Interactive schematic generating method and apparatus for a vehicle diagnostic procedure

• US 7,636,622 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Underdal, Olav M., Portyanko, Oleksiy, Wittliff, William W. III, Mayes, Randy L., Gilbert, Harry M., Fountain, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin; Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/452,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

An interactive diagnostic schematic generator illustrates diagnostic test procedures for diagnosing failure modes of a vehicle. The schematic generator reads a schematic data file such as a wiring diagram from a computer memory, indicates a test subject in the schematic or illustrates a location where test equipment is to be connected, and formats the schematic for display on a display device. The schematic generator also receives feedback from a vehicle onboard computer, test equipment or user input indicating that the action has been performed, and removes the indication of the test subject in the schematic. The schematic generator further marks the test subject to indicate that the action has been performed with a marking style that is visually distinct from the indicating style, optionally indicating that the result has validated or invalidated the test subject.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of dynamically generating an interactive diagnostic schematic to illustrate a diagnostic test procedure for a vehicle, comprising:

illustrating a diagnostic test sequence within the diagnostic schematic, comprising;

reading a unit of schematic data associated with the diagnostic test procedure from a memory;

preparing an interactive graphical representation of the diagnostic schematic for display on a display device, wherein within the diagnostic schematic are included a plurality of test subjects;

indicating a test subject among the plurality of test subjects in the diagnostic schematic upon which an action is required, wherein the test subject is configured to be user selectable from directly within the schematic;

locating a location on the diagnostic schematic for a test equipment connection if a test equipment connection is required and illustrating that location;

receiving a feedback indicating that the action has been performed;

removing the indication of the test subject from the diagnostic schematic in response to the feedback;

marking a test status of the plurality of test subjects on the plurality of test subjects within the diagnostic schematic, such that there is a visually distinct difference between which of said plurality of test subjects have been tested and which of said plurality of test subjects have not been tested; and

guiding to a next test subject upon which a next action is required within the same diagnostic schematic.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indicating the test subject further comprises one selected from the following:

changing a color of the test subject, surrounding the test subject with a highlight color, shading the test subject, fading the color of the test subject, graying out the test subject, zooming in on the test subject and animating the test subject.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the schematic data is in a scalable vector graphics format.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is received by way of direct manipulation of a graphical user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indicating the test subject further comprises:

marking a first test subject to indicate that a first action has been performed; and

preparing the diagnostic schematic for display on the display device with the first test subject marked, wherein a marking style of the step of marking is visually distinct from an indicating style of the step of indicating.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the marking the first test subject further indicates one selected from the following:

that the result of the first action validates the first test subject and that the result of the first action invalidates the first test subject.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the guiding to the next test subject further comprises:

receiving a user input indicating the next test subject; and

indicating the next test subject in the diagnostic schematic in response to the user input.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising illustrating in the diagnostic schematic a piece of test equipment for performing the test equipment connection.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the illustrated piece of test equipment is a multi-meter.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising receiving feedback from the test equipment and using that feedback to perform said marking of the test status.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of test subjects being an interactive graphical representation within the graphical representation of the schematic, providing a two way communication for input and output through feedback.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the feedback received by way of direct manipulation of the graphical representation of the schematic and the test subjects.

8. A computer program product for dynamically generating an interactive diagnostic schematic to illustrate a diagnostic test procedure for a vehicle stored on computer-readable medium encoded with instructions configured to be executed by a processor in order to perform predetermined operations, comprising:

illustrating a diagnostic test sequence, comprising;

reading a unit of schematic data associated with the diagnostic test procedure from a memory;

preparing an interactive graphical representation of the diagnostic schematic for display on a display device, wherein within the diagnostic schematic are included a plurality of test subjects;

indicating a test subject among the plurality of test subjects in the diagnostic schematic upon which an action is required, wherein the test subject is configured to be user selectable from directly within the schematic;

locating a location on the diagnostic schematic for a test equipment connection if the test equipment connection is required and illustrating that location;

receiving a feedback indicating that a first action has been performed;

removing the indication of the test subject from the diagnostic schematic in response to the feedback;

marking a test status of the plurality of test subjects on the plurality of test subjects within the diagnostic schematic, such that there is a visually distinct difference between which of said plurality of test subjects have been tested and which of said plurality of test subjects have not been tested; and

guiding to a next test subject upon which a next action is required within the same diagnostic schematic.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the indicating the test subject further comprises one selected from the following:

changing a color of the test subject, surrounding the test subject with a highlight color, shading the test subject, fading the color of the test subject, graying out the test subject, zooming in on the test subject and animating the test subject.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the reading further includes reading schematic data in a scalable vector graphics format.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the feedback is received by way of direct manipulation of a graphical user interface.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the indicating further comprises:

marking a first test subject to indicate that a first action has been performed; and

preparing the diagnostic schematic for display on the display device with the first test subject marked, wherein a marking style of the step of marking is visually distinct from an indicating style of the step of indicating.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the marking the first test subject further indicates one selected from the following:

that the result of the first action validates the first test subject and that the result of the first action invalidates the first test subject.

14. A diagnostic tool for dynamically generating an interactive diagnostic schematic to illustrate a diagnostic test procedure for a vehicle, comprising:

a schematic reader configured to read a unit of schematic data associated with the diagnostic test procedure from a memory;

a test subject indicator configured to indicate a test subject in the diagnostic schematic upon which an action is required, wherein the test subject is configured to be user selectable from directly within the schematic and configured to mark a test status of a plurality of test subjects within the diagnostic schematic, such that there is a visually distinct difference between which of said plurality of test subjects have been tested and which have not been tested, and further configured to guide to a next test subject upon which a next action is required within the same diagnostic schematic;

a feedback receiver configured to receive a feedback indicating that a first action has been performed, wherein the test subject indicator is further configured to remove the indication of a first test subject from the diagnostic schematic in response to the feedback; and

a diagnostic schematic formatter configured to illustrate a diagnostic test sequence and to prepare an interactive graphical representation of the schematic for display on a display device with the test subject to be tested indicated.

15. The diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein the test subject indicator is further configured to indicate first test subject by way of one selected from the following:

changing a color of the first test subject, surrounding the first test subject with a highlight color, shading the first test subject, fading the color of the first test subject, graying out the first test subject, zooming in on the first test subject and animating the first test subject.

16. The diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein the schematic data reader is further configured to read schematic data in a scalable vector graphics format.

17. The diagnostic tool of claim 14, further comprising a test equipment illustrator configured to illustrate a location of a test equipment connection in the schematic.

18. The diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein the feedback is received by way of direct manipulation of a graphical user interface.