System and method for diagnosing fault conditions associated with powering an electrical load
AssigneeSiemens VDO Automotive Corporation
InventorsRichard Wimmer, Stanley Chan
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Abstract
The inventive method and system permits diagnosing the type of fault condition associated with powering an electrical load that has a high side driver portion and a low side driver portion. Selectively powering the driver portions in different combinations and sampling a plurality of associated diagnostic feedback signals associated with each of the driver portions permits diagnosing the type of fault present. In one example, three different powering combinations and three different diagnostic feedback signals are used. This example permits diagnosing one of seven different possible fault conditions.
Claims21
A method of diagnosing a fault condition associated with powering an electrically driven load having a high side driver portion and a low side driver portion, comprising the steps of:
- (A) selectively powering the high and low side driver portions in a plurality of combinations;
- (B) sampling at least one signal associated with the high side driver portion during each of the combinations;
- (C) sampling at least one signal associated with the low side driver portion during each of the combinations;
- and
- (D) determining whether a fault condition exists and diagnosing the fault condition using a combination of the sampled voltages.
A system for diagnosing a fault condition associated with an electrically powered load, comprising:
- a high side driver portion;
- a low side driver portion;
- a controller that selectively enables the driver portions in a plurality of powering combinations and that samples at least one signal associated with each driver portion during each of the powering combinations and determines whether a fault condition exists and diagnoses the fault condition using the sampled signals associated with the powering combinations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.