Method for activating the functions of an electrical apparatus

• US 7,120,552 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Klaas, Udo, Scherf, Torsten, Vogt, Lothar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US09/601,715
• Time in Patent Office: 2,820 Days
• Field of Search: 702 57- 59, 702/108, 702117-120, 702122-124, 702/183, 702/188, 700 79- 81, 700/53, 714/33, 714/74.2, 701/29, 701/31
• US Class Current: 702/119
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 Receivers

Abstract

A method is proposed that is used for activating the functions of an electrical device, preferably a car radio. A test routine stored in a storage area allocated to the device is executed by a control unit of the electrical device. The control unit activates at least one function of the electrical device on the basis of control commands predefined in the test routine. Information about the function just activated is reproduced on a reproducing device of the electrical device.

Claims

1. A method for activating at least one function of an electrical device, comprising the steps of:

causing a control unit of the electrical device to execute a test routine stored in a storage area allocated to the electrical device;

causing the control unit to activate the at least one function on the basis of control commands predefined in the test routine; and

reproducing information about an operation of the activated at least one function on a reproducing device of the electrical device;

wherein a sequence of the test routine executed by the control unit varies as a function of a manipulation of at least one operating control element of an operator unit of the electrical device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the electrical device corresponds to a car radio.

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

allocating, as a function of the information, at least one operating control element of an operator unit of the electrical device to the at least one function such that the at least one function is controllable by the at least one operating control element.

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

conveying directions for activating the at least one function by at least one operating control element of an operator unit of the electrical device through the information on the reproducing device.

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

storing data, which are reproducible on the reproducing device as a function of the test routine, in compressed form in the storage area.

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

performing a check test of the at least one function during the execution of the test routine.

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

enabling a storage medium including the storage area and inserted into the electrical device only by a predefined keyboard combination on an operator unit.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the information is reproduced on at least one of a display device, an acoustical reproducing unit, and a printer.

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

storing the control commands in gaps between at least one of speech data and music data on a storage medium constructed as an audio compact disk.