Vehicle Gateway Testability Determination for Electronic Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for testing electronic devices in vehicles fail to distinguish between devices that are not yet ready due to booting and those that are malfunctioning, leading to inaccurate assessments of testability.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle test system that includes a gateway to determine testability based on the state of a microcontroller unit (MCU) or central processing unit (CPU), transmitting a Negative Response Code (NRC) when the device is not operational or has not completed booting, and using elapsed time to assess testability in devices without an MCU.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the external test device sends a signal to the electronic devices before they become ready to receive the signal after booting, then the test can start quickly, but the electronic devices may not receive the signal normally and the test cannot proceed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest startup speedVSAvoidsignal reception reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway performs preliminary actions by determining the testability status of electronic devices before the actual test begins. It checks whether devices have completed booting and are ready to receive signals, and only after confirming readiness does it allow the test device to send signals, thus preventing communication failures while maintaining efficient test startup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the system waits for electronic devices to complete booting before testing, then signal reception is reliable, but the test startup is delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal reception reliabilityVSAvoidtest startup delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway implements a feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring the testability status of electronic devices and communicating this information to the test device. This allows the system to dynamically adjust the test startup timing based on actual device readiness status, ensuring reliable signal reception without unnecessary delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If the user cannot distinguish whether electronic devices are not testable due to incomplete booting or malfunction, then the system is simple to operate, but the diagnostic accuracy is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem operation simplicityVSAvoidtestability determination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway acts as an intermediary between the test device and electronic devices, performing the complex task of determining testability status. It analyzes whether devices are unavailable due to incomplete booting or malfunction and communicates the specific cause to the test device, thereby maintaining simple user operation while achieving high diagnostic accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10546436B2Vehicle test system having a gateway for determining whether an electronic device is testable, vehicle and vehicle test method

Publication Date: 2020.01.28 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle test system includes a vehicle including at least one electronic device and a gateway configured to determine whether the electronic device is testable, a test device configured to test the electronic device, in which the electronic device includes a controller for controlling an operation of the electronic device, and the gateway is configured to determine whether or not the electronic device is testable in a different manner depending on whether the electronic device includes a separate communication device and transmits a determined result to the test device.