JP2006177969A - Vehicle diagnostic system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle diagnostic system, capable of readily responding to the OBDIII through the use of the conventional OBDII system, and moreover, responding also the OBDII, as conventionally. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle diagnostic system 1 is equipped with an engine ECU 2, a K line 3 connected to the engine ECU 2, a transponder 4 connected to the K line 3, and a connector 32, connected with K line 3, capable of detachably threading an external scanning tool 6 retrieving diagonal information. The transponder 4 receives demand from a receiver system 5 by radio, retrieves diagonal information retrieved from the engine ECU, in response to the demand concerned from a first built-in memory 44, and transmits the data retrieved to a receiver system 5 by radio. This vehicle diagnostic system 1 can readily respond to the OBDIII, by merely adding the transponder 4 to the OBDII system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle diagnostic system.

  In general, in a vehicle diagnosis system of various electronic control units (hereinafter referred to as an on-vehicle electronic control unit or an on-vehicle ECU) mounted on an automobile, a diagnosis code corresponding to the detected abnormality is stored in a backup RAM in the on-vehicle ECU, and a failure occurs. There is known a system corresponding to OBDII that informs the user by a warning lamp such as a check engine lamp. An automobile equipped with this OBDII system connects an external scan tool to various in-vehicle ECUs via the K line at a repair shop, communicates with the communication format defined by SAE using the ISO 9141 protocol, reads out the diagnostic code, and diagnoses the failure. be able to.

  By the way, in recent years, CARB (California Atmospheric Resources Bureau) has requested (OBDIII) that a wireless transponder is incorporated in a failure diagnosis system and responds to a wireless inquiry. As an example of acquiring diagnostic information by wireless communication, several vehicle diagnostic systems have already been proposed. For example, in the vehicle diagnostic system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-332888, the transmission means provided in the automobile converts the failure data from each in-vehicle ECU and the failure message including a predetermined identification code as a radio signal by weak radio waves. Transmitting and receiving transmission signals from automobiles in each receiving area by each receiving station installed in a plurality of areas, sending a failure message from the receiving station to the service improvement terminal unit via the telephone line, The terminal unit is used to identify the user of the vehicle and diagnose the failure.

  In addition, in the vehicle diagnostic system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-50886, an in-vehicle FM radio failure diagnosis apparatus receives an FM wave signal from an external failure diagnosis device installed in a repair factory or the like, and The corresponding command data is output to each in-vehicle ECU, and when it is returned from each in-vehicle ECU thereafter, information for failure diagnosis is taken out, and an FM wave signal corresponding to this information is transmitted to the out-of-vehicle failure diagnostic device. .

  Further, in the vehicle diagnostic system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-4660, a measurement device is connected to an in-vehicle ECU, and a wireless transmission / reception unit in the measurement device is connected to a center outside the vehicle via an automobile telephone network. A diagnostic instruction is input from the input operation terminal of the instrument, and the in-vehicle diagnostic information obtained thereby is sent to the center, the diagnosis is performed at the center, and the result is sent back to the wireless transmitting / receiving unit in the measuring instrument.

  However, if the radio wave monitoring station is not sufficiently installed, all of the vehicle diagnosis systems described in the above cited gazettes are desirable despite the fact that it is desirable to diagnose the failure with an external scan tool as before. We were not satisfied with point.

  In addition, even if the radio wave monitoring station is sufficiently installed, there is a problem that it takes time until the OBDIII-compatible vehicle is widely spread if the OBDIII-compatible vehicle diagnostic system is completely developed. . The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle diagnostic system that can easily cope with OBDIII by using a conventional OBDII system and can also cope with OBDII as usual.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a vehicle diagnosis system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an in-vehicle ECU that controls operation of an in-vehicle device and stores data related to an operation state of the in-vehicle device, a communication line connected to the in-vehicle ECU, Connected to the communication line, wirelessly receiving a request from an external wireless communication device, reading data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device in response to the request, and wirelessly reading the read data to the external wireless communication device A transponder for transmission and a connector connected to the communication line and detachably mounted with an external scan tool for reading out data relating to the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the in-vehicle ECU.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted ECU, the transponder, and the connector are connected via a communication line. The transponder receives a request from an external wireless communication device wirelessly, reads data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device (for example, diagnostic information such as a diagnostic code and a freeze frame) in response to the request, and transmits the read data to the external wireless It is transmitted wirelessly to a communication device. On the other hand, external scan tools are generally used in repair shops, etc., but when this is attached to a communication line via a connector, the external scan tool is connected to the in-vehicle ECU, It is possible to read out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the in-vehicle ECU. In-vehicle devices refer to electronic devices that are generally mounted on a vehicle, such as engine-related parts, automatic transmission-related parts, and ABS-related parts.

  According to the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the transponder can communicate with an external wireless communication device and with an in-vehicle ECU, and has a function of reading out data stored in the in-vehicle ECU like an external scan tool. Therefore, it is possible to easily cope with OBDIII only by adding this transponder to the conventional OBDII system. In addition, since an external scan tool can be connected to the connector, it can be applied to OBDII as usual.

  In the vehicle diagnosis system of the present invention, the transponder reads out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle ECU at a predetermined timing, stores the data in the built-in memory of the transponder, and transmits the data from the external wireless communication device. When a request is received wirelessly, data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the built-in memory is read in response to the request, and the read data is wirelessly transmitted to the external wireless communication device. . Therefore, before the request from the external wireless communication device, data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device is stored in advance in the internal memory of the transponder, and the external wireless communication is performed in order to read the data from the internal memory and send it back to the external wireless communication device. Compared with the case where data stored in the in-vehicle ECU is read and returned to the external wireless communication device every time a request from the device is received wirelessly, the time from receiving the request to returning a response can be shortened.

  In the vehicle diagnosis system of the present invention, the transponder wirelessly receives a request from the external wireless communication device, reads data relating to the operation status of the in-vehicle device in response to the request, and adds a vehicle code to the read data. It is preferable to wirelessly transmit the added one to the external wireless communication device. In this case, the external wireless communication device can easily specify from which vehicle the data is sent by the vehicle code.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the transponder operates the vehicle-mounted device from the vehicle-mounted ECU when the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector accesses the vehicle-mounted ECU. You may make it stop the operation | movement (operation which requests | requires data from vehicle-mounted ECU and receives the response of the data) which reads the data regarding a condition. In this case, it is possible to avoid collision between data from the transponder and data from the external scan tool on the communication line. From the viewpoint of data collision, at least an operation in which the transponder requests data from the in-vehicle ECU (hereinafter also referred to as a master operation) may be stopped. Further, from the viewpoint of using the conventional OBDII system as it is and adding only a transponder to cope with OBDIII, it is preferable that the transponder is mainly used to avoid data collision.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector stops the operation of reading data relating to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle ECU to the transponder. You may request that In this case, since the transponder stops the operation in response to the request, it is possible to avoid collision between data from the transponder and data from the external scan tool on the communication line.

  Thus, when avoiding data collision, the transponder may stop the operation by a predetermined number of trips when stopping the operation of reading out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle ECU. . Here, the trip refers to a period from ignition on to ignition off. Generally, in repair shops, etc., the external scan tool is attached to the connector of the communication line and the vehicle diagnosis is performed by this external scan tool for one to several trips. It is preferable to specify. Normally, after stopping the specified number of trips, the operation stop of the transponder is released.

  Further, in the case of avoiding the data collision in this way, the transponder stops the operation of reading the data related to the operation state of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle ECU, and the external scan tool does not transmit to the communication line. When it continues beyond the predetermined upper limit period, you may restart the operation | movement which reads the data regarding the operation condition of the said vehicle equipment from the said vehicle-mounted ECU. For example, if the number of trips is specified as the number of trips as described above, the number of trips is unexpectedly set to a very large value when the transponder stops transmitting to the communication line based on a request from the external wireless communication device. If so, the transponder cannot respond to the request of the external wireless communication device no matter how long after the vehicle returns from the repair shop or the like. For this reason, if the transponder stops operating and the external scan tool does not transmit to the communication line exceeds the upper limit period set separately from the specified number of trips, the vehicle has already been It is determined that the vehicle is traveling normally, and the operation stop of the transponder is released. As a result, the transponder can respond to the request of the external wireless communication device.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the transponder becomes a slave of the external scan tool when the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector accesses the in-vehicle ECU. Also good. In this case, it is possible to avoid collision between data from the transponder and data from the external scan tool on the communication line. In addition, since the transponder is a slave of the external scan tool, for example, when the vehicle code is stored in the built-in memory of the transponder in addition to the data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device, the external scan tool is transmitted from the in-vehicle ECU. Can be obtained from the transponder for information such as vehicle code that cannot be obtained. From the viewpoint of using the conventional OBDII system as it is and adding only a transponder to support OBDIII, it is preferable that the transponder is mainly used to avoid data collision.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector may request the transponder to be a slave of the external scan tool. Also in this case, it is possible to avoid collision between data from the transponder and data from the external scan tool on the communication line.

  In this way, when the data collision is avoided, the transponder may become a slave by a predetermined number of trips when becoming a slave of the external scan tool. Generally, in repair shops, etc., the external scan tool is attached to the connector of the communication line and the vehicle diagnosis is performed by this external scan tool for one to several trips. It is preferable to specify. Normally, after stopping the specified number of trips, the operation stop of the transponder is released.

  Further, in the case of avoiding the data collision in this way, the transponder continues beyond the predetermined upper limit period after the external scan tool does not transmit to the communication line after becoming the slave of the external scan tool. In such a case, the external scan tool may be released from being slaved. In this case, for example, even if the number of trips described above is set to a very large value, the state in which the external scan tool does not transmit to the communication line after the transponder becomes a slave is the specified number of trips. On the other hand, when the upper limit period set separately is exceeded, it is determined that the vehicle has already returned from the repair shop or the like and is running normally, and the slave state of the transponder is released. As a result, the transponder can respond to the request of the external wireless communication device.

  In the vehicle diagnosis system of the present invention, when the transponder is operating based on a request from the external wireless communication device, the transponder is connected to the external scan tool connected to the transponder via the connector. For example, the request to the transponder may be stopped by prohibiting interrupts or sending a busy signal. In this case, the communication data with the external wireless device and the communication data with the external scan tool do not collide on the communication line, and the transponder can smoothly cope with the request from the external wireless communication device and the request from the external scan tool.

  In the vehicle diagnostic system of the present invention, when the transponder is operating based on a request from the external scan tool connected to the transponder via the connector, the transponder is connected to the external wireless communication device. For example, the request to the transponder may be stopped by prohibiting interrupts or sending a busy signal. Also in this case, the communication data between the external wireless device and the external scan tool does not collide on the communication line, and the transponder can smoothly cope with the request from the external wireless communication device and the request from the external scan tool. .

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the entire vehicle diagnostic system of this embodiment. The vehicle diagnosis system 1 according to this embodiment includes an engine ECU 2, a K line 3, and a transponder 4.

The engine ECU 2 controls operations of in-vehicle devices such as the injector 11 and the igniter 12 and stores diagnostic information such as diagnostic codes in the backup RAM 25 as data relating to the operational status. The engine ECU 2 includes a rotation sensor 13 that measures the number of revolutions, an airflow sensor 14 that measures the amount of air, a water temperature sensor 15 that measures the coolant temperature, a throttle sensor 16 that measures the opening of the throttle valve, and an O ₂ sensor in exhaust gas. The signals of the O ₂ sensor 17 for detecting the concentration, the starter switch 18 for starting the starter motor, and the like are input to the I / O 23 of the microcomputer 22 via the input / output circuit 21, and the CPU 24 of the microcomputer 22 is based on these input signals. In accordance with various control programs stored in the ROM 27, the optimal injection amount, injection timing, and ignition timing for the engine are calculated while temporarily storing the data in the RAM 26 as appropriate. And output via the input / output circuit 21.

  The microcomputer 22 determines whether each part of the vehicle is normal or abnormal according to the self-diagnostic program from the input signal from the above-described sensor or the like, and lights the warning lamp 31 when the abnormality occurs to notify the driver of the occurrence of the abnormality. As an example, the abnormality detection process of the airflow sensor 14 executed every predetermined time will be briefly described. First, it is determined whether or not the output value of the airflow sensor 14 is within a predetermined range. If so, the air flow meter normal determination flag is set and the abnormality determination flag is reset. If the air flow meter is outside the predetermined range, the abnormality determination flag is set assuming that an abnormality has occurred. Then, it is determined whether or not an abnormality determination flag is set, and if it is set, a warning lamp 31 that displays an abnormality of the airflow sensor 14 is turned on and determined in advance according to the location and type of the abnormality. The stored diagnostic code is stored in the backup RAM 25.

  The serial I / O 28 of the microcomputer 22 is connected to the K line 3 via the communication circuit 29 and communicates with the transponder 4 or the external scan tool 6 according to, for example, the protocol of ISO9141-2. The input / output circuit 21, the microcomputer 22, and the communication circuit 29 are supplied with power from the power supply circuit 30.

  K line 3 is an OBDII compatible communication line, and connects external scan tool 6 and engine ECU 2 by detachably attaching external scan tool 6 that reads diagnostic information stored in engine ECU 2 to connector 32. It is. The K line 3 includes a branch line 3 a that branches from an intermediate portion of the connector 32 and the engine ECU 2, and the branch line 3 a is connected to the transponder 4.

  The transponder 4 receives a request from a receiver system 5 (for example, one installed on a road edge or an artificial satellite) as an external wireless communication device as wireless data, reads diagnostic information in response to the request, and reads the read diagnostic information. This is transmitted to the receiver system 5 as wireless data. The transponder 4 communicates with the engine ECU 2 via the K line 3 to collect necessary diagnostic information from the engine ECU 2 by instructing the diagnostic information to be read from the engine ECU 2 to the scanning tool unit 41 and to receive the receiver. A data processing unit 42 that creates a response message for wireless data in response to a request from the system 5 and a wireless communication unit 43 that communicates with the receiver system 5 are provided. The functions of these units are processed by one microcomputer in this embodiment, but the functions of the units may be processed by individual microcomputers. The transponder 4 includes a first memory 44 for storing diagnosis information and a second memory 45 for storing VIN (vehicle code). Both memories 44 and 45 are nonvolatile memories such as an EEPROM, a backup RAM, and a flash memory. Note that the scan tool unit 41 may include an input device and a display device like the external scan tool 6.

  The external scan tool 6 is an OBDII-compatible external diagnostic device. FIG. 1 shows a state where the external scan tool 6 is disconnected from the connector 32 of the K line 3, but normally the connector 66 is used when the vehicle is brought into a repair shop or the like. Is attached to the connector 32 of the K line 3 and collects diagnostic information from the engine ECU 2. The external scan tool 6 includes a communication circuit 61, a microcomputer 62, a storage device 63 such as an IC card, a display device 64 such as an LCD, and an input device 65 such as a keyboard. In the external scan tool 6 attached to the connector 32 of the K line 3, when an arbitrary diagnostic information item is input from the input device 65 by the operator, the microcomputer 62 inputs the input device 65 according to the program stored in the storage device 63. Is transmitted to the engine ECU 2 via the communication circuit 61 and the K line 3 in the communication format defined by SAE, for example, by the ISO9141-2 protocol, and a response from the engine ECU 2 is awaited. When the response from the engine ECU 2 is received, the acquired information is displayed on the display device 64.

  Next, the operation of the transponder 4 when the external scan tool 6 is not connected to the vehicle diagnosis system 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the data processing of the data processing unit 42 of the transponder 4. This data processing process is called at regular intervals, and when the process is started, first, in step (hereinafter referred to as S) 101, it is determined whether the wireless request flag XREQ1 indicating the presence or absence of a request message from the receiver system 5 is on or off. . If the wireless request flag XREQ1 is off in S101 (NO in S101), there is no request message from the receiver system 5, so that the subsequent processing in S102 to S108, that is, the diagnosis information is requested to the engine ECU 2 through the scan tool unit 41. Or obtaining diagnostic information from the engine ECU 2 through the scan tool unit 41.

  In S102, it is determined whether the diagnosis response flag XANS2 indicating whether the scan tool unit 41 has received a response message from the engine ECU 2 is on or off. If the diagnosis response flag XANS2 is off (NO in S102), the response message from the engine ECU 2 has not been received, and the process proceeds to S103. In S103, it is determined whether or not a diagnosis request flag XREQ2 indicating whether or not an element number is designated for the scan tool unit 41 is turned on or off. Here, the element number means a number related to the OBDII mode, ID, frame number, etc. FIG. 3 shows an example of the comparison table. Here, the OBDII mode means that the mode 01 is the latest power train data output function and vehicle information indicating various parameters of the engine, the engine name, the model year, etc., and the mode 02 is a freeze frame indicating the engine control state at the time of failure. 03 represents a diagnosis code representing the abnormality information, and ID represents, for example, a cooling water temperature, an engine speed, etc., in numbers.

  If the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is turned on in S103 (YES in S103), the process is finished as it is because the element number designated last time is currently being processed. On the other hand, if the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is OFF in S103 (NO in S103), the element number is not output from the data processing unit 42 to the scan tool unit 41, and the process proceeds to S104. In S104, it is determined whether or not it is time to issue an element number to the scan tool unit 41 (that is, whether or not it is time to issue a request message to the engine ECU 2). In the present embodiment, the timing every 10 seconds is adopted as this timing. However, in addition to the timing at every fixed time as described above, for example, the timing at every predetermined rotation of the engine may be used.

  In S104, if the timing is not every 10 seconds (NO in S104), there is no need to send a request message to the engine ECU 2, so this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is the predetermined timing (YES in S104), in the subsequent S105, the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is turned on in order to notify the scan tool unit 41 that a newly designated element number exists, and in S106 the data is collected. The element number representing the diagnostic information to be specified is designated, and this process is terminated. The element number is specified by the variable data_no (k). Here, the update is performed sequentially from k = 0 to k = n at every 10 seconds, and after updating to k = n, k is updated. Return to = 0.

  By the way, if the diagnosis response flag XANS2 is turned on in S102 (YES in S102), since the scan tool unit 41 has received a response message from the engine ECU 2, in S107, the data processing unit 42 performs the first operation according to the response message. The contents of the memory 44 are updated. Specifically, since the diagnosis information is stored in the first memory 44 in the table format of FIG. 3, the contents are updated according to the element number of the response message. After the update, the process proceeds to S108, the diagnosis response flag XANS2 is turned off, and this process is terminated. Instead of storing the diagnosis information in the table format of FIG. 3, the first memory 44 may store, for example, information obtained by processing the diagnosis information according to the communication format between the transponder 4 and the receiver system 5. .

  If the wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned on in S101 (YES in S101), there is a request message from the receiver system 5, and the subsequent processing from S109 is performed. In this embodiment, the communication format of the request message by wireless from the receiver system 5 to the transponder 4 is composed of a header, mode designation, etc. as shown in FIG. 4, but other formats are adopted. May be. For convenience, it is assumed that there are four types of modes, F1, F2, F4, and FF. Mode F1 is an inquiry of a diagnostic code to a vehicle of a specific vehicle code, and mode F2 is a freeze frame to the vehicle of a specific vehicle code. Data inquiry, mode F4 represents a diagnosis data deletion request to a vehicle of a specific vehicle code, and mode FF represents a diagnosis code inquiry to a vehicle of a specific engine and model year.

  In S109, the mode of the request message from the receiver system 5 is determined, a response message corresponding to the mode is created in the communication format of FIG. 4, and stored in a transmission buffer (not shown). In the next S110, the wireless response flag XANS1 indicating that preparation for transmission of the response message to the receiver system 5 is completed is turned on. In S111, the wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned off, and this process ends. Here, the case where the request message is mode F1 will be described as an example. In S109, a header is added, mode F1 is added as mode designation, VIN is read from the second memory and added, and the element number of the first memory is added. A response message having the communication format shown in FIG. 4 is created by extracting the diag code from “0” and adding it.

  Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, if the mode is not any of F1, F2, F4, and FF even though the wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned on in S101, it is for fail sale. Then, it is determined that there is an abnormality with respect to the wireless request flag XREQ1, and the process proceeds to S111. This wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned off, and this process ends.

  Next, the scan tool processing of the scan tool unit 41 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. This scan tool process is called at regular intervals and when the process is started, it is determined in step S201 whether the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is on or off. If the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is ON (YES in S201), there is an element number newly specified in the above-described data processing. Therefore, in S202, this element number is referenced with reference to the comparison table of FIG. The OBDII mode, ID, etc. corresponding to the above are determined, and in S203, a request message of the communication format (request for diag code, response example) defined by SAE in FIG. It transmits to ECU2. In step S204, the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is turned off, and this process ends. On the other hand, if the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is OFF in S201, there is no newly designated element number, so in the following 205, it is determined whether or not there is a response from the engine ECU2. If there is no response in S205 (NO in S205), this process is terminated. If there is a response (YES in S205), a response message is received in the ISO 9141-2 protocol in the subsequent S206, and the scan tool unit 41 in S207. Turns on the diagnosis response flag XANS2 to indicate that the response message has been received from the engine ECU 2, and the process is terminated.

  By the way, the engine ECU 2 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred at every predetermined timing as in the above-described abnormality detection process of the airflow sensor, and if an abnormality has occurred, the engine ECU 2 responds to the location and type of the abnormality. Diagnostic information such as a predetermined diag code is stored in the backup RAM 25. Therefore, when the engine ECU 2 receives the request message from the scan tool unit 41, the engine ECU 2 reads out a response message corresponding to the request message from the diagnosis information stored in the backup RAM 25 and creates it in the communication format shown in FIG. Is returned to the scan tool unit 41 by the ISO9141-2 protocol. Next, wireless communication processing of the wireless communication unit will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. This wireless communication process is called at regular intervals and when the process is started, it is determined in S301 whether or not wireless data from the receiver system 5 is being received. If wireless data is not being received, the process proceeds to S302. Then, it is determined whether the wireless response flag XANS1 indicating whether or not the preparation for transmitting the response message to the receiver system 5 is completed. If the wireless response flag XANS1 is off, there is no response message to be transmitted to the receiver system 5, and the process is terminated. On the other hand, if the wireless response flag XANS1 is on, a response message for the receiver system 5 is created and ready for transmission in S109 of the data processing described above, so that a response stored in a transmission buffer (not shown) is stored in S303. The message is wirelessly transmitted to the receiver system 5, and in the subsequent S304, the wireless response flag XANS1 is turned off, and this process ends. If wireless data from the receiver system 5 is being received in S301, the wireless data (request message) from the receiver system 5 is stored in a reception buffer (not shown) in S305, and a new request message exists in S306. The wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned on to indicate this, and this processing is terminated.

  Specific processing examples of each process of the transponder 4 will be described below. In the data processing, the transponder 4 turns on the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 at every predetermined timing (YES in S104, S105), and specifies an element number representing the diagnosis information to be collected (S106). Then, in the scan tool process, it is determined that the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is turned on (YES in S201), the comparison table in FIG. 3 is searched according to the element number, the OBDII mode, ID, etc. are read, and the request message is SAE. It is created in a predetermined communication format and transmitted to the engine ECU via the K line 3 by the ISO9141-2 protocol (S202, S203), and the diagnosis request flag XREQ2 is turned off (S204). Thereafter, when a response message to the request message is returned from the engine ECU 2 (NO in S201, YES in S205), the response message is received (S206), and the diagnosis reception flag XANS2 is turned on (S207). Then, in the data processing, it is determined that the diagnosis reception flag XANS2 is on (YES in S102), the diagnosis information in the first memory 44 is updated based on the response message (S107), and the diagnosis reception flag XANS2 is turned off. (S108). In this way, the transponder 4 collects diagnostic information from the engine ECU 2 at every predetermined timing (10 seconds) regardless of whether the receiver system 5 is requested, and stores / updates it in the first memory 44.

  On the other hand, when there is an inquiry about wireless diagnosis information from the receiver system 5 in the wireless communication process (YES in S301), the transponder 4 stores the wireless data (request message in the communication format shown in FIG. 4) in the reception buffer. (S305), the wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned on (S306). Then, in the data processing, it is determined that the wireless request flag XREQ1 is on (YES in S101), and the diagnosis information of the first memory 44, the VIN of the second memory 45, etc. are added according to the mode of the request message. A response message in the communication format shown in FIG. 4 is created (S109), the wireless response flag XANS1 is turned on, and the wireless request flag XREQ1 is turned off (S110, S111). Then, in the wireless communication process, it is determined that the wireless response flag XANS1 is on (YES in S302), a response message is transmitted to the receiver system 5 (S303), and the wireless response flag XANS1 is turned off (S304). In this way, when there is an inquiry about the diagnosis information from the receiver system 5 by radio, the transponder 4 reads out the diagnosis information and VIN stored in the first memory 44 and the second memory 45 which are built-in memories, and the communication format format shown in FIG. Is sent back to the receiver system 5.

  As described above, the transponder 4 can perform wireless communication with the receiver system 5 and communication with the engine ECU 2 using, for example, the ISO 9141-2 protocol, and the diagnostic information stored in the engine ECU 2 can be stored in the same manner as the external scan tool 6. It has a reading function. For this reason, according to the vehicle diagnostic system 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily cope with the OBDIII only by adding the transponder 4 to the conventional OBDII system, and the external scan tool is connected to the connector 32 of the K line 3 as usual. 6 can be connected to support OBDII. In addition, the receiver system 5 can easily specify which vehicle the data is sent from by the VIN included in the response message from the transponder 4. Furthermore, before the request from the receiver system 5, the diagnosis information is stored in the first memory 44 of the transponder 4 in advance. The diagnosis information is read from the first memory 44 and returned to the receiver system 5. As compared with the case where the data stored in the engine ECU 2 is read and sent back to the receiver system 5 every time the signal is received wirelessly, the time from receiving the request to returning the response can be shortened.

  Next, the operation of the transponder 4 when the external scan tool 6 is mounted on the vehicle diagnosis system 1 of the present embodiment will be described. In the vehicle diagnosis system 1 of the present embodiment, the transponder 4 serially transmits a request message to the engine ECU 2 via the K line 3 at a predetermined timing (10 seconds) as described above using the ISO protocol-2. On the other hand, the external scan tool 6 attached to the connector 32 of the K line 3 serially transmits a request message to the engine ECU 2 via the K line 3 at the timing when the operator inputs a request from the input device 65 using the ISO protocol-2. . By the way, since the ISO 9141-2 protocol corresponding to OBDII is master / slave communication, when the external scan tool 6 is connected to the vehicle diagnosis system 1 and the master becomes two of the transponder 4 and the external scan tool 6, each master As long as the bus is free, a message is transmitted at an arbitrary timing. For this reason, data may collide on the K line 3.

  Therefore, in order to avoid such a data collision, the scan tool unit 41 of the transponder 4 executes an interrupt process shown in the flowchart of FIG. This interrupt processing occurs every time the scan tool unit 41 receives 1-byte serial data. Specifically, in addition to when a response message from the engine ECU 2 is serially received, etc. This occurs when the same data echoed back via the K line 3 is received after a 1-byte serial transmission of a request message to the engine ECU 2.

  When this interrupt process is started, first, in S401, it is determined whether or not a request message is being transmitted from the scan tool unit 41 to the engine ECU 2 via the K line 3. If not (NO in S401), Since the data serially received this time has not been echoed back, the process proceeds to S409, and normal reception processing is performed in which data is stored in a reception buffer (not shown) for each byte. On the other hand, if a request message is being transmitted to engine ECU 2 via K line 3 (YES in S401), the data serially received this time has been echoed back. In this case, in S402, it is determined whether or not a serial communication error such as a framing error has occurred. In subsequent S403, it is determined whether or not the serially transmitted data matches the serially received data that has been echoed back. To do. If there is no occurrence of a serial communication error in S402 and the transmitted / received data match in S403 (both YES in S402 and S403), a transmission flag is displayed in S404 to indicate that the serial transmission processing of the scan tool unit 41 is continued. Is turned on and the process is terminated. If this transmission flag is on, the serial transmission process executed at every predetermined timing is continued although not shown.

  On the other hand, if a serial communication error has occurred in S402 or the transmitted / received data does not match in S403 (NO in either S402 or S403), the process proceeds to S405, where the communication abnormality frequency counter is incremented, and communication is performed in the subsequent S406. If the value of the abnormality number counter is compared with a predetermined abnormality determination value and the counter value is less than the abnormality determination value (NO in S406), the process proceeds to S404 described above, and if the counter value is greater than or equal to the abnormality determination value (YES in S406). ), There is a high possibility that the request message from the external scan tool 6 and data collide with each other on the K line 3, so in the subsequent S407, the above transmission flag is turned off, the serial transmission processing is stopped, and the transponder 4 Master operation stops. In the subsequent S408, the operation of the transponder 4 is shifted from the master to the slave for the period of the predetermined number of trips. As a result, the transponder 4 transmits diagnostic information to the external scan tool 6 in response to a request from the external scan tool 6. Note that the transponder performs the master operation again after a predetermined number of trips have elapsed. During the slave operation, a request message from the external scan tool 6 is received in S409 of this interrupt process.

  By executing the above interrupt processing, the transponder 4 determines whether or not there is a data collision on the K line 3, and if there is a data collision, cancels the serial transmission processing on the K line 3. Then, by operating itself as a slave of the external scan tool 6, a subsequent data collision is avoided. Further, since the transponder 4 executes an interrupt process for avoiding such data collision, the external scan tool 6 can be used as it is.

  It is sufficient to stop the master operation of the transponder 4 in order to avoid data collision. However, since the transponder 4 becomes a slave of the external scan tool 6, the external scan tool 6 is connected to the engine ECU 2 and the transponder 4. You can request diagnostic information from both and collect both diagnostic information. For this reason, for example, when a certain diagnosis information is more detailed from the engine ECU 2 and another diagnosis information is more detailed from the transponder 4, the external scan tool 6 selects and imports any detailed diagnosis information. Can do.

  Now, as a process for avoiding data collision on the K line 3, the external scan tool 6 may execute the interrupt process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 instead of the transponder 4. This process may be executed separately from the interrupt process of FIG. 8 or may be executed together.

  Here, it is assumed that the operator of the external scan tool 6 performs a key input operation of a master operation stop request or a slave request to the transponder 4 prior to a key input operation for collecting diagnostic information from the engine ECU 2. . Here, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that a request for diagnostic information from the external scan tool 6 to the transponder 4 is not performed.

  The interrupt process of FIG. 9 occurs at every predetermined timing. When this process is started, the microcomputer 62 of the external scan tool 6 must first transmit a key input to the K line 3 in S501. Is determined via the input device 65, and if such a key input is not made (NO in S501), the process proceeds to S505 described later. On the other hand, if such a key input is made (YES in S501), it is determined in the subsequent S502 whether or not the request by the key input is a request to the transponder 4, and if it is not a request to the transponder 4 (S502). In step S504, a message for requesting diagnostic information in the communication format defined by SAE is created, and this is sent to the engine via the K line 3 using the ISO 9141-2 protocol. It transmits to ECU2. On the other hand, if it is a request to the transponder 4 (YES in S502), in S503, a master operation stop request message or a slave request message is created in the communication format defined by the SAE, and this message is processed by the ISO9141-2 protocol. Transmit to transponder 4 via line 3. The master operation stop request or slave request is a header indicating that the request is for the transponder 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a mode designation for instructing the master operation or slave operation, and a trip indicating the slave period. The communication format including the designation is used.

  Thereafter, in S505, it is determined whether or not a message is being received via the K line. If it is not being received (NO in S505), a menu screen or the like is displayed on the display device 64, and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if a message is being received (YES in S505), after receiving one message in S506, it is determined whether or not the external scan tool 6 has transmitted a request corresponding to the message received in S507. If a request corresponding to the received message has been transmitted (YES in S507), the acquired diagnosis information is displayed on the display device 64 in S508, and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if such a request has not been transmitted (NO in S507), the transponder 4 exists as a master other than the external scan tool 6, and therefore in the subsequent S509, the communication format of FIG. Then, a master operation stop request message or a slave request message is created and transmitted to the transponder 4 via the K line using the ISO 9141-2 protocol, and this process is completed.

  As described above, the operator performs an external scan on the K line 3 to perform a key input operation of a master operation stop request or a slave request to the transponder 4 prior to a key input operation for collecting diagnosis information from the engine ECU 2. It is possible to avoid a collision between the request from the tool 6 and the request from the transponder 4.

  Instead of S501 to S504, the external scan tool 6 determines whether or not the operator has performed a key input operation for requesting diagnosis information to the engine ECU 2 in S511, as shown in FIG. If such a key input operation is performed (YES in S511), a master operation stop request message or a slave request message is transmitted to the transponder 4 via the K line 3 in S512, and then, via the K line 3 in S513. Then, a message requesting diagnosis information may be transmitted to the engine ECU 2. In this case, the operator does not have to input a master operation stop request or a slave request to the transponder 4.

  By the way, in the flowchart of FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, the period when the transponder 4 stops the master operation or becomes the slave period is designated by the number of trips (1 trip is the period from when the ignition is turned on until it is turned off). If the specified number of trips is unexpectedly large, the transponder 4 will not return to the master at any time after the vehicle has returned from the repair shop to the user. There is a possibility that wireless communication with the receiver system 5 cannot be performed.

  In order to prevent this possibility, the transponder 4 executes an operation return process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. This operation return process is executed every time the ignition is turned on. When this process is started, the counter value CRTRIP of the trip counter is incremented in S601. The trip counter is a counter that counts the number of trips in which the external scan tool 6 has not accessed the K line 3. Each time the external scan tool 6 accesses the K line 3, the counter value CRTRIP is reset. In the present embodiment, every time the transponder 4 receives a message from the external scan tool 6 via the K line 3, the external scan tool 6 is regarded as accessing the K line 3 and the counter value CRTRIP is reset. Specifically, it is determined by the message header. In subsequent S602, it is determined whether or not the counter value CRTRIP has exceeded a predetermined upper limit value. If the counter value CRTRIP has not exceeded the upper limit value (NO in S602), this process is terminated and the master operation stop state or the slave state is continued. To do. On the other hand, if the upper limit is exceeded (YES in S602), the period during which the external scan tool 6 does not access the K line 3 continues beyond the predetermined number of trips, and the external scan tool 6 is removed and the vehicle Is determined to have returned to the user from the repair shop or the like, and the operation of the transponder 4 is restored to the original state.

  In the present embodiment, a transponder 4 having a joint line 35 as shown in FIG. 13 may be prepared. The joint line 35 is an OBDII-compliant communication line having a connector 35a that can be connected to the K-line 3 connector 32 at one end and a connector 35b similar to the K-line 3 connector 32 at the other end. It branches from the intermediate part of 35a, 35b, and is connected to the transponder 4. If the connector 35a of the joint line 35 is connected to the existing OBDII-compliant engine ECU 2, the OBDIII can be very easily supported, and the existing OBDII-compatible external scan tool 6 can also be connected to the connector 35b of the joint line 35. Can be used in the same way as before.

  In the above embodiment, the vehicle diagnosis system in which the engine ECU 2 is connected to the K line 3 as an in-vehicle ECU is illustrated. However, another in-vehicle ECU is connected to the K line 3 so as to be in parallel with the engine ECU 2. Also good.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram showing the entire vehicle diagnostic system of the present embodiment. The vehicle diagnosis system 101 of this embodiment includes an engine ECU 102, a K line 103, and a transponder 104. The transponder 104 can be connected to a connector 132 of the K line 103 and is similar to the connector 132 of the K line 103. A connector 142 is provided. Then, by connecting the connector 141 of the transponder 104 to the connector 132 of the K line 103, the engine ECU 102 and the transponder 104 are connected via the K line 103. The connector 166 of the external scan tool 106 is detachably attached to the connector 142 of the transponder 104. The basic configurations of the engine ECU 102, the K line 103, the transponder 104, the external scan tool 106, and the receiver system 105 are the same as the engine ECU 2, the K line 3, the transponder 4, and the external scan tool 6 of the first embodiment. Then, the explanation is omitted.

  Next, the operation | movement of the transponder 104 is demonstrated about the vehicle diagnostic system 101 of this embodiment. The transponder 104 uses wireless communication with the receiver system 105 as a base process, and uses the ISO 9141-2 protocol and communication with the external scan tool 106 as an interrupt process. In this embodiment, the transponder 104 converts the request from the wireless communication format (see FIG. 4) to the communication format (see FIG. 6) determined by the SAE only when there is a wireless request from the receiver system 105. The response is transmitted to the engine ECU 102, and the response is subjected to format conversion again and sent back to the receiver system 105 wirelessly.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the base process of the transponder 104. This base process is started when a power supply (not shown) of the transponder 104 is turned on. When this process is started, first, in S700, the permission flag is set on and the radio flag is set off. When the K line data from the external scan tool 106 is interrupted when there is K line data of a request from the receiver system 105 or a response from the engine ECU 102 on the K line 103, the permission flag is set. Since the line data and the K line data that already exists in the K line 103 may collide, it is set off to prohibit the interrupt process, otherwise it is turned on to allow the interrupt process. A flag that is set. The wireless flag is a period from reception of wireless data as a request message including the ID (self ID) of the transponder 104 from the receiver system 105 to transmission of wireless data as a response message to the request message to the receiver system 105. It is set on for the time being, otherwise it is set off.

  In subsequent S701, it is determined whether or not the predetermined timing for sampling the wireless data from the receiver system 105. If it is not the predetermined timing (NO in S701), the process waits as it is, and if it is the predetermined timing (YES in S701), S702. Then, the wireless data is received, and it is determined whether or not the received wireless data includes the self ID. If the received wireless data does not include the self ID (NO in S702), the process returns to S701. If the received wireless data includes the self ID (YES in S702), the permission flag remains on and the wireless flag is set in S703. Set on.

  In subsequent S704, the wireless data (see FIG. 4) as a request message from the receiver system 105 is converted into K line data (see FIG. 6), and then in S705, the permission flag is set to OFF, and then in S706. The K line data is transmitted to engine ECU 102. Thereafter, in step S707, K line data as a response message is received from the engine ECU 102. In step S708, VIN is added to the K line data to convert the format into wireless data. In step S709, the wireless data is transmitted to the receiver system 105. Thereafter, the process returns to S700, where the permission flag is turned on and the wireless flag is turned off.

  Next, interrupt processing of the transponder 104 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. This interrupt process is started at every predetermined timing. When this process is started, the transponder 104 first determines whether or not an interrupt request is received from the external scan tool 106 in S801, and determines whether or not the permission flag is on in S802. If there is no interrupt request from the external scan tool 106 or the permission flag is OFF (NO in S801 or S802), the process is terminated. The interrupt request of the external scan tool 106 is generated when the operator inputs a request for acquiring diagnostic information from the input device of the external scan tool 106.

  If there is an interrupt request from the external scan tool 106 in S801 and the permission flag is on in S802 (both YES in S801 and S802), the process proceeds to S803 to determine whether the wireless flag is on and the wireless flag is off. If this is the case (NO in S803), the transponder 104 has not yet received wireless data including its own ID from the receiver system 105, but communication between the external scan tool 106 and the engine ECU 102 via the K line takes a long time. Since it may occur that wireless data is received from the receiver system 105 in the middle of the process, in S804, a busy signal (a signal indicating that another process is currently being performed and a response cannot be made) is sent to the receiver system 105 in preparation for such a case. ) Prepare to send. In subsequent S805, the request message from the external scan tool 106 is transmitted to the K line 103 as it is. Since the communication between the transponder 104 and the external scan tool 106 is performed using the K line data, it can be transmitted to the K line 103 as it is. Thereafter, in step S806, K line data as a response message to the request message is received from the engine ECU 102, and in step S807, the K line data is transmitted to the external scan tool 106 as it is. Thereafter, in S808, the busy signal transmission preparation is canceled, and this processing is terminated and the processing returns to the base processing. When wireless data is received from the receiver system 105 during the processing of S805 to S807, the transponder 104 returns a prepared busy signal to the receiver system 105.

  If the radio flag is ON in S803 (YES in S803), the transponder 104 has already received radio data including its own ID from the receiver system 105, but converts the format of this radio data into K line data. In order to give priority to the interrupt processing for the stage of transmission to the engine ECU 102 from now on, a busy signal is transmitted to the receiver system 105 in S809. Thereafter, in S810, the request message from the external scan tool 106 is transmitted as it is to the K line 103, and in S811, K line data is received as a response message to the request message from the engine ECU 102. In S812, the K line data is received. Is transmitted to the external scan tool 106 as it is. Thereafter, in S813, the transmission of the busy signal to the receiver system 105 is canceled, and this processing is terminated and the processing returns to the base processing.

  As described above, according to the vehicle diagnosis system 101 of the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to easily cope with OBDIII only by adding the transponder 104 to the conventional OBDII system, and the connector 142 of the transponder 104 is used. Since the external scan tool 106 can be connected to the OBDII, the OBDII can be supported as before.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, since the transponder 104 returns the data to which the VIN is added to the receiver system 105, the receiver system 105 can easily identify which vehicle the data has been sent by using the VIN. . Further, when the transponder 104 is performing an operation of reading diagnostic information from the engine ECU 102 based on a request from the receiver system 105, the transponder 104 prohibits interruption from the external scan tool 106, and When an operation for reading diagnostic information from the engine ECU 102 based on the request is performed, a busy signal is transmitted to the receiver system 105, so that the request from both sides can be handled smoothly without causing a data collision on the K line 103. it can.

  In this embodiment as well, similar to the first embodiment, the transponder 104 requests diagnostic information from the engine ECU 102 at every predetermined timing and sends the response to its own backup RAM regardless of whether the receiver system 105 has a wireless request. If there is a wireless request from the receiver system 105 or a request from the external scan tool 106, the diagnostic information stored in the backup RAM may be read and responded. In this case, the time from receiving a request from the receiver system 105 or the external scan tool 106 to responding is shortened, and only communication between the transponder 104 and the engine ECU 102 is performed on the K line 103, so there is a risk of data collision. Absent.

It is a schematic block diagram showing the whole vehicle diagnostic system of a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the data processing process of the transponder of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the contrast table showing the relationship between an element number, OBDII mode, etc. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the radio | wireless communication format of a receiver system and a transponder. It is a flowchart showing the scan tool process of the transponder of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing an example of the communication format defined by SAE. It is a flowchart showing the radio | wireless communication process of the transponder of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the interruption process for the data collision avoidance performed by the transponder of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the interruption process for the data collision avoidance performed by the external scan tool of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing an example of the communication format of a master operation | movement stop request | requirement or a request | requirement of a slave. It is a flowchart showing the modification of the interruption process for the data collision avoidance performed by the external scan tool of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the operation | movement return process performed by the transponder 4 of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing the modification of the vehicle diagnostic system of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing the whole vehicle diagnostic system of a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the base process of the transponder of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the interruption process of the transponder of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle diagnostic system 2 Engine ECU
3 K line 3a Branch line 4 Transponder 5 Receiver system 6 External scan tool 32 Connector 41 Scan tool part 42 Data processing part 43 Wireless communication part 44 First memory 45 Second memory

Claims (12)

An in-vehicle electronic control unit that controls the operation of the in-vehicle device and stores data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device;
A communication line connected to the in-vehicle electronic control unit;
Connected to the communication line, wirelessly receives a request from an external wireless communication device, reads data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device in response to the request, and wirelessly transmits the read data to the external wireless communication device A transponder to
A connector that is connected to the communication line and detachably mounts an external scan tool that reads out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the in-vehicle electronic control unit,
The transponder reads out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle electronic control unit at a predetermined timing, stores the data in the built-in memory of the transponder, and receives the request from the external wireless communication device wirelessly, In response to a request, a vehicle diagnosis system that reads data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the built-in memory and transmits the read data to the external wireless communication device wirelessly. The transponder wirelessly receives a request from the external wireless communication device, reads data on the operation status of the in-vehicle device stored in the built-in memory according to the request, and adds a vehicle code to the read data The vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission is wirelessly transmitted to the external wireless communication device. When the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector accesses the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit, the transponder receives data on the operation status of the vehicle-mounted device from the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit. 3. The vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the reading operation is stopped. The external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector requests the transponder to stop the operation of reading data on the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle electronic control unit. The vehicle diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The said transponder stops the said operation | movement only for the predetermined number of trips, when stopping the operation | movement which reads the data regarding the operation condition of the said vehicle-mounted apparatus from the said vehicle-mounted electronic control unit. Vehicle diagnostic system. The transponder has stopped the operation of reading out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle electronic control unit, and the state where the external scan tool does not transmit to the communication line has continued for a predetermined upper limit period. In this case, the vehicle diagnostic system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the operation of reading out data related to the operation status of the in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle electronic control unit is resumed. The transponder is a slave of the external scan tool when the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector is accessing the in-vehicle electronic control unit. The vehicle diagnostic system in any one of 1-6. The vehicle diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein the external scan tool connected to the communication line via the connector requests the transponder to become a slave of the external scan tool. . 9. The vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein when the transponder becomes a slave of the external scan tool, the transponder becomes a slave by a predetermined number of trips. When the transponder has not been transmitted to the communication line after becoming a slave of the external scan tool for a period exceeding a predetermined upper limit period, the transponder makes the external scan tool a slave. The vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle diagnosis system is canceled. When the transponder is operating based on a request from the external wireless communication device, the transponder stops the request to the transponder for the external scan tool connected to the transponder via the connector. The vehicle diagnostic system according to claim 1. When the transponder performs an operation based on a request from the external scan tool connected to the transponder via the connector, the transponder stops the request to the transponder for the external wireless communication device. The vehicle diagnostic system according to claim 1 or 11, wherein

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