Method for vehicle electrical system diagnosis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255896-B2
Application number	US-202016825203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 22, 2019
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A method for vehicle electrical system diagnosis by means of a regulator, which is configured to regulate the voltage supplied by a generator via a converter for a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle by outputting an output signal, wherein the method comprises the following steps: detecting an output signal by way of a control device, ascertaining an instantaneous power output at the vehicle electrical system on the basis of the detected output signal, and analyzing the ascertained power output for diagnosis of the vehicle electrical system and at least one electrical consumer which is connected to the vehicle electrical system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for vehicle electrical system diagnosis using a voltage regulator ( 240 , 270 ), which is configured to regulate the voltage supplied by a generator ( 200 ) via a converter ( 250 , 260 ) for a vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) of a vehicle by outputting an output signal, the method comprising:
detecting ( 10 ) the output signal of the voltage regulator ( 240 ) by way of a control device ( 270 ), the output signal activating a switch to short-circuit or switch off the converter ( 250 , 260 );
ascertaining ( 20 ) an instantaneous power output ( 100 ) at the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) based on a duty cycle of the output signal of the voltage regulator ( 240 ), and
analyzing ( 30 ) the ascertained power output ( 100 ) for diagnosis of the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) and at least one electrical consumer which is connected to the vehicle electrical system.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis is performed based on items of information related to an instantaneous operating state at least one electrical consumer.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the items of information comprise a switching-on or switching-off signal of the at least one electrical consumer.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the items of information comprise a power consumption of the at least one electrical consumer.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the items of information are stored in a storage unit in relation to an operating state of the at least one electrical consumer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising outputting ( 40 ) the detected output signal and/or a result value of the analysis and/or the instantaneous power output ( 100 ) via an interface.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
determining a frequency component of the ascertained instantaneous power output ( 130 ) and
determining a turn signal frequency of a vehicle turn signal connected as the at least one electrical consumer based on the determined frequency component.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pole wheel angle of the generator ( 200 ) is predetermined on the basis of the output signal.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator ( 240 ) is a voltage regulator implemented by software in the control device ( 270 ).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is a motor control unit or ABS (antilock braking system) control unit.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer in combination with a voltage regulator ( 240 , 270 ), which is configured to regulate the voltage supplied by a generator ( 200 ) via a converter ( 250 , 260 ) for a vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) of a vehicle by outputting an output signal, to:
detect ( 10 ) the output signal of the voltage regulator ( 240 , 270 );
ascertain ( 20 ) an instantaneous power output ( 100 ) at the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) on the basis of the detected output signal, wherein
the ascertainment of the power output is carried out on the basis of the duty cycle in the output signal, wherein the output signal activates a switch to short-circuit or switch off the converter ( 250 , 260 ), and

analyze ( 30 ) the ascertained power output ( 100 ) for diagnosis of the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) and at least one electrical consumer which is connected to the vehicle electrical system.

12. A processing unit for vehicle electrical system diagnosis using a voltage regulator ( 240 , 270 ), which is configured to regulate the voltage supplied by a generator ( 200 ) via a converter ( 250 , 260 ) for a vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) of a vehicle by outputting an output signal, the processing unit being configured to:
detect ( 10 ) the output signal of the voltage regulator ( 240 ) by way of a control device ( 270 ), the output signal activating a switch to short-circuit or switch off the converter ( 250 , 260 );
ascertain ( 20 ) an instantaneous power output ( 100 ) at the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) based on a duty cycle of the output signal of the voltage regulator ( 240 ), and
analyze ( 30 ) the ascertained power output ( 100 ) for diagnosis of the vehicle electrical system ( 220 ) and at least one electrical consumer which is connected to the vehicle electrical system.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Mueller Jonathan
• Fischer Wolfgang

Classifications

• G01R31/086 Primary

  in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors · CPC title

• G01R31/40 Primary

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01R31/007 Primary

  using microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• B60R16/0232

  for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions · CPC title

• G01R21/06

  by measuring current and voltage (G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence) · CPC title