Vehicular self-test system of electronic component controlling device and a method for self-testing

• US 5,563,788 A
• Filed: 02/20/1996
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Yoon, Heunjung
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/603,355
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/431.11, 73/116, 73/117.2, 73/117.3, 73/118.1
• US Class Current: 701/31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing

Abstract

The present invention discloses a self-test system of an electronic component controlling device and a method for self-testing that can test the operation state of the vehicle electronic component controlling device at a user'"'"'s will. The inventive system includes a power supplying device, an electronic controller, a first interface, a self-test controller, a memory, a data output member, and a data input member.

Claims

1. A self-test system of an electronic component controlling device both disposed on a vehicle and comprising:

power supply means for supplying power to each of a plurality of electronic components of the vehicle and to said self-test system;

an electronic component controller having a plurality of electronic component controlling devices for outputting a control signal to selectively enable operation of each of said plurality of electronic components of the vehicle;

a first interface connected to said electronic component controller;

self-test control means, connected to said power supply means and to said first interface, for displaying a plurality of vehicle types for selection and for confirming the operation state of each of the plurality of electronic component controlling devices of each vehicle type, selecting a desired electronic component controlling device subsequent to displaying an entirety of said plurality of electronic component controlling devices mounted on the selected vehicle, provided the vehicle type is selected from among the displayed vehicle types, selecting a desired operation subsequent to displaying a plurality of operations that can be performed, provided a corresponding electronic component controlling device is selected, interrupting the selecting of a desired operation and performing the operation of the previous step of selecting a desired electronic component controlling device, provided a signal for interrupting the operation is selected from among the operations and outputting a signal responsive to an operation of said self-test control means;

memory means, connected to said self-test control means, for storing predetermined data and reading the stored data;

data output means, connected to said self-test control means and to said memory means, for outputting data applied from said self-test control means according to the output signal of said self-test control means; and

data input means, connected to the data output means and to said self-test control means, for enabling said self-test control means to select the electronic component controlling device of a desired vehicle and determine the operation state of the selected electronic component.

2. (Amended) The self-test system according to claim 1, further comprising a second interface and a computer that can perform function of the self-test control means by directly communicating the electronic component controller and data inputted to or outputted from the electronic component controller with the self-test control means.

3. The self-test system according to claim 1, further comprising a watch dog for resetting said self-test control means and supplying power to said memory means to protect the data stored in said memory means, provided a predetermined operation is not performed because of an unstable power supply.

4. The self-test system according to claim 1, wherein said power supply means includes:

capacitors and a coil for filtering a signal applied from said power supply means;

a first diode for rectifying the filtered signal;

a first voltage regulator connected to said first diode and changing the applied power to a first voltage;

a second voltage regulator connected to said first diode and changing the applied power to a second voltage;

a second diode connected to said second regulator and changing the second voltage to a third voltage; and

a capacitor and a third diode connected to said second diode and changing the third voltage to a fourth voltage.

5. The self-test system according to claim 1, wherein said self-test control means is self-testing, outputs a service data, and removes error codes.

6. The self-test system according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores varying data according to a selected vehicle type and includes a removable read only memory.

7. A self-testing method of an electronic component controlling device for confirming an operation state of the electronic component controlling device disposed on a vehicle, comprises the steps of:

displaying a plurality of vehicle types through data output means disposed on the vehicle;

selecting a vehicle type from said plurality of displayed vehicle types in said step of displaying;

listing all the electronic component controlling devices mounted on a selected vehicle, provided a vehicle type is selected from among the plurality of displayed vehicle types by a data input device;

indicating a testing procedure that can be performed, provided the electronic component controlling device is selected from among the listed electronic component controlling devices by the data input device; and

performing a predetermined component testing procedure by determining which electronic component controlling device is selected by the data input device from among the indicated testing procedures.

8. The self-test system according to claim 7, wherein if a selection is made to determine the state of a selected electronic component controlling device, a command for transmitting data corresponding to a serial number of the selected electronic component controlling device is applied to the electronic component controlling device, and if the command is received, the electronic component controlling device transmits data corresponding to the serial number of the electronic component controlling device, and the transmitted data is available provided the transmitted data is the same as the received data, and the transmitted data is unavailable provided the transmitted data is not the same as the received data.

9. The self-testing method according to claim 7, wherein said testing procedures include a self-testing procedure, a service data output procedure, and an error code removal procedure.

10. The self-testing method according to claim 7 or 9, wherein if said predetermined procedure is a self-testing procedure, the self-testing procedure comprises the steps of:

displaying a plurality of items that can be self-tested through said data output means;

transmitting an address signal of a memory storing the result of the operation state of a selected item, if one item is selected according to the operation of the data input device from among the displayed items;

transmitting the data stored in the transmitted address by the corresponding electronic component controlling device; and

outputting the operation result of an item selected according to the state of the data transmitted from the selected electronic component controlling device.

11. The self-testing method according to claim 7 or 9, in a case of a service data output procedure, comprising the steps of:

displaying data output that may be produced via said data output means;

transmitting an address signal of a memory storing a selected data to a corresponding electronic component controlling device, if one data output is selected by the data input device from among the displayed data;

transmitting a data stored in the transmitted address by the corresponding electronic component controlling device; and

outputting the data transmitted from said corresponding electronic component controlling device to the data output means.

12. The self-testing method according to claim 7 or 9, in a case of a service data output procedure, comprising the steps of:

displaying data output that may be produced via said data output means;

transmitting a command corresponding to a selected driving item, if one driving item is selected by the data input device from among the displayed driving data;

outputting to the data output means a normal operation or an operation result of error occurrence by means of a received data, if a signal for showing the operation result according to the received command is received within a predetermined period of time; and

outputting an error occurrence state to the data output means, unless the signal showing the operation result according to the received command is received within a predetermined period of time.

13. The self-testing method according to claim 9, in a case of an error code removal procedure, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a driving command for initializing an error code to a corresponding electronic component controlling device, if a signal corresponding to the error code removal procedure is inputted from the data input device; and

outputting to the data output means an information whether the procedure is finished normally or an error is generated, by receiving a signal for showing a procedure result according to the received command.

14. A system for self-testing a plurality of electronic devices disposed on a vehicle, said system being disposed on the vehicle, comprising:

output means for displaying for selection a plurality of vehicle types;

input means for selecting one of the displayed vehicle types corresponding to the vehicle,

said output means displaying a plurality of electronic devices corresponding to the selected vehicle type,

said input means receiving a device selection from the displayed electronic devices,

said output means displaying a plurality of operations to be performed corresponding to the device selection,

said input means receiving an operation selection from the displayed operations; and

self-test control means for controlling said output means and said input means so as to carry out an operation according to the operation selection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of operations include a self-test operation, a service data output operation, a compulsory driving operation, and an error code removal operation.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

memory means for storing data being displayed by said output means and data being received by said input means, wherein access to said memory means is controlled by said self-test control means; and

power means for supplying power to said vehicle and said output, input, self-test control and memory means.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said self-test control means includes a plurality of electronic device controllers for outputting a control signal to control the electronic devices, said self-test control means confirming the operation state of each of said electronic device controllers.