Test Drive Script Guidance for ECU Repair Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of computer-controlled systems in mobile machines requires a more efficient method for technicians to verify repairs during test drives, as existing methods often necessitate carrying tools to communicate with electronic control units (ECUs), which can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine and output a test drive script with an ordered sequence of drive cycle procedures, allowing technicians to monitor and control mobile machines during test drives, providing status information to ensure proper repair verification without the need for additional tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a technician carries a tool to communicate with the ECU during a test drive, then the technician can monitor the electronic system status, but the test drive process becomes more cumbersome and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile machine's ECU automatically performs monitoring and data collection during the test drive without requiring external tools. The system self-verified the repair by comparing actual performance data against the drive cycle script requirements, eliminating the need for technician-carried diagnostic tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive cycle script is prepared in advance with all necessary monitoring parameters and evaluation criteria defined before the test drive begins. This preliminary configuration allows the system to automatically know what to monitor and how to evaluate the repair, eliminating the need for manual tool-based monitoring during the actual test drive.
2Measurement precision
If a technician manually monitors ECU parameters during a test drive, then repair verification can be performed, but the process consumes more time and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors ECU parameters during the test drive and provides real-time feedback by comparing actual values against expected ranges defined in the drive cycle script. This automated feedback mechanism ensures precise measurement of repair effectiveness without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining accuracy while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of a technician observing gauges and interpreting ECU data is replaced with an automated electronic monitoring system. The drive cycle script automatically collects, analyzes, and evaluates ECU parameter data, substituting human labor with computational processes that are both more precise and more efficient.
3Reliability
If the test drive script includes detailed drive cycle procedures, then the test drive becomes more structured and reliable, but the script complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The comprehensive test drive process is segmented into discrete drive cycle procedures, each with specific monitoring requirements and evaluation criteria. By breaking down the overall test into manageable segments, the system achieves structured reliability without overwhelming complexity, as each segment can be independently configured and evaluated.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive cycle script is designed as a universal framework that can accommodate different repair scenarios and ECU types through configurable parameters. This multi-functional design allows the same basic script structure to serve multiple purposes, reducing overall complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage for reliable test drives.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes determining a test drive script (TDS) to perform while a tool monitors an electronic system in a mobile machine during a test drive of the mobile machine. The TDS includes an ordered sequence of drive cycle procedures (DCPs). The ordered sequence of DCPs begins with an initial DCP and ends with a final DCP. Each DCP is indicative of a respective mobile machine state. The TDS includes a first particular DCP associated with both a first particular mobile machine state and a first condition pertaining to the first particular mobile machine state. The method also includes outputting a representation of at least a portion of the TDS. Additionally, the method includes determining and outputting one or more of: status information corresponding to achieving the first particular mobile machine state or status information corresponding to achieving the first condition pertaining to the first particular mobile machine state.