Patent Application
20060235586
The present invention relates to diagnostic devices. It finds particular application in conjunction with diagnostic devices used for vehicles and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) on-board an electronic control unit (ECU) are used to indicate a finite number of faults on diagnostic devices. Such diagnostic devices are used for indicating faults in electronic systems (e.g., vehicle adaptive braking systems including an antilock braking system (ABS), transmission control systems, engine control systems, etc). An operator may reset and/or auto-configure the ECU (e.g., via a switch). In this sense, the LEDs are used as a first step in diagnosing a failure in an ABS. However, recent trends in locating ABS/automatic traction control (ATC) ECUs have tended to make on-board LEDs non-functional to the user in certain applications (e.g., where LEDs are hidden or difficult to see due to ECU location/orientation). In addition, although LEDs are not always used or desired by buyers, manufacturers tend to include on-board LEDs on all ECUs to accommodate the buyers that do utilize the LEDs. The cost of on-board LEDs introduces unnecessary burdens on ECU manufacturers and buyers in cases where LEDs are not used by the buyers.
For the reasons discussed above, ECUs that do not include diagnostic displays (e.g., on-board LEDs) are becoming more popular. Furthermore, for those customers who desire diagnostic information from the ECU, discrete diagnostic devices have been developed to convey such information to a location remote from the ECU. For example, a diagnostic communication interface (DCI) unit has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,952 (“the '952 patent”), which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The DCI unit disclosed in the '952 patent communicates with a data bus (e.g., a serial data bus having a J1587 vehicle diagnostic connector) via a cable. Furthermore, the DCI includes a plurality of LEDs for communicating diagnostic information from the ECU to an operator. However, when used by itself, the DCI of the '952 patent is only capable of interpreting proprietary messages received from the data bus. In order to interpret standard messages received from the ECU over the data bus, the DCI of the '952 patent must communicate with an external processor (e.g., a PC) via a port connector.
Other current discrete diagnostic devices also communicate with the J11587 vehicle diagnostic connector. However, these devices are not capable of interpreting power line control (PLC) messages without the use of an interface computing device between the discrete diagnostic device and the vehicle ECU. Furthermore, none of the currently available discrete diagnostic devices is capable of directly communicating with a vehicle trailer without the use of an interface computing device between the discrete diagnostic device and the trailer ECU or without an external power source.
The present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method which addresses the above-referenced problems.
In one embodiment, a diagnostic device includes a housing, a connector, and a diagnostic ECU. The connector is integrated with the housing and is electrically connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle. The diagnostic ECU is integrated with the housing and electrically communicates with the connector. The diagnostic ECU receives and interprets a PLC diagnostic message from a vehicle ECU.
In another embodiment, a diagnostic system on a vehicle includes a vehicle ECU associated with a system on the vehicle, a diagnostic port, a communication line, which supports PLC signals for communicating electrical signals between the vehicle ECU and the diagnostic port, and a diagnostic device. The diagnostic device includes a housing, a connector, which is integrated with the housing and electrically connected to the diagnostic port, and a diagnostic ECU, which is integrated with the housing and electrically communicates with the connector. The diagnostic ECU receives and interprets a PLC diagnostic message from the vehicle ECU.
In another embodiment, a diagnostic adapter includes a first electrical socket, which electrically communicates with a communication line of a first segment of a heavy vehicle, and a second electrical socket, which is integrally and electrically connected to a diagnostic device. An ECU on the first segment of the heavy vehicle transmits a PLC diagnostic message to the diagnostic device via the communication line, the first electrical socket, and the second electrical socket.
In the accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, embodiments of the invention are illustrated, which, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to exemplify the embodiments of this invention.
With reference to
With reference to
The diagnostic device 10 and diagnostic port 22 are located in a first segment or portion 24a of the vehicle 24 while a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) 30 is located in a second segment or portion 24b of the vehicle 24. In one embodiment, the first segment 24a is independent from, but electrically and mechanically connected to, the second segment 24b. For example, in one embodiment, the first segment 24a is a tractor portion of the vehicle 24 while the second segment 24b is a trailer portion of the vehicle 24. The vehicle ECU 30 is used for providing diagnostic information related to the vehicle. For example, the vehicle ECU 30 provides diagnostic information of a vehicle system (e.g., an antilock braking system) indicating a status of various components included in the vehicle system and an overall status of the vehicle system (e.g., whether various sensors in the antilock braking system are operational). The vehicle ECU 30 generates a PLC diagnostic message. The diagnostic message is transmitted in the form of electrical signals from the vehicle ECU 30 to the diagnostic ECU 20 via the communication line 26, 26a, 26b and the diagnostic port 22. As will be discussed in more detail below, an adapter 32 is electrically connected between the communication line 26, 26a, 26b of the first and second segments 24a, 24b, respectively, of the vehicle 24.
Once the diagnostic ECU 20 receives the diagnostic message from the vehicle ECU 30, the diagnostic ECU 20 interprets the message, which indicates an operating status of the vehicle system. The diagnostic ECU 20 determines the user message to be communicated to the user via the communication module 14 as a function of the diagnostic message received from the vehicle ECU 30. In one embodiment, the user message is displayed via LEDs integrated with the housing 12. In another embodiment, the user message is transmitted wirelessly (e.g., via radio-frequency signals transmitted via a radio-frequency transmitter) from the communication module 14 to the user. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that a remote device (not shown), which can be easily viewed by the user, receives the user message and displays an appropriate communication to the user as a function of the user message.
In the embodiment illustrated in
With reference to
The second electrical connector 42 of the adapter 32 is configured for mating with the connector 16 (see
With reference to
It is to be understood that the embodiment illustrated in
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
