SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING FLEXIBLE ECU INPUTS TO SPECIFICALLY DETERMINE THE TYPE OF ELECTRICAL FAULT ON AN INPUT

• US 20150022215A1
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Philippart, Timothy P., Zechiel, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16595 with multi level indication G01R19/16519 and G01R19/16533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

A control module includes an input module configured to operate in a normal operating state and a fault diagnosis state. The input module receives an input signal from a circuit module and generates a voltage based on the input signal. In the normal operating state, a fault diagnostic module determines whether the voltage is in a first range or a second range. The first range and the second range indicate that a fault is detected in the circuit module. The fault diagnostic module determines that the detected fault is a first fault type if the voltage is in the first range, transitions the input module from the normal operating state to the fault diagnosis state if the voltage is in the second range, and determines whether the detected fault is a second fault type or a third fault type based on the voltage in the fault diagnosis state.

Claims

1. A control module, comprising:

an input module configured to operate in a normal operating state and a fault diagnosis state, wherein the input module receives an input signal from a circuit module and generates a voltage based on the input signal; and

a fault diagnostic module that determines whether the voltage is in a first range or a second range while the input module is in the normal operating state, wherein the first range and the second range indicate that a fault is detected in the circuit module, that determines that the detected fault is a first fault type if the voltage is in the first range, that transitions the input module from the normal operating state to the fault diagnosis state if the voltage is in the second range, and that determines whether the detected fault is a second fault type or a third fault type based on the voltage while the input module is in the fault diagnosis state.

2. The control module of claim 1, wherein the first fault type, the second fault type, and the third fault type include a short to ground, a short to voltage, and an open circuit.

3. The control module of claim 1, wherein the fault diagnostic module determines whether the detected fault is the second fault type or the third fault type based on whether transitioning the input module to the fault diagnosis state causes the voltage to move from the second range to a third range.

4. The control module of claim 1, wherein the input module includes a first current source that is connected to the input signal in the normal operating state and disconnected from the input signal in the fault diagnosis state.

5. The control module of claim 4, wherein the input module includes a second current source that is connected to the input signal in the fault diagnosis state and disconnected from the input signal in the normal operating state.

6. The control module of claim 5, wherein the first current source is in a pull-up configuration and the second current source is in a pull-down configuration.

7. The control module of claim 5, wherein the first current source is in a pull-down configuration and the second current source is in a pull-up configuration.

8. A system comprising the control module of claim 1 and further comprising the circuit module, wherein the circuit module includes:

a first resistor;

a second resistor; and

a switch,

wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are connected in series, the switch is connected in parallel with the first resistor, and the first resistor is connected to the input signal.

9. A system comprising the control module of claim 1 and further comprising the circuit module, wherein the circuit module includes:

a first resistor;

a second resistor;

a third resistor; and

a switch,

wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, and the third resistor are connected in series, the switch is connected in parallel with the first resistor, the first resistor is connected to the input signal, and the third resistor is connected to a supply voltage of the input module.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an input module configured to operate in a normal operating state and a fault diagnosis state, an input signal from a circuit module;

generating a voltage based on the input signal;

determining whether the voltage is in a first range or a second range while the input module is in the normal operating state, wherein the first range and the second range indicate that a fault is detected in the circuit module;

determining that the detected fault is a first fault type if the voltage is in the first range;

transitioning the input module from the normal operating state to the fault diagnosis state if the voltage is in the second range; and

determining whether the detected fault is a second fault type or a third fault type based on the voltage while the input module is in the fault diagnosis state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first fault type, the second fault type, and the third fault type include a short to ground, a short to voltage, and an open circuit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the detected fault is the second fault type or the third fault type based on whether transitioning the input module to the fault diagnosis state causes the voltage to move from the second range to a third range.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising connecting a first current source that to the input signal in the normal operating state and disconnecting the first current source from the input signal in the fault diagnosis state.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising connecting a second current source to the input signal in the fault diagnosis state and disconnecting the second current source from the input signal in the normal operating state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first current source is in a pull-up configuration and the second current source is in a pull-down configuration.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first current source is in a pull-down configuration and the second current source is in a pull-up configuration.