Method of and apparatus for interrogating vehicle control device data
First Claim
1. An electronic control device for effecting central control functions of a vehicle and connected to control devices in said vehicle by communication line means having a diagnostic connection, said electronic control device comprising a non-volatile memory containing information items including the number and type of all of said control devices in the vehicle and addresses of all of said control devices, said non-volatile memory being able to be externally interrogated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method of reliably interrogating or retrieving control device data in a plurality of control devices in a vehicle using an external test device includes the steps of storing in a central station or nonvolatile memory in the vehicle information items including the types, operating addresses and number of control devices in the vehicle during assembly or final check of the vehicle; connecting the test device to a diagnostic connection connected by communication lines with the control devices and the central station, the diagnostic connection and the communication lines being provided in the vehicle; retrieving the information items from the central station with the test device via a standardized address to obtain the number, operating address and the type of each of the control devices prior to testing or accessing each control device; and, thereafter, in accordance with the data obtained during the retrieving, accessing individual control devices by either an automatic control or a manual control with the test device.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. An electronic control device for effecting central control functions of a vehicle and connected to control devices in said vehicle by communication line means having a diagnostic connection, said electronic control device comprising a non-volatile memory containing information items including the number and type of all of said control devices in the vehicle and addresses of all of said control devices, said non-volatile memory being able to be externally interrogated.
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4. An apparatus for interrogating control device data from a plurality of control devices in a vehicle, comprising a diagnostic connection provided in a vehicle having a plurality of control devices;
- communication lines in said vehicle connecting said diagnostic connection to each of said control devices;
a non-volatile memory containing information items including types, operating addresses and number of said control devices in said vehicle, said information items being retrievable from said non-volatile memory via a standardized address; and
a test device connectable via said diagnostic connection to said non-volatile memory for interrogating said non-volatile memory to retrieve said information items and to the control devices via the diagnostic connection. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- communication lines in said vehicle connecting said diagnostic connection to each of said control devices;
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10. A method of interrogating control device data from a plurality of control devices in a vehicle, comprising the steps of storing in a central station of a vehicle having a plurality of control devices information items, said information items being retrievable from said central station via a standardized address and said information items including a type and number of said control devices in said vehicle;
- connecting a test device to a diagnostic connection connected by communication lines with said control devices and said central station, said diagnostic connection and said communication lines being provided in said vehicle;
interrogating the central station with the test device via said standardized address to obtain data including the number of the control devices and the type of each of the control devices; and
, thereafter, in accordance with the data obtained during the interrogating, accessing with the test device individual control devices by one of an automatic control and a manual control. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- connecting a test device to a diagnostic connection connected by communication lines with said control devices and said central station, said diagnostic connection and said communication lines being provided in said vehicle;
Specification