Vehicle DTC Relationship Mapping for Root-Cause Troubleshooting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of vehicle systems generates thousands of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), making manual service plans burdensome and impractical for automotive technicians, as existing methods rely heavily on expert input and are inefficient in triangulating the root cause of system malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that create unified mappings of communication system and electrical system DTCs, symptoms, and failure modes, using processor-generated relationship chains and linkages, to identify system malfunctions and recommend corrective actions, thereby streamlining troubleshooting by integrating data from both systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual service plans are generated for each DTC, then comprehensive diagnostic coverage is achieved, but the workload and time required become burdensome and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple DTCs that share common root causes into unified service plans. By analyzing relationships between DTCs and identifying shared underlying issues, the system combines individual diagnostic procedures into integrated service plans, reducing the total number of separate plans technicians must review while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal service plans that can address multiple DTCs simultaneously. A single service plan is designed to handle various DTCs that stem from the same root cause, making the service plan multi-functional and applicable to different diagnostic scenarios without requiring separate specialized plans for each DTC.
2Measurement precision
If expert input is used to create service plans, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a system that automatically generates service plans by analyzing DTC relationships and root causes without requiring manual expert intervention for each plan creation. The automated system uses algorithms to identify patterns, link DTCs to root causes, and generate appropriate service plans, thereby maintaining diagnostic accuracy while reducing the complexity associated with manual expert-based plan creation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of DTCs increases to cover more system scenarios, then diagnostic capability is enhanced, but troubleshooting efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large set of DTCs into groups based on shared root causes and system relationships. By organizing DTCs into logical clusters rather than treating them as individual isolated codes, the system enables technicians to quickly identify and address underlying issues that may manifest as multiple DTCs, thereby maintaining comprehensive diagnostic capability while improving troubleshooting efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for integrating system information for communication and/or electrical systems to provide a mapping for diagnostic trouble codes generated by both systems. A unified mapping is generated using design outputs for both systems. When a set of diagnostic trouble codes is generated by a system, the unified mapping is applied by a troubleshooting tool to direct maintenance personnel to a failure mode and the source of malfunction. The result may be applicable to a troubleshooting tool for a vehicle system.