Vehicle diagnostic tool utilizing absolute throttle positions vs. engine speeds

• US 8,200,389 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bernie C. Thompson, Neal R. Pederson
• Original Assignee: Bernie C. Thompson, Neal R. Pederson
• Inventors: Thompson, Bernie C., Pederson, Neal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen, Lin B
• Application Number:
  US12/624,143
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/04 Testing internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

An analysis tool which extracts all the available parameter identifications (i.e. PIDS) from a vehicle'"'"'s power train control module for diagnostic decisions. This is done by checking these PIDS and other information (e.g., calculated PIDS, Break Points, charts and algorithms) in three states; key on engine off, key on engine cranking, key on engine running. In all three modes the tool is comparing the live data from PIDS and voltage to the other information (e.g, Break Points). If any of this data are outside the programmed values a flag is assigned to the failure or control problem. The relationship between a particular PID and its associated preprogrammed value(s) may be indicated by a light. The depth of the problem (if any) is conveyed by the color of the light. Also included are tests/charts for fuel trim, engine volumetric efficiency, simulated injector, power, catalyst efficiency, and engine coolant range.

Claims

1. A method of providing information on the operating condition of a Power Plant of a vehicle with instrumentation including a microprocessor;

the Power Plant including an engine, a powertrain control module and fuel injectors;

the microprocessor being programmed to calculate the time the fuel injectors should be on (hereinafter “

calculated injector on time”

);

the microprocessor being programmed to determine the time the fuel injectors are actually on (hereinafter “

actual injector on time”

);

the microprocessor being programmed to extract parameter identification data (hereinafter “

PID data”

), including PID data that provides information on the load on the engine (hereinafter “

engine load PID data”

), from the powertrain control module;

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine the speed of the engine (hereinafter “

engine speed”

);

the method including the steps of;

a. acquiring PID data with the instrumentation, including engine load PID data, from the powertrain control module while the engine speed and engine load are changing;

b. determining with the instrumentation engine speed as the engine speed is changing;

c. determining with the microprocessor the actual injector on time for the fuel injectors at various engine speeds and engine loads;

d. determining with the microprocessor the calculated injector on time for such fuel injectors for the various engine speeds and engine loads; and

e. determining the difference between the actual injector on time and the calculated injector on time for the various engine speeds and engine loads.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the instrumentation is also provided with a table of engine loads vs. engine speeds, which table is divided into a number of cells, each cell representing a range of engine loads vs. engine speeds wherein no two cells have both the same range of engine loads and the same range of engine speeds, further including the step of assigning the determined differences between the actual injector on time and the calculated injector on time to the cells representing the engine speeds and engine loads at which the differences were determined.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further including the steps of dividing possible differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time into a series of ranges and assigning each range a separate, distinct code.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, further including the step of providing a first code for differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time in the range of −

A and +A.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the step of providing a second code for differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time in the ranges of −

A and −

B and between +A and +B, wherein the absolute value of B is greater than the absolute value of A.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further including the step of providing a third code for differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time in the ranges of −

B and −

C and between +B and +C, wherein the absolute value of C is greater than the absolute value of B.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, further including the step of providing a fourth code for differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time greater than +C and less than −

C.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the instrumentation is provided with a display screen, and wherein the first code is assigned a first color, the second code is assigned a second color, the third code is assigned a third color, and the fourth code is assigned a fourth color.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further including assigning green as the first color and assigning red as the fourth color.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, further including the steps of assigning a value of 10 to A, a value of 13 to B, and a value of 16 to C.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the instrumentation is provided with a display screen, and wherein the step of determining the difference between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time includes the steps of graphing the actual injector on time, and the calculated injector on time, versus elapsed time and superimposing one of the graph of actual injector on time and the graph of calculated injector on time over the other of the graph of actual injector on time and the graph of calculated injector on time.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the engine has two banks of fuel injectors, and wherein the steps of determining actual injector on time, determining calculated injector on time and determining the differences between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time are performed separately for each bank of fuel injectors.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1, where in the difference between actual injector on time and the calculated injector on time is analyzed to determine if there is a problem associated with the fuel delivery system of the Power Plant or with sensors which feed data to the powertrain control module.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of determining actual injector on time includes acquiring actual injector on time PID data from the powertrain control module.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to calculate actual injector on time with an algorithm that includes fuel trim data (hereinafter “

actual injector on time algorithm”

), wherein the step of acquiring PID data from the powertrain control module includes acquiring fuel trim PID data, and wherein the step of determining actual injector on time utilizes fuel trim PID data and the actual injector on time algorithm.

16. An automotive diagnostic table embodied in instrumentation including a microprocessor including a first axis representing increasing values of engine load, and a second axis representing increasing engine speed, the table further including a plurality of cells, each cell representing a range of engine loads vs. engine speeds, wherein no two cells have both the same range of engine loads and the same range of engine speeds, and wherein at least some of the cells are used to present information relating to the difference between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time at the associated engine load and engine speed ranges.

17. A method of providing information on the operating condition of a Power Plant of a vehicle with instrumentation including a microprocessor, a table of engine loads vs. engine speeds, and a display screen;

table being divided into a number of cells, each cell representing a range of engine loads vs. engine speeds wherein no two cells have both the same range of engine loads and the same range of engine speeds;

the Power Plant including an engine, a powertrain control module and fuel injectors;

the microprocessor being programmed to calculate the time the fuel injectors should be on (hereinafter “

calculated injector on time”

);

the microprocessor being programmed to determine the time the fuel injectors are actually on (hereinafter “

actual injector on time”

);

the microprocessor being programmed to extract parameter identification data (hereinafter “

PID data”

) from the powertrain control module;

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine the speed of the engine (hereinafter “

engine speed”

);

the method including the steps of;

a. acquiring PID data, including engine load PID data, engine speed PID data and injector on time PID data, from the powertrain control module while the engine speed and engine load are changing;

b. determining engine speed from the engine speed PID data as the engine speed is changing;

c. determining the actual injector on time from the injector on time PID data at various engine speeds and engine loads;

d. determining the calculated injector on time for such fuel injectors for the various engine speeds and engine loads;

e. determining the difference between the actual injector on time and the calculated injector on time for the various engine speeds and engine loads;

f. assigning the determined differences between the actual injector on time and the calculated injector on time to the cells representing the engine loads and engine speeds at which the differences were determined; and

g. displaying on the display screen the cells including the assigned determined differences.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of determining the difference between actual injector on time and calculated injector on time includes the steps of:

(i) graphing the actual injector on time;

(ii) graphing the calculated injector on time;

(iii) superimposing one of the graph of actual injector on time and the graph of calculated injector on time over the other of the graph of actual injector on time and the graph of calculated injector on time; and

(iv) displaying the superimposed graphs on the display screen.