# US 10,504,307 B2 · System and method for spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry and design data wire testing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,307 B2 - Document ID: US10504307B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/152,086 - Filed: 2018-10-04 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-20 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Brandon M. Courter; Nam V. Ngo; Scott C. Farner; Joseph M. Dray; Terrance Lee Thomas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504307B2 ## CPC - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems - G01R 31/008: {on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels} - G01R 31/11: using pulse reflection methods - G01R 31/66: Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints (testing for incorrect line connections G01R31/55) - H04L 12/00: Data switching networks (interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for wire connectivity testing includes receiving wiring data indicating at least a length of a wire segment of a vehicle from a design database. The method further includes receiving spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry (SSTDR) data associated with the wire segment from an SSTDR device coupled to an endpoint of the wire segment. The method also includes calculating a distance-to-fault based on the SSTDR data. The method includes comparing the distance-to-fault to the length of the wire segment. The method further includes, in response to the distance-to-fault being less than the length of the wire segment, generating fault data indicating a failure within the wire segment. The method also includes sending the fault data to a user output device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for wire connectivity testing comprising: receiving wiring data indicating at least a length of a wire segment of a vehicle from a design database; receiving spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry (SSTDR) data associated with the wire segment from an SSTDR device coupled to an endpoint of the wire segment; calculating a distance-to-fault based on the SSTDR data; comparing the distance-to-fault to the length of the wire segment; in response to the distance-to-fault being less than the length of the wire segment, determining that a failure has occurred within the wire segment and generating fault data including an indication of a failure type, a failure position, and a failure visualization; and displaying the fault data at a user output device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional wiring data indicating one or more additional wire segments that follow a same path as the wire segment; and selecting a second wire segment from the one or more additional wire segments for use as a parallel wire segment to enable the SSTDR data to be generated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional wiring data indicating at least one material of the wire segment and associated connectors; and determining the failure type based on the SSTDR data and the at least one material, the failure type corresponding to an open circuit, a shorted circuit, or a damaged circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional wiring data indicating a path of the wire segment within the vehicle from the design database; and generating 3-point vehicle coordinates indicating the failure position within the vehicle based on the path and based on the distance-to-fault, wherein the fault data indicates the 3-point vehicle coordinates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: receiving vehicle data from the design database, wherein the vehicle data includes 3-dimensional visualization information associated with the vehicle; and generating a 3-dimensional visualization of the vehicle indicating a position of the failure within the vehicle based on the 3-dimensional visualization information and based on the 3-point vehicle coordinates, wherein the failure visualization includes the 3-dimensional visualization. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional wiring data indicating positions of one or more electrical connectors associated with the wire segment; and comparing the distance-to-fault with the positions of each of the one or more electrical connectors to determine whether the failure is associated with a particular electrical connector of the one or more of the electrical connectors, wherein the fault data indicates the particular electrical connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: iteratively coupling the SSTDR device to endpoints of additional wire segments within a same wire harness as the wire segment; receiving additional SSTDR data associated with each of the additional wire segments from the SSTDR device; calculating additional distance-to-faults associated with each of the additional wire segments based on the additional SSTDR data; and comparing the additional distance-to-faults to additional lengths of the additional wire segments to determine whether additional failures have occurred within the additional wire segments, wherein the fault data indicates the additional failures. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to failures occurring in each wire segment associated with an electrical connector, generating additional fault data indicating that the electrical connector is disconnected. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to failures occurring in fewer than each wire segment of an electrical connector, generating additional fault data indicating that one or more connection pins of the electrical connector is recessed, damaged, or swapped. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a user selection of a vehicle, a first electrical connector, a connection pin of the first electrical connector, and a second electrical connector, to identify a wire segment of the vehicle; receiving wiring data indicating at least a length of the wire segment from a design database; receiving SSTDR data associated with the wire segment from an SSTDR device coupled to the connection pin of the first electrical connector; calculating a distance-to-fault based on the SSTDR data; comparing the distance-to-fault to the length of the wire segment; in response to the distance-to-fault being less than the length of the wire segment, generating fault data indicating a failure within the wire segment; and displaying the fault data at a user output device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: generating 3-point vehicle coordinate information indicating a position of the failure based on the wiring data and on the distance-to-fault, wherein the fault data includes the 3-point vehicle coordinate information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving vehicle data from the design database, wherein the vehicle data includes 3-dimensional visualization information associated with the vehicle; and generating a 3-dimensional visualization of the vehicle indicating a position of the failure within the vehicle based on the 3-dimensional visualization information and based on the 3-point vehicle coordinates, wherein the fault data includes the 3-dimensional visualization. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving additional wiring data indicating one or more additional wire segments that follow a same path as the wire segment; and selecting a second wire segment from the one or more additional wire segments for use as a parallel wire segment to enable the SSTDR data to be generated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving additional wiring data indicating at least one material of the wire segment and associated connectors; and determining a type of failure based on the SSTDR data and the at least one material, the type of failure corresponding to an open circuit, a shorted circuit, or a damaged circuit, wherein the fault data indicates the type of failure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving additional wiring data indicating positions of one or more electrical connectors associated with the wire segment; and comparing the distance-to-fault with the positions of each of the one or more electrical connectors to determine whether the failure is associated with a particular electrical connector of the one or more of the electrical connectors, wherein the fault data indicates the particular electrical connector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: iteratively coupling the SSTDR device to endpoints of additional wire segments within a same wire harness as the wire segment; receiving additional SSTDR data associated with each of the additional wire segments from the SSTDR device; calculating additional distance-to-faults associated with each of the additional wire segments based on the additional SSTDR data; and comparing the additional distance-to-faults to additional lengths of the additional wire segments to determine whether additional failures have occurred within the additional wire segments, wherein the fault data indicates the additional failures. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: in response to failures occurring in each wire segment associated with an electrical connector, generating additional fault data indicating that the electrical connector is disconnected. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: in response to failures occurring in fewer than each wire segment of an electrical connector, generating additional fault data indicating that one or more connection pins of the electrical connector is recessed, damaged, or swapped. ### Claim 19 A method for wire connectivity testing comprising: receiving wiring data indicating at least a length of a wire segment from a design database; receiving spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry (SSTDR) data associated with the wire segment from an SSTDR device coupled to an endpoint of the wire segment; calculating a distance-to-fault based on the SSTDR data; comparing the distance-to-fault to the length of the wire segment; in response to the distance-to-fault being less than the length of the wire segment, determining that a failure has occurred within the wire segment and generating fault data including an indication of a failure type and a failure position; and displaying the fault data at a user output device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: generating 3-point vehicle coordinate information indicating the position of the failure based on the wiring data and on the distance-to-fault, wherein the fault data includes the 3-point vehicle coordinate information.