Failure diagnosis apparatus for vehicle

• US 20070093948A1
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sago, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/263 the program execution being modifiable by physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/087 Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/108 for diagnosis of the starter or its components

Abstract

A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a diagnosis processing section for executing failure diagnosis processing on a device of the vehicle to generate a diagnosis result. The apparatus also includes a data managing section for managing data of the diagnosis result. After an execution condition is met for failure diagnosis, the diagnosis processing section outputs an execution demand to the data managing section for the failure diagnosis processing. In response to the execution demand, the data managing section outputs an execution permission to the diagnosis processing section for the failure diagnosis processing. Also, after the execution condition is met for the failure diagnosis, the diagnosis processing section starts executing the failure diagnosis processing regardless of whether the execution permission has been outputted by the data managing section. A method of failure diagnosis is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a diagnosis processing section for executing failure diagnosis processing on a device of the vehicle to generate a diagnosis result; and

a data managing section for managing data of the diagnosis result wherein after an execution condition is met for failure diagnosis, the diagnosis processing section outputs an execution demand to the data managing section for the failure diagnosis processing and, in response to the execution demand, the data managing section outputs an execution permission to the diagnosis processing section for the failure diagnosis processing;

wherein

after the execution condition is met for the failure diagnosis, the diagnosis processing section starts executing the failure diagnosis processing regardless of whether the execution permission has been outputted by the data managing section;

thereafter, the data managing section outputs the execution permission for the failure diagnosis processing; and

then, the data of the diagnosis result of the failure diagnosis processing is output to and managed at the data managing section.

2. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section completes execution of the failure diagnosis processing and then outputs the execution demand for the failure diagnosis processing to the data managing section.

3. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section executes misfire detecting processing of an engine as the failure diagnosis processing.

4. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section executes failure diagnosis processing in a power supply control system for a starter as the failure diagnosis processing.

5. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section starts executing failure diagnosis processing immediately after an ignition switch turns on.

6. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section starts executing failure diagnosis processing immediately after an internal combustion engine of the vehicle is started.

7. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section includes;

a first misfire detecting device that executes misfire detecting processing immediately after an engine of the vehicle is started;

a second misfire detecting device that executes the misfire detecting processing after a predetermined time; and

a tentative misfire detecting device which makes a tentative misfire determination based upon a plurality of misfire detecting processing results of the first and second misfire detecting devices regardless of whether the execution permission has been output from the data managing section, wherein;

when the data managing section outputs the execution permission for the misfire detecting processing, the tentative misfire determination result becomes a formal misfire determination result and outputs the formal misfire determination result to the data managing section.

8. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section includes;

a first misfire detecting device that executes misfire detecting processing immediately after an engine of the vehicle is started;

a second misfire detecting device that executes the misfire detecting processing after ignition occurs for a predetermined time after the engine is started; and

a tentative misfire detecting device which makes a tentative misfire determination based upon a plurality of misfire detecting processing results of the first and second misfire detecting devices regardless of whether the execution permission has been output from the data managing section, wherein;

when the data managing section outputs the execution permission for the misfire detecting processing, the tentative misfire determination result becomes a formal misfire determination result and outputs the formal misfire determination result to the data managing section.

9. A method of detecting failure of a device of a vehicle comprising:

outputting an execution demand for failure diagnosis processing after an execution condition is met;

executing the failure diagnosis processing, wherein the failure diagnosis processing generates a diagnosis result relating to failure of the device;

outputting the execution permission for the failure diagnosis processing after executing the failure diagnosis processing; and

outputting and managing data of the diagnosis result after the outputting of the execution permission.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the executing of the failure diagnosis processing is completed before the outputting of the execution demand.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the executing of the failure diagnosis processing comprises executing a misfire detecting process of an engine.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the executing of the failure diagnosis processing comprises executing a failure diagnosis processing in a power supply control system for a starter.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the diagnosis processing section starts executing failure diagnosis processing immediately after an ignition switch turns on.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the executing of the failure diagnosis processing occurs immediately after an internal combustion engine of the vehicle is started.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

executing misfire detecting processing with a first misfire detecting device immediately after an engine of the vehicle is started;

executing misfire detecting processing with a second misfire detecting device after a predetermined time;

making a tentative misfire determination based upon a plurality of misfire detecting processing results of the first and second misfire detecting devices, and

outputting an managing the tentative misfire determination result as a formal misfire determination result after the outputting of the execution permission.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

executing misfire detecting processing with a first misfire detecting device immediately after an engine of the vehicle is started;

executing misfire detecting processing with a second misfire detecting device after ignition occurs for a predetermined time after the engine is started;

making a tentative misfire determination based upon a plurality of misfire detecting processing results of the first and second misfire detecting devices, and

outputting an managing the tentative misfire determination result as a formal misfire determination result after the outputting of the execution permission.