System and Method for Testing Alternator Default Mode Operation

• US 20170146602A1
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Vossen, David, Samp, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 9,797,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines

Abstract

A tester for a default mode of operation of an alternator is provided. The tester includes an internal memory having computer executable instructions and a processor coupled to the internal memory and to an alternator via a communication bus. The processor is configured to execute the computer executable instructions in the internal memory to provide at least one parameter associated with a vehicle to the alternator simulated as a communication signal over the communication bus, detect an absence of the communication signal at the alternator, test, upon detecting the absence of the communication signal, whether or not the alternator enters a default mode of operation, the default mode being indicated by a preset output voltage uniquely associated with the default mode and monitored by the processor, and indicate whether the alternator entered the default mode successfully.

Claims

1. A method for testing a default mode of an alternator, the method comprising:

detecting, with a processor of a tester, an absence of a communication signal at an alternator coupled to the tester, said communication signal being simulated by the tester to include at least one parameter associated with a vehicle;

testing, with the processor, upon said detecting, whether or not the alternator enters a default mode of operation, the default mode being indicated by a preset output voltage uniquely associated with the default mode and monitored by the processor; and

indicating, with the processor, whether the alternator failed or passed said testing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, with the processor, a communication port of the alternator for the communication signal, wherein the detecting the absence is carried out based upon a value of the at least one parameter associated the vehicle indicated by the communication signal at the communication port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the testing is carried out after a first period of time has elapsed after the detecting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the absence is detected after a startup of the alternator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is carried out based upon the processor disconnecting a communication bus between the alternator and the tester.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternator enters the default mode upon receiving a rotational input from a tester motor at a predetermined angular speed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the testing whether or not the alternator enters the default mode includes determining that the alternator does not enter the default mode after receiving the rotational input from the tester motor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the processor, a rotational input from a tester motor at a startup of the alternator, wherein the detecting is carried out upon said receiving the rotational input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

operating the alternator in the default mode based upon the detecting the absence of the communication signal upon said receiving.

10. A tester for a default mode of operation of an alternator, the tester comprising:

an internal memory having computer executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the internal memory and to an alternator via a communication bus, the processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions in the internal memory to;

provide at least one parameter associated with a vehicle to the alternator simulated as a communication signal over the communication bus;

detect an absence of the communication signal at the alternator;

test, upon said absence, whether or not the alternator enters a default mode of operation, the default mode being indicated by a preset output voltage uniquely associated with the default mode and monitored by the processor; and

indicate whether the alternator entered the default mode successfully.

11. The tester of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor the communication signal at a communication port of the alternator, wherein the absence is detected based upon a value of the at least one parameter of the vehicle in the communication signal at the communication port.

12. The tester of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to wait for a first period of time after the absence to test whether or not the alternator enters the default mode of operation.

13. The tester of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to wait for a second period of time to detect the preset output voltage of the alternator to test the default mode of operation.

14. The tester of claim 10, wherein the alternator includes a communication port for bi-directional communications.

15. The tester of claim 10, wherein the alternator is configured to receive a rotational input of 3000 rotations per minute (RPM) from a tester motor of the tester and output the preset output voltage of at least 13.5V in response to the rotational input.

16. The tester of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to test whether or not the alternator enters the default mode by determining that the alternator does not enter the default mode after receiving a rotational input from a tester motor coupled to the tester.

17. The tester of claim 10, wherein a tester motor coupled to the tester is configured to provide a rotational input to the alternator at a startup, the processor being configured to detect the at least one parameter at a communication port of the alternator indicating the absence of the communication signal upon the startup.

18. The tester of claim 17, wherein the absence of the communication signal is caused by the processor disconnecting the communication bus.

19. The tester of claim 10, wherein a rotational input is provided by a drive belt coupling a fixed pulley of a tester motor to a variable sized pulley of the alternator, the preset output voltage being a function of a size of the variable sized pulley.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium of a tester for an alternator, the non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions thereupon, which when executed by a processor of the tester cause the processor to:

provide at least one parameter associated with a vehicle to the alternator simulated in a communication signal over a communication link;

detect an absence of the communication signal at the alternator;

test, upon said absence, whether or not the alternator enters a default mode of operation, the default mode being indicated by a preset output voltage uniquely associated with the default mode and monitored by the processor; and

indicate whether the alternator entered the default mode successfully.