Controller area network diagnostic instrument

• US 6,393,379 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Gumbel, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US09/941,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/515, 701/1, 701/29, 701/31, 702/183, 370/241, 370/242
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

A controller area network diagnosis instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system 10. The controlled area network diagnostic instrument (CANDI) includes a computer processor 119 with a graphics display 121. The processor 119 has a cable 132 to plug into the diagnostic connector 36 engaged to a common data bus 18 of the vehicle 101. The processor 119 is programmed to graphically show a mock gauge cluster or vehicle instrument panel 120 on the display 121 in that has the same appearance as a real vehicle gauge cluster or vehicle instrument panel 102. When connected to the diagnostic connector, the processor 119 mines data off of the data bus 18 and converts it into human readable form on the display 121. This may take the form of mock conventional gauges 124, mock warning lights 105, mock switch status 123, or mock LCD displays 126 shown via computer graphics on the processor'"'"'s display 121.

Claims

1. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including an electrical system controller and other controllers on the vehicle, the electrical system controller and the other controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include indications of vehicle status, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster;

said processor programmed to mine data off said data bus when said processor in communication with said communication port of the vehicle serial data bus; and

said processor programmed to convert data from said vehicle serial data bus into human readable form on said graphics display;

providing said mock gauge cluster with indications and switch positions of the vehicle gauge cluster and making said mock display a moving picture of the vehicle gauge cluster when the indications of the vehicle gauge cluster change.

2. The controlled area network diagnostic instrument of claim 1, wherein:

said processor programmed to accept user input to said processor to change said indications displayed on said mock cluster and to transmit messages over the serial bus to direct a controller to change actual vehicle gauge cluster indications to change with said mock cluster.

3. The controlled area network diagnostic instrument of claim 2, wherein:

said processor accepts user input from a pointer to change indications on said mock cluster.

4. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including an electrical system controller and other controllers on the vehicle, the electrical system controller and the other controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include gauges, switches, warning lights, or numeric displays, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster;

said processor programmed to mine data off said data bus when said processor in communication with said communication port of the vehicle serial data bus;

said processor programmed to convert data from said vehicle serial data bus into human readable form on said graphics display;

providing said mock gauge cluster with indications and switch positions of the vehicle gauge cluster and making said mock display a moving picture of the vehicle gauge cluster when the gauges, switches, warning lights, or numeric displays change; and

said processor programmed to accept user input to said processor to change said indications displayed on said mock cluster and to transmit messages to direct the actual vehicle gauge cluster gauges, warning lights, or numeric displays to change with said mock cluster on the processor display.

5. The controlled area network diagnostic instrument of claim 4, wherein:

said processor programmed to accept user input to change said mock cluster from a pointer and a keyboard of the processor.

6. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including an electrical system controller and other controllers on the vehicle, the electrical system controller and the other controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include indications of vehicle status, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster; and

said processor programmed to accept user input to said processor to change said indications displayed on said mock cluster and to transmit messages over the serial bus to direct a vehicle controller to change actual vehicle gauge cluster indications to change with said mock cluster.

7. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including an electrical system controller and other controllers on the vehicle, the electrical system controller and the other controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include indications of vehicle status, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster; and

said processor programmed for the steps of;

mining data off the vehicle data bus;

placing data in a queue of messages;

processing the queue of message with a message handler within said processor;

dissecting the messages apart with said message handler;

extracting indicator values from the indicator of the gauge cluster of the vehicle; and

sending the message to the display for display on the mock gauge cluster to mock the real cluster and making said mock cluster a moving picture of the vehicle gauge cluster when the indications of the vehicle cluster change.

8. The controlled area network diagnostic instrument of claim 7, wherein:

said processor programmed for the steps of;

accepting user input to said processor to change indications displayed on said mock cluster display;

querying a display controller for indications on said mock cluster;

manipulating values of indications on said mock cluster into message format for transmission over the vehicle data bus; and

sending a message to change indications on the vehicle cluster to the vehicle data bus where a controller directs actual change on the vehicle cluster.

9. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including an electrical system controller and other controllers on the vehicle, the electrical system controller and the other controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include gauges, switches, warning lights, or numeric displays, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster;

said processor programmed to mine data off said data bus when said processor in communication with said communication port of the vehicle serial data bus;

said processor programmed for the steps of;

mining data off the vehicle data bus;

placing data in a queue of messages;

processing the queue of message with a message handler within said processor;

dissecting the messages apart with said message handler;

extracting values related to conditions of vehicle gauge cluster gauges,

switches, warning lights, or numeric displays of the gauge cluster of the vehicle; and

sending the message to the display for display on the mock gauge cluster to mock the real cluster and making said mock cluster a moving picture of the vehicle gauge cluster when the conditions of vehicle gauge cluster gauges, switches, warning lights, or numeric displays of the vehicle cluster change; and

said processor programmed for the steps of;

accepting user input to said processor to change conditions of vehicle gauge cluster gauges, warning lights, or numeric displays displayed on said mock cluster display;

querying a display controller for conditions of vehicle gauge cluster gauges, warning lights, or numeric displays on said mock cluster;

manipulating values of of vehicle gauge cluster gauges, warning lights, or numeric displays on said mock cluster into message format for transmission over the vehicle data bus; and

sending a message to change conditions of vehicle gauge cluster gauges, warning lights, or numeric displays on the vehicle cluster to the vehicle data bus to a controller to direct actual change on the vehicle cluster.

10. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including electrical controllers on the vehicle, the electrical controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, and the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include indications of vehicle status, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster; and

said processor programmed for the steps of;

upon making communication with said vehicle data bus initiating separate import ports, each filtered to accept only certain messages;

initializing variables and then monitoring the vehicle data bus for incoming messages;

evaluating each message and should there be an older message, continuing to monitor;

should a message be a new message, evaluating if the new message is for gauge display, and if the message is for gauge display performing the steps of;

decoding the message by comparing ID, masking off data bytes to retrieve needed values of a gauge for display; and

sending the value to a mock gauge on said mock cluster for adjustment of said mock gauge to correct readout along the data bus;

should a message be a new message and the new message is not for gauge display, evaluating if the new message is for numeric display, and if the message is for numeric display performing the steps of;

decoding the message by comparing ID, masking off data bytes to retrieve needed values of a numeric display for display; and

sending the value to a mock numeric display on said mock cluster for adjustment of the mock numeric display to correct numeric readout along the data bus;

should a message be a new message and the new message is not for gauge display or for numeric display, evaluating if the new message is for warning light display, and if the message is for warning light performing the steps of;

decoding the message by the accompanying ID and masking off the data bytes to retrieve the warning light conditions; and

adjusting the mock warning lights to display the conditions of the message along the data bus;

should a message be a new message and the new message is not for gauge display, numeric display, or for warning light display, evaluating if the new message is for switch display, and if the message is for switch performing the steps of;

decoding the message by comparing the ID and masking off the data bytes to retrieve switch conditions; and

adjusting mock switch positions to display the conditions of the message along the data bus; and

should a new message not meet any of the filter requirements, continuing to monitor the data bus.

11. A controlled area network diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and evaluation of electronic components on a vehicle control system on a mobile vehicle, the vehicle control system including electrical system controllers on the vehicle, the electrical controllers communicating over a serial data bus, the serial data bus having a communication port, and the controllers including a gauge cluster that may include indications of vehicle status, comprising:

a processor including a graphics display;

a communications port for communicating with the vehicle data bus communication port;

said processor programmed to graphically provide a visual image of a mock gauge cluster on said display, said mock gauge cluster having the appearance of the actual vehicle gauge cluster; and

said processor programmed for the steps of;

upon installation on the data bus, initiating a data bus channel;

initiating variables;

querying along said common data bus to determine current conditions;

accepting user adjustments of mock gauge cluster conditions; and

constructing a data bus message with correct ID and message data and sending the message along said data bus to a controller that controls the particular condition to be changed;

continuing to monitor said data bus for changes of current conditions.