DESC:CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS:
[01] The present application claims priority from Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202221041426 filed on 19th July 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by a reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD:
[02] Generally, the present disclosure relates to a technique for testing of a newly assembled vehicle. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for performing End-of-line (EOL) testing of newly assembled vehicles.
BACKGROUND:
[03] Vehicles are to be tested and verified for operation upon completion of assembly. Testing a manufactured vehicle at the end of the assembly line is an important aspect of the production process. Such testing serves to identify defective vehicles prior to shipment to a customer. End-of-line (EOL) testing serves to analyse not only the quality of the product, but also the stability and yield of the production process. Generally, a human operator is required to run through the operations of the vehicle during testing. The operator needs to be present in close proximity of the vehicle and manually carry out different operation testing whilst monitoring the results of such testing. The operator is required to run through each test sequentially until the testing is completed to the operator's satisfaction. This is time consuming and high operator awareness may be required when being present in such an environment.
[04] At present, vehicle tester device which is operated by the human operator performs EOL testing of vehicles by using the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD). An OBD interface is provided on the vehicle. Each pin in the OBD interface is connected to each electronic control unit (ECU) in the vehicle based on different vehicle communication protocols. The vehicle tester device establishes wired/wireless connection with the ECU in the vehicle through the OBD interface to perform EOL testing in the vehicle. However, each vehicle may require a separate operator to perform the testing. Further, the operator may need to monitor the machine and wait for each test to complete before starting the next test. Furthermore, the EOL testing using OBD provides a high failure rate.
[05] Thus, there exists a need for a method and a system for accurately performing EOL testing in the vehicles by considering less failure rate during the performing of the EOL testing in the vehicles. Also, less complex and portable EOL testing system and method is desirable.
OBJECT:
[06] An object of the invention is to provide a vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles which eliminates chances of missing an essential/important test from the list of EOL tests to be performed on multiple vehicles.
[07] Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles which minimizes failure rate of tests performed on multiple vehicles without increasing process complexity of the vehicle diagnostic system.
[08] Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles which reduces time required to perform end-of-line testing in multiple vehicles then the conventional end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles.
[09] Other objects and advantages of the system of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are not intended to limit the scope of present disclosure.
SUMMARY:
[010] The present disclosure overcomes one or more shortcomings of the prior art and provides additional advantages discussed throughout the present disclosure.
[011] In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle diagnostic system to perform an End-of-Line (EOL) testing of a vehicle, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle diagnostic system comprises a server arrangement, a vehicle control device that is communicably coupled with the server arrangement, and a tester device that is communicably coupled with the server arrangement. The tester device is configured to: identify a vehicle information, identify a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information, and wirelessly transmit, via the server arrangement, at least one command signal to the vehicle control device based on the identified plurality of tests. The vehicle control device is configured to: perform the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device via the server arrangement, generate a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests, and wirelessly transmit the generated first-information to the tester device via the server arrangement.
[012] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for performing End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a vehicle diagnostic system, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. The method comprises identifying a vehicle information using a tester device. The method further comprises identifying a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information. The method further comprises wirelessly transmitting at least one command signal to a vehicle control device based on the identified plurality of tests. The method further comprises performing the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle, by using a vehicle control device, based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device via a server arrangement. The method further comprises generating a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests. Lastly, the method comprises wirelessly transmitting the generated first-information to the tester device via the server arrangement.
[013] The method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of reducing a high failure rate of tests to be performed in the vehicles. Further, the method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure, enables the vehicle diagnostic system to perform the EOL testing simultaneously for the multiple vehicles without using a different operator for multiple vehicles such that the time required to perform the EOL testing in the vehicle is reduces. Furthermore, the method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure, eliminates chances of missing an essential/important test from the list of EOL tests to be performed on multiple vehicles.
[014] Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
[015] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
[016] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
[017] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle diagnostic system for performing End-of-line testing in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[018] FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration of a server arrangement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[019] FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration of a vehicle control device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[020] FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration of a tester device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[021] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of steps involved in the method of performing End-of-line testing in the vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[022] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of steps involved in the method of performing End-of-line testing in the vehicle, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[023] Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to indicate the same elements.
[024] In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
[025] The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognise that the other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.
[026] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of end-of-line testing of a vehicle and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the various structures and/or functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the present disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.
[027] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
[028] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “include(s)”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, system or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or system or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
[029] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[030] The present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.
[031] Referring to attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. “front”, “rear”, “right”, “left”, “upper” and “lower” denote each position of a vehicle viewed from a rider. The drawings shall be viewed with regard to the reference numbers.
[032] The present disclosure describes a vehicle diagnostic system that performs end-of-line testing in multiple vehicles.
[033] FIG. 1 is a structure of vehicle diagnostic system 100 for performing an End-of line (EOL) testing of multiple manufactured vehicles before the shipment of the multiple manufactured vehicles to a customer. In particular, the EOL is a process of testing the overall functionality of a manufactured product. In the automotive industry, creating a method of evaluating a complex assembly’s function is a crucial step in building a profitable assembly line that manufactures reliable products. The EOL testing is the last checkpoint before a product leaves the factory. Millions of auto parts are manufactured every day, representing hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue. EOL testing ensures those parts have been manufactured to the appropriate specifications and gives engineers an indication of when to start troubleshooting to reduce failure rates. EOL testing is important for high-value products, including car seats, engines, transmissions, electrical systems, and other complex assemblies.
[034] The EOL testing performed on modules/components of vehicle which may be for example, Body Control Module, Powertrain Control Module, Drive Traction Unit, On Board Charger, Battery Management System, AC Control Module, ADAS, Power Steering Control Module, Restraint Control Module, Anti-Lock Braking System, Audio control module, parking, assistant module, tow trailer module.
[035] Each module/component of the vehicle includes a set of features on which the test is performed. The features of the body control module may be, for example, Tire Pressure Measurement System, Brake Fluid Level Switch, Wireless charging Module, Trailer Tow Detection Sensor, Keyless Antenna, Start/Stop Switch, Immobiliser Antenna, 12 V Battery, Key Lock Barrel, Side Indicator, Reverse Lamp, Door Glass Motor, Side View Mirror, Door Central Lock, Door Window Switch, Door Electronic Latch, Liftgate/Decklid Release Switch, Hood Release Handle, Headlamp, Brake Lamp, Center High Mounted Stop Lamp, Position Lamp, Anittheft Safety Horn, Power Folding Seat Switch, Power Folding Seat Motor, Auto Seat Adjust Switch/Motor, 12 V Power Point, Cigar Lighter , Interior Dome Lamp, Glove Box Lamp, Decklid/Liftgate Trunk Lamp, Daytime Running Lamp, Fog Lamp, Park Lamp, Door Ajar, Fuel Flap Switch, Battery Monitoring Sensor, Hands free Liftgate/ Decklid Input Sensor, Spotlight Mirror, Snow Plow, Decklid/Liftgate Latch, Colour Ambient Light, Passive Anti-Theft System, Wiper Module, Windshield Washer Pump, Switch, Intrusion Sensor, Rain Sensor, Interior Back Light, Child Lock Module, and so forth.
[036] The features of the powertrain control module may be, for example, Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor, Fuel Injector, Camshaft Position Sensor , Alternator, Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor, Accelerator Pedal, Mass Air Flow Sensor, Engine Boost Pressure Sensor, Fuel Rail Temperature Sensor, Barometric Pressure Sensor, AC Pipe Pressure Sensor, Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor, Engine Oil Temperature Sensor, Radiator Fan , Ambient Air Temperature Sensor, Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor, Turbo Valve Position Sensor, Sump Oil Temperature Sensor, Clutch Pedal, Throttle Motor, Engine Oil Pressure Sensor, Throttle Valve, Turbocharger Inlet Pressure Sensor, Starter Motor, Glow Plug, Air Intake Temperature Sensor, Fuel Inlet, Fuel Pump, Transmission Gear, Engine RPM Sensor, Vehicle Speed Sensor, Absolute Throttle Position, Fuel Level Input, Coolant Pump, and so forth.
[037] The features of the drive traction unit may be, for example, Throttle Handle, Motor Coolant Pump, Motor, Motor Position Sensor, Motor Temperature Sensor, Motor Current Sensor, and so forth. The features of the on-board charger may be, for example, male plug connector, charge detection sensor, and so forth.
[038] The features of the battery management system may be, for example, Discharge Protect Switch, Cell Voltage Sensor, Cell Current Sensor, Cell Temperature Sensor, Battery state of charge/state of health Sensor, High Voltage to Low Voltage Converter, and so forth. The features of the AC control module may be, for example, Outside Air Temperature Sensor, Blower Motor, Air Inlet Door Position, AC Compressor, AC Condenser, In car Ambient Temperature Sensor, Seat Heater, Defroster, Defogger, and so forth. The features of ADAS may be, for example, Front Camera, Infrared Sensor, LIDAR, RADAR, Rear Camera, Driver Camera, Imaging Sensor, 360 Side Camera, and so forth. The features of the power steering control module may be, for example, Steering Wheel Angle Sensor, Power Steering Motor, Electronic Steering Column Lock, and so forth. The features of the restraint control module may be, for example, Seat Belt Sensor, Air Bag, Crash Sensor, Air Bag Cut off Switch, and so forth. The features of the anti-lock braking system may be, for example, Brake Switch, Wheel Speed Sensor, Brake Booster, Brake Pressure Sensor, and so forth.
[039] The features of the audio control module may be, for example, Audio Speaker, Radio Antenna, USB, AUX Input, Microphone, and so forth. The features of infotainment may be, for example, Applink Module, GPS Module, Bluetooth, Display, Instrument Cluster, Telemetry Module, WIFI, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, and so forth. The features of the parking assistant module may be, for example, Active Park Assist Sensor, Rear Camera, and so forth. The features of the tow trailer module may be, for example, Tow Trailer Power Supply, Tow Trailer Motor, Tow Trailer Sensor, and so forth.
[040] The vehicle diagnostic system 100 (as shown in Fig. 1) includes a server arrangement 102, a vehicle control device 104 that is embedded in a vehicle, and a tester device 106. The tester device 106 may be connected to the server arrangement 102 in a wireless manner. The vehicle control device 104 may be connected to the server arrangement 102 in a wireless manner. In detail, according to the present disclosure, the tester device 106 may be wirelessly connected to the server arrangement 102 and server arrangement 102 may be wirelessly connected to the vehicle control device 104 via short-range wireless communication.
[041] The present disclosure discloses that the vehicle diagnostic system 100 which performs EOL testing of vehicles which eliminates possibilities of missing an essential/important test from the list of EOL tests to be performed on multiple vehicles. Further, the vehicle diagnostic system 100 performs the EOL testing simultaneously for the multiple vehicles without using a different operator for multiple vehicles such that the time required to perform the EOL testing in the vehicle is reduced. Furthermore, the vehicle diagnostic system 100 reduces failure rate of EOL tests to be performed in multiple vehicles.
[042] In the present disclosure, the short-range wireless communication includes, without limitation, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), and Ultra Wideband (UWB).
[043] In the present disclosure, the tester device 106 may be any electronic device, for example, an instant messaging electronic device, a game electronic device, a social platform electronic device, an email electronic device, an audio/video electronic device, which can implement the short-range wireless communication interface. In some embodiments, the tester device 106 in the embodiments of the present application may be any electronic device capable of implementing the short-range wireless communication technology. In some embodiments, the tester device 106 includes an intelligent device with a short-range wireless communication function, such as a tablet computer, a mobile phone, an electronic reader, a remote control, a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer, a notebook computer, on-board equipment, a network television or a wearable device.
[044] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the affiliated server arrangement 200 is constituted by a display unit 202, a memory module 204, a communication unit 206, and a control unit 208. The server arrangement 200 is the same as the server arrangement 102 described in FIG. 1 of the vehicle diagnostic system 100. All the constituent elements of the server arrangement 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 are not essential constituent elements, and the affiliated server arrangement 200 may be implemented by more constituent elements than the constituent elements illustrated in FIG. 2 or less constituent elements.
[045] The communication unit 202 communicates with an internal constituent element the wired/wireless communication network. Further, the communication unit 202 communicates with at least one external terminal via the wireless communication network. In this case, the external terminal may include the tester device (such as tester device 106 of Fig. 1), vehicle control device (such as vehicle control device 104 of Fig. 1), and the like. The communication unit 202 may include a transceiver to transmit and receive signals. The communication unit 202 receives vehicle information from the tester device 106 and transmits the information of the vehicle and information of the vehicle control device 104 to the memory module 204. In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle information includes a unique id of the vehicle and unique id of the vehicle control device 106.
[046] Further, the communication unit 202 receives a trigger command from the tester device 106 and transmits the trigger command to the vehicle control device 104.
[047] Further, the communication unit 202 receives a command signal from the tester device 106 and transmits the received command signal to the vehicle control device 104.
[048] Furthermore, the communication unit 202 receives a test status of a plurality of tests performed on the vehicle. The communication unit 202 transmits the test status of the plurality of tests to the display unit 206, tester device 106, and memory module 204.
[049] The memory module 204 stores data, programs, and the like which are required to operate the affiliated server arrangement 200. Further, the memory module 204 receives by the control of the control unit 208 the vehicle information from the communication unit 202. The memory module 204 further stores the information of the vehicle and information of the vehicle control device 104.
[050] The memory module 204 may be, for example, conventional magnetic disks, magnetic tape storage, magneto-optical (MO) storage media, solid state disks, flash memory-based devices, or any other type of non-volatile storage devices suitable for storing large volumes of data. The memory module 204 may also be combinations of such devices. In the case of disk storage media, the memory module 204 may be organized into one or more volumes of redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID).
[051] The display unit 206 may display contents such as a menu screen by using the UI and the GUI stored in the memory module 204 by the control of the control unit 208. Here, the contents displayed on the display unit 206 include a menu screen including texts or image data (including various information data) and data such as icons, a list menu, and a combo box, and the like. Further, the display unit 206 may be a touch screen.
[052] The display unit 206 receives the test status of the plurality of tests from the communication unit 202 and displays the test status of each of the plurality of tests. The display unit 206 may display the test result of each of the plurality of tests before the completion of the subsequent test. Further, the display unit 206 may display the test result of each test of the plurality of tests simultaneously.
[053] The control unit 208 controls an overall function of the server arrangement 200. In particular, the control unit 208 controls signal flows and data transmission between components 202-206 of the server arrangement 200 and performs data processing functions. The control unit 208 includes a processor which executes the programs stored in the memory module 204 and controls the overall functions of the server management 200.
[054] In a non-limiting example of an embodiment of the present invention, after receiving the vehicle information from the tester device 106 by the communication unit 202, the control unit 208 establishes connection with the vehicle control device 104. The server arrangement 200 establishes the wireless direct connection with the vehicle control device 102 corresponds to reception of the vehicle information, and thus, the server arrangement 200 and the vehicle control device 106 complete a vehicle-machine interconnection.
[055] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the vehicle control device 300 is constituted by a memory module 302, processing unit 304, a communication unit 306, and a control unit 308. The vehicle control device 300 is the same as the vehicle control device 102 described in FIG. 1 of the vehicle diagnostic system 100. All the constituent elements of the vehicle control device 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 are not essential constituent elements, and the vehicle control device 300 may be implemented by more constituent elements than the constituent elements illustrated in FIG. 3 or less constituent elements.
[056] The memory module 302 stores data, programs, and the like which are required to operate the affiliated vehicle control device 300. Further, the memory module 302 stores the information (i.e. identity) of the vehicle to which the vehicle control device 300 is associated.
[057] The memory module 302 may be, for example, conventional magnetic disks, optical disks such as CD-ROM or DVD based storage, magnetic tape storage, magneto-optical (MO) storage media, solid state disks, flash memory-based devices, or any other type of non-volatile storage devices suitable for storing large volumes of data. The memory module 302 may also be combinations of such devices. In the case of disk storage media, the memory module 302 may be organized into one or more volumes of redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID).
[058] The processing unit 304 receives a command signal to update the vehicle information in the memory module 302. The processing unit 304 updates the memory module 302 by storing the VIN details of the vehicle in the memory module 302. The vehicle control device 300 updates the VIN details through a network automatically which eliminates the manual process of providing the VIN details to the vehicle control device 300.
[059] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit 304 generates a modified at least one command signal based on instruction stored in the vehicle control device 104 and performs the plurality of tests based on the modified at least one command signal. Further, the processing unit 304 receives a trigger command to perform the test on the vehicle. The trigger command is in an unstructured form and the vehicle control device 300 is unable to identify information from the unstructured trigger command. Therefore, the processing unit 304 parses the unstructured trigger command. The techniques described herein can utilize information available in a corpus to parse unstructured data and/or predict data related to the unstructured data. The processing unit 304 uses a set of instructions stored in the memory module 302 and converts the unstructured trigger command into the structured trigger command. The processing unit 304 performs the test on the vehicle by reading the data present in the structured trigger command. The vehicle diagnostic system 100 generates the structured command and performs the test based on the structured command increasing the speed of the processing of the command signal and reduces the processing complexity of the vehicle diagnostic system 100.
[060] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 304 generates a first information that corresponds to at least one test result for the performed test. In particular, the processing unit 304 generates the test status that indicates successful execution of the test on the vehicle when the test is successfully performed on the vehicle. Further, the processing unit 304 generates the failure message when the test performed on the vehicle is failed.
[061] The processing unit 304 reperform the test if the test on the vehicle is filed. The processing unit 304 performs the test until the test on the vehicle is successfully performed. Once the test is successfully performed on the vehicle, the processing unit 304 performs the subsequent test on the vehicle after receiving the trigger command related to the subsequent test.
[062] The communication unit 306 communicates with an internal constituent element the wired/wireless communication network. Further, the communication unit 306 communicates with at least one external terminal via the wireless communication network. In this case, the external terminal may include the server arrangement (such as server arrangement 102 of Fig. 1), tester device (such as tester device 106 of Fig. 1), and the like. The communication unit 306 may include a transceiver to transmit and receive signals. The communication unit 306 receives a trigger command for each of the set of tests sequentially from the server arrangement 102.
[063] Further, the communication unit 306 transmits a test status of a plurality of tests performed on the vehicle. The communication unit 306 transmits a test result to the server arrangement 102 when the test is successfully performed. If the test performed on the vehicle is failed then the communication unit 306 transmits the failure message to the server arrangement 102 which includes that the test performed on the vehicle is unsuccessful.
[064] The control unit 308 controls an overall function of the vehicle control device 300. In particular, the control unit 308 controls signal flows and data transmission between components 302-306 of the vehicle control device 300 and performs data processing functions. The control unit 308 includes a processor which executes the programs stored in the memory module 302 and controls the overall functions of the vehicle control device 300.
[065] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the tester device 400 is constituted by a code reading unit 402, a memory module 404, a processing unit 406, a communication unit 408, a display unit 410, and a control unit 412. The tester device 400 is the same as the tester device 106 described in FIG. 1 of the vehicle diagnostic system 100. All the constituent elements of the tester device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4 are not essential constituent elements, and the affiliated tester device 400 may be implemented by more constituent elements than the constituent elements illustrated in FIG. 4 or fewer constituent elements.
[066] The code reading unit 402 may be implemented by an image scanning unit such as a camera, a barcode reader, and a scanner. This type of image scanning unit scans a code image using various methods such as manual scanning method, CCD scanning method, laser scanning method, image sensing method, and linear image sensing method.
[067] The code reading unit 402 scans a code image such as barcode present in the vehicle and extracts the information encoded in the barcode by decoding the code image. The QR code includes the identity of the vehicle such as vehicle identification number (VIN). Further, the code reading unit 402 scans QR code of present on the vehicle control device (such as vehicle control device 104 of Fig. 1) and extracts the information encoded in the QR code by decoding the code image. The QR code includes the identity of the vehicle control device 104 such as ID of the vehicle control device 104.
[068] The memory module 404 stores data, programs, and the like which are required to operate the affiliated tester device 400. Further, the memory module 404 stores the identity (i.e. VIN) of the multiple vehicles along with a set of tests to be performed by the respective vehicle. For example, VIN number of a first vehicle is A and number of tests to be performed by the first vehicle is N and VIN number of a second vehicle is B and the number of tests to be performed by the second vehicle is M. The N and M are integer numbers.
[069] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the memory module 404 stores a predefined sequence assembly of a plurality of tests. In particular, the memory module 404 further stores the sequence assembly in which the set of tests for each of multiple vehicles is performed. The sequence assembly corresponds to a sequence in which test stations are arranged. Each test station allows the system to perform a specific test on the vehicle. The memory module 404 further stores the location of each test station.
[070] The sets of tests may be, for example, auto test, manual test, and code check station test.
[071] The auto test may be, for example, electronic control unit (ECU) communication test, ECU part number check, ECU reflash and software update, vehicle identity number update in ECU, immobilizer activation, ECU configuration test, telemetry provisioning, clear DTC, ECU self-test, anti-lock braking system (ABS) brake filing status, telemetry provision check, collect Diagnostic Troubleshooting Code (DTCTM) test, and so forth.
[072] The manual test may be, for example, push button test, throttle test, brake pedal test, clutch test, kill switch check test, start switch check test, horn keypad check test, indicator functional check, hazard switch check, dimmer switch check, pass light switch check, DPAD switch check, seat lock function check, charging function check, side stand check, and so forth.
[073] The code check station test may be, for example, ECU communication test, key fob check, collect DTC, collect ECU serial number, collect ECU details, measure battery state of charge (SOC), measure battery state of health (SOH), measure battery voltage, measure battery current, and so forth.
[074] The memory module 404 may be, for example, conventional magnetic disks, optical disks such as CD-ROM or DVD based storage, magnetic tape storage, magneto-optical (MO) storage media, solid state disks, flash memory-based devices, or any other type of non-volatile storage devices suitable for storing large volumes of data. The memory module may also be combinations of such devices. In the case of disk storage media, the memory module 404 may be organized into one or more volumes of a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID).
[075] The processing unit 406 receives the VIN details of the vehicle and identifies a set of tests to be performed in the vehicle by comparing the VIN details of the vehicle with the VIN details of the multiple vehicles present in the memory module 404.
[076] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle diagnostic system 100 performs a set of tests based on the predefined sequence assembly. In particular, the processing unit 406 identifies the set of tests to be performed on the vehicle. The processing unit 406 generates a trigger command for each of the sets of tests according to the sequence assembly of test stations in which the sets of tests are to be triggered. The sequence assembly corresponds to the test station’s sequence in which vehicle diagnostic of the multiple vehicles is performed. Each test station is associated with a specific test. For example, if there are three test stations A, B, and C and sequence of the test stations is B, C, and A, then the vehicle first moves toward the test station B. when the vehicle is at a test station B, then the server arrangement 102 identifies the location of the vehicle in the wireless network. The server arrangement (such as server arrangement 102 of Fig. 1) transmits the location of the vehicle to the tester device and the tester device identifies that the vehicle is at the test station B. The tester device triggers a command signal to perform a test associated with the test station B. Furthermore, the vehicle moves to the test station C after the command signal is triggered. The tester device triggers another command signal to perform a test associated with the test station C. Therefore, generation of the trigger command to perform the test based on the sequence assembly enables the system 100 to perform the test automatically and eliminates the requirement of the operator to provide a trigger by knowing the location of the vehicle. The execution of the test based on the automatically generated trigger reduces the process complexity to perform multiple tests in the vehicle.
[077] Furthermore, the processing unit 406 generates a command signal to update the VIN details in the vehicle control device 104. The command signal includes VIN details of the vehicle and an instruction to change/insert the VIN details in the vehicle control device 104.
[078] The communication unit 408 communicates with an internal constituent element the wired/wireless communication network. Further, the communication unit 408 communicates with at least one external terminal via the wireless communication network. In this case, the external terminal may include the server arrangement 102, vehicle control device 104, and the like. The communication unit 408 may include a transceiver to transmit and receive signals. In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit 408 transmits the vehicle information to the server arrangement 102.
[079] Further, the communication unit 408 transmits a trigger command for each of the set of tests sequentially to the server arrangement 102.
[080] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit 408 transmits a trigger information to store the vehicle information in the vehicle control device 104. In particular, the communication unit 408 transmits a trigger information to the server arrangement 102 and the server arrangement 102 transmits the trigger information to the vehicle control device 104. The trigger information is a command signal to update the vehicle information in the vehicle. The vehicle control device 104 updates the VIN details through a network automatically which eliminates the manual process of providing the vehicle information to the vehicle control device 104
[081] Furthermore, the communication unit 408 receives a test status of a plurality of tests performed on the vehicle from the server arrangement 102. The communication unit 408 transmits the test status of the plurality of tests to the display unit 410.
[082] The display unit 410 may display contents such as a menu screen by using the UI and the GUI stored in the memory module 404 by the control of the control unit 412. Here, the contents displayed on the display unit 410 include a menu screen including texts or image data (including various information data) and data such as icons, a list menu, a combo box, and the like. Further, the display unit 410 may be a touch screen.
[083] The display unit 410 receives the test status of the plurality of tests from the communication unit 408 and displays the test status of each of the plurality of tests. The display unit 410 may display the test result of each of the plurality of tests before the completion of the subsequent test. Further, the display unit 410 may display the test result of each test of the plurality of tests simultaneously.
[084] The control unit 412 controls an overall function of the tester device 400. In particular, the control unit 412 controls signal flows and data transmission between components 402-410 of the tester device 400 and performs data processing functions. The control unit 412 includes a processor which executes the programs stored in the memory module 404 and controls the overall functions of the tester device 106.
[085] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing steps of a method 500 for performing the EOL testing of a plurality of manufactured vehicles by using the vehicle diagnostic system (such as the vehicle diagnostic system 100 of Fig. 1) before the shipment of the plurality of vehicles to the customer, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 starts at a step 502, at the step 502 the method includes identifying a vehicle information using a tester device (such as the tester device 106 of Fig. 1). At a step 504 the method 500 includes identifying by the tester device 106 a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information. At a step 506 the method 500 includes wirelessly transmitting by the tester device 106 at least one command signal to a vehicle control device (such as vehicle control device 104 of Fig. 1) based on the identified plurality of tests. At a step 508 the method 500 includes performing the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle, by using a vehicle control device 104, based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device 106 via a server arrangement (such as the server arrangement 102). At a step 510 the method 500 includes generating a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests. At a step 512 the method 500 includes wirelessly transmitting the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement 102.
[086] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of flow of performing the EOL testing of a plurality of manufactured vehicles by using the vehicle diagnosis system before the shipment of the plurality of vehicles to the customer.
[087] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the tester device (such as the tester device 106 of Fig. 1) identifies the id of the vehicle and id of the vehicle control device (such as the vehicle control device 104 of Fig. 1) (step 602). In this the tester device 106 performs a scanning process on a barcode and QR code present on the vehicle and identifies the id of the vehicle from the barcode and the id of the vehicle control device 104 from the QR code.
[088] The tester device 106 transmits the identified id of the vehicle and the id of the vehicle control device 104 to the server arrangement 102 (step 604).
[089] The server arrangement (such as server arrangement 102 of Fig. 1) receives the identified id of the vehicle and the id of the vehicle control device 104. The server arrangement 102 establishes a connection with the vehicle control device 104 by using the identified id of the vehicle and id of the vehicle control device 104 (step 606).
[090] After the establishment of the connection between the server arrangement 102 and the vehicle control device 104, the tester device 106 transmits a command signal to the vehicle control device 104 via the server arrangement 102 in order to update/store the vehicle id in the vehicle control device 102 (step 608).
[091] The vehicle control device 104 receives the command signal from the server arrangement 102 and stores the id of the vehicle in the vehicle control device 104 based on the received command signal (step 610). In particular, the vehicle control device 104 is present in the vehicle and does not include information of the vehicle in which it is present. To perform the vehicle diagnostic by the vehicle control device 104, the vehicle control device 104 requires the information of the vehicle. After receiving the command signal which includes the vehicle id and a command to update the vehicle id in the vehicle control device 104, the vehicle control device 104 stores the vehicle id in its database.
[092] The tester device 106 identifies a set of tests to be performed in the vehicle based on the id of the vehicle (step 612). In particular, the tester device 106 performs matching of the extracted id of vehicle with id of the multiple vehicles stored in the database and extracts the set of tests associated with stored id that matches with the extracted id of the vehicle.
[093] The tester device 106 identifies a first test from the set of the tests based on the predetermined sequence assembly (step 614). The first test includes a set of first sub-tests which are different from each other.
[094] The tester device 106 transmits a trigger command to the vehicle control device 104 via the server arrangement 102 (step 616). The trigger command includes a command to start performing the first test on the vehicle. After knowing that the vehicle control device 104 is in proximity with a test station that is associated with a specific test, the tester device 106 generates a trigger command to perform the specific test related to the test station on the vehicle.
[095] The vehicle control device 104 receives the trigger command from the tester device 106 via the server arrangement 102 and performs the first test on the vehicle based on the received trigger command (step 618).
[096] The vehicle control device 104 checks whether the first test is successfully performed or not (step 620). In particular, the vehicle control device 104 checks whether all the tests of the set of first sub-tests are successfully performed.
[097] When at least one first sub-test from the set of first sub-tests performed on the vehicle is failed, the vehicle control device 104 generates a failure message and transmits the generated failure message to the server arrangement 102. The failure message describes that the at one first sub-test is not successfully performed and the remaining sub-test successfully performed. The server arrangement 102 displays the failure message on a display screen and further transmits the failure message to the tester 106. Further, the vehicle control device 104 reperform the failed at least one first sub-test on the vehicle till the successful completion of all the tests of the set of first sub-tests on the vehicle.
[098] When the first test performed on the vehicle is successfully completed, the vehicle control device 104 generates a message that indicates successful completion of the first test on the vehicle and transmits the generated message to the server arrangement 102. The server arrangement 102 displays the message on a display screen and further transmits the message to the tester device 106 (step 622).
[099] The vehicle diagnostic system (such as vehicle diagnostic system 100 of Fig. 1) performs the remaining set of tests on the vehicle by using the steps same as steps 616-622 (step 624). The vehicle diagnostic system 100 by performing the EOL testing of a plurality of manufactured vehicles as per the process mentioned in FIG. 5 minimizes failure rate of tests performed on the multiple vehicles without increasing process complexity of the system. Further, the vehicle diagnostic system 100 performs the diagnostic of multiple vehicles simultaneously without the manual operation which reduces testing time for multiple vehicles.
[0100] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
[0101] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present disclosure may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer and/or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks.
[0102] The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Further, the user’s computer may include but not limited to cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, wireless modems, laptop computers, infotainment system of the vehicle, and so forth.
[0103] The present disclosure is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions.
[0104] These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0105] A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium may include an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor data storage system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of the computer readable medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a Random Access Memory (RAM) circuit, a read-only memory (ROM) circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory) circuit, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and a portable digital video disc read-only memory (DVD/Blu-ray).
[0106] As used herein, the terms ‘processing module’ and ‘processor’ used interchangeably and refer to a computational element that is operable to respond to and processes instructions that drive the vehicle diagnostic system 100. Optionally, the processor includes, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or any other type of processing circuit. Furthermore, the term “processor” may refer to one or more individual processors, processing devices and various elements associated with a processing device that may be shared by other processing devices. Additionally, the one or more individual processors, processing devices and elements are arranged in various architectures for responding to and processing the instructions that drive the system.
[0107] As used herein, the term ‘communicably coupled’ refers to a bi-directional connection between the various components of the system. The bi-directional connection between the various components of the tester device 106 enables exchange of data between two or more components of the system. In an exemplary embodiment, the scanning module and the processing module are communicably coupled through a network.
[0108] Throughout the present disclosure, the term “network” relates to an arrangement of interconnected programmable and/or non-programmable components that are configured to facilitate data communication between one or more electronic devices and/or databases, whether available or known at the time of filing or as later developed. Furthermore, the network may include, but is not limited to, a public network such as the global computer network known as the Internet, a private network, a cellular network and any other communication system or systems at one or more locations. Additionally, the network includes wired or wireless communication that can be carried out via any number of known protocols, including, but not limited to, Internet Protocol (IP), Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), Frame Relay, or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Moreover, any other suitable protocols using voice, video, data, or combinations thereof, can also be employed. Moreover, although the system is frequently described herein as being implemented with TCP/IP communications protocols, the system may also be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI, any tunnelling protocol (e.g. IPsec, SSH), or any number of existing or future protocols.
[0109] Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as "including", "comprising", "incorporating", "have", "is" used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural where appropriate.
[0110] Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the present disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

WE CLAIM:
1. A vehicle diagnostic system (100) configured to perform an End-of-Line (EOL) testing of a vehicle, the vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprising:
a server arrangement (102);
a vehicle control device (104) communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102); and
a tester device (106) communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102),
wherein
the tester device (106) is configured to:
identify a vehicle information;
identify a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information; and
wirelessly transmit, via the server arrangement (102), at least one command signal to the vehicle control device (104) based on the identified plurality of tests, and
the vehicle control device (104) is configured to:
perform the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102);
generate a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests; and
wirelessly transmit the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102).
2. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes a unique id of the vehicle and a unique id of the vehicle control device (104).
3. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generated first information corresponds to at least one test result for the performed plurality of tests.
4. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to transmit the vehicle information to the server arrangement (102), and the server arrangement (102) is configured to establish a wireless communication with the vehicle based on the vehicle information.
5. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to store a predefined sequence assembly of the plurality of tests, and the vehicle control device (104) is configured to perform the plurality of the tests based on the predefined sequence assembly.
6. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to transmit, via the server arrangement (102), a second information to the vehicle control device (104), and the second information corresponds to a trigger information to store the vehicle information.
7. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vehicle control device (104) is configured to store the vehicle information based on the trigger information.

8. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (104) configured to:
generate a modified at least one command signal based on instruction stored in the vehicle control device (104); and
perform the plurality of tests based on the modified at least one command signal.

9. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (104) configured to:
determine failure of at least one of the plurality of tests performed on the vehicle; and
reperform the failed at least one of the plurality of tests on the vehicle during the failure of the at least one of the plurality of tests.
10. A method (500) for performing an End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a vehicle diagnostic system (100), the method (100) comprises:
identifying a vehicle information using a tester device (106);
identifying by the tester device (106) a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information;
wirelessly transmitting by the tester device (106) at least one command signal to a vehicle control device (104) based on the identified plurality of tests;
performing the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle, by using a vehicle control device (104), based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device (106) via a server arrangement (102);
generating a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests; and
wirelessly transmitting the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102).
11. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vehicle information includes a unique id of the vehicle and a unique id of the vehicle control device (104).
12. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the generated first information corresponds to at least one test result for the performed plurality of tests.
13. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, the method further includes:
generating a modified at least one command signal based on instruction stored in the vehicle control device (104); and
performing the plurality of tests based on the modified at least one command signal.
ABSTRACT

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR END-OF-LINE TESTING OF VEHICLES
The present invention describes a vehicle diagnostic system (100) to perform End-of-Line (EOL) testing of a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises a server arrangement (102), a vehicle control device (104) that is communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102), and a tester device (106) that is communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102). The tester device (106) is configured to: identify a vehicle information, identify a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information, and wirelessly transmit, via the server arrangement (102), at least one command signal to the vehicle control device (104) based on the identified plurality of tests. The vehicle control device (104) is configured to: perform the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device (106) via the server management (102), generate a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests, and wirelessly transmit the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (106).
FIG. 5

,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A vehicle diagnostic system (100) configured to perform an End-of-Line (EOL) testing of a vehicle, the vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprising:
a server arrangement (102);
a vehicle control device (104) communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102); and
a tester device (106) communicably coupled with the server arrangement (102),
wherein
the tester device (106) is configured to:
identify a vehicle information;
identify a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information; and
wirelessly transmit, via the server arrangement (102), at least one command signal to the vehicle control device (104) based on the identified plurality of tests, and
the vehicle control device (104) is configured to:
perform the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102);
generate a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests; and
wirelessly transmit the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102).
2. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes a unique id of the vehicle and a unique id of the vehicle control device (104).
3. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generated first information corresponds to at least one test result for the performed plurality of tests.
4. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to transmit the vehicle information to the server arrangement (102), and the server arrangement (102) is configured to establish a wireless communication with the vehicle based on the vehicle information.
5. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to store a predefined sequence assembly of the plurality of tests, and the vehicle control device (104) is configured to perform the plurality of the tests based on the predefined sequence assembly.
6. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tester device (106) is configured to transmit, via the server arrangement (102), a second information to the vehicle control device (104), and the second information corresponds to a trigger information to store the vehicle information.
7. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vehicle control device (104) is configured to store the vehicle information based on the trigger information.

8. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (104) configured to:
generate a modified at least one command signal based on instruction stored in the vehicle control device (104); and
perform the plurality of tests based on the modified at least one command signal.

9. The vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (104) configured to:
determine failure of at least one of the plurality of tests performed on the vehicle; and
reperform the failed at least one of the plurality of tests on the vehicle during the failure of the at least one of the plurality of tests.
10. A method (500) for performing an End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a vehicle diagnostic system (100), the method (100) comprises:
identifying a vehicle information using a tester device (106);
identifying by the tester device (106) a plurality of tests based on the identified vehicle information;
wirelessly transmitting by the tester device (106) at least one command signal to a vehicle control device (104) based on the identified plurality of tests;
performing the identified plurality of tests on the vehicle, by using a vehicle control device (104), based on the at least one command signal received from the tester device (106) via a server arrangement (102);
generating a first-information based on the performed plurality of tests; and
wirelessly transmitting the generated first-information to the tester device (106) via the server arrangement (102).
11. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vehicle information includes a unique id of the vehicle and a unique id of the vehicle control device (104).
12. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the generated first information corresponds to at least one test result for the performed plurality of tests.
13. The method (500) as claimed in claim 10, the method further includes:
generating a modified at least one command signal based on instruction stored in the vehicle control device (104); and
performing the plurality of tests based on the modified at least one command signal.