Description:Complete Specification:
The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

Field of the invention:
[0001] The present invention relates to fault tester, and more specifically to simulate and verify errors reported by a plurality of sensors and actuators in a vehicle.

Background of the invention:
[0002] CN 109765876 A describes a device with a simulation test method for an on-board diagnostics function of a diesel engine and exhaust system. Various faults associated to sensors and actuators pertained to whole powertrain system are extracted, and a set of virtual instrument-based electronic simulation test system for a vehicle level OBD fault diagnosis functions, so that the simulation of subsystem failures can be performed with the vehicle at a standstill, and then the rapid test of the OBD fault diagnosis function is completed. In the process of development, acceptance, and evaluation of an OBD diagnostic algorithm of the diesel engine and exhaust system, a large number of test verification work and test resources are reduced by simulating the vehicle running environment, and the development progress is improved as well at service station. In addition, the method and device can well solve the problems that in an actual test environment, certain OBD faults are not easy or impossible to produce, so-called fault injection is supposed to be performed by a hardware-in-the-loop system, and immeasurable damage to a vehicle or an engine can be caused.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
[0003] An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawing:

[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a fault tester to verify errors reported by a plurality of sensors and actuators in a vehicle in one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments:
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a Fault tester process 100 to verify errors reported by a plurality of sensors and actuators in a vehicle. The process 100 comprises determining 110 if a vehicle is in a running state, determining 120 if a powertrain system is in a running mode, reporting errors 130 that are connected to the powertrain and their sub-system function plausibility, and reporting relevant (All electrical and functional plausibility) errors that are connected to all actuators and sensors of the powertrain and sub-system of it. The Fault tester 100 further comprises determining 140 that the vehicle can run a limited number of kilometers if at least one of the powertrain function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported, determining 150 that the vehicle should reach the service station after the at least one error associated with the powertrain function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported. The Fault tester 100 further comprises enabling 160 the powertrain system to be active if a plurality of boundary conditions associated with a plurality of vehicle sensors and actuators are within threshold operating limits, transmitting 170 a signal to an engine control unit thereby enabling the powertrain system to be active if the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle sensors are within the threshold operating limits, and obtaining data 180 from the powertrain system pertaining to an engine exhaust operating characteristics once the powertrain system is enabled to be active.

[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a Fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by a plurality of sensors and actuators in a vehicle. The Fault tester 100 comprises determining 110 if a vehicle is in a running state or not in a running state. Therein, the Fault tester 100 determines 120 if the powertrain system is in a running mode or in a non-running mode, and reporting errors 130 that are connected to powertrain function plausibility. Therein, the Fault tester 100 reports electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors. In an exemplary embodiment, the Fault tester 100 further comprises determining 140 that the vehicle can run a limited number of kilometers if at least one of the powertrain function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported. More specifically, if either the powertrain function plausibility error and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported, or both the powertrain function plausibility error and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported, the fault tester 100 determines 140 that the vehicle can run a limited number of kilometers. The fault tester 100 therein determines 150 that the vehicle should reach the service station after the at least one error associated with the powertrain function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported. More specifically, if either the powertrain function plausibility error and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported, or both the powertrain function plausibility error and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported, the fault tester 100 determines 150 that the vehicle should reach the service station. The fault tester 100 further comprises enabling 160 the powertrain system to be active if a plurality of boundary conditions associated with a plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are within threshold operating limits. Once the powertrain system is enabled 160 to be active, the Fault tester further comprises transmitting 170 a signal to an engine control unit thereby enabling the powertrain system to be active if the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle sensors and actuators are within the threshold operating limits, and obtaining 180 data from the powertrain system pertaining to an engine exhaust operating characteristics once the powertrain system is enabled to be active.

[0007] The fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if the T15 status is true as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors. The fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if an engine rpm is running above a threshold speed as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors. The Fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if a catalyst temperature is above 200 degrees centigrade as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors. The fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if a vehicle velocity is above 0 kilometers per hour as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors. The fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if a NOX sensor that is upstream of a selective catalytic converter determines if a concentration of NOX is above a threshold level as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors. The Fault tester 100 to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle further comprises determining 160 if the NOX sensor that is downstream of the selective catalytic converter determines if the concentration of NOX is below the threshold level as one of the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors.

[0008] It should be understood that the embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.
, Claims:We claim:

1. An fault tester (100) to verify errors reported by a plurality of sensors and actuators in a vehicle, the Fault tester (100) comprising:
determining (110) if a vehicle is in a running state;
determining (120) if a system is in a running mode;
reporting errors (130) that are connected to a powertrain system and sub system during vehicle stand still;
reporting electric and functional plausibility errors that are connected to the powertrain system and sub system of the powertrain system;
determining (140) that the vehicle can run a limited number of kilometers if at least one of the powertrain function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported;
determining (150) that the vehicle should reach the service station after the at least one error associated with inducement function plausibility errors is reported and the electric errors that are connected to the powertrain actuators and sensors are reported; characterized in that
enabling (160) the powertrain system to be active if a plurality of boundary conditions associated with a plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are within threshold operating limits;
transmitting (170) a signal to an engine control unit thereby enabling the powertrain system to be active if the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are within the threshold operating limits; and
obtaining data (180) from the powertrain system and sub system of the powertrain system.

2. The fault tester (100) to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are determining if the T15 status is true.

3. The fault tester (100) to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are determining if an engine rpm is running above a threshold speed.

4. The fault tester (100) to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are determining if a catalyst temperature is above 200 degrees centigrade.

5. The fault tester (100) to verify errors reported by the plurality of actuators and sensors in the vehicle in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the plurality of boundary conditions associated with the plurality of vehicle actuators and sensors are determining if a vehicle velocity is above 0 kilometers per hour.