# US 10,371,736 B2 · Short-circuit pinpointing device

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- Number: US 10,371,736 B2
- Document ID: US10371736B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/444,835
- Filed: 2017-02-28
- Published: 2018-08-30
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28
- Assignees: Delphi Technologies IP Limited
- Applicants: Delphi Technologies IP Limited
- Inventors: Seyed R. Zarabadi; Daniel C. Penrod; Mark W. Gose
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371736B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
- F02D 41/1456: {with sensor output signal being linear or quasi-linear with the concentration of oxygen}
- F02D 41/1495: {Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system}
- F02D 41/222: {relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices}
- G01R 1/203: {Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts (resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R)}
- G01R 17/02: Arrangements in which the value to be measured is automatically compared with a reference value
- G01R 31/08: Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
- F02D 2041/2093: {detecting short circuits}
- G01R 31/006: {on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks (testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00)}
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A short-circuit pinpointing device for testing a wide-range air/fuel sensor includes a current-sink and a controller. The current-sink is selectively connectable to one or more of sensor-terminals of a wide-range air/fuel sensor that include a reference-terminal, a pump-terminal, a return-terminal, and a tag-terminal. The controller is in communication with the current-sink and the sensor-terminals. The controller controls the connection of the current-sink to the one or more sensor-terminals. The controller also determines one or more status-values based on signals present at the sensor-terminals. The controller also determines a sensor-status of the wide-range air/fuel sensor based on the connection of the current-sink and the one or more status-values.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A short-circuit pinpointing device for testing a wide-range air/fuel sensor, said device comprising:
a current-sink that is selectively connectable to one or more of sensor-terminals of a wide-range air/fuel sensor that include a reference-terminal, a pump-terminal, a return-terminal, and a tag-terminal; and
a controller in communication with the current-sink and the sensor-terminals, wherein the controller controls a connection of the current-sink to the one or more sensor-terminals, determines one or more status-values based on signals present at the sensor-terminals, and determines a sensor-status of the wide-range air/fuel sensor based on the connection of the current-sink and the one or more status-values.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller determines a first-value based on a difference between signals at the reference-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a second-value based on the difference between signals at the reference-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the reference-terminal, determines a reference-error based on the difference between the second-value and the first-value, and determines that a short-circuit is present on the reference-terminal when a reference-threshold is greater than the reference-error.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the device includes three test-resistors that are each selectively connectable between two of the sensor-terminals, wherein the controller controls the connection of the test-resistor between the two sensor-terminals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a first-test-resistor is connected between the reference-terminal and the return-terminal, a second-test-resistor is connected between the return-terminal and the pump-terminal, and a third-test-resistor is connected between the pump-terminal and the tag-terminal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller determines a third-value based on a difference between signals at the pump-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a fourth-value based on the difference between signals at the pump-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the pump-terminal, determines a pump-error based on the difference between the fourth-value and the third-value, and determines that a short-circuit is present on the pump-terminal when a pump-threshold is greater than the pump-error.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the device includes three test-resistors that are selectively connectable between two of the sensor-terminals, wherein the controller controls the connection of the test-resistor between the two sensor-terminals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device in accordance with claim 6, wherein a first-test-resistor is not connected between the reference-terminal and the return-terminal, a second-test-resistor is connected between the return-terminal and the pump-terminal, and a third-test-resistor is connected between the pump-terminal and the tag-terminal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller determines a fifth-value based on a difference between signals at the tag-terminal and the pump-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a sixth-value based on the difference between signals at the tag-terminal and the pump-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the tag-terminal, determines a tag-error based on the difference between the sixth-value and the fifth-value, and determines that a short-circuit is present on the tag-terminal when a tag-threshold is greater than the tag-error.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the device includes three test-resistors that are selectively connectable between two of the sensor-terminals, wherein the controller controls the connection of the test-resistor between the two sensor-terminals.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device in accordance with claim 9, wherein a first-test-resistor is not connected between the reference-terminal and the return-terminal, a second-test-resistor is connected between the return-terminal and the pump-terminal, and a third-test-resistor is connected between the pump-terminal and the tag-terminal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller determines a first-value based on a difference between signals at the reference-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a second-value based on the difference between signals at the reference-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the reference-terminal, determines a reference-error based on the difference between the second-value and the first-value, and determines that a short-circuit is present on the reference-terminal when a reference-threshold is greater than the reference-error, and
wherein the controller determines a third-value based on the difference between signals at the pump-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a fourth-value based on the difference between signals at the pump-terminal and the return-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the pump-terminal, determines a pump-error based on the difference between the fourth-value and the third-value, and determines that the short-circuit is present on the pump-terminal when a pump-threshold is greater than the pump-error, and
wherein the controller determines a fifth-value based on the difference between signals at the tag-terminal and the pump-terminal while the current-sink is disconnected, determines a sixth-value based on the difference between signals at the tag-terminal and the pump-terminal while the current-sink is connected to the tag-terminal, determines a tag-error based on the difference between the sixth-value and the fifth-value, and determines that the short-circuit is present on the tag-terminal when a tag-threshold is greater than the tag-error, and
wherein the controller determines that the short-circuit is present on the return-terminal when the reference-error is greater than the reference-threshold and when the pump-error is greater than the pump-threshold and when the tag-error is greater than the tag-threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the device includes three test-resistors that are selectively connectable between two of the sensor-terminals, wherein the controller controls the connection of the test-resistor between the two sensor-terminals.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device in accordance with claim 12, wherein a first-test-resistor is connected between the reference-terminal and the return-terminal, a second-test-resistor is connected between the return-terminal and the pump-terminal, and a third-test-resistor is connected between the pump-terminal and the tag-terminal when the first-value and the second-value are determined, and wherein the first-test-resistor is not connected between the reference-terminal and the return-terminal, the second-test-resistor is connected between the return-terminal and the pump-terminal, and the third-test-resistor is connected between the pump-terminal and the tag-terminal when the third-value, the fourth-value, the fifth-value and the sixth-value are determined.