Vehicle Control Device Timer Diagnosis via Bandpass Filter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control devices face challenges in accurately diagnosing the soak timer's operation frequency due to potential abnormalities in the crystal oscillator's frequency, leading to inaccurate time counting and power consumption issues during vehicle operation.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle control device employs a bandpass filter to convert the timer's operation frequency into a voltage value, which is then held by a holding circuit, allowing the arithmetic device to diagnose the timer's normal operation without continuous power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the soak timer is operated without continuous power supply to the arithmetic device, then power consumption is suppressed, but the ability to diagnose timer abnormalities is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary circuit (the timer output circuit) that converts the timer's internal clock signal into a voltage signal that can be read by the arithmetic device without requiring the timer to be actively powered. This intermediary allows the arithmetic device to diagnose timer abnormalities by measuring voltage levels corresponding to timer count values, even when the timer is operating independently without continuous arithmetic device power supply.
2Reliability
If the arithmetic device continuously monitors the timer operation, then diagnosis reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring where the arithmetic device reads the timer status at specific intervals rather than continuously monitoring. The arithmetic device checks the timer count value and voltage level at predetermined time points during vehicle operation, which reduces power consumption while maintaining sufficient diagnosis reliability to detect timer abnormalities.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the timer count value is stored in memory for later checking, then power consumption is suppressed, but the ability to detect frequency abnormalities is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional method of storing timer count values in digital memory with an analog voltage-based measurement system. The timer output circuit converts the timer's internal clock signal into a voltage signal that directly reflects the timer's operation state. This allows the arithmetic device to measure voltage levels to detect frequency abnormalities without requiring continuous digital memory storage and processing, thereby suppressing power consumption while maintaining measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively suppresses power consumption and accurately diagnoses the abnormality in the timer's operation frequency, ensuring reliable diagnosis of the soak timer's operation.
Implementation Method 1
allows the bandpass filter to convert the operation frequency of the timer into a voltage value
Implementation Method 2
the holding circuit to hold the value corresponding to the voltage value
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle control device configured to suppress power to be consumed by an arithmetic device while the vehicle operation is stopped, and to diagnose the operation frequency of the timer for abnormality. The vehicle control device of the present invention allows the bandpass filter to convert the operation frequency of the timer into the voltage value. The holding circuit holds the value corresponding to the converted voltage value. The arithmetic device diagnoses whether or not the timer has been normally operated using the voltage value held in the holding circuit.