User-definable electrical test query for vehicle quality assurance testing during manufacture

• US 5,937,368 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Arthur, David A., Hall, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/885,040
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 702/123, 702/59, 702/58, 702/57, 702/182, 702/183, 702/185, 701/29, 701/31, 701/32, 701/33, 701/35, 701/114, 324/500, 324/503, 73/116, 73/117.3, 340/653, 340/539
• US Class Current: 702/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

A method establishes test setpoints for vehicle electrical testing during vehicle manufacture. The method includes implementing test setpoints for a test protocol using software in a system computer, such that the setpoints can be changed by an operator of the system computer. A portable tester adjacent the vehicle generates a query to the system computer, and in response, the setpoints are transferred to the tester. Then, a test protocol is executed by the portable tester to generate test results in accordance with the test setpoints.

Claims

1. A method for establishing test setpoints for electrical testing of a vehicle during assembly, comprising the steps of:

at a system computer, establishing software-implemented test setpoints of a vehicle test protocol using an input device;

entering into a tester a vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with a vehicle having an electrical system;

transmitting the VIN via radiofrequency (RF) from the tester to the system computer;

at the system computer, correlating the VIN to salescode information pertaining to the electrical system of the vehicle;

transmitting the salescode information to the tester via RF;

correlating the salescode data at the tester to test protocol;

transferring the test protocol to a translator engageable with a test receptacle of the vehicle;

executing the test Protocol to generate test results;

executing the test protocol in accordance with the salescode information to generate test results in accordance with the test setpoints and;

transferring the test results to the system computer.

2. The method of claim 1, where the transferring steps are accomplished by RF transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of transmitting, via RF, test data from the translator to the tester.

4. A method for establishing test setpoints for vehicle electrical testing during assembly, comprising the steps of:

implementing test setpoints for a test protocol using software in a system computer, such that the setpoints can be changed by an operator of the system computer;

generating a VIN at a portable tester adjacent the vehicle;

transferring the VIN to the system computer;

in response to the VIN, transferring salescode information pertaining to the vehicle to the tester, and transferring the setpoints to the tester;

correlating the information to a test protocol at the tester;

transferring the test protocol to a translator engageable with a test receptacle of the vehicle to execute the test protocol;

executing the test protocol to generate test results in accordance with the test setpoints, and

transferring the test results to the system computer, the transferring steps being accomplished by RF transmission.

5. A computer program product tangibly embodying a series of computer-executable instructions on one or more data storage devices in computer usable form, the storage devices including:

computer readable code means for receiving, from an input device, vehicle electrical test setpoints;

computer readable code means for associating the test setpoints with a vehicle test protocol;

computer readable code means for generating a query at a portable tester adjacent a vehicle to be tested, the query based on the VIN of the vehicle;

computer readable code means for transmitting the query via RF to a system computer;

computer readable code means for, in response to the query, transmitting salescode information pertaining to the vehicle to the tester via RF;

computer readable code means for correlating the information to a test protocol at the tester;

computer readable code means for transferring the test protocol to a translator engaqeable with a test receptacle of the vehicle to execute the test protocol;

computer readable code means for executing the test protocol to generate test results in accordance with the setpoints; and

computer readable code means for transferring the test results to the system computer.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

computer readable code means for generating a query at a portable tester adjacent a vehicle to be tested, the query being based on the VIN of the vehicle;

computer readable code means for transmitting the query via RF to a system computer;

computer readable code means for, in response to the query, transmitting salescode information pertaining to the vehicle to the tester via RF;

computer readable code means for correlating the information to a test protocol at the tester;

computer readable code means for executing the test protocol to generate test results in accordance with the setpoints;

computer readable code means for transferring the test protocol to a translator engageable with a test receptacle of the vehicle to execute the test protocol; and

computer readable code means for transferring the test results to the system computer.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising computer readable code means for transmitting, via RF, test data from the translator to the tester.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer readable code means for transmitting the salescode data only when the tester has transmitted a predetermined operator identification to the system computer; and

computer readable code means for executing the test protocol only when the vehicle to be tested receives a predetermined electronic key.

9. A method for establishing test setpoints for electrical testing of vehicle during assembly, comprising the steps of:

at a system computer, establishing software-implemented test setpoints of a vehicle test protocol using an input device;

entering into a tester a vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with a vehicle having an electrical system;

transmitting the VIN via radio frequency (RF) from the tester to the system computer;

at the system computer, correlating the VIN to salescode information pertaining to the electrical system of the vehicle;

transmitting the salescode information to the tester via RF only when the tester has transmitted a predetermined operator identification to the system computer;

correlating the salescode date at the tester to a test protocol;

transferring via RF the test protocol to a translator engageable with a test receptacle of the vehicle;

executing the test protocol in accordance with the salescode information only when the vehicle to be tested receives a predetermined electronic key to generate test results in accordance with the test setpoints;

transmitting via RF test data from the translator to the tester; and

aborting the test protocol when a predetermined critical test has failed.

10. A computer program product tangibly embodying a series of computer-executable instructions on one or more data storage devices in computer usable form, the storage devices including:

computer readable code means for receiving, from an input device, vehicle electrical test setpoints;

computer readable code means for associating the test setpoints with a vehicle test protocol;

computer readable code means for generating a query at a portable tester adjacent a vehicle to be tested, the query being based on the vehicle identification number of the vehicle;

computer readable code means for transmitting via radio frequency (RF), only when the tester has transmitted a predetermined operator identification to a system computer, the query to the system computer;

computer readable code means for, in response to the query, transmitting via RF salescode information pertaining to the vehicle to the tester;

computer readable code means for correlating the information to a test protocol at the tester;

computer readable code means for executing, only when the vehicle to be tested receives a predetermined electronic key, the test protocol to generate test results in accordance with the setpoints;

computer readable code means for transferring the test protocol to a translator engageable with a test receptacle of the vehicle to execute the test protocol;

computer readable code means for transmitting via RF test data from the translator to the tester;

computer readable code means for aborting the test protocol when a predetermined critical test has failed;

computer readable code means for saving the test results at the tester whom the test results are not transmitted to the system computer; and

computer readable code means for automatically re-executing a test when the test has failed.