Method and system for testing internal combustion engine computerized control units
First Claim
1. Non-invasive method of testing an electrical computerized vehicular control unit (2) for proper operation, utilizing a testing system,said vehicular control unit (2) comprising a physically sealed integral structure having within said structure a computation stage (2b) including a program store (PS, 2b'"'"') and externally accessible input/output and diagnostic terminals (11-19) adapted to be connected, selectively, with respective input terminals of a vehicle,comprising the steps ofstoring, in the program store (PS, 2b'"'"') of the computation stage (2b) of the vehicular control unit (2) a test program (TP) including a sequence of test steps;
- providing a test group external of and separate from the vehicular control unit, and forming part of said system, said test group including a test computer (1) having a comparator section, and a simulation and measuring unit (6);
connecting, to said sealed integral structure of the vehicular control unit, through selected input/output terminals and the diagnostic terminals, signals from the test group;
addressing, through selected ones of said terminals, the program store (2b'"'"') to initate the test program in the vehicular control unit (2);
said signal connecting step includingapplying, from the test group, to selected input terminals (13, 14,
15) of the control unit (2) simulated electrical values representative of actual values applied thereto by elements of the vehicle, while leaving non-selected input and output terminals uncontrolled; and
sequentially, under control of the test program in the vehicular control unit (2), evaluating the signals appearing at the selected terminals (13, 14,
15) of the control unit (2) and transmitting, via selected terminals (11, 12;
16,
17), signals representative of the evaluated signals to the test group for determination if said evaluated signals are representative of proper operability of said vehicular control unit (2) or not.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control unit installed in a vehicle, particularly a control unit to control an internal combustion engine (ICE) thereof, has within its already present computation stage, a program store or program memory (PS, 2b'"'"') which stores a test program (TP) therein. The program store (PS) also includes an operating program memory (OP) used to control operation of the vehicle and/or the ICE thereof. The test apparatus includes a test computer and comparator (1) and a simulation and measuring unit which applies simulated input signals to the vehicular control unit, for example sequentially and only to single inputs thereof. The test program within the vehicular control unit is then run under control of the test computer and forwards the data referring to the applied signals via the serial interface 5 to the test computer 1 for evaluation. The test computer can also control the test program, resulting in output signals which are measured in the simulation and control unit (6) and applied as measured results to the test computer and comparator for evaluation and checking against desired or standard values. The normal operating program, likewise, can be read out for checking. The simulation and control unit may, for example, include a resistance network which is sequentially, selectively connected to the vehicular control unit under control of the computer and comparator (1) to provide appropriate input signals to selected input terminals.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. Non-invasive method of testing an electrical computerized vehicular control unit (2) for proper operation, utilizing a testing system,
said vehicular control unit (2) comprising a physically sealed integral structure having within said structure a computation stage (2b) including a program store (PS, 2b'"'"') and externally accessible input/output and diagnostic terminals (11-19) adapted to be connected, selectively, with respective input terminals of a vehicle, comprising the steps of storing, in the program store (PS, 2b'"'"') of the computation stage (2b) of the vehicular control unit (2) a test program (TP) including a sequence of test steps; -
providing a test group external of and separate from the vehicular control unit, and forming part of said system, said test group including a test computer (1) having a comparator section, and a simulation and measuring unit (6); connecting, to said sealed integral structure of the vehicular control unit, through selected input/output terminals and the diagnostic terminals, signals from the test group; addressing, through selected ones of said terminals, the program store (2b'"'"') to initate the test program in the vehicular control unit (2); said signal connecting step including applying, from the test group, to selected input terminals (13, 14,
15) of the control unit (2) simulated electrical values representative of actual values applied thereto by elements of the vehicle, while leaving non-selected input and output terminals uncontrolled; andsequentially, under control of the test program in the vehicular control unit (2), evaluating the signals appearing at the selected terminals (13, 14,
15) of the control unit (2) and transmitting, via selected terminals (11, 12;
16,
17), signals representative of the evaluated signals to the test group for determination if said evaluated signals are representative of proper operability of said vehicular control unit (2) or not. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Testing system for testing an electrical computerized vehicular control unit (2) for proper operation,
said system including a test group (1, 1a, B, 6, S, M) and a vehicular control unit (2), wherein said test group includes a test computer (1) and a simulation and measuring unit (6), said test computer (1) being connected (B) to and controlling the simulation and measuring unit (6) for selective sequential transfer of signals to the vehicular control unit (2); - and
an interface unit (IF,
5) connecting the test computer (1) to the vehicular control unit (2);said vehicular control unit comprising a physically sealed integral structure having within said structure a computation stage (2b) including a program store (PS, 2b'"'"') which stores (a) an operating program (OP) for controlling operation of elements of the vehicle, and (b) a test program for testing operation of the control unit, said vehicular control unit (2) having input terminals (13, 14,
15) for receiving input signals (n, FFG, TK) representative of operating parameters of the vehicle, output terminals (16, 17, 18,
19) providing output signals for operating elements (3,
4) of the vehicle, and test input/output terminals (11,
12) for communicating signals between the vehicular control unit (2) and the interface (5) connected to the test computer (1),said stimultation and measuring unit (6) of the test group comprising a simulation stage (S) and a measuring stage (M), said simulation and measuring unit being connected to at least said input terminals (13-15) of the vehicular control unit and generating signals simulating, selectively, different operating conditions and parameters of the vehicle for evaluation of said simulating signals in the vehicular control unit, the vehicular control unit transferring signals representative of at least one of;
data from the control unit (2);
evaluated signals to at least one of;
the test computer (1);
the measuring stage (M); andwherein the test computer includes means for checking said transferred computed values against standard, desired values and providing an output representing agreement or disagreement between the transferred computed values and standard or desired values. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification