Method for testing on-vehicle electronic unit

Details Method for testing on-vehicle electronic unit Method for testing on-vehicle electronic unit

1999-09-09

2001-05-01

Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)

Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location

Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication

Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication

C340S870030, C307S010100, C324S1540PB

Reexamination Certificate

active

06226574

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a method for testing an electronic unit mounted on an automobile by using a predetermined test apparatus, which on-vehicle electronic unit is equipped with a plurality of input circuits connected to a plurality of external switches, into which operation signals of the respective external switches are entered; a plurality of output circuits for outputting predetermined output signals to an external unit; and a control unit for controlling said respective output signals derived from said plural output circuits in response to said respective operation signals entered via said plural input circuits.
Conventionally, when an electronic unit is tested, more specifically, a shipping test of the electronic unit is carried out, with respect to functions actually provided with the electronic unit, input logic of switches is made up on the side of the test apparatus so as to perform the test.
For instance, as shown in
FIG. 9
, a confirmation of a door locking function in an automobile is performed as follows. A switch control signal (SW control signal: FIG.
10
(
a
)) is sent out from the test apparatus
1
so as to turn ON/OFF a door locking switch
2
, a high (H)/low (L) signal (FIG.
10
(
b
)) derived from this door locking switch
2
is entered into an electronic unit
3
. In response to this high/low switch, a confirmation is made as to whether or not the electronic unit
3
drives a door locking motor
4
. The test is carried out as to whether or not the input circuits, the CPU, the output circuits, and the like employed in the electronic unit
3
are operated under normal conditions in accordance with the above-described test manner.
Also, as shown in
FIG. 11
, in an electronic unit for mounting an on-vehicle LAN, after the electronic unit
3
has been set in a test mode in accordance with a preselected input sequence, while using a communication input/output interface
5
for the on-vehicle LAN provided in this electronic unit
3
, arbitrary switch input information is transmitted as serial data from the test apparatus
1
to the communication input/output interface
5
. Since such a test method is carried out, it is possible to perform the test as to whether or not the CPU and the output circuits provided in the electronic unit
3
are operated under normal condition by confirming as to whether or not the electronic unit
3
drives the door locking motor
4
in response to the information contained in the serial data even when the switch
2
is not turned ON/OFF. Also, in this case, the input circuits employed in the electronic unit
3
are tested in such a manner that arbitrary serial data is transmitted from the test apparatus
1
to the communication input/output interface
5
of the electronic unit
3
, and furthermore, this input information is returned from the electronic unit
3
as serial data to the test apparatus
1
. In accordance with this test method, since the plural input circuits and the plural output circuits can be tested one time, the test time can be advantageously shortened.
It should be noted that reference numeral
6
shown in FIG.
9
and
FIG. 11
represents a voltage measuring device for measuring a voltage applied to the electronic unit
3
.
FIG. 12
is a detailed block circuit for representing the electronic unit
3
contained in the circuit block shown in
FIG. 9. A
test for the electronic unit
3
shown in
FIG. 12
is carried out by separately turning ON/OFF a plurality of switches
2
a
to
2
f
by a shipment test apparatus
1
. Among these switches
2
a
to
2
f,
symbol
2
a
indicates an ignition switch; symbol
2
b
shows a powered window up switch; symbol
2
c
represents a powered window down switch; symbol
2
d
denotes a door locking switch; symbol
2
e
shows a door unlocking switch; and symbol
2
f
represents a door switch. The ignition switch
2
a
is connected to an ignition switch input circuit (IG-SW input circuit)
11
provided in the electronic unit
3
. The powered window up switch
2
b
is connected to a powered window up switch input circuit (POWER-WINDOW-UP-SW input circuit)
12
employed in the electronic unit
3
. The powered window down switch
2
c
is connected to a powered window down switch input circuit (POWER-WINDOW-DOWN-SW input circuit)
13
employed in the electronic unit
3
. The door locking switch
2
d
is connected to a door locking switch input circuit (DOOR-LOCK-SW input circuit)
14
employed in the electronic unit
3
. The door unlocking switch
2
e
is connected to a door unlocking switch input circuit (DOOR-UNLOCKING-SW input circuit)
15
provided in the electronic unit
3
. Then, the door switch
2
f
is connected to a door switch input circuit (DOOR-SW input circuit)
16
employed in the electronic unit
3
. Also, the signals derived from these input circuits
11
to
16
are entered into a control unit (microcomputer chip)
17
containing a ROM, a RAM, and a CPU. While a dome (ceiling) lamp circuit
18
, a door locking output circuit
19
, a door unlocking output circuit
20
, a powered window up output circuit
21
, and a powered window down output circuit
22
are controlled by this microcomputer
17
, the dome lamp
23
, the door locking motor
4
a,
and the powered window motors
4
b
are driven, respectively. It should be understood that in
FIG. 12
, reference numeral
24
denotes a power supply circuit, and reference numeral
25
represents a watch dog circuit for testing a power supply level, and a run-away of the microcomputer
17
.
Then, for example, in the case that both the powered window up switch input circuit
12
and the powered window up switch output circuit
21
are tested, after the ignition switch
2
a
is turned ON as shown in FIG.
13
(
a
) by outputting a signal from the shipment test apparatus
1
, the powered window up switch
26
is subsequently turned ON as represented in FIG.
13
(
b
). The test can be carried out as to whether or not the powered window up output circuit
21
is turned ON under normal condition as shown in FIG.
13
(
c
) by checking as to whether or not the power window motor
4
b
is driven in response to turning-ON of the powered window up switch
2
b.
Also,
FIG. 14
is a detailed block diagram for indicating the electronic unit
3
contained in the circuit block shown in FIG.
11
. While the electronic unit
3
shown in
FIG. 14
is tested, the on-vehicle LAN input/output interface (I/F)
5
exclusively used for testing purposes is installed in the electronic unit
3
, and arbitrary switch input information is transmitted in the serial communication from the shipment test apparatus
1
to this on-vehicle LAN input/output interface (I/F)
5
. As a result, even when no input signals are entered from the respective switches
2
a
to
2
f,
the electronic unit
3
can test the respective output circuits
18
to
22
by confirming that the output in accordance with the serial communication information is executed. Also, while the respective switches
2
a
to
2
f
are arbitrarily turned ON/OFF by the shipment test apparatus
1
, the arbitrary switch inputs are made in the respective input circuits
11
to
16
, and this input information is returned from the output interface
5
of the electronic unit
3
to the shipment test apparatus
1
in the form of serial data. As a result, testing of the respective input circuits
11
to
16
can be carried out. In accordance with this test method, a plurality of input circuits
11
to
16
and also a plurality of output circuits
18
to
22
can be tested within one time.
Very recently, while various sorts of electronic technology has been progressed, various functions provided in automobiles are considerably increased. In connection with this increase of functions, the control circuits employed in the electronic unit
3
are similarly increased. As a result, in accordance with the conventional test method for testing the respective switch inputs and the respective output controls the testing time is increased, and the production ??&quest

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