Electrical testing device for a vehicle combination instrument

• US 4,701,867 A
• Filed: 09/07/1984
• Issued: 10/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Bruggemann, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Application Number:
  US06/648,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/483, 364/550, 364/578, 364/580, 371/25, 371/28, 324/73 AT, 340/515, 340/516
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

An electric testing device is provided for the final testing of vehicle combination instruments. The vehicle combination instruments comprise display means (1-7) consisting of segments, a display control in a microcomputer (8) for activating the segments as a function of measured values, for analog measured values an analog-digital converter (14) arranged in front of the display control, and possibly an input network (13) arranged in front of said converter. The testing device and combination instruments are intended for final testing in a plurality of final test phases. Tolerance values of a critical display value are stored for each measurement value in the microcomputer (8). These tolerance values can be compared, in a first final test phase of a manually actuatable final-test operating mode, with a simulated measurement value which is fed into the microcomputer via the analog-digital converter and possibly the resistance network. A display value which represents the result of the comparison and is also fed into the microcomputer is transmitted, as a function of the result of the comparison, to the display means (3). Predetermined segment combinations can then be activated in succession by the display control in further final-test phases by operating a switch of the testing device. In the latter, there are provided equivalent resistors (35-37) which simulate the measurement value, as well as switches (33, 34) for calling up the final-test operating mode and for the further switching of the final-test phases.

Claims

1. In an electric testing device or vehicle combination instrument which combination instrument comprises display means made of segments, a display control coupled to the display means and including a microcomputer for activating the segments as a function of measured values, an analog-digital converter arranged in front of the display control for analog input signals, and an optional input network arranged in front of the converter, the improvement of the testing device wherein

in the microcomputer of the display control, there is for each measurement value a range of tolerance value of a critical display value stored 2 which tolerance value is compared by said microcomputer, in a first final-test phase of a manually controllable final-test operating mode, with a simulated measurement value;

and wherein the simulated measurement value is feedable into the microcomputer via the analog-digital converter;

a display value which represents the result of the comparison is stored in the microcomputer and is transferable to the display means as a function of the result of the comparison; and

by the display control, fixed, predetermined segment combinations are actuatable one after the other in other manually controllable final-test phases in the test operating mode; and

wherein said testing device further comprises

equivalent resistors which simulate the measurement value and wherein said testing device further comprises switches which serves to call up the final-test operating mode and for further connection of the final-test phases.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the testing device further comprises

pulse generators for simulating odometer pulses and rpm pulses, which odometer pulses and rpm pulses are fed in the microcomputer for the testing of an odometer display and a tachometer display in the normal operating mode of the combination instrument.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising

a monitoring circuit, and wherein

the microcomputer together with the monitoring circuit switches from the final-test operating mode to normal operating mode after a predetermined number of final-test phases so that the testing of the odometer display and of the tachometer display then takes place.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one display value which represents the result of the comparison is repesented as a number on the display means for the speed display.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein

a number of display values, which represent all comparison results obtained during a final-test phase, is represented as a sum on said display means.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising

a monitoring circuit, and wherein

the microcomputer together with the monitoring circuit switches from the final-test operating mode to normal operating mode after a predetermined number of final-test phases so that the testing of an odometer display and of a tachometer display then takes place.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein

a number of display values, which represent all comparison results obtained during a final-test phase, is represented as a sum on said display means.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein

said matching network is a resistance network.

8. In an electric testing device for vehicle combination instrument which combination instrument comprises display means made of segments, a display control coupled to the display means and including a microcomputer for activating the segments as a function of measured values, an analog-digital converter arranged in front of the display control for analog input signals, and an optional input network arranged in front of the converter, the improvement of the testing device wherein

in the microcomputer of the display control, there is for each measurement value a range of tolerance value of a critical display value stored;

which tolerance value is compared by said microcomputer, in a first final-test phase of a manually controllable final-test operating mode, with a simulated measurement value;

a wherein the simulated measurement value is feedable into the microcomputer via the analog-digital converter;

a display value which represents the result of the comparison is stored in the microcomputer and is transferable to the display means as a function of the result of the comparison; and

by the display control, fixed, predetermined segment combinations are actuatable one after the other in other manually controllable final-test phases in the test operating mode;

a wherein said testing device further comprises

equivalent resistors which simulate the measurement value and wherein said testing device further comprises switches which serve to call up the final-test operating mode and for further connection of the final-test phases; and

a matching network connected to an input terminal of said analog-digital converter for matching input signals to said converter.