Automotive diagnostic system
First Claim
1. An automotive diagnostic system for diagnosing problems in a sensor system, a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness, wherein during normal vehicle operations the vehicle sensor wiring harness is coupled between the sensor and the vehicle computer, the automotive diagnostic system comprising:
- a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer having the vehicle sensor wiring harness coupled therebetween during a diagnostic mode, the sensor simulator adapted to simulate an operation of the sensor system to the vehicle computer, and to physically replace the sensor system;
an external computer coupled to the sensor simulator and adapted for controlling the sensor simulator to selectively couple to the vehicle computer and to simulate the operation of the selected sensor;
a user keypad coupled to the external computer adapted to provide user inputs to the external computer; and
a memory coupled to the external computer, adapted to store user input data associated with a range of vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s makes, models, years, sensor function types, and one or more of a voltage, current, and resistance operational range values of the selected sensor to be simulated;
wherein the external computer, keypad and memory are adapted to receive and store user input data associated with a selected manufacturers make, model, year vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor to be simulated using the sensor simulator, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value of the selected sensor; and
wherein the automotive diagnostic system is adapted to determine whether a problem exists in one or more of the sensor, vehicle computer, and the vehicle sensor wiring harness and to diagnose the problem and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is configured to;
a) diagnose that a problem exists in the selected sensor and that the vehicle computer and the vehicle sensor wiring harness are OK, by determining if the simulated operation of the selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is OK;
b) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle sensor wiring harness or in the vehicle computer, by determining if the simulated operation selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is not OK; and
c) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle computer by determining if there is no change in the vehicle computer indications between the simulated operation of the selected sensor and no simulated operation of the selected sensor and further configured to diagnose and determine that a problem exists in the vehicle computer, if there is no change in the vehicle computer indication between the sensor being connected to the vehicle sensor wiring harness and the sensor being disconnected from the vehicle sensor wiring harness.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is presented for diagnosing problems in a sensor, a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness. The diagnostic system comprises a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer via a wiring harness during a diagnostic mode, and to eliminate and simulate a known good sensor to the vehicle computer by way of the vehicle sensor wiring harness directly connected therebetween. The system includes an external computer adapted to selectively couple the sensor simulator to the vehicle computer, and a user keypad and memory to receive and store user commands of a selected manufacturer'"'"'s make, model, year of vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value comprising one or more of a voltage, current or resistance operational range values of the selected sensor.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An automotive diagnostic system for diagnosing problems in a sensor system, a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness, wherein during normal vehicle operations the vehicle sensor wiring harness is coupled between the sensor and the vehicle computer, the automotive diagnostic system comprising:
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a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer having the vehicle sensor wiring harness coupled therebetween during a diagnostic mode, the sensor simulator adapted to simulate an operation of the sensor system to the vehicle computer, and to physically replace the sensor system; an external computer coupled to the sensor simulator and adapted for controlling the sensor simulator to selectively couple to the vehicle computer and to simulate the operation of the selected sensor; a user keypad coupled to the external computer adapted to provide user inputs to the external computer; and a memory coupled to the external computer, adapted to store user input data associated with a range of vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s makes, models, years, sensor function types, and one or more of a voltage, current, and resistance operational range values of the selected sensor to be simulated; wherein the external computer, keypad and memory are adapted to receive and store user input data associated with a selected manufacturers make, model, year vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor to be simulated using the sensor simulator, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value of the selected sensor; and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is adapted to determine whether a problem exists in one or more of the sensor, vehicle computer, and the vehicle sensor wiring harness and to diagnose the problem and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is configured to; a) diagnose that a problem exists in the selected sensor and that the vehicle computer and the vehicle sensor wiring harness are OK, by determining if the simulated operation of the selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is OK; b) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle sensor wiring harness or in the vehicle computer, by determining if the simulated operation selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is not OK; and c) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle computer by determining if there is no change in the vehicle computer indications between the simulated operation of the selected sensor and no simulated operation of the selected sensor and further configured to diagnose and determine that a problem exists in the vehicle computer, if there is no change in the vehicle computer indication between the sensor being connected to the vehicle sensor wiring harness and the sensor being disconnected from the vehicle sensor wiring harness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An automotive diagnostic system for diagnosing problems in a sensor system a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness, wherein during normal vehicle operations the vehicle sensor wiring harness is coupled between the sensor and the vehicle computer, the automotive diagnostic system comprising:
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a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer having the vehicle sensor wiring harness coupled therebetween during a diagnostic mode, the sensor simulator adapted to simulate an operation of the sensor system to the vehicle computer, and to physically replace the sensor system, wherein the sensor simulator further comprises a clamping circuit configured to shunt any noise, over-voltages and under-voltages on an I/O bus associated with the sensor simulator; an external computer coupled to the sensor simulator and adapted for controlling the sensor simulator to selectively couple to the vehicle computer and to simulate the operation of the selected sensor; a user keypad coupled to the external computer adapted to provide user inputs to the external computer; and a memory coupled to the external computer, adapted to store user input data associated with a range of vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s makes, models, years, sensor function types, and one or more of a voltage, current, and resistance operational range values of the selected sensor to be simulated; wherein the external computer, keypad and memory are adapted to receive and store user input data associated with a selected manufacturers make, model, year vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor to be simulated using the sensor simulator, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value of the selected sensor; and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is adapted determine whether a problem exists in one or more of the sensor vehicle computer, and the vehicle sensor wiring harness and to diagnose the problem.
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17. An automotive diagnostic system for diagnosing problems in a sensor system, a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness, wherein during normal vehicle operations the vehicle sensor wiring harness is coupled between the sensor and the vehicle computer, the automotive diagnostic system comprising:
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a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer having the vehicle sensor wiring harness coupled therebetween during a diagnostic mode, the sensor simulator adapted to simulate an operation of the sensor system to the vehicle computer, and to physically replace the sensor system, wherein the sensor simulator further comprises a clamping circuit configured to receive a simulated sensor signal from the external computer or a signal processor, and configured to shunt any noise, over-voltages or under-voltages on the simulated sensor signal to a supply voltage or a ground voltage associated with the automotive diagnostic system; an external computer coupled to the sensor simulator and adapted for controlling the sensor simulator to selectively couple to the vehicle computer and to simulate the operation of the selected sensor; a user keypad coupled to the external computer adapted to provide user inputs to the external computer; and a memory coupled to the external computer, adapted to store user input data associated with a range of vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s makes, models, years, sensor function types, and one or more of a voltage, current, and resistance operational range values of the selected sensor to be simulated; wherein the external computer, keypad and memory are adapted to receive and store user input data associated with a selected manufacturers make, model, year vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor to be simulated using the sensor simulator, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value of the selected sensor; and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is adapted to determine whether a problem exists in one or more of the sensor vehicle computer and the vehicle sensor wiring harness and to diagnose the problem.
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Specification