Method for detecting an antenna defect in a mobile communication system of a motor vehicle

A method for detecting a defect in a mobile communication system of a motor vehicle, the mobile communication system having a telematics module including a processor and at least one memory that has a computer program code, the method comprising:

• receiving, using a primary antenna, a reference signal;
• processing, using the at least one memory and the computer program code with the processor, comprising:
• detecting a predetermined vehicle event;
• measuring a primary signal quality of the reference signal received at the primary antenna in response to detecting the predetermined vehicle event;
• determining a maximum primary signal quality in response to measuring the primary signal quality;
• comparing the maximum primary signal quality with a threshold;
• and
• determining a defect in the primary antenna and activate a diagnostic trouble code associated with the defect, in response to determining that the primary maximum signal quality is below the threshold.

A method for detecting a defect in a mobile communication system of a motor vehicle having an exterior structure and an enclosure, the mobile communication system including a telematics module positioned in the enclosure, a primary antenna mounted to the exterior structure, and a secondary antenna positioned within the enclosure, with the telematics module having a processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the method comprising:

• detecting a diagnostic trouble code associated with the defect of the primary antenna, with the diagnostic trouble code having one of an activated status and a deactivated status;
• detecting that the primary antenna has one of an enabled status and a disabled status in response to detecting the activated status for the diagnostic trouble code;
• enabling the primary antenna in response to detecting that the primary antenna has the disabled status;
• initializing a failure counter is in response to one of enabling the primary antenna and detecting that the primary antenna has the enabled status;
• receiving, using the primary antenna and the secondary antenna, a reference signal;
• processing, using the at least one memory and the computer program code with the processor, comprising:
• detecting a predetermined vehicle event;
• recording a primary maximum signal quality of the reference signal received at the primary antenna in response to detecting the predetermined vehicle event;
• recording a secondary maximum signal quality of the reference signal received at the secondary antenna in response to detecting the predetermined vehicle event;
• defining a threshold as a sum of the secondary maximum signal quality and a delta signal quality;
• comparing the primary maximum signal quality with the threshold;
• increasing a failure count by one increment;
• determining the defect in the primary antenna in response to determining that the primary maximum signal quality is below the threshold;
• generating a diagnostic trouble code associated with the defect in response to determining that the primary maximum signal quality is below the threshold;
• and
• resetting the failure count in response to determining that the primary maximum signal quality is equal to at least the threshold.
• disabling the primary antenna, in response to determining that the primary maximum signal quality is below the threshold and determining that the failure count is equal to the minimum failure count;
• wherein the predetermined vehicle event is one of an ignition “ON” mode of the vehicle, a park gear selection, and an idle engine mode.