Analog-to-digital fault detection, isolation, and mitigation for a low-voltage communications network

US10800363B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Xinyu Du · Oakland Charter Township, US
• Shengbing Jiang · Rochester Hills, US
• Dongyi Zhou · Sunnyvale, US
• David Gumpert · Farmington Hills, US
• Atul Nagose · Royal Oak, US
• Rod Niner · Royal Oak, US
• Aaron D. Motyl · Macomb Township, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 18, 2017
• Grant date: Oct 13, 2020
• Expiry date: Oct 23, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01163
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A system includes control modules, a low-voltage communications bus, e.g., a CAN bus of a vehicle, a voltage sensor that measures a bus voltage and outputs 2.5-3.5 VDC high-data and 1.5-2.5 VDC low-data, and a host electronic control unit (ECU). The host ECU detects a recoverable fault using a data pattern in the bus voltage data when the data is outside of a calibrated range, and recalibrates the sensor. Recalibration may be by adjustment to a scaling factor and/or a bias value. Non-recoverable “stuck-at-fault”-type or “out-of-range”-type faults may be detected using the pattern, as may be a ground offset fault. A method includes measuring the bus voltage using the sensor, comparing the output data to a range to detect the fault, and isolating a sensor fault as a recoverable fault using the data pattern when the data is outside of the range. The sensor is then be recalibrated.