Diagnosis system for a motor vehicle

• US 5,034,889 A
• Filed: 03/21/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Abe, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US07/327,518
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/431.01, 364/424.01, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 73/117.2, 73/117.3
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/047 the memory being digital
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1208 with diagnostic check cycles; Monitoring of failures
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system for diagnosing electronic control systems mounted in a motor vehicle has a signal receiver for receiving a data demand signal from a diagnosis device, an interpreter for interpreting a content of the received data demand signal and a signal transmitter for transmitting an output signal to the diagnosis device in accordance with the interpretation. A signal receiving line connects all of the signal receivers with each other in parallel, and a signal transmitting line connects all of the signal transmitters with each other in parallel. The signal receiving line and signal transmitting line are connected with the diagnosis device by a connector.

Claims

1. A diagnosis system for diagnosing a plurality of electronic control systems for a vehicle, each of said electronic control systems having sensing means for detecting operating conditions of the vehicle and control means for storing input data from said sensing means and providing output data for controlling the vehicle,

said diagnosis system having a control unit responsive to said data for diagnosing said data and for providing diagnosis data, display means for display of said diagnosis data, and a keyboard for inputting a diagnosis mode into said control unit, the diagnosis system further comprising:

signal receiving means provided in each of the electronic control systems for receiving a data demand signal, representing a designated electronic control system, interpreted from said diagnosis mode, from the control unit and for producing a signal when said data demand signal designates the corresponding electronic control system;

interpreting means provided in each electronic control system for interpreting a content of the received data demand signal in response to said signal from said signal receiving means;

signal transmitting means provided in each electronic control system for transmitting an output signal to the diagnosis device in accordance with the interpretation through the interpretation means;

a signal receiving line connecting all of the signal receiving means with each other in parallel;

a signal transmitting line connecting all of the signal transmitting means with each other in parallel; and

connecting means comprising a single male and female external connector connecting the signal receiving line and the signal transmitting line with the diagnosis device so as to continuously have diagnosis operations proceed without disconnecting said connecting means due to a difference of said input and output data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit includes a computer having a central processing unit and a memory, the memory having a plurality of diagnoses programs for diagnosing the electronic control systems, and said display means is for indicating results of diagnosis.

3. A diagnosis system for diagnosing a plurality of control systems for a vehicle, each of said control systems having sensing means for detecting operation conditions of the vehicle and control means responsive to input data from said sensing means for providing output data for controlling the vehicle.

said diagnosis system having a diagnosis device with a keyboard for inputting a diagnosis mode, a control unit responsive to said diagnosis mode for communicating with said control systems to provide diagnosis data of said control systems, display means for displaying said diagnosis data, a signal receiving line from said diagnosis device connecting each of said control systems in parallel, and a signal transmitting line from said diagnosis device connecting each of said control systems in parallel, said diagnosis system further comprising:

first interpreting means provided in said control unit for interpreting a designated control system and demanded data from said diagnosis mode;

communication means provided in said control unit for applying a control system designation signal representing said designated control system and a data demand signal representing said demanded data to all of said electronic control systems;

signal receiving means provided in each of said control systems for receiving said control system designation signal and said data demand signal and for producing a signal when said control system designation signal designates the corresponding control system;

second interpreting means provided in each of said control systems for interpreting a content of said data demand signal in response to said signal from said signal receiving means; and

signal transmitting means provided in each of said control system for transmitting said diagnosis data corresponding to the content of said data demand signal to said diagnosis device.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising

a couple of connectors provided on the signal receiving line and the signal transmitting line to operatively connect the diagnosis device with the control systems for readily performing the diagnosis.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the diagnosis data represents the input data from the sensing means.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the diagnosis data represents the output data from the control means.

7. The system according to claim 3, further comprising

a memory provided in each of said control systems for storing the input data an the output data;

and

data pickup means provided in each of the control systems for picking up one of the input and output data stored in the memory in response to the content of the data demand signal interpreted by the second interpreting means and for applying said one of the input and output data to the signal transmitting means.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit includes a memory having a plurality of diagnosis programs and a central processing unit for diagnosing the control systems based on the diagnosis programs.