# US 2021/0241549 A1 · Scanning method for electronic control unit in vehicle and vehicle diagnostic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241549 A1 - Document ID: US20210241549A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/235,368 - Filed: 2021-04-20 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-29 - Assignees: Autel Intelligent Technology Corf., Ltd - Applicants: Autel Intelligent Technology Corf., Ltd - Inventors: Yun JIANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241549A1 ## CPC - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - H04L 12/40006: {Architecture of a communication node (current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90)} - H04L 69/323: in the physical layer [OSI layer 1] - H04L 69/324: in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC - H04L 69/329: in the application layer [OSI layer 7] - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - G07C 5/0841: {Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B)} - H04L 2012/40215: {Controller Area Network CAN} - H04L 2012/40273: {the transportation system being a vehicle} - 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 - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a scanning method for an electronic control unit in a vehicle and a vehicle diagnostic device. The vehicle diagnostic device is communicatively connected to at least two vehicle buses in the vehicle, each of the vehicle buses is connected to at least one electronic control unit in the vehicle. The scanning method determines a scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses. The scan list includes a to-be-scanned electronic control unit. The vehicle diagnostic device transmitting a scan signal on the vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle. The parallel scanning in this way can effectively improve the efficiency of automatic scanning and significantly shorten a time required to complete the automatic scanning, and improves user experience. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A scanning method for an electronic control unit in a vehicle, the scanning method comprising steps of: communicatively connecting a vehicle diagnostic device to at least two vehicle buses in the vehicle, each of the at least two vehicle buses being connected to at least one electronic control unit in the vehicle; determining a scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses, the scan list comprising a to-be-scanned electronic control unit; and transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The scanning method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of: determining model information and body style information of the vehicle, wherein the step of determining a scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses comprises: determining the scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses according to the model information and the body style information of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The scanning method according to claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle comprises: simultaneously transmitting an inquiry command to to-be-scanned electronic control units in different scan lists; determining whether reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit based on the inquiry command is received within a predetermined time; and if the reply information is not received, determining that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit does not exist in the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The scanning method according to claim 3, wherein after the step of simultaneously transmitting an inquiry command to electronic control units of different lists, the method further comprises: determining that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit exists in the vehicle when the reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit based on the inquiry command is received within the predetermined time; and parsing the reply information to determine an operating status of the to-be-scanned electronic control unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The scanning method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel comprises: transmitting the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to a communication protocol corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses; and wherein each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to an vehicle bus. ### Claim 6 A vehicle diagnostic device, comprising: a device host and a diagnostic connector; wherein the diagnostic connector is configured to connect the device host to a vehicle bus, at least two sets of pins being integrated on the diagnostic connector, each set of pins being connected to a vehicle bus, each of the vehicle buses being connected to at least one electronic control unit in a vehicle, each of the vehicle buses having a corresponding scan list, and the scan list comprising a to-be-scanned electronic control unit; and the device host is communicatively connected to at least two automobile buses through the diagnostic connector, and the device host is configured to transmit a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle diagnostic device according to claim 6, wherein the device host is further configured to: determine the scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses according to model information and body style information of a to-be-scanned vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The vehicle diagnostic device according to claim 6, wherein the device host comprises an upper computer and a lower computer, the lower computer being electrically connected to the diagnostic connector; the upper computer being communicatively connected to the lower computer to transmit the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel through the lower computer, the upper computer comprising a main scan thread and a plurality of communication threads; the main scan thread being configured to create a corresponding communication thread for each of the vehicle buses, and delete the corresponding communication thread after all to-be-scanned electronic control units in the scan list of the vehicle bus are scanned; different communication threads being executed in parallel, the communication thread being configured to transmit an inquiry command on a corresponding vehicle bus to the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list, determine whether reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit based on the inquiry command is received within a predetermined time, and if the reply information is not received, determine that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit does not exist in the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle diagnostic device according to claim 8, wherein the communication thread is further configured to: determine that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit exists in the vehicle when the reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit is received within the predetermined time; and parse the reply information to determine an operating status of the to-be-scanned electronic control unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vehicle diagnostic device according to claim 8, wherein the lower computer comprises a link layer and a physical layer, each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to a vehicle bus, the link layer being configured to convert the inquiry command and the reply information to a corresponding binary signal according to the communication protocol corresponding to each of the vehicle buses; and the physical layer being configured to convert the binary signal to a physical electrical signal for transmission on the corresponding vehicle bus, or receive a physical electrical signal returned by the vehicle bus and convert the physical electrical signal to a corresponding binary signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vehicle diagnostic device according to claim 9, wherein the lower computer comprises a link layer and a physical layer, each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to a vehicle bus, the link layer being configured to convert the inquiry command and the reply information to a corresponding binary signal according to the communication protocol corresponding to each of the vehicle buses; and the physical layer being configured to convert the binary signal to a physical electrical signal for transmission on the corresponding vehicle bus, or receive a physical electrical signal returned by the vehicle bus and convert the physical electrical signal to a corresponding binary signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The scanning method according to claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel comprises: transmitting the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to a communication protocol corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses; and wherein each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to an vehicle bus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The scanning method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel comprises: transmitting the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to a communication protocol corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses; and wherein each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to an vehicle bus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The scanning method according to claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel comprises: transmitting the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to a communication protocol corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses; and wherein each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to an vehicle bus. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with at least one computer-readable instruction stored thereon, which is executed by at least one processor to perform the following steps: communicatively connecting a vehicle diagnostic device to at least two vehicle buses in the vehicle, each of the at least two vehicle buses being connected to at least one electronic control unit in the vehicle; determining a scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses, the scan list comprising a to-be-scanned electronic control unit; and transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the at least one computer-readable instruction is executed by the at least one processor to further perform steps of: determining model information and body style information of the vehicle; wherein the step of determining a scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses comprises: determining the scan list corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses according to the model information and the body style information of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to the scan list corresponding to each of the vehicle buses, to determine whether the to-be-scanned electronic control unit in the scan list exists in the vehicle comprises: simultaneously transmitting an inquiry command to to-be-scanned electronic control units in different scan lists; determining whether reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit based on the inquiry command is received within a predetermined time; and if the reply information is not received, determining that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit does not exist in the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein after the step of simultaneously transmitting an inquiry command to electronic control units of different lists, the method further comprises: determining that the to-be-scanned electronic control unit exists in the vehicle when the reply information returned by the to-be-scanned electronic control unit based on the inquiry command is received within the predetermined time; and parsing the reply information to determine an operating status of the to-be-scanned electronic control unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting a scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel comprises: transmitting the scan signal on the at least two vehicle buses in parallel according to a communication protocol corresponding to each of the at least two vehicle buses; and wherein each of the vehicle buses corresponds to a communication protocol, and each communication protocol corresponds to an vehicle bus.