Diagnostic remote control for electrical components on vehicle

• US 6,958,611 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Inventors: Kramer, Dennis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamdan, Wasseem H.
• Application Number:
  US09/411,730
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 324/503, 324/504, 701/29, 701/35, 701/36, 307/10.2, 340/825.69, 340/539, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 324/504
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

A method of actuating electrical components of a vehicle, such as a heavy duty truck, for performing diagnostic analysis on the electrical components on the truck without the assistance of a technician is disclosed. The method includes relaying a signal from a remote transmitter to a receiver aboard a vehicle and actuating electrical components on the vehicle in response to the signal from the transmitter.

Claims

1. A method of actuating electrical components of a vehicle for performing diagnostic analysis on the electrical components, said method comprising:

relaying a signal from a remote transmitter to a keyless entry receiver aboard a vehicle by transmitting a radio frequency signal from the remote transmitter to the keyless entry receiver;

relaying the signal received by the keyless entry receiver to an electronic control device located aboard the vehicle; and

actuating a plurality of electrical components on the vehicle in response to the signal from the remote transmitter by directing the electronic components through an actuation cycle programmed into the electronic control device to allow visual inspection of the actuation of said plurality of electrical components from the location of said remote transmitter and diagnostic analysis of the plurality of electrical components on the vehicle.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of electrical components includes at least a brake and at least a plurality of lights.

3. A method of actuating electrical components of a vehicle for performing diagnostic analysis on the electrical components, said method comprising:

an electronic control device on the vehicle with an actuation cycle for a plurality of vehicle electrical components;

receiving a radio frequency signal from a remote transmitter in a keyless entry receiver aboard the vehicle; and

relaying the signal received by the keyless entry receiver to the electronic control device for beginning the actuation cycle of the plurality of electrical components in response to the signal from the transmitter to allow diagnostic analysis to be performed upon the plurality of electrical components while actuating the plurality of electrical components with the remote transmitter.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of storing the electronic control device comprises saving a temporary program into the electronic control device for actuating the plurality of electrical components.

5. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the remote transmitter is disposed outside the vehicle to allow the diagnostic analysis to be executable outside the vehicle.

6. An apparatus for performing diagnostic analysis upon electronic components of a vehicle, wherein said apparatus comprises:

a remote transmitter for transmitting an actuation signal;

a keyless entry receiver located aboard a vehicle for receiving the actuation signal from said remote transmitter;

an electronic control device in communication with the keyless entry receiver, wherein the keyless entry receiver relays the actuation signal to the electronic control device and wherein the electronic control device controls a plurality of electrical components to be actuated for diagnostic purposes through an actuation cycle to allow visual inspection of the actuation of said plurality of electrical components from outside the vehicle.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising an electronic data bus, wherein the keyless entry receiver is connected to the electronic data bus to bypass the electronic control device and connect directly to the plurality of electrical components.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plurality of electrical components includes at least a brake and at least a plurality of lights.