Method and system for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock arrangement (1) in a motor vehicle (2), wherein signals of at least one type can be detected on the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1), the signals of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) can be stored in an event log in the form of data, and A data identifier is assigned to the event log, so that the event log can be accessed using the data identifier, with the following procedural steps: S1) Capturing the signals of at least one signal type of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) during an actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1), S2) Storing the signals of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) in the form of data in the event log, S3) Accessing the event log using the data identifier, and S4) Retrieving the event log so that the data is available. In this way, a method is provided for the simple and quick provision of data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly in a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a system comprising an electrically actuated door lock assembly of a motor vehicle with a control unit of the motor vehicle, and a service tool.

[0002] Electrically actuated door locks, door openers, and door closers are increasingly being installed in motor vehicles to facilitate opening, closing, and unlocking / locking the doors and tailgate. The electrically actuated door lock, often also called an eLatch, is electrically unlocked and locked. The electrically actuated door opener is also electrically operated and serves to open the door. The electrically actuated door closer closes the opened door. Frequently, the electrically actuated door opener, the electrically actuated door closer, and the electrically actuated door lock are integrated into a single component. Opening and closing the door can be accomplished in various ways. For example, there are doors that swing open and close. However, there are also doors that are pushed or pulled in one direction. Such sliding doors can, for example, be used in...equipped with an actiSLIDE system to create an electrically actuated sliding door. For the purposes of this document, electrically actuated door locks, electrically actuated door openers, and electrically actuated door closers are collectively referred to as "electrically actuated door lock assembly."

[0003] The electrically actuated door lock assembly itself is quite complex and requires regular functional checks. In particular, if the electrically actuated door lock assembly malfunctions, it is necessary to perform a diagnostic check to determine the cause of the defect and to repair and restore the assembly to working order. Typically, fault diagnosis is carried out via diagnostic communication with the vehicle using a service tool, such as a Unified Diagnostic Services Tool (UDS tool).

[0004] UDS is the name of a standard specification or standard diagnostic protocol that uses standard protocols according to ISO 14229-1 over CAN with ISO 15765. UDS defines a format for diagnostic messages and the like in diagnostic communication. For this purpose, the vehicle has an electronic control unit (ECU) equipped with an interface through which the service tool or the UDS tool can access the ECU according to this diagnostic communication. Faults are stored in the form of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and can be retrieved by the service tool using a data identifier (DID) assigned to the respective diagnostic trouble code.

[0005] The data identifier allows specific data or parameters, such as certain diagnostic fault codes, to be retrieved from the electronic control unit in the vehicle. The data identifier enables access to individual diagnostic fault codes with the service tool, without having to retrieve all of them. Unique data identifiers are assigned to each diagnostic fault code or parameter, allowing access via a query from the service tool using a corresponding data identifier.

[0006] However, these diagnostic fault codes do not provide sufficient information for the aforementioned electrically actuated door lock assembly. Due to the limited availability and / or the limited informative value of the diagnostic fault codes, diagnosing the electrically actuated door lock assembly is significantly more difficult, and the cause of the defect is hard to pinpoint. In particular, the electrically actuated door lock assembly is so complex that knowledge of its operation is scarce in workshops. It is difficult to determine whether the cause of the defect lies within the electrically actuated door lock assembly itself or in its peripheral components elsewhere in the vehicle. Wiring errors, faults in peripheral control units, and misaligned CAN messages can all be defects that are misdiagnosed.

[0007] Based on this, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for the simple and rapid provision of data for the diagnosis of an electrically actuated door lock arrangement.

[0008] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to the invention, a method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly in a motor vehicle is provided, wherein signals of at least one signal type can be detected at the electrically actuated door lock assembly, the signals of the electrically actuated door lock assembly can be stored in an event log in the form of data, and a data identifier is assigned to the event log so that the event log can be accessed with the data identifier, comprising the following method steps: Capturing the signals of at least one signal type of the electrically actuated door lock assembly during an actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly, Storing the signals from the electrically actuated door lock assembly as data in the event log, Accessing the event log using the data identifier, and Retrieve the event log so that the data is available.

[0010] According to the invention, signals of a specific type, which can be detected at the electrically actuated door lock assembly when it is operated, are stored in an event log as data. Signal types are used that allow for a diagnosis of the electrically actuated door lock assembly using the provided data, i.e., to determine its functionality. The detected signals are thus systematically logged in the event log as data, thereby facilitating the overall diagnosis of the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0011] Unlike conventional diagnostic fault codes, this system is designed to store signals of a specific type, enabling diagnostics of the electrically actuated door lock assembly. These signals can be detected, for example, by a sensor mounted on the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0012] The essential aspect of the invention is that the data identifier is assigned to this event log, so that this event log can then be accessed using the data identifier. Accessing the event log using the data identifier means that, by assigning the event log to the data identifier, it is possible to explicitly access this event log, which is marked with the data identifier, based on this assignment.

[0013] Access to the event log can be achieved, for example, using a service tool. In this case, the data identifier assigned to the event log preferably supports the UDS standard, allowing access to the event log with a corresponding UDS service tool. This is accomplished by querying the event log using a data identifier that corresponds to the data identifier assigned to the event log. For unambiguous access, the corresponding data identifier is, for example, identical to the data identifier assigned to the event log, thus enabling the retrieval of the uniquely assigned event log. This facilitates simple and rapid diagnosis of the electrically actuated door lock assembly based on the data provided in the retrieved event log.

[0014] In this context, "provision" means that the data or event log is retrieved using a service tool, and the event log of the electrically actuated door lock assembly is thus made available to an end user. This allows the end user, for example, to operate the electrically actuated door lock assembly during repair or maintenance and immediately retrieve the data using the service tool. This enables the end user, for instance, to reproduce or trigger defects. Alternatively or additionally, it is planned that signals are recorded each time the electrically actuated door lock assembly is operated, and a detailed event log is then made available to the end user on demand via the service tool.

[0015] In principle, various signal types can be used to diagnose the electrically actuated door lock assembly. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one signal type is a movement signal of the electrically actuated door lock assembly and / or an actuation rate of the electrically actuated door lock assembly and / or a voltage and / or a current applied to the electrically actuated door lock assembly. The movement signal here refers to the position or change in position of a door or moving parts, such as a bolt or hook of an electrically actuated door lock. The actuation rate, accordingly, refers to the change in position within a given time interval.The signal types mentioned above can be detected using passive sensors that are already provided with the electrically actuated door lock assembly, e.g. by tapping and detecting the voltage and / or current at certain points of the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0016] Similarly, the signals of the individual signal types can also be acquired using sensors that are explicitly integrated into the electrically actuated door lock assembly. The signals of these types are then used to provide data in the event log, enabling efficient diagnostics of the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0017] In this context, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the at least one signal type is a transient of the motion signal and / or a transient of the actuation speed and / or a transient of the voltage and / or a transient of the current. A transient is a transient process or a signal segment that heralds such a transient process. Thus, the transient processes of the aforementioned signal types during the actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly are stored in the event log. The transients enable even more precise diagnostics of the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0018] It is possible that the data is updated with each actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly, replacing previous data in the event log. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the signals of at least one signal type are successively stored in the event log as data during the saving step with each actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly. Accordingly, the data is not overwritten, but rather successively added to the event log, so that a history of the functionality of the electrically actuated door lock assembly can be retrieved.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a reference data identifier is assigned to a reference event log, so that the reference event log can be accessed using the reference data identifier, and the method comprises the following further process steps: in a reference phase, ensuring a fully functional electrically actuated door lock assembly: Capturing the signals of at least one signal type of the electrically actuated door lock assembly during an actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly, Storing the signals in the form of data from the electrically actuated door lock assembly in the reference event log, Accessing the reference event log using the reference data identifier, and Retrieving the reference event log so that the data is available, and Performing the further procedural steps of recording up to retrieval in a monitoring phase that follows the reference phase without ensuring the fully functional electrically actuated door lock assembly, comprising the further step: Comparing the event log with the reference event log.

[0020] The invention provides that, during the reference phase, a predetermined number of actuations of the electrically actuated door lock assembly are performed and the corresponding signals are recorded before transitioning to the monitoring phase. This predetermined number can, for example, be set by the end user. This makes it possible to establish a reference event log that is used to compare it with the event log in the monitoring phase. This significantly improves the efficiency of diagnosing a defect in the electrically actuated door lock assembly, resulting in faster and more accurate diagnosis, since the behavior of the electrically actuated door lock assembly when fully functional is known in the form of the data in the reference event log."Subsequent in time" here means that the monitoring phase begins at a later time than the reference phase and that the two phases do not overlap, i.e., the reference phase ends before the monitoring phase begins.

[0021] According to the invention, the reference event log provides precise knowledge of the behavior of the electrically actuated door lock assembly in a fully functional state. If a comparison of the reference event log with the event log reveals a data deviation, the defect causing the deviation can be diagnosed more efficiently. Advantageously, the accuracy of the diagnosis can be increased by using sufficiently detailed reference phases. Conversely, if the reference event profile closely matches the event profile, the functionality of the electrically actuated door lock assembly can be guaranteed.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the following further step: in the reference phase, during which various defects are induced in the electrically actuated door lock assembly: Capturing the signals and storing the signals in the form of data from the electrically actuated door lock assembly in the reference event log for the respective defect of the electrically actuated door lock assembly.

[0023] Because the defects introduced during the reference phase are already included in the reference event log, they can be detected more quickly and with greater accuracy when they reappear in the event log during the monitoring phase.

[0024] It is possible to compare the data of the reference event log with the data of the event log in various ways. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the signals are of the motion signal type, and the method comprises the following further steps: Generating a motion data reference curve using the motion data in the reference event log, Generating a movement data actual curve based on the movement data in the event log, and in the reconciliation step instead: The actual motion data curve is compared with the motion data reference curve. Similarly, transients of the motion signal and / or the actuation speed or the transient of the actuation speed can also be considered to enable higher diagnostic accuracy. By converting the data into corresponding curves, malfunctions of the electrically actuated door lock assembly can be detected more quickly and quantified more easily.

[0025] In principle, the method can provide data from various electrically actuated door lock arrangements for diagnostic purposes. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrically actuated door lock arrangement is an electrically actuated sliding door.

[0026] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, in this context, the actuation of the electrically actuated sliding door corresponds to the detection step of a complete movement of the electrically actuated sliding door from a closed state to an open state and back to the closed state, and the signals of at least one signal type are detected during this movement. Based on the complete movement profile, defects in the electrically actuated sliding door can be diagnosed more effectively.

[0027] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, in this context, at least one signal type is a door speed and / or a door position and / or a voltage and / or a current of the electrically actuated sliding door. Likewise, the transients of the door speed and / or the door position and / or the voltage and / or the current of the electrically actuated sliding door are also provided as signal types.

[0028] According to the invention, a non-volatile, computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored on it is also provided, which, when executed on a processor, effect the method described above.

[0029] The invention further relates to a system comprising an electrically actuated door lock assembly of a motor vehicle with a control unit of the motor vehicle, and a service tool, wherein the electrically actuated door lock assembly has at least one sensor designed to detect at least one type of signal, the sensor is connected to the control unit for signal transmission, the control unit has an interface that can be detachably connected to a service tool for data transmission, and the system is configured to perform the method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly in a motor vehicle, as described above. "Detachably connected" in this context means that the service tool can be connected to the interface in such a way that connecting and disconnecting the interface from the service tool is easy, for example, using a connector arrangement.The interface can be located on the body of the motor vehicle or at a service access point of the motor vehicle.

[0030] In principle, the reference event log can be stored in various locations. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reference event log for the electrically actuated door lock assembly or the electrically actuated sliding door is stored on the control unit and / or on the service tool. "Stored on the control unit" in this context means that the reference event log is permanently stored on it. When the data is saved in the reference event log, it is always on the control unit and can then be retrieved by the service tool via the reference data identifier, so that it can then also be stored on the service tool. Furthermore, the creation of the reference event log or the motion data reference curve takes place during the manufacture of the motor vehicle or during the final inspection of the vehicle.In this way, the vehicle manufacturer has the reference event logs for all installed electrically actuated door lock assemblies and can implement them directly in the service equipment of the workshops, so that the workshops already have a reference event log to be able to carry out simple and quick diagnostics of the electrically actuated door lock assembly in the event of a defect.

[0031] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0032] The drawings show Fig. 1 schematically a flowchart for a method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly in a motor vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 schematically a system for providing data for the diagnosis of an electrically actuated door lock arrangement in a motor vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0033] Out of Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a flowchart for a method for providing data for the diagnosis of an electrically actuated door lock arrangement 1 in a motor vehicle 2 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. Figure 2 finally shows a system for providing data for diagnosing the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1. For this purpose, the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 is arranged in a door of the motor vehicle 2.

[0034] The electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 has a sensor 5, which in this case is a motion sensor, with which both motion signals and the actuation speed of the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 are detected. The sensor 5 is connected to a control unit 3 for signal transmission, which in turn can be accessed via an interface 6. A service tool 4 is designed to connect to the interface 6 via a data cable 7 using a connector 8 corresponding to the interface 6 for data transmission.

[0035] As already mentioned, the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 with sensor 5 can detect signals of the signal types motion signals and actuation speed. These signals can be stored in an event log in the form of data, i.e., motion data and actuation speed data.

[0036] In step S1a, a reference phase precedes a monitoring phase, ensuring that the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 is fully functional. The signals acquired by sensor 5 are stored as data in a reference event log. This reference event log is assigned a reference data identifier, allowing service tool 4 to access the reference event log using this identifier. In step S1b, the movement signals and actuation speeds of the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 are recorded during an actuation of the assembly. This actuation is performed as part of a vehicle acceptance test. Service tool 4 is connected to interface 6 and triggers this actuation.

[0037] In a further step S1c, the signals in the form of data from the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 are stored in the reference event log in the control unit 3. In step S1d, the service tool 4 accesses this data in the control unit using the reference data identifier. In step S1e, the reference event log is retrieved, making the data available.

[0038] In a further step S1f, various defects are induced in the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 during the reference phase. The signals are also recorded and stored as data in the reference event log for each defect. This means that, in addition to the data corresponding to a fully functional electrically actuated door lock assembly 1, the reference event log also contains data representing the induced defects, thus increasing the accuracy and speed of the diagnostic process. The reference event log is stored on both the control unit 3 and the service tool 4.

[0039] Finally, in the monitoring phase following the reference phase, the signals detected by sensor 5 can be stored as data in an event log. A data identifier can then be assigned to this event log, allowing access to it during repairs or maintenance using service tool 4. In step S1, the signals detected by sensor 5 are recorded during operation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 and subsequently stored as data in the event log in step S2. The signals are successively recorded and stored with each actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1. In step S3, the event log is accessed using service tool 4. In step S4, the event log is retrieved using service tool 4, making the data available.

[0040] Immediately before comparing the event log with the reference event log, a reference curve is generated for each signal type in step S5a) based on the data in the reference event log. Simultaneously, an actual curve is generated for each signal type in step S5b) based on the data in the event log. Finally, in step S5, the actual curves are compared with the respective reference curves, so that data for diagnosing the electrically actuated door lock assembly 1 is provided based on this comparison. Reference symbol list 1 electrically actuated door lock assembly 2 motor vehicles 3 Control unit 4 Service tools 5 Sensor 6 Interface 7 data cables 8 connectors

Claims

[1] Method for providing data for diagnosing an electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) in a motor vehicle (2), wherein signals of at least one type can be detected on the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1), the signals of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) can be stored in an event log in the form of data, and A data identifier is assigned to the event log, so that the event log can be accessed using the data identifier, with the following procedural steps: S1) Detection of the signals of at least one signal type of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) during an actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1), S2) Storing the signals of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) in the form of data in the event log, S3) Accessing the event log using the data identifier, and S4) Retrieve the event log so that the data is available. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal type is a motion signal of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) and / or an actuation speed of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) and / or a voltage applied to the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) and / or a current applied to the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one signal type is a transient of the motion signal and / or a transient of the actuation rate and / or a transient of the voltage and / or a transient of the current. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signals of the at least one signal type in the form of data are successively stored in the event log in step S2 each actuation of the electrically actuated door lock arrangement (1). [5] A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a reference data identifier is associated with a reference event log so that the reference event log can be accessed with the reference data identifier, comprising the following further method steps: S1a) in a reference phase ensuring a fully functional electrically actuated door lock assembly (1): S1b) Detection of the signals of at least one signal type of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) during an actuation of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1), S1c) Storing the signals in the form of data from the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) in the reference event log, S1d) Accessing the reference event log using the reference data identifier, and S1e) Retrieving the reference event log so that the data is provided, and Performing the further process steps S1 to S4 in a monitoring phase that is temporally subsequent to the reference phase without ensuring that the electrically actuated door lock assembly is fully functional (1), comprising the further step: S5) Compare the event log with the reference event log. [6] The method of claim 5, comprising the following further step: S1f) in the reference phase, inducing various defects in the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1): Capturing the signals and storing the signals in the form of data from the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) in the reference event log for the respective defect of the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1). [7] Method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the signals are of the motion signal type, comprising the following further steps: S5a) Generating a motion data reference curve using the motion data in the reference event log, S5b) Generating a movement data actual curve based on the movement data in the event log, and in step S5 instead: Comparing the actual movement data curve with the movement data reference curve. [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electrically actuated door lock arrangement (1) is an electrically actuated sliding door. [9] Method according to claim 8, wherein the actuation of the electrically actuated sliding door in step S1 corresponds to a complete movement of the electrically actuated sliding door from a closed state to an open state and back to the closed state, and The signals of at least one signal type are detected during this movement. [10] Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the at least one signal type is a door speed and / or a door position and / or a voltage and / or a current of the electrically actuated sliding door. [11] Non-volatile, computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored on it which, when executed on a processor, effect a method according to one of the preceding claims. [12] System comprising an electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) of a motor vehicle (2) with a control unit (3) of the motor vehicle (2), and a service tool (4), wherein the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) has at least one sensor (5) designed to detect at least one type of signal, the sensor (5) is connected to the control unit (3) for signal transmission, the control unit (3) has an interface (6) which can be detachably connected to a service tool (4) for data transmission, and the system is designed to carry out the method for providing data for the diagnosis of an electrically actuated door lock arrangement (1) in a motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10. [13] System according to claim 12, wherein the reference event log for the electrically actuated door lock assembly (1) or the electrically actuated sliding door is stored on the control unit (3) and / or on the service tool (4).

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