a 13.2 volt DC signal which is regulated to a 5 volt DC signal by the DC regulator before the DC OK indicator is illuminated.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the logic circuit comprises a quad operational amplifier and a 3 input AND gate.

14. A device for simultaneously testing the operability of an AC power outlet, a DC power outlet, A/V input jacks, the device comprising an AC test circuit, a DC test circuit, an A/V test circuit, a logic circuit, and a system OK indicator, wherein:

the AC test circuit comprises an AC plug operatively connected to a rectifying circuit and an AC OK indicator such that, when the AC plug is inserted in a functioning AC power outlet, an AC signal from the AC power outlet is converted to a DC signal and the AC OK indicator is illuminated;

the DC test circuit comprises a DC plug operatively connected to a voltage regulator and a DC OK indicator such that, when the DC plug is inserted in a functioning DC power outlet, the DC signal of the DC power outlet is regulated and the DC OK indicator is illuminated;

the A/V test circuit comprises a video plug operatively attached to a media source such that, when the video plug is connected to a video input jack which is operatively connected to a video monitor video media from the media source may be displayed on the video monitor thereby providing the user of the device with a visual indication of the operability of the video input jack; and

at least the AC test circuit and the DC test circuit are operatively connected to the logic circuit, wherein the logic circuit is operable to trigger the system OK indicator when a least the AC plug and the DC plug are inserted in a functioning AC power outlet and a functioning DC power outlet, respectively.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the A/V test circuit further comprises an audio plug operatively connected to the media source such that, when the audio plug is connected to an audio input jack which is operatively connected to an audio system, audio media from the media source may be played over the audio system thereby providing the user of the device with audible verification of the operability of the audio input jack.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the rectifying circuit comprises a bridge rectifying circuit and the AC output signal of the AC power outlet is a 115 volt AC signal which is rectified to a 1.8 volt DC by the rectifying circuit before the AC OK indicator is illuminated.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the DC output signal of the DC power outlet is a 13.2 volt DC signal which is regulated to a 5 volt DC signal by the DC regulator before the DC OK indicator is illuminated.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the logic circuit comprises a quad operational amplifier and an AND gate.