Method and system for analyzing an on-board vehicle computer system

• US 6,529,808 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies Ip Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Diem, Earl D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/127,248
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/31, 701/32, 701/33, 701/36, 702/185
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00

Abstract

An On-Board Diagnostics/Inspection Maintenance (OBD/IM) Vehicle Analysis System (OVAS) includes the hardware and software necessary to access the onboard computer systems on 1996 and newer vehicles, determine On-Board Diagnostics Generation II (OBDII) readiness, and recover stored fault codes using the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standardized link. The analyzer is designed to guide the inspector through the OBDII inspection sequence for a particular vehicle and record the results. Information regarding OBDII scanning anomalies (such as “not ready” status of 1996 Subarus) is maintained in the OBD Vehicle Lookup Table (VLT). In addition, information regarding the Data Link Collector (DLC) location is maintained for 1996 and newer vehicles in the OBD-VLT. This information is downloaded to the OVAS analyzers upon initialization and when the OBD-VLT is updated, and is automatically displayed when vehicles undergoing testing match the vehicle criteria (such as make, model, and model year).

Claims

1. A method for on-board diagnostics testing of a vehicle under inspection, the method comprising:

configuring a user interface in communication with a software system;

configuring a communications link in communication with said software system, said software system capable of communicating with an on-board vehicle computer system; and

configuring an analysis and reporting module in communication with said software system;

wherein said software system manages said user interface, said communications link, and said analysis and reporting module in a manner guiding an inspector through an inspection of the vehicle; and

wherein an inspection of the vehicle includes an analysis of the on-board vehicle computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving inputted vehicle data fields for the vehicle under inspection;

comparing said inputted vehicle data fields to data contained in a vehicle lookup table; and

determining whether the vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostics testing;

wherein, if the vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostics testing, then said software system guides an inspector through a vehicle inspection process.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if said vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostic testing, then determining, based upon said inputted vehicle data fields and said data contained in said vehicle lookup table, whether the vehicle under inspection is subject to a standardized test procedure or a specialized test procedure corresponding to the vehicle under inspection;

wherein, if it is determined that the vehicle under inspection is subject to a specialized test procedure, then said software system guides the inspector through said specialized test procedure.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

directing the inspector to locate an on-board diagnostic connector in the vehicle under inspection;

wherein information on the location of said on-board diagnostic connector is also included in said vehicle lookup table.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

establishing communication between said analysis and reporting module and said on-board vehicle computer system;

verifying the operational status of a malfunction indicator light (MIL) included within said vehicle under inspection;

determining whether said MIL has been commanded on during the operation of said vehicle under inspection; and

retrieving and storing vehicle diagnostic trouble codes.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a readiness status for each of a set of vehicle parameter monitors, said readiness status indicative of whether a given vehicle parameter monitor has had sufficient time to monitor the parameter associated therewith;

wherein a possible readiness status for each vehicle parameter monitor includes one of;

completed, not completed, and not enabled.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said set of vehicle parameter monitors includes at least one of:

a misfire, a fuel system, a comprehensive component, a catalyst, a heated catalyst, an evaporative system, a secondary air system, an air conditioning system, an oxygen sensor, an oxygen sensor heater, and an exhaust gas recirculation system monitor.

8. A vehicle analysis system for use with vehicles having on-board diagnostics, the system comprising:

a software system;

a user interface in communication with said software system;

a communications link in communication with said software system for communicating with an on-board vehicle computer system; and

an analysis and reporting module in communication with said software system;

wherein said software system manages said user interface, said communications link, and said analysis and reporting module in a manner guiding an inspector through an inspection of the vehicle; and

wherein the inspection of the vehicle includes an analysis of the on-board vehicle computer system.

9. The vehicle analysis system of claim 8, wherein said analysis and reporting module employs an on-board diagnostics testing method, the method further comprising:

receiving inputted vehicle data fields for a vehicle under inspection;

comparing said inputted vehicle data fields to data contained in a vehicle lookup table; and

determining whether said vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostics testing;

wherein, if said vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostics testing, then said software system guides an inspector through a vehicle inspection process.

10. The vehicle analysis system of claim 9, wherein the on-board diagnostics testing method further comprises:

if said vehicle under inspection is subject to on-board diagnostic testing, then determining, based upon said inputted vehicle data fields and said data contained in said vehicle lookup table, whether said vehicle under inspection is subject to a standardized test procedure or a specialized test procedure corresponding to said vehicle under inspection;

wherein, if it is determined that said vehicle under inspection is subject to a specialized test procedure, then said software system guides the inspector through said specialized test procedure.

11. The vehicle analysis system of claim 9, wherein the on-board diagnostics testing method further comprises:

directing the inspector to locate an on-board diagnostic connector in said vehicle under inspection;

wherein information on the location of said on-board diagnostic connector is also included in said vehicle lookup table.

12. The vehicle analysis system of claim 11, wherein the on-board diagnostics testing method further comprises:

establishing communication between said analysis and reporting module and said on-board vehicle computer system;

verifying the operational status of a malfunction indicator light (MIL) included within said vehicle under inspection;

determining whether said MIL has been commanded on during the operation of said vehicle under inspection; and

retrieving and storing vehicle diagnostic trouble codes.

13. The vehicle analysis system of claim 11, wherein the on-board diagnostics testing method further comprises:

determining a readiness status for each of a set of vehicle parameter monitors, said readiness status indicative of whether a given vehicle parameter monitor has had sufficient time to monitor the parameter associated therewith;

wherein a possible readiness status for each vehicle parameter monitor includes one of;

completed, not completed, and not enabled.

14. The vehicle analysis system of claim 13, wherein said set of vehicle parameter monitors includes at least one of:

a misfire, a fuel system, a comprehensive component, a catalyst, a heated catalyst, an evaporative system, a secondary air system, an air conditioning system, an oxygen sensor, an oxygen sensor heater, and an exhaust gas recirculation system monitor.

15. The vehicle analysis system of claim 9, further comprising bar code scanning means in communication with said software system for scanning vehicle data fields for a vehicle under inspection, wherein said vehicle data fields include at least one of:

a make, a model, and a model year of a registered vehicle.

16. The vehicle analysis system of claim 8, further comprising a server system, wherein said analysis and reporting module is resident at a server location, and wherein a client calls said analysis and reporting module from a client location.

17. The vehicle analysis system of claim 16, wherein said client location is the same as said server location.

18. The vehicle analysis system of claim 16, wherein said client location is physically networked with said server location.

19. The vehicle analysis system of claim 16, wherein said client location is wirelessly networked with said server location.