Portable OBD Device for Vehicle Fault Code Clearing and DPF Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle owners face inconvenience due to fault codes that cannot be cleared or resolved using onboard diagnostic programs, requiring special equipment and service stations, leading to potential vehicle immobilization and increased costs for forced regeneration of diesel particulate filters.
Innovation Solution
A portable device connected to a vehicle's CAN bus that allows drivers to clear fault codes, reset exhaust system parameters, and perform forced regeneration of diesel particulate filters without special diagnostic equipment or service centers, using a processor and control circuit to communicate with ECUs and manage regeneration procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If onboard diagnostic programs are used to diagnose subsystem problems, then some problems can be identified, but fault codes cannot be cleared and special diagnostic equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fault code clearing functionality from the complex service station diagnostic equipment and implements it in a portable device that can be used by vehicle owners. The portable device includes a processor that can clear fault codes stored in the vehicle's memory, eliminating the need to visit service centers for this basic function.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable device acts as an intermediary between the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system and the user. It communicates with the vehicle's control modules through the OBD port, translating and executing commands to clear fault codes and initiate regenerations without requiring the user to understand complex diagnostic procedures.
2Reliability
If service center visits are required for forced regeneration, then diesel particulate filter maintenance can be performed, but vehicle downtime and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables vehicle owners to perform forced regeneration of the diesel particulate filter themselves using the portable device. The device communicates with the exhaust system control module to initiate and monitor the regeneration process, allowing owners to maintain their vehicles without visiting service centers, thus eliminating vehicle downtime and associated costs.
3Ease of repair
If special diagnostic equipment is used at service stations, then problems can be resolved, but the convenience and accessibility for vehicle owners is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The portable device creates a simplified copy of the service station diagnostic equipment's functionality. It replicates the essential features of fault code reading, clearing, and regeneration initiation in a compact, affordable format that vehicle owners can use themselves, making advanced diagnostic functions accessible outside the service center environment.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable device receives power from a battery of a vehicle when connected to the vehicle via a connector in the vehicle. The portable device determines whether an engine of the vehicle is running and a speed of the vehicle if the engine is running. The portable device clears fault codes of ECUs if the engine is not running. The portable device resets parameters of an ECU controlling an exhaust system of the vehicle to default values if the portable device remains connected to the vehicle for a predetermined time period after sending clearing the fault codes. If the engine is running and that the speed of the vehicle is zero, the portable device initiates a forced regeneration of a diesel particulate filter of the exhaust system.