Method for testing on-vehicle electronic unit

• US 6,226,574 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US09/392,732
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 324/378, 324/379, 324/158.1, 340/438, 340/901, 340/500, 340/514, 340/515, 340/635, 340/636, 340/825, 340/825.06, 340/825.16, 702/108, 702/121
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit in that while presently available input circuits 11 to 16 and also output circuits 18 to 22 are directly utilized without newly setting an exclusively used interface circuit on the side of an electronic unit 3, a command instruction is applied to these input circuits and output circuits by way of a multiplex serial communication by turning ON/OFF switches 2a to 2f so as to test as to whether or not the switches 2a to 2f are confirmed under normal states by the respective input circuits 11 to 16. Also, a similar operation signal to the switching operation of the switches 2a to 2f is supplied by way of the command instruction by the multiplex serial communication in order to check as to whether or not the output signals derived from the respective output circuits 18 to 22 are proper.

Claims

1. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit comprising:

a plurality of input circuits connected to a plurality of external switches, into which operation signals of the respective external switches are entered;

a plurality of output circuits for outputting predetermined output signals to an external unit; and

a control unit for controlling said respective output signals derived from said plural output circuits in response to said respective operation signals entered via said plural input circuits, in which a test apparatus is connected to said on-vehicle electronic unit so as to test the electronic unit mounted on an automobile,

said test apparatus having a function for performing switching operation of the respective switches;

a function for entering a preselected command instruction to a junction point while said test apparatus is connected to said junction point between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and the respective switches;

a function for receiving said respective output signals from said respective output circuits while said test apparatus is connected to said respective output circuits of said electronic unit; and

a function for judging as to whether or not the respective output signals derived from the respective output circuit are adapted to either said switch operation of the respective switches or the command instruction entered into the junction point between said respective input circuit and said respective switches;

said testing method comprising the steps of;

a first input test step for executing the switch operation of said respective switches;

a second input test step for entering a command instruction to the junction point between the respective input circuits of the electronic unit and the respective switches, said command instruction instructing that information about condition of the switching operation of said switches with respect to the respective input circuits is returned;

a third input test step for receiving the condition information of the switching operation of said switches outputted from said output circuit in response to the command instruction entered at said second input test step; and

a fourth input test step for judging as to whether or not the condition information of the switching operation of said switches received at said third input test step is adapted to the switching operations of said respective switches at the first input test step.

2. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said first input test step included in the test steps as to said respective input circuits performs the switching operations of all of said switches at the same time;

said third input test step receives the information about the conditions of the switching operations of said switches outputted from all of said output circuits; and

said fourth input test step judges at the same time as to whether or not the condition information of the switching operations of all of said switches received at said third input test step is adapted to the switching operations of all of said switches at said first input test step.

3. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit comprising:

a plurality of input circuits connected to a plurality of external switches, into which operation signals of the respective external switches are entered;

a plurality of output circuits for outputting predetermined output signals to an external unit; and

a control unit for controlling said respective output signals derived from said plural output circuits in response to said respective operation signals entered via said plural input circuits, in which a test apparatus is connected to said on-vehicle electronic unit so as to test the electronic unit mounted on an automobile,

said test apparatus having a function for performing switching operation of the respective switches;

a function for entering a preselected command instruction to a junction point while said test apparatus is connected to said junction point between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and the respective switches;

a function for receiving said respective output signals from said respective output circuits while said test apparatus is connected to said respective output circuits of said electronic unit; and

a function for judging as to whether or not the respective output signals derived from the respective output circuit are adapted to either said switch operation of the respective switches or the command instruction entered into the junction point between said respective input circuit and said respective switches;

said testing method comprising the steps of;

a first output test step for entering as said command instruction a similar operation signal to the operation signal when said switches are switched with respect to said respective input circuits to the junction point between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and the respective switches;

a second output test step for receiving said output signal outputted from said output circuit in response to the command instruction entered at said first output test step; and

a third output test step for judging as to whether or not said output signal received at the second output test step is adapted to each of said operation signals as said command instruction at said first output test step.

4. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

said first output test step contained in the test step as to said respective output circuits enters as said command instruction said similar operation signal when said switches are switched with respect to said respective input circuits to all of the junction points between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and said respective switches;

said second output test step receives said output signals outputted from all of said output circuits; and

said third output test step judges at the same time as to whether or not all of said output signals received at said second output test step are adapted to all of said operation signals functioning as said command instruction in said first output test steps.

5. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit comprising:

a plurality of input circuits connected to a plurality of external switches, into which operation signals of the respective external switches are entered;

a plurality of output circuits for outputting predetermined output signals to an external unit; and

a control unit for controlling said respective output signals derived from said plural output circuits in response to said respective operation signals entered via said plural input circuits, in which a test apparatus is connected to said on-vehicle electronic unit so as to test the electronic unit mounted on an automobile,

said test apparatus having a function for performing switching operation of the respective switches;

a function for entering a preselected command instruction to a junction point while said test apparatus is connected to said junction point between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and the respective switches;

a function for receiving said respective output signals from said respective output circuits while said test apparatus is connected to said respective output circuits of said electronic unit; and

a function for judging as to whether or not the respective output signals derived from the respective output circuit are adapted to either said switch operation of the respective switches or the command instruction entered into the junction point between said respective input circuit and said respective switches;

said testing method comprising the steps of;

the test step as to the respective input circuits includes;

a first input test step for executing the switch operation of said respective switches;

a second input test step for entering a command instruction to the junction point between the respective input circuits of the electronic unit and the respective switches, said command instruction instructing that information about condition of the switching operation of said switches with respect to the respective input circuits is returned;

a third input test step for receiving the condition information of the switching operation of said switches outputted from said output circuit in response to the command instruction entered at said second input test step; and

a fourth input test step for judging as to whether or not the condition information of the switching operation of said switches received at said third input test step is adapted to the switching operations of said respective switches at the first input test step;

a test step as to the respective output circuits includes;

a first output test step for entering as said command instruction a similar operation signal to the operation signal when said switches are switched with respect to said respective input circuits to the junction point between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and the respective switches;

a second output test step for receiving said output signal outputted from said output circuit in response to the command instruction entered at said first output test step; and

a third output test step for judging as to whether or not said output signal received at the second output test step is adapted to each of said operation signals as said command instruction at said first output test step.

6. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said first input test step included in the test steps as to said respective input circuits performs the switching operations of all of said switches at the same time;

said third input test step receives the information about the conditions of the switching operations of said switches outputted from all of said output circuits; and

said fourth input test step judges at the same time as to whether or not the condition information of the switching operations of all of said switches received at said third input test step is adapted to the switching operations of all of said switches at said first input test step.

7. A method for testing an on-vehicle electronic unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said first output test step contained in the test step as to said respective output circuits enters as said command instruction said similar operation signal when said switches are switched with respect to said respective input circuits to all of the junction points between the respective input circuits of said electronic unit and said respective switches;

said second output test step receives said output signals outputted from all of said output circuits; and

said third output test step judges at the same time as to whether or not all of said output signals received at said second output test step are adapted to all of said operation signals functioning as said command instruction in said first output test steps.