Automotive diagnostic tool
First Claim
1. A method of diagnosing fault in an electrical circuit of a motor vehicle having a microprocessor connected to a wiring harness of the vehicle for controlling selected operations of the vehicle, the method using a diagnostic apparatus having:
- a diagnostic microprocessor,connector means for connection between said vehicle microprocessor and said wiring harness for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said electrical circuit, said connector means selectively connecting one of an autotest unit and a manual breakout box and with reference probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said manual breakout box;
store means for storing data including control data representative of selected parameters specific to said electrical circuit;
test probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to selected locations in said electrical circuit;
display means for displaying user information; and
keypad means for enabling user input to said diagnostic microprocessor;
the method comprising;
(a) monitoring signals from said vehicle microprocessor to detect fault signals;
(b) selecting control data from said stored data representative of preselected parameters specific to said electrical circuit in response to receipt of a fault signal; and
(c) commencing a preselected diagnostic check of said electrical circuit;
wherein said preselected diagnostic check comprises carrying out one of the following steps in dependence on said control data;
(c1) where said control data is text only, generating a fault diagnostic display on said display means in the form of text and awaiting a user key entry on said keypad;
or(c2) where said control data requires the user to carry out a test measurement, monitoring said connector means for the presence of one of said autotest unit and said manual breakout box and prompting the user by a display on said display means in response to said diagnostic microprocessor detecting the presence of said manual breakout box.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (16) for diagnosing faults in the electrical circuit of a motor vehicle which has a microprocessor (90) connected to a wiring harness (10) of a vehicle for controlling selected operations of the vehicle as a diagnostic microprocessor (22) which is coupled to the vehicle microprocessor (90) and wiring harness (10) by way of a multipin connector (14) and either an autotest circuit (44) or a manual breakout box (42) and reference probe (18). The microprocessor (22) also has a further test probe (20) for connection to the various terminals in the wiring harness (10). A plugin module (28) stores information particular to the vehicle and the test and the diagnostic microprocessor (22) monitors the vehicle microprocessor (90) and interprets any fault signals received from this using the information in the plugin module (28) to carry out a diagnostic test of the vehicle wiring harness (10) to locate the fault. The diagnostic test may include user interface through a display (24 ) and a keypad (30) which allows user input in response to selected displays generated on the display (24) by the microprocessor (22).
85 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of diagnosing fault in an electrical circuit of a motor vehicle having a microprocessor connected to a wiring harness of the vehicle for controlling selected operations of the vehicle, the method using a diagnostic apparatus having:
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a diagnostic microprocessor, connector means for connection between said vehicle microprocessor and said wiring harness for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said electrical circuit, said connector means selectively connecting one of an autotest unit and a manual breakout box and with reference probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said manual breakout box; store means for storing data including control data representative of selected parameters specific to said electrical circuit; test probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to selected locations in said electrical circuit; display means for displaying user information; and keypad means for enabling user input to said diagnostic microprocessor; the method comprising; (a) monitoring signals from said vehicle microprocessor to detect fault signals; (b) selecting control data from said stored data representative of preselected parameters specific to said electrical circuit in response to receipt of a fault signal; and (c) commencing a preselected diagnostic check of said electrical circuit; wherein said preselected diagnostic check comprises carrying out one of the following steps in dependence on said control data; (c1) where said control data is text only, generating a fault diagnostic display on said display means in the form of text and awaiting a user key entry on said keypad;
or(c2) where said control data requires the user to carry out a test measurement, monitoring said connector means for the presence of one of said autotest unit and said manual breakout box and prompting the user by a display on said display means in response to said diagnostic microprocessor detecting the presence of said manual breakout box. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for diagnosing faults in an electrical circuit of a motor vehicle having a microprocessor connected to a wiring harness of the vehicle for controlling selected operations of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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a diagnostic microprocessor; connector means for connection between said vehicle microprocessor and said wiring harness for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said electrical circuit, said connector means selectively connecting one of an autotest unit and a manual breakout box and reference probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to said manual breakout box; store means for storing data representative of selected parameters specific to said electrical circuit; test probe means for connecting said diagnostic microprocessor to selected locations in said electrical circuit; display means for displaying user information; and keypad means for enabling user input to said diagnostic microprocessor.
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Specification