Patent ID: 8838328
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: F02D,G01M,G01R,G07C

Abstract:
1. An automotive diagnostic system for diagnosing problems in a sensor system, a vehicle computer and a vehicle sensor wiring harness, wherein during normal vehicle operations the vehicle sensor wiring harness is coupled between the sensor and the vehicle computer, the automotive diagnostic system comprising: a sensor simulator configured to be selectively coupled to the vehicle computer having the vehicle sensor wiring harness coupled therebetween during a diagnostic mode, the sensor simulator adapted to simulate an operation of the sensor system to the vehicle computer, and to physically replace the sensor system; an external computer coupled to the sensor simulator and adapted for controlling the sensor simulator to selectively couple to the vehicle computer and to simulate the operation of the selected sensor; a user keypad coupled to the external computer adapted to provide user inputs to the external computer; and a memory coupled to the external computer, adapted to store user input data associated with a range of vehicle manufacturer's makes, models, years, sensor function types, and one or more of a voltage, current, and resistance operational range values of the selected sensor to be simulated; wherein the external computer, keypad and memory are adapted to receive and store user input data associated with a selected manufacturers make, model, year vehicle, and the function type of the selected sensor to be simulated using the sensor simulator, and to enable the user to select or adjust a typical operational value of the selected sensor; and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is adapted to determine whether a problem exists in one or more of the sensor, vehicle computer, and the vehicle sensor wiring harness and to diagnose the problem and wherein the automotive diagnostic system is configured to: a) diagnose that a problem exists in the selected sensor and that the vehicle computer and the vehicle sensor wiring harness are OK, by determining if the simulated operation of the selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is OK; b) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle sensor wiring harness or in the vehicle computer, by determining if the simulated operation selected sensor as presented to the vehicle computer indicates that the selected sensor is not OK; and c) diagnose that a problem exists in the vehicle computer by determining if there is no change in the vehicle computer indications between the simulated operation of the selected sensor and no simulated operation of the selected sensor and further configured to diagnose and determine that a problem exists in the vehicle computer, if there is no change in the vehicle computer indication between the sensor being connected to the vehicle sensor wiring harness and the sensor being disconnected from the vehicle sensor wiring harness.