Fault diagnosis method and fault diagnosis device

• US 8,977,424 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ishimaru, Kenji, Okabe, Yudai, Ito, Hiroshi, Okazaki, Kusuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAZZARA, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/881,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.4
• US Class Current: 701/31.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

A fault diagnosis device and a fault diagnosis method read a diagnostic trouble code from an Electronic Control Unit to the fault diagnosis device, and display a work guide screen for guiding work in accordance with the read diagnostic trouble code. The work guide screen includes an entire work flowchart consisting of a plurality of work items for identifying a fault occurrence location at which the fault event corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code is caused, and includes an entire work display area in which a work item selected among the plurality of work items is highlighted and a concrete work display area in which concrete work details about the highlighted work item are indicated.

Claims

1. A fault diagnosing method carried out in association with an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, for reading self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit into an external diagnosing apparatus and diagnosing the vehicle for a fault, comprising:

a diagnostic trouble code reading step of reading a diagnostic trouble code for identifying a faulty event from the electronic control unit into the external diagnosing apparatus; and

a work guidance step of displaying a work guidance screen for guiding work depending on the read diagnostic trouble code;

wherein the work guidance screen has;

an overall work display area including an overall work flowchart, which is made up of a plurality of work items for identifying a faulty spot where the faulty event corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code has occurred, with a selected one of the work items being displayed in highlighted form; and

a specific work display area representing specific work content corresponding to the work item that is displayed in highlighted form,

the overall work display area and the specific work display area are juxtaposed to each other;

the work guidance step comprises;

displaying alternatives for confirming results of the work items on the work guidance screen; and

if there is a next work item depending on a selected one of the alternatives, in response to the selection of the one of the alternatives, switching a highlighted display in the overall work display area from the present work item to the next work item that corresponds to the selected one of the alternatives, and displaying specific work content corresponding to the next work item in the specific work display area.

2. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 1, wherein the work items include a plurality of diagnostic work items, and a plurality of repairing work items corresponding to the diagnostic work items;

and

the work guidance step comprises;

displaying the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displaying alternatives for confirming results of the diagnostic work items in the specific work display area; and

if one of the repairing work items corresponds to a selected one of the alternatives, switching a highlighted display from a present one of the diagnostic work items to the one of the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displaying specific repairing work content corresponding to the one of the repairing work items in the specific work display area.

3. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 2, wherein the work guidance step comprises:

displaying a verifying work item for verifying results of repairs concerning the repairing work items in addition to the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area;

if a signal is entered for indicating that a repairing work of one of the repairing work items is finished, switching the highlighted display from a present one of the repairing work items to the verifying work item in the overall work display area, and displaying specific verifying work content corresponding to the verifying work item on the work guidance screen in the specific work display area; and

reading the self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit into the external diagnosing apparatus, and displaying, in the external diagnosing apparatus, whether or not the diagnostic trouble code exists.

4. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 1, wherein the work guidance step comprises:

reading vehicle data required for the specific work content from the electronic control unit into the external diagnosing apparatus, and displaying the vehicle data together with the specific work content in the specific work display area.

5. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 4, wherein the work guidance step comprises:

displaying the vehicle data together with judging criteria with respect to the vehicle data.

6. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 4, wherein the work items include a plurality of diagnostic work items and a plurality of repairing work items corresponding to the diagnostic work items;

and

the work guidance step comprises;

displaying the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displaying alternatives for confirming results of the diagnostic work items in the specific work display area; and

if one of the repairing work items corresponds to a selected one of the alternatives, switching a highlighted display from a present one of the diagnostic work items to the one of the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displaying specific repairing work content corresponding to the one of the repairing work items in the specific work display area.

7. The fault diagnosing method according to claim 6, wherein the work guidance step comprises:

displaying a verifying work item for verifying results of repairs concerning the repairing work items in addition to the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area;

if a signal is entered for indicating that a repairing work of one of the repairing work items is finished, switching the highlighted display from a present one of the repairing work items to the verifying work item in the overall work display area, and displaying specific verifying work content corresponding to the verifying work item on the work guidance screen in the specific work display area; and

reading the self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit into the external diagnosing apparatus, and displaying, in the external diagnosing apparatus, whether or not the diagnostic trouble code exists.

8. A fault diagnosing apparatus connected to an electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, for reading self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit and diagnosing the vehicle for a fault, comprising:

a reader for reading a diagnostic trouble code for identifying a faulty event from the electronic control unit; and

a display controller for displaying on a display unit a work guidance screen for guiding work depending on the read diagnostic trouble code;

wherein the display controller displays on the work guidance screen;

an overall work display area including an overall work flowchart, which is made up of a plurality of work items for identifying a faulty spot where the faulty event corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code has occurred, with a selected one of the work items being displayed in highlighted form; and

a specific work display area representing specific work content corresponding to the work item that is displayed in highlighted form,

the overall work display area and the specific work display area are juxtaposed to each other;

the display controller;

displays alternatives for confirming results of the work items on the work guidance screen; and

if there is a next work item depending on a selected one of the alternatives, in response to the selection of the alternatives, switches a highlighted display in the overall work display area from the present work item to the next work item that corresponds to the selected one of the alternatives, and displays specific work content corresponding to the next work item in the specific work display area.

9. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the work items include a plurality of diagnostic work items, and a plurality of repairing work items corresponding to the diagnostic work items;

and

the display controller;

displays the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displays alternatives for confirming results of the diagnostic work items in the specific work display area; and

if one of the repairing work items corresponds to a selected one of the alternatives, switches a highlighted display from a present one of the diagnostic work items to the one of the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displays specific repairing work content corresponding to the one of the repairing work items in the specific work display area.

10. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display controller:

displays a verifying work item for verifying results of repairs concerning the repairing work items in addition to the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area;

if a signal is entered for indicating that a repairing work of one of the repairing work items is finished, switches the highlighted display from a present one of the repairing work items to the verifying work item in the overall work display area, and displays specific verifying work content corresponding to the verifying work item on the work guidance screen in the specific work display area; and

reads the self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit, and displays whether or not the diagnostic trouble code exists.

11. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display controller:

reads vehicle data required for the specific work content from the electronic control unit, and displays the vehicle data together with the specific work content in the specific work display area.

12. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display controller displays the vehicle data together with judging criteria with respect to the vehicle data.

13. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the work items include a plurality of diagnostic work items and a plurality of repairing work items corresponding to the diagnostic work items;

and

the display controller;

displays the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displays alternatives for confirming results of the diagnostic work items in the specific work display area; and

if one of the repairing work items corresponds to a selected one of the alternatives, switches a highlighted display from a present one of the diagnostic work items to the one of the repairing work items in the overall work display area, and displays specific repairing work content corresponding to the one of the repairing work items in the specific work display area.

14. The fault diagnosing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display controller:

displays a verifying work item for verifying results of repairs concerning the repairing work items in addition to the diagnostic work items and the repairing work items in the overall work display area;

if a signal is entered for indicating that a repairing work of one of the repairing work items is finished, switches the highlighted display from a present one of the repairing work items to the verifying work item in the overall work display area, and displays specific verifying work content corresponding to the verifying work item on the work guidance screen in the specific work display area; and

reads the self-diagnosis result data stored in the electronic control unit, and displays whether or not the diagnostic trouble code exists.