Vehicle Diagnostic Decision Module Linking Faults to Complaints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic systems for motor vehicles often lead to unnecessary component replacements due to incomplete fault identification, resulting in high repair costs, as they cannot accurately pinpoint the cause of faults like missing sensor signals, which can be caused by various issues such as cable harness interruptions or connector problems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a diagnostic system with an electronic control unit and diagnostic tester featuring a decision module that assigns specific fault reactions to identifiable faults and customer complaint states, utilizing a transverse locking matrix and table structures to directly link fault memory entries to customer perception states, enabling more precise fault diagnosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If fault memories are queried using a diagnostic unit, then fault information can be obtained, but the exact cause of the fault cannot be accurately identified
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system segments fault information into multiple levels: fault memory entries provide basic fault detection, while additional diagnostic data and decision modules provide detailed analysis. This segmentation allows the system to present both high-level fault summaries and low-level diagnostic details, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary decision module that acts as a mediator between the fault memory and the diagnostic tester. This decision module processes raw fault data and translates it into structured diagnostic information with suggested causes, enabling accurate fault identification without requiring the tester to directly interpret complex fault memory contents.
2Reliability
If components are replaced based on fault information, then faults can be addressed, but unnecessary repairs increase repair costs
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system implements feedback by continuously providing diagnostic testers with structured fault information and suggested causes based on actual fault patterns. This feedback loop enables technicians to verify their diagnoses against the system's analysis, reducing unnecessary component replacements while maintaining repair effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision module performs preliminary analysis of fault data before repair actions are taken. By pre-processing fault information and generating suggested causes in advance, the system enables technicians to make more informed repair decisions, avoiding unnecessary component replacements and reducing repair costs.
3Measurement precision
If multiple possible causes are considered for a fault, then accurate diagnosis can be achieved, but diagnostic complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the diagnostic process into distinct modules: fault detection, fault analysis, and repair guidance. Each module handles specific aspects of diagnosis independently, making the overall complex diagnostic system more manageable while maintaining high identification accuracy through specialized processing at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision module serves multiple functions simultaneously: it analyzes fault patterns, determines suggested causes, and generates diagnostic recommendations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex diagnostic tools, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic control unit for a motor vehicle diagnostic system includes a diagnostic module for identifying and storing faults; a decision module, by way of which specific fault reactions are assigned to each identifiable fault and specific customer complaint states are assigned to the fault reactions; and a generation module for generating a defined fault status. For each fault which is set in the fault memory and can be transmitted to a diagnostic tester external to the vehicle by way of a fault log, the fault status can be generated such that all customer complaint states assigned to the fault can be identified from the fault log in the diagnostic tester. The decision module is also provided to a suitable diagnostic tester having a transmission interface to the at least one electronic control unit.