A trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester for diagnosing presence or absence of occurrence of trouble by centralized inputting of the operational information in every element of the vehicle, which is constructed with a tester which introduces input information of various vehicles through a centralized connector provided at the side of the vehicle, and displays the contents of the input information; and a computer which controls the vehicle information to be transmitted as an output through an outer expansion terminal of the tester.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester which 
is capable of diagnosing presence or absence of failures in operation of 
various constituent element in an automotive vehicle by centralized 
inputting of operational information contained in them. 
2. Decsription of the Invention 
In recent years, automotive vehicles tend to be equipped in various 
constituent elements thereof with more and more electronic controlling 
devices. As an example, electronically controlled fuel injection device, 
electronically controlled power transmission device, full-automatic 
air-conditioning device, and so forth have widely been put into practical 
use. As such, those vehicles in which electronic controlling devices have 
been installed are seen to have attained remarkable improvement in its 
cruising characteristic and habitability, while, on the other hand, when 
trouble takes place in the control system, it becomes very difficult to 
find out the place in the vehicle where the abnormality has occured. 
Therefore, in those vehicles equipped with the electronically controlled 
fuel injection apparatus, the electronically controlled power transmission 
system, and so forth, which imparts a large influence on the cruising 
function of the vehicle, when the trouble occurs therein, there is 
provided in advance a diagnosing system (trouble-diagnosis function) to 
enable each and every system in the vehicle to be readily inspected. 
Namely, this diagnosing system is to find out presence or absence of 
abnormality in every part of the automotive vehicle by introducing into 
the diagnosis tester through a centralized connector those abnormality 
checking output signals which are produced from every controlling system 
itself, displaying the abnormality checking signal, and comparing the 
displayed pattern with a regular signal pattern. 
However, with the diagnosis system as mentioned above, since the input 
checking signals to be repeatedly introduced from each and every 
controlling system are displayed in real-time, any abnormal signals can be 
promptly discovered when a certain abnormality takes place frequently, but 
it is very difficult to ascertain the abnormal signals when such 
abnormality occurs from time to time or in a rare occasion. Also, when a 
plurality of checking signals indicate abnormality owing to a signal cause 
of trouble, it requires a long period of time for assuming the 
above-mentioned cause for trouble based on each of the abnormal signal 
information thereof, because such information available to an operator are 
merely those abnormal information. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been made with a view to removing the point of 
problem as mentioned above, and aims at providing a trouble-diagnosis 
multi-function tester which is capable of finding out easily and without 
failure the cause for trouble in operation of the vehicle in a short 
period of time, even if the abnormal signals are generated less 
frequently. 
According to the present invention in general aspect of it, there is 
provided a trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester for diagnosing presence 
or absence of occurrence of trouble by centralized inputting of the 
operational information in every element of the vehicle, said 
trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester being characterized by comprising: 
a tester which introduces input information of various vehicles through a 
centralized connector provided at the side of the vehicle, and displays 
the contents of the input information; and a computer which controls said 
vehicle information to be transmitted as an output through an outer 
expansion terminal of said tester. 
The foregoing object, other objects as well as the specific construction 
and function of the trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester according to 
the present invention will become more apparent and understandable from 
the following detailed description thereof, when read in conjunction with 
the accompanying drawing illustrating a couple of preferred embodiments 
thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring first to FIG. 1 which illustrates an overall arrangement of the 
trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester according to the first embodiment 
of the present invention, a reference numeral 11 designates a multi-use 
tester having a front panel, in which a ten-key 12, function keys 13 and a 
display window 14 are arranged. Also, on the top part of this multi-use 
tester 11, there are provided a vehicle data input terminal 15 and a power 
source input terminal 16. A centralized connector 17 having 12 pins is 
attached to the end of a signal cable to the side of the data input 
terminal 15, while a cigarette lighter connector 18 is attached to the end 
of a cable to the side of the power source input terminal 16. The 12-pin 
centralized connector 17 is inserted into a centralized connector which is 
provided in advance beneath the dash-board, etc. of an automobile 19 and 
from which checking signals of various control systems are led out, while 
the cigarette lighter connector 18 is inserted into a cigarette lighter 
chuck which is provided in the dash-board of the automobile 19 and at 
which electric power of 12 V is led out of a battery source. Namely, the 
multi-use tester 11 has its functions of introducing an input checking 
signal from each of the control systems in the vehicle 19 and displaying 
in its display window 14 a message as to presence or absence of abnormal 
signal from each and every constituent element of the vehicle, the 
switching of its display function being selected by, for example, 
combination of the ten-key 12 and the function keys 13. In this case, by 
actuating "DIAG" of the function key 13, each of the control system can be 
inspected. 
On the top part of the multi-use tester 11, there is further provided an 
external expansion terminal 20, from which a transmission cable (data bus) 
is extended. To this transmission cable, there is connected a general 
purpose personal computer 21. From the outer expansion terminal 20 of the 
multi-use tester 11 to the personal computer 21, there is forwarded the 
inspection data for operation of each part of the vehicle are inputted 
from the side of the vehicle 19 at the inspection mode "DIAG"of the 
control system of the vehicle. The personal computer 21 receives the 
inspection data of each part of the vehicle and carries out various 
controls such as memory or statistics of the data, depending on necessity. 
In addition, this personal computer 21 is connected with a large-scale 
computer 22 to be installed in, for example, an office site through a 
telephone line L using a modem, and diagnosis of the place where 
abnormality has occurred is performed depending on necessity based on a 
number of vehicle inspection information which are controlled by the 
personal computer 21. The result of the disgnosis by this large-scale 
computer 22 is again forwarded to the personal computer 21 through the 
telephone line L, and then transmitted to the multi-use tester 11 to be 
displayed on the message display window. 
In other words, in the trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester of the 
above-described construction, when the multi-use tester 11 is set to the 
vehicle inspection mode "DIAG", the inspection signals of the selected 
control systems are introduced as inputs in their preferential sequence. 
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the failure diagnosing operations between 
the multi-use tester 11 and the personal computer 21. When the sensor data 
provided in each part of the control system to be the vehicle inspection 
data are introduced as input into the multi-use tester 11, presence or 
absence of abnormal codes in the sensor data is determined. If no 
abnormality is present, the diagnosing operation is terminated, while, if 
such abnormality is present, the abnormal sensor data are transmitted from 
the outer expansion terminal 20 to the personal computer 21 (Steps A1 and 
A2). Then, the abnormal sensor data which have been transmitted are 
sequentially stored in the personal computer 21, and, at the same time, 
the computer carries out appropriate statistical processing by the key 
input instruction from an operator, and performs, for example, searching 
of a location where abnormality occurs at less frequency (Steps B1 and 
B2). In this case, the personal computer 21 carries out statistical 
processing on the basis of sensor data to be stored over a long period of 
time, so that the principal cause for trouble can be estimated and 
searched out easily. 
On the other hand, after transmission of the vehicle sensor data, 
comparison is done in the multi-use tester 11 between the regular data 
which are stored therein in advance and the sensor data for inspection. If 
the result of the comparison reveals that there is no abnormality, for 
example, a message reading: "NO ABNORMALITY" is displayed in the display 
window 14; and if there is abnormality, a message reading: "11.02 SENSOR 
DS (which means "abnormal data exist in 02 sensor")" is displayed (Step A3 
and A4). In this case, if it is desired that the location where failure 
has occurred in the vehicle 19 be specified, the personal computer 21 is 
on-line connected with the large-scale computer 22 at the office site to 
have the vehicle data to be exchanged between them in accordance with the 
instruction from the large-scale computer 22. Upon this exchange of the 
vehicle data, the troubled location is analyzed at the side of the 
large-scale computer 22 on the basis of the necessary vehicle data and the 
resulting data are returned to the personal computer 21, whereby the 
abnormal location in a control system which is difficult to be specified 
by an operator himself becomes able to be found in a short period of time 
and without failure. 
In the following, the second embodiment of the present invention will be 
described in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the drawing, the same parts as 
in FIG. 1 will be designated by the same reference numerals. 
In FIG. 3, a transmission cable (data bus) is extended from the outer 
expansion terminal 20 provided on the top part of the multi-use tester 11. 
To this transmission cable, there is connected an artificial intelligence 
(AI) computer 22 installed at the office site through a telephone line L 
using the modem 21a and 22. From the outer expansion terminal 20 of the 
multi-use tester 11 to the AI computer 22, there is forwarded the 
inspection data for operation of every element in the vehicle, which are 
to be introduced as the input from the side of the vehicle 19 by the 
data-collecting instruction from the side of the AI computer 22, in the 
inspection mode "DIAG" of every control system in the vehicle. 0n the 
basis of these inspection data of those parts in the vehicle to be 
obtained and a number of trouble diagnosing data to be memorized 
beforehand, the AI computer 22 carries out the diagnosis of the location 
where the failure has taken place. The result of the diagnosis by the AI 
computer is again transmitted to the multi-use tester 11 through the 
telephone line L and displayed in message on the display window 14. 
Namely, in the trouble-diagnosis multi-function tester of the above 
described construction, when the multi-use tester 11 is set in the vehicle 
inspection mode "DIAG", the inspection signals of the selected control 
systems are introduced thereinto in the predetermined preferential 
sequence. 
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the failure diagnosing operations between 
the multi-use tester 11 and the AI computer 22. When the sensor data 
provided in every part of the control systems to constitute the vehicle 
inspection data are introduced as input into the multi-use tester 11, 
presence or absence of abnormal codes in the sensor data is determined. If 
no abnormality is present, the diagnosing operation is terminated, while, 
if such abnormality is present, the abnormal sensor data are transmitted 
from the outer expansion terminal 20 to the AI computer 22 (Steps A1 and 
A2). Then, the AI computer 22 by its artificial intelligence function 
instructs the multi-use tester 11 to collect the abnormal sensor data 
which have been transmitted as well as the vehicle data necessary for the 
failure diagnosis. Thereafter, as soon as the required data have been 
collected, the troubled location is diagnosed by estimation on the basis 
of a number of diagnosing data to be memorized beforehand and the 
failure-related data obtained from the vehicle 19. The thus obtained data 
of the estimated results are forwarded from the AI computer 22 to the 
multi-use tester 11, and displayed in message on the display window 14 
(Steps S2 and S3). In other words, by on-line connection of the multi-use 
tester 11 which takes the input vehicle information in a centralized 
manner with the AI computer 22 having the artificial intelligence function 
and being installed at the office site, and by performing exchange of the 
vehicle data between them in accordance with the instruction from the AI 
computer 22, the troubled location is analyzed on the basis of the 
required vehicle data, the resulted data of which are displayed in the 
multi-use tester 11 to the operator's knowledge. Here, the operator 
effects repairing of the vehicle in accordance with the trouble-diagnosed 
message displayed on the above-mentioned multi-use tester 11. After the 
repairing, if there still occurs failure in operation, the data collection 
and the trouble diagnosing process from the afore mentioned Step S2 onward 
are again repeated (Step S3), whereby it becomes possible to find out in a 
short period of time and without failure any abnormal location in the 
control system which is difficult to specify by the operator himself. As 
the consequence, the operator is liberated from making laborious efforts 
in diagnosing and specifying the troubled location. 
In the afore described embodiment, the multi-use tester 11 is so 
constructed as to be on-line connected with the AI computer 22 to be 
installed at the office site through the telephone line L. However, if it 
is so constructed that a small-sized artificial intelligence pack, etc. 
for example, is directly connected with the multi-use tester 11 so as to 
provide the multi-use tester per se with the artificial intelligence 
function, there is no necessity for the on-line connection with the 
consequence that the failure diagnosis processing can be done without 
bringing the vehicle into the dealer factory, even in the case of 
on-the-stop repairing services. 
As described in the foregoing, since the trouble-diagnosis multi-function 
tester according to the present invention is so constructed that the outer 
expansion terminal is provided in the tester, into which the inspection 
signals from every control system of the vehicle are introduced in a 
centralized manner, the vehicle information to be transmitted are imparted 
to the computer through the outer expansion terminal, and controlling, 
taking statistics, and so forth of each of the vehicle information are 
continuously carried out by the computer to thereby facilitate searching 
of the cause for trouble, even when the abnormal signal does not occur 
frequently, the troubled location can be found in a short period of time 
and without failure. Further, when an information processing device having 
the artificial intelligence function is employed, the operator himself 
does not have to effect the failure diagnosis, and even a complicated 
trouble can be located easily and certainly. 
Although in the foregoing the present invention has been described in 
detail with reference to a couple of preferred embodiments thereof, the 
invention is not limited to these embodiments alone, but any changes and 
modifications may be made by those persons skilled in the art within the 
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.