Fault Code Hierarchy System for Engine Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic systems for internal combustion engines require technicians to manually analyze multiple fault codes, often leading to misdiagnosis and increased repeat visits due to the inability to account for inactive fault codes, which are not typically recorded.
Innovation Solution
A fault code hierarchy system that prioritizes and analyzes fault codes using a processor to determine root cause fault codes and their interactions, incorporating both active and inactive codes to guide technicians directly to the source of the issue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If technicians manually analyze multiple fault codes using traditional diagnostic systems, then they can identify engine problems, but diagnostic time increases and misdiagnosis occurs due to inability to account for inactive fault codes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by automatically prioritizing fault codes and determining root causes before the technician begins manual diagnosis. The processor pre-processes the fault code data, establishing a hierarchy that guides the technician's subsequent actions, thereby reducing both diagnostic time and potential for error.
Solution Approach 2:
The diagnostic system acts as an intermediary between the fault codes and the technician. Rather than requiring the technician to directly analyze all fault codes manually, the system mediates by filtering, prioritizing, and presenting only the most relevant root cause fault codes, improving accuracy while reducing time investment.
2Reliability
If the system only records active fault codes, then the diagnostic system remains simple, but inactive fault codes are missed leading to misdiagnosis and repeat visits
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system is designed to handle multiple types of fault codes (both active and inactive) through a unified processing framework. The processor universally applies the same prioritization and root cause analysis algorithms to all fault codes regardless of their active or inactive status, enhancing reliability without requiring separate handling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages the complexity of analyzing both active and inactive fault codes through self-service mechanisms. The processor autonomously prioritizes codes, determines root causes, and presents results without requiring additional manual intervention or complex procedural steps from the technician, thereby improving reliability while keeping the user interface simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A fault code analyzer for a vehicle includes a fault code memory device configured to store a plurality of active and inactive fault codes for the vehicle and a priority processor coupled to the memory device. The priority processor is configured to: prioritize each fault code within the plurality of active and inactive fault codes; determine a first root cause fault code, the first root cause fault code corresponding to the highest prioritized fault code; determine a first set of interaction fault codes, the first set of interaction fault codes relating to the first root cause fault code; and provide the first root cause fault code and the first set of interaction fault codes to an interface device of a user.