Open-ended scan analysis with auto-identification of multi-platform gas analyzers

• US 20040064227A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Mayer, Douglas, Chinnadurai, Manokar, Kochie, Robert, McGee, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2252 in a vehicle exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A data display firmware improvement for a scan tool adds the capability to view in a single presentation data uploaded from a motor vehicle'"'"'s onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer synchronized with data from external test apparatus. The data display algorithms permit viewing of OBD data, including certain real-time oscilloscope-like waveforms, and allow viewing test results from compatible instruments, such as exhaust gas analyzers, including capturing realtime OBD signals, holding them until delayed events such as gas analyzer test results become available, then displaying the events on a common display as though available simultaneously in real time. The present invention further permits acquisition of communication links with external test equipment for which exact protocols and port configurations may not be uniquely specified. The firmware upgrade is downloadable to existing products.

Claims

1. A test instrument for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle data, comprising:

a scan interface component permitting communication between said test instrument and a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic (OBD) computer;

an external device interface component permitting communication between said test instrument and an additional data acquisition device; and

a communication subsystem that establishes communication between said external device interface and an external device through the use of a succession of attempts at communication via ports and communication protocols with which said external device interface may be provided.

2. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising an external device interface component permitting communication between said test instrument and a plurality of additional data acquisition devices.

3. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument to display test and status data in graphical form, to include text messages.

4. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument to display test and status data in graphical form, to include representation of a horizontal axis representing time plotted against a vertical axis representing a test parameter, such as voltage, temperature, concentration of oxides of nitrogen, and other parameters of interest to test instrument users.

5. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said vehicle OBD computer in response to data properties of event time of occurrence, external source data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting comparison between said data despite disparities in properties.

6. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said external sources in response to disparate data properties of event time of occurrence, external source data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting direct data comparison despite disparities in event rate.

7. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to alter graphical display representation of data collected from said external sources in response to disparate data properties of event time of occurrence, external source data item acquisition rate, and amplitude, for the purpose of permitting direct data comparison despite disparities in time of occurrence.

8. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to alter graphical display representation of data for the purpose of permitting the horizontal (time) axis of a time-synchronized set of data traces to display in part at a first rate and in part at a second rate.

9. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to display data previously acquired.

10. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to alter the time representation of sets of data in order to present on the same display sets of data that occurred at different times.

11. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a system of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from a motor vehicle onboard diagnostic type II (OBD-II®

) computer scan interface using universal OBD-II interface ports and protocols.

12. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a system of said test instrument able to write data to a motor vehicle onboard computer using universal OBD-II interface ports and protocols.

13. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an interface port and protocol unique to the present inventive apparatus to supply data.

14. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an industry-standard Infrared Data Association®

(IrDA) infrared interface port and protocol to communicate.

15. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an industry-standard serial interface port and protocol to communicate.

16. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising an interface of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test apparatus, where such interface employs an industry-standard Personal Computer Memory Card International Association®

(PCMCIA®

) interface port and protocol to communicate.

17. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire and process data from, and/or output commands and data to, external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an industry-standard universal serial bus (USB) interface port and protocol to supply data.

18. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to output data to external apparatus, where such external apparatus employs a Hewlett-Packard Corporation®

(HP®

) wireless interface port and protocol to output data.

19. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire replacement executable binary code for said test instrument from an external source, where such an external source employs an industry-standard Class II Compact Flash Card®

interface port and protocol to supply replacement executable binary code.

20. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to acquire replacement executable binary code for said test instrument from an external source, where such an external source employs an industry-standard universal serial bus (USB) interface port and protocol to supply replacement executable binary code.

21. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to establish communication with external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an interface and protocol not explicitly specified prior to the initialization of communication, said communication being established by the test instrument transmitting multiple handshaking sequences and monitoring multiple possible response lines until a successful link is established.

22. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising a subsystem of said test instrument able to establish communication with external test apparatus, where such external test apparatus employs an interface and protocol not explicitly specified prior to the initialization of communication, said communication being established by the test instrument by transmitting multiple handshaking sequences using possible control nodes and monitoring available response nodes until all sequences available to said test instrument have been exhausted, after which the most successful protocol for that external test apparatus is reinvoked.

23. A system for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle diagnostic data, said system comprising:

means for acquiring data generated or stored within a computer;

means for establishing communication with external test equipment through repeated attempts to initialize a link with said external test equipment using available protocols and port configurations; and

means for acquiring data generated or stored within external test equipment.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for processing data acquired from said motor vehicle computer and said external test equipment.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for altering data stored within said motor vehicle computer.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for transmitting commands for execution by said external test equipment.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for displaying data from said computer and said external test equipment in a unified graphical display.

28. A method for acquiring and displaying motor vehicle diagnostic data comprising the steps of:

obtaining data from a computer on a motor vehicle through an established communications link;

acquiring communication with external test equipment by repeatedly attempting to initialize a link with external test equipment through successive application of available port configurations and protocols; and

obtaining data from external test equipment.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of displaying selected data signals in accordance with selected settings, independent of the source of the signals.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of processing data signals.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of altering data stored within a motor vehicle onboard computer.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of transmitting commands for execution by external test equipment.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of displaying data from a vehicle onboard computer and external test equipment in a unified graphical display.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of acquiring data synchronization with a device whose interface parameters are not uniquely known prior to the beginning of the attempt to communicate.