Description:SELF-START OFF METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR END-OF-LINE TESTING OF VEHICLES

TECHNICAL FIELD:
[01] Generally, the present disclosure relates to a technique for testing a newly assembled vehicle. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for performing an End-of-line (EOL) testing of newly assembled vehicles.
BACKGROUND:
[02] 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.
[03] To overcome the problem of manual testing of the vehicle by an operator as mentioned above, a vehicle tester device which is operated by the human operator performs the 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 can establish a wired/wireless connection with the ECU in the vehicle through the OBD interface to perform EOL testing in the vehicle. However, each vehicle requires a separate operator to perform the testing. Further, the operator needs to monitor the machine and wait for each test to be complete before starting the next test.
[04] At present, a system in which the vehicle tester device which wirelessly communicates with a control unit of the vehicle via a server. The control device is present in the vehicle and performs the EOL testing when the tester device provides a command signal. However, to perform multiple tests in the vehicle, the control device of the vehicle requires a separate command signal for each of the multiple tests which increases the dependency of the control device on the tester device to perform the multiple tests in the vehicle. Further, the existing system may provide a high failure rate of the EOL testing when the control device fails to receive the command signal from the tester device. Furthermore, the EOL testing of the vehicles using all functioning of the system increases the hardware complexity of the system.
[05] Thus, there exists a need for a method and a system for accurately performing EOL testing in the vehicles by minimizing the failure rate during the EOL testing of the vehicles. Also, a less complex and portable EOL testing system and method is desirable.
OBJECT:
[06] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system for performing an end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles and reduces hardware complexity of the system by eliminating requirement of additional hardware in the system.
[07] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles and minimizes failure rate of tests performed on multiple vehicles without increasing process complexity of the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system.
[08] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles which eliminates failure rate of EOL testing by eliminating dependency of one hardware on another hardware to perform the multiple tests on the vehicle.
[09] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a time efficient self-start off vehicle diagnostic system for performing end-of-line testing of multiple vehicles.
[010] 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:
[011] The present disclosure overcomes one or more shortcomings of the prior art and provides additional advantages discussed throughout the present disclosure.
[012] In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system configured to perform an End-of-line testing (EOL) of a vehicle. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system comprises a vehicle control device and a server arrangement communicably coupled with the vehicle control device. The server arrangement is configured to identify a plurality of test trigger-points. Each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle. The vehicle control device is configured to receive a unique id of the vehicle and identify a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle. The first test trigger-point information includes an availability status of the first test trigger-point. The predefined test is associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points. The vehicle control device configured to: wirelessly receive, from the server arrangement, vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point, perform, based on the received vehicle-characteristics, the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle, generate a first-status report based on the performed predefined test, and wirelessly transmit the generated first-status report to the server arrangement.
[013] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for performing an End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. The method comprises identifying a plurality of test trigger-points by a server arrangement. Each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle. The method further comprises receiving a unique id of the vehicle by a vehicle control device. The method further comprises identifying, by the vehicle control device, a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle. The first test trigger-point information includes availability status of the first test trigger-point. The predefined test is associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points. The method further comprises wirelessly receiving, from the server arrangement, by the vehicle control device vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point. The method further comprises performing, based on the received vehicle-characteristics by the vehicle control device, the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle. The method further comprises generating, by the vehicle control device, a first-status report based on the performed predefined test. Lastly, the method comprises wirelessly transmitting, by the vehicle control device, the generated first-status report to the server arrangement.
[014] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer programme product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerised device comprising processing hardware to execute the method for performing End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system.
[015] The method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure are advantageous in terms of reducing hardware complexity of the system by eliminating requirement of the additional hardware in the system. Further, the method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure, enables the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system to perform the EOL testing simultaneously for the multiple vehicles without waiting for EOL testing command signal from additional hardware for multiple vehicles such that the time required to perform the EOL testing in the vehicle is reduced and dependency of one hardware on another hardware to perform the multiple tests on the vehicle is eliminated. Furthermore, the method and the system, as disclosed in the present disclosure, minimizes the failure rate of tests performed on the multiple vehicles without increasing process complexity of the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system.
[016] 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:
[017] 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.
[018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
[019] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system for performing End-of-line testing in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[020] FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration of a vehicle control device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[021] FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration of a server arrangement, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[022] FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration of a terminal device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[023] 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.
[024] 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.
[025] Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to indicate the same elements.
[026] 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:
[027] 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 other embodiments for carrying out or practising the present disclosure are also possible.
[028] 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.
[029] 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.
[030] 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.
[031] 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.
[032] The present disclosure 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.
[033] 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.
[034] The present disclosure describes a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system that performs end-of-line testing in multiple vehicles.
[035] FIG. 1 is a structure of a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 for performing an End-of line (EOL) testing of multiple newly manufactured vehicles before the shipment of the multiple manufactured vehicles to a customer. In particular, the EOL testing is a process of testing the overall functionality of a newly manufactured vehicle. 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 manufacturing facility. Millions of auto parts are manufactured every day, representing hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue. The 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.
[036] 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, and so forth
[037] 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, Centre High Mounted Stop Lamp , Position Lamp, Anti Theft 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.
[038] 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.
[039] 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.
[040] 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.
[041] 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.
[042] The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 (as shown in Fig. 1) (as shown in Fig. 1) includes a vehicle control device 102 that is embedded in a vehicle, a server arrangement 104, and a terminal device 106. The terminal device 106 is connected to the vehicle control device 102 in a wireless manner. The vehicle control device 102 is connected to the server arrangement 104 in a wireless manner. In detail, according to the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 102 may be wirelessly connected to the terminal device 106 and server arrangement 104. Specifically, the wireless connection is a short-range wireless communication.
[043] The present disclosure discloses the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 which performs EOL testing of vehicles and reduces hardware complexity of the system by eliminating requirement of external hardware in the vehicle diagnostic system 100. Further, the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 performs the EOL testing simultaneously for multiple vehicles without waiting for EOL testing command signal from the external hardware for multiple vehicles such that the time required for the EOL testing of the vehicle is reduced and dependency of one hardware on another hardware to perform the multiple tests on the vehicle is eliminated. Furthermore, the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 minimizes the failure rate for multiple tests performed on multiple vehicles without increasing process complexity.
[044] 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).
[045] In the present disclosure, the terminal 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 terminal device 106 may be any electronic device capable of implementing the short-range wireless communication technology. In some embodiments, the terminal device 106 may be any electronic device capable of performing a scanning process technology. In some embodiments, the terminal 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.
[046] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the vehicle control device 200 is constituted by a communication unit 202, a processing unit 204, a memory module 206, a control unit 208, an identification unit 210, and a display unit 212. The vehicle control device 200 is same as the vehicle control device 102 described in FIG. 1 of the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100. All the constituent elements of the vehicle control device 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 are not essential constituent elements, and the vehicle control device 200 may be implemented by more constituent elements than the constituent elements illustrated in FIG. 2 or less constituent elements.
[047] The communication unit 202 communicates with an internal constituent element of the vehicle control device 200 via 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 server arrangement (such as server arrangement 104 of Fig. 1), terminal device (such as terminal device 106 of Fig. 1), and the like.
[048] In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 200 is communicably coupled with the terminal device 106. The communication unit 202 receives, from the terminal device 106, an ID of the vehicle in which the vehicle control device 102 is configured. In particular, the vehicle control 102 receives the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle from the terminal device 106 that extracts the VIN detail based on a scanning process. The communication unit 202 provides VIN detail to the memory module 208.
[049] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 102 receives the VIN details of the vehicle based on user input. In particular, the user identifies the VIN detail present on the vehicle and provides the VIN detail to the vehicle control device 102 by manual input.
[050] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 200 broadcasts the unique id of the vehicle in a wireless network. The communication device 202 publishes the vehicle information in a wireless network. In particular, the communication provides the VIN details of the vehicle which is received either from the terminal device or from the user to a network such that the VIN detail is visible to only those devices which are connected to the same wireless network.
[051] Further, the communication unit 202 transmits a test status of a plurality of tests performed on the vehicle. The communication unit 202 transmits a test result to the server arrangement 104 when the test is successfully performed. If the test performed on the vehicle is not successful, the communication unit 202 transmits a failure message to the server arrangement 104.
[052] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the identification unit 204 discovers a BluetoothTM Low Energy (BLE) beacon associated with at least one test trigger-point from a plurality of test trigger-points and the first test trigger point information of the discovered BLE beacon. In particular, the identification unit 204 performs a search in a short-range wireless communication network and identifies information of secondary devices present in the short-range wireless communication network. The secondary devices include, for example, a test station, an electronic device of the operator, and so forth. The identification information of the test station of the secondary devices includes Media Access Control (MAC) address of a test station (same as test trigger-point) and a test associated with the test station. Further, the identification information of the secondary devices other than the test station includes only the MAC address of the corresponding devices. The identification information identifies the information of the test station from the information of the secondary devices. After the identification of the information of the test station, the identification unit 204 identifies a test station and the test to be performed on the vehicle from the information of the test station. Further, the identification unit 204 identifies the remaining set of tests to be performed in the vehicle by identifying remaining test stations (such as remaining test trigger-points).
[053] The sets of tests correspond to the plurality of test trigger-points that may include, for example, auto test, manual test, code check station test, and so forth.
[054] 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.
[055] 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.
[056] 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.
[057] Further, the identification unit 204 identifies whether to perform the specific test associated with the test station on the vehicle based on the vehicle information and the information from the test station. In particular, the identification unit 204 identifies a sub-set of tests from the specific test associated with the test station and determines at least one sub-set of tests to be performed on the vehicle from the sub-set of tests based on the vehicle information.
[058] In an exemplary embodiment, there are three test stations A, B, and C which trigger the vehicle control device 200 to perform tests on the vehicle. The vehicle first moves toward a location X and the vehicle control device 200 identifies the BLE beacon associated with the test station B. After the identification of the BLE beacon of the test station B, the vehicle control device 200 identifies the MAC id of the test station B and a specific test associated with the test station B. The vehicle control device 200 based on the identified information of test station B, triggers to perform the specific test associated with the test station B on the vehicle. Further, the vehicle moves towards another location Y and the vehicle control device 200 identifies the BLE beacon associated with the test station A. After the identification of the BLE beacon of the test station A, the vehicle control device 200 identifies the MAC id of the test station A and a specific test associated with the test station A. The vehicle control device 200 based on the identified information of the test station A, triggers to perform the specific test associated with the test station A on the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle moves towards another location Z and the vehicle control device 200 identifies BLE beacon associated with the test station C. After the identification of the BLE beacon of the test station C, the vehicle control device 200 identifies the MAC id of the test station C and a specific test associated with the test station C. The vehicle control device 200 based on the identified information of the test station C, triggers to perform the specific test associated with the test station C on the vehicle. Therefore, automatic generation of trigger command to perform the test on the vehicle enables the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100 to perform the test automatically and eliminates the requirement of the external device or operator to provide a trigger by knowing the location of the vehicle. The execution of the test based on the automatically generated trigger reduces process complexity to perform the multiple tests in the vehicle.
[059] The processing unit 206 extracts the VIN detail of the vehicle and specific test information associated with the test station (such as test trigger-point). The processing unit 206 generates a signal and extracts vehicle-characteristics from the server arrangement 104 based on the generated signal.
[060] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle characteristics includes at least one of: a type of vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components. In particular, the vehicle-characteristics includes a type of the vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components. The type of vehicle corresponds to the model of the vehicle. The colour scheme of the vehicle denotes the colour of the vehicle. The vehicle mounted components includes air vent, alarm, all-wheel drive, alternator, anti-lock brakes, armrest, back-up lights, battery, bench seat, brake light, clutch, cooling system, crankshaft, cruise control, cylinder, dipstick, door handle, drive belt, drive shaft, exhaust pipe, fog light, frame, motor, mud flap, oil filter, piston, pedal, turn signal, valve, visor, warning light, wheel, and so forth.
[061] The processing unit 206 performs the test associated with the test station based on the vehicle-characteristics. In particular, the vehicle-characteristics includes that information of the vehicle which are related to the test and the processing unit 206 uses this information to perform the sub-set of tests on the vehicle. The processing unit 206 performing the sub-set of tests after identification of the vehicle-characteristics reduces the processing complexity of the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system 100.
[062] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 206 determines a status of the performed predefined test associated with the test trigger-point. The processing unit 206 discovers a subsequent test-trigger point based on at least one test-characteristic of the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point. The processing unit 206 reperform the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point based on at least one test-characteristic of the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point.
[063] The processing unit 206 generates a test-status report based on the performed test. In particular, the processing unit 206 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 206 generates the test status that includes a failure message when the test performed on the vehicle is failed.
[064] The processing unit 206 reperform the test if the test on the vehicle is filed. In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 206 reperforms the test associated with the test station based on test-characteristics of the test associated with the test station. In particular, the processing unit 206 reperforms the test associated with the test station when the test is related to vehicle safety and functionality of the vehicle. For example, if the test associated with the test station includes a sub-set of tests and the at least one sub-set of tests performed on the vehicle is failed. Then the processing unit 206 reperform the failed at least one sub-set of tests on the vehicle if the failed at least one sub-set of tests hampers the safety of the vehicle or functioning of the vehicle when the test on the vehicle is not successfully performed. Once the test is successfully performed on the vehicle, the processing unit 304 performs the subsequent test on the vehicle associated with remaining test-trigger points (such as remaining test stations) after discovering the BLE beacon of the remaining test-trigger points.
[065] The memory module 208 stores data, programs, and the like which are required to operate the affiliated vehicle control device 200 and to perform the EOL testing on the vehicle. Further, the memory module 208 stores the information (i.e. VIN detail) of the vehicle to which the vehicle control device 200 is associated.
[066] The memory module 208 may be, for example, conventional magnetic disks, optical disks such as 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 208 may also be combinations of such devices. In the case of disk storage media, the memory module 208 may be organized into one or more volumes of redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID).
[067] The display unit 210 may display contents such as a menu screen by using the UI and the GUI stored in the memory module 208 by the control of the control unit 212. Here, the contents displayed on the display unit 210 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 210 may be a touch screen.
[068] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the display unit 210 displays status of the performed predefined test.
[069] The display unit 210 may display the test status of each of the plurality of tests associated with the plurality of test stations. In particular, the display unit displays test status of a sub-set of tests of the predefined test associated with the test station. If at least one test of the sub-set of tests is failed, then the display unit displays the test status of at least one test along with the test status of those tests from the sub-set of tests which are successfully performed. Further, the display unit 210 may simultaneously display the test status of each test of the plurality of tests associated with the plurality of test-trigger points.
[070] The control unit 212 controls overall function of the vehicle control device 200. In particular, the control unit 212 controls signal flows and data transmission between components 202-210 of the vehicle control device 200 and performs data processing functions. The control unit 212 includes a processor which executes the programs stored in the memory module 208 and control the overall functions of the vehicle control device 200.
[071] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the affiliated server arrangement 300 (such as the server arrangement 104 of Fig. 1) is constituted by a communication unit 302, a memory module 304, authentication unit 306, processing unit 308, display unit 310, and control unit 312. All the constituent elements of the server arrangement 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 are not essential constituent elements, and the affiliated server arrangement 300 may be implemented by more constituent elements than the constituent elements illustrated in FIG. 3 or less constituent elements.
[072] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the server arrangement 300 identifies the unique id of the vehicle from the wireless network and establishes wireless communication with the vehicle based on the identified unique id.
[073] The communication unit 302 communicates with an internal constituent element the wired/wireless communication network. Further, the communication unit 302 communicates with at least one external terminal via the wireless communication network. In this case, the external terminal may include vehicle control device (such as the vehicle control device 102 of Fig. 1) and the like. The communication unit 302 may include a transceiver to transmit and receive signals. The communication unit 302 identifies the VIN details of the vehicle from a wireless network when the vehicle control device 102 publishes the VIN detail in the same wireless network.
[074] Further, the communication unit 302 establishes the connection with the vehicle based on the identified VIN detail of the vehicle.
[075] Further, the communication unit 302 after establishing the connection, receives a request signal from the vehicle control device 102. The request signal includes a request for vehicle characteristics and information of the test associated with the test trigger-point. The communication unit 302 transmits the vehicle characteristics based on the information of the test.
[076] Further, the communication unit 302 receives a test status of a plurality of tests performed on the vehicle. The plurality of tests is associated with the plurality of test stations. The communication unit 302 transmits the test status report of the plurality of tests to the display unit 310 and memory module 304 (such as the memory module 208 of Fig. 2).
[077] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the server arrangement 300 includes a list of unique ids for a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the server arrangement 300 authenticates the identified unique id from the list of the unique ids and establishes wireless communication with the vehicle based on the authentication.
[078] The memory module 304 stores data, programs, and the like which are required to operate the affiliated server arrangement 300. Further, the memory module 304 receives the test status report of the plurality of tests. Furthermore, the memory module 304 stores the VIN details of multiple vehicles that are registered by a user.
[079] The identification unit 306 compares the identified VIN detail with the VIN details of the multiple vehicles. After the comparison, the identification unit 306 identifies whether the identified VIN detail is the same as one of the VIN details of the multiple vehicles. If the VIN detail is present then the identification unit 306 provides a signal to the communication unit 302 to establish the connection with the vehicle control device 102 otherwise does not provide a signal to establish connection. Therefore, authentication of the identified unique id reduces unauthorized device connection with the server arrangement 300.
[080] Further, the identification unit 306 identifies the plurality of the test trigger-points. In particular, the identification unit 306 identifies information of the multiple test trigger-points present for the EOL testing. The information of the multiple test trigger-points is identified either from the user input (operator input) or from the memory module 304 that stores the information of the multiple test trigger-points for EOL testing.
[081] The display unit 308 may display contents such as a menu screen by using the UI and the GUI stored in the memory module 308 by the control of the control unit 310. Here, the contents displayed on the display unit 308 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 308 may be a touch screen.
[082] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the display unit 308 displays the status of the performed predefined test.
[083] The display unit 308 may display the test status of each of the plurality of tests associated with the plurality of test stations. In particular, the display unit displays test status of a sub-set of the tests of the predefined test associated with the test station. If at least one test of the sub-set of tests is failed, then the display unit displays the test status of the at least one test along with the test status of those tests from the sub-set of tests which are successfully performed. Further, the display unit 308 may simultaneously display the test status of each test of the plurality of tests associated with the plurality of test-trigger points.
[084] The control unit 310 controls an overall function of the server arrangement 300. In particular, the control unit 310 controls signal flows and data transmission between components 302-308 of the server arrangement 300 and performs data processing functions. The control unit 310 includes a processor which executes the programs stored in the memory module 304 and controls the overall functions of the server management 300.
[085] In a non-limiting example of an embodiment of the present disclosure, after extracting the vehicle information from the wireless network by the communication unit 302, the control unit 310 establishes connection with the vehicle control device 102. The server arrangement 300 establishes the wireless direct connection with the vehicle control device 102 corresponds to reception of the vehicle informat

WE CLAIM:
1. A self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) configured to perform an End-of-line testing (EOL) in a vehicle, the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises:
a vehicle control device (102); and
a server arrangement (104) communicably coupled with the vehicle control device (102),
wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to identify a plurality of test trigger-points,
wherein each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle, and
wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to:
receive a unique id of the vehicle;
identify a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle, wherein the first test trigger-point information includes availability status of the first test trigger-point, and the predefined test is associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points,
wirelessly receive, from the server arrangement (104), vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point;
perform, based on the received vehicle-characteristics, the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle;
generate a first-status report based on the performed predefined test; and
wirelessly transmit the generated first-status report to the server arrangement (104).
2. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises a terminal device (106) communicably coupled with the vehicle control device (102), wherein the terminal device (106) is configured to extract the unique id of the vehicle; and wirelessly transmit the extracted unique id to the vehicle control device (102).
3. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to broadcast the unique id of the vehicle in a wireless network.
4. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to identify the unique id of the vehicle from the wireless network; and establish wireless communication with the vehicle based on the identified unique id.
5. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the server arrangement (104) includes a list of unique ids of a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to authenticate the identified unique id from the list of the unique ids; and to establish wireless communication with the vehicle based on the authentication.
6. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to discover a BluetoothTM Low Energy (BLE) beacon associated with the at least one test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points; and to identify the first test trigger-point information based on the discovery of the BLE beacon.
7. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle-characteristics include at least one of: a type of the vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components.
8. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to determine a status of the performed predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point.
9. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle control device (102), based on the status, is configured to discover a subsequent test-trigger point; and to reperform the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point based on at least one test-characteristic of the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point.
10. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to display status of the performed predefined test.
11. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server arrangement (104) includes a display unit configured to display the status of the performed predefined test.
12. A method for performing End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100), the method comprises:
identifying a plurality of test trigger-points by a server arrangement (104), wherein each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle;
receiving unique id of the vehicle by a vehicle control device (102);
identifying, by the vehicle control device (102), a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle, wherein the first test trigger-point information includes availability status of the first test trigger-point, and the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points;
wirelessly receiving, from the server arrangement (104), by the vehicle control device (102) vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point;
performing, based on the received vehicle-characteristics by the vehicle control device (102), the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle;
generating, by the vehicle control device (102), a first-status report based on the performed predefined test; and
wirelessly transmitting, by the vehicle control device (102), the generated first-status report to the server arrangement (104).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises:
extracting by a terminal device (106) the unique id of the vehicle; and
wirelessly transmitting by the terminal device (106) the extracted unique id to the vehicle control device (102).
14. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises broadcasting, by the vehicle control device (102), the unique id of the vehicle in a wireless network.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprises:
identifying, by the server arrangement (104), the unique id of the vehicle from the wireless network; and
establishing, by the server arrangement (104), wireless communication with the vehicle based on the identified unique id.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, the method further comprises:
authenticating, by the server arrangement (104), the identified unique id from a list of the unique ids that is included in the server arrangement (104); and
establishing, by the server arrangement (104), wireless communication with the vehicle based on the authentication.
17. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises:
discovering, by the vehicle control device (102), a BluetoothTM Low Energy (BLE) beacon associated with the at least one test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points; and
identifying, by the vehicle control device (102), the first test trigger-point information based on the discovery of the BLE beacon.
18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vehicle-characteristics include at least one of: a type of the vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components.
19. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises determining a status of the performed predefined test on the vehicle.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19, the method further comprises:
discovering, by the vehicle control device (102) based on the status, a subsequent test-trigger point; and
reperforming the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle based on the status and at least one test-characteristic.

ABSTRACT

SELF-START OFF METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR END-OF-LINE TESTING OF VEHICLES
The present disclosure describes a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) to perform End-of-line testing (EOL) of a vehicle. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises a vehicle control device (102) and a server arrangement (104) communicably coupled with the vehicle control device (102). The server arrangement (104) is configured to identify a plurality of test trigger-points. The vehicle control device (102) is configured to: receive a unique id of the vehicle, identify a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle, wirelessly receive, from the server arrangement (104), vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point, perform, based on the received vehicle-characteristics, the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle, generate a first-status report based on the performed predefined test; and wirelessly transmit the generated first-status report to the server arrangement (104).
FIG. 5 , Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) configured to perform an End-of-line testing (EOL) in a vehicle, the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises:
a vehicle control device (102); and
a server arrangement (104) communicably coupled with the vehicle control device (102),
wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to identify a plurality of test trigger-points,
wherein each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle, and
wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to:
receive a unique id of the vehicle;
identify a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle, wherein the first test trigger-point information includes availability status of the first test trigger-point, and the predefined test is associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points,
wirelessly receive, from the server arrangement (104), vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point;
perform, based on the received vehicle-characteristics, the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle;
generate a first-status report based on the performed predefined test; and
wirelessly transmit the generated first-status report to the server arrangement (104).
2. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) comprises a terminal device (106) communicably coupled with the vehicle control device (102), wherein the terminal device (106) is configured to extract the unique id of the vehicle; and wirelessly transmit the extracted unique id to the vehicle control device (102).
3. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to broadcast the unique id of the vehicle in a wireless network.
4. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to identify the unique id of the vehicle from the wireless network; and establish wireless communication with the vehicle based on the identified unique id.
5. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the server arrangement (104) includes a list of unique ids of a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the server arrangement (104) is configured to authenticate the identified unique id from the list of the unique ids; and to establish wireless communication with the vehicle based on the authentication.
6. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to discover a BluetoothTM Low Energy (BLE) beacon associated with the at least one test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points; and to identify the first test trigger-point information based on the discovery of the BLE beacon.
7. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle-characteristics include at least one of: a type of the vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components.
8. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to determine a status of the performed predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point.
9. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle control device (102), based on the status, is configured to discover a subsequent test-trigger point; and to reperform the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point based on at least one test-characteristic of the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point.
10. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle control device (102) is configured to display status of the performed predefined test.
11. The self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server arrangement (104) includes a display unit configured to display the status of the performed predefined test.
12. A method for performing End-of-line testing of a vehicle using a self-start off vehicle diagnostic system (100), the method comprises:
identifying a plurality of test trigger-points by a server arrangement (104), wherein each of the test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points is associated with a predefined test to be performed on the vehicle;
receiving unique id of the vehicle by a vehicle control device (102);
identifying, by the vehicle control device (102), a first test trigger-point information based on a location information of the vehicle, wherein the first test trigger-point information includes availability status of the first test trigger-point, and the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points;
wirelessly receiving, from the server arrangement (104), by the vehicle control device (102) vehicle-characteristics based on the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point;
performing, based on the received vehicle-characteristics by the vehicle control device (102), the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle;
generating, by the vehicle control device (102), a first-status report based on the performed predefined test; and
wirelessly transmitting, by the vehicle control device (102), the generated first-status report to the server arrangement (104).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises:
extracting by a terminal device (106) the unique id of the vehicle; and
wirelessly transmitting by the terminal device (106) the extracted unique id to the vehicle control device (102).
14. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises broadcasting, by the vehicle control device (102), the unique id of the vehicle in a wireless network.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprises:
identifying, by the server arrangement (104), the unique id of the vehicle from the wireless network; and
establishing, by the server arrangement (104), wireless communication with the vehicle based on the identified unique id.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, the method further comprises:
authenticating, by the server arrangement (104), the identified unique id from a list of the unique ids that is included in the server arrangement (104); and
establishing, by the server arrangement (104), wireless communication with the vehicle based on the authentication.
17. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises:
discovering, by the vehicle control device (102), a BluetoothTM Low Energy (BLE) beacon associated with the at least one test trigger-point from the plurality of test trigger-points; and
identifying, by the vehicle control device (102), the first test trigger-point information based on the discovery of the BLE beacon.
18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vehicle-characteristics include at least one of: a type of the vehicle, colour scheme of the vehicle, and vehicle mounted components.
19. The method as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprises determining a status of the performed predefined test on the vehicle.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19, the method further comprises:
discovering, by the vehicle control device (102) based on the status, a subsequent test-trigger point; and
reperforming the predefined test associated with the first test trigger-point on the vehicle based on the status and at least one test-characteristic.