Diagnostic procedure for electrical appliances

• US 6,421,631 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wietzke, Joachim, Groeger, Klaus-Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, KAMINI S
• Application Number:
  US09/242,765
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 701/33, 701/29, 455/226.1
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2825 in household appliances or professional audio/video equipment testing LAN's H04L43/50; testing TV systems H04N17/00; testing loudspeakers H04R29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736

Abstract

A diagnostic method for electrical devices, in particular automobile radio devices, is proposed, offering a capability of easily delivering a test routine to the device via a chip card, and querying the test results by the same route.

Claims

1. A diagnostic method for an electrical device, the electrical device including a microprocessor, a first memory and an apparatus for receiving and reading at least one chip card, the at least one chip card including a second memory device, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing the at least one chip card into the apparatus;

invoking a loading routine in the first memory via the microprocessor;

loading a test software from the second memory device of the at least one chip card into the first memory device of the electrical device;

starting the test software;

diagnosing the electrical device;

determining at least one result via the test software; and

outputting the at least one result.

2. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical device includes an automobile radio device.

3. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

writing the at least one result onto the at least one chip card.

4. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical device further includes a display, and wherein the at least one result is output on the display.

5. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein at least one chip card includes a sequence of chip cards, and wherein the test software is loaded via the sequence of chip cards.