Diagnostic method for monitoring a plug-in connection

• US 7,400,152 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Thole, Michael, Malzahn, Thomas, Jannsen, Bert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): He; Amy
• Application Number:
  US10/581,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 324/537, 324/500
• US Class Current: 324/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/68 Testing of releasable connections, e.g. of terminals mounted on a printed circuit board

Abstract

A diagnostic method for monitoring at least one plug-in connection (4) to an antenna (1), a diagnostic signal is supplied via the antenna signal path toward the antenna (1). The diagnosis signal bypasses an active circuit (31) in the antenna signal path. In the event of a defective plug-in connection (4), the diagnostic signal influences the power supply of the active circuit (31). If the power consumption is outside a predefined window, an error is signaled.

Claims

1. A diagnostic method for monitoring at least one plug-in connection to an antenna, the plug-in connection being in an antenna signal path to the antenna, comprising:

supplying a diagnostic signal via the antenna signal path toward the antenna (1), the diagnostic signal bypassing an active circuit (31) provided in the antenna signal path,

influencing a power supply of the active circuit (31) depending on whether the diagnostic signal is affected by an error due to the at least one plug-in connection (4), and

detecting whether power consumption of the active circuit (31) is outside a predefined window, and if so signaling an error.

2. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a window-integrated antenna of a vehicle.

3. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein a DC power supply signal for the active circuit (31) is used as the diagnostic signal.

4. The diagnostic method according to claim 3, wherein the diagnostic signal travels through a diagnostic resistor (8);

the voltage drop across the diagnostic resistor (8) is monitored; and

in the event of an error at the at least one plug-in connection (4), a power supply interrupter (10) for the active circuit (31) is activated via the voltage drop across the diagnostic resistor (8).

5. The diagnostic method according to claim 3, wherein the diagnostic signal, after passing through the antenna-side plug-in connection (4), is fed back to the active circuit (31), specifically to its power supply terminal (32).

6. The diagnostic method according to claim 3, wherein the diagnostic signal bypasses a diversity device (21) provided in the antenna signal path and is subsequently fed back into the antenna signal path.

7. The diagnostic method according to claim 3, wherein the diagnostic signal is phantom-supplied via the antenna signal path and its RF cable (5).

8. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic signal travels through a diagnostic resistor (8);

the voltage drop across the diagnostic resistor (8) is monitored; and

in the event of an error at the at least one plug-in connection (4), a power supply interrupter (10) for the active circuit (31) is activated via the voltage drop across the diagnostic resistor (8).

9. The diagnostic method according to claim 8, wherein the diagnostic signal bypasses a diversity device (21) provided in the antenna signal path and is subsequently fed back into the antenna signal path.

10. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic signal, after passing through the antenna-side plug-in connection (4), is fed back to the active circuit (31), specifically to its power supply terminal (32).

11. The diagnostic method according to claim 10, wherein the diagnostic signal bypasses a diversity device (21) provided in the antenna signal path and is subsequently fed back into the antenna signal path.

12. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic signal bypasses a diversity device (21) provided in the antenna signal path and is subsequently fed back into the antenna signal path.

13. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic signal is phantom-supplied via the antenna signal path and its RF cable (5).

14. A diagnostic device for monitoring at least one plug-in connection to a window-integrated antenna of a vehicle, the plug-in connection being in an antenna signal path to the antenna, the device comprising:

means for generating a diagnostic signal and for feeding this signal into the antenna signal path toward the antenna (1),

means for enabling the diagnostic signal to bypass an active circuit (31) in the antenna signal path (31),

means for influencing the power supply of the active circuit (31) depending on whether the diagnostic signal is affected by an error due to at least one plug-in connection (4), and

means for detecting power consumption of the active circuit (31) and for signaling an error if the power consumption is outside a predefined window.

15. The diagnostic device according to claim 14, further comprising a diagnostic resistor (8) in a bypass branch of the active circuit (31), wherein the diagnostic resistor (8) is connected to an analyzer (9), via which a power supply interrupter (19) for the active circuit can be operated.

16. The diagnostic device according to claim 15, further comprising means for feeding back the diagnostic signal to a power supply terminal (32) of the active circuit (31) after it has passed through the antenna-side plug-in connection (4, 43).

17. The diagnostic device according to claim 14, further comprising means for feeding back the diagnostic signal to a power supply terminal (32) of the active circuit (31) after it has passed through the antenna-side plug-in connection (4, 43).

18. The diagnostic device according to claim 14, wherein a phantom supply of the diagnostic signal is provided via the antenna signal path and its RF cable (5).

19. The diagnostic device according to claim 18, wherein the phantom supply is the DC power supply signal for the active circuit (31).