Systems and methods for resetting vehicle emission system error
Contents
1. 230 _ _ ty Return to the Function List and determine whether the required number of monitors have reset U S Patent Mar 7 2006 Sheet 1 of 2 US 7 010 416 B2 Method of Resetting Emissions Related Monitors Check for DTC codes and record Check for pending codes and record Check and record freeze frame data and record Dominant Code 140 Erase DTC data 100 110 120 130 Perform normal driving in stop and go traffic reaching 20 150 45 MPH range This will begin the evaluation of the O2 and O2 Heater Monitors 160 Obtain response from the vehicle s PCM by entering the O2 sensor tests screen To Step 170 FIG 1A U S Patent Mar 7 2006 Sheet 2 of 2 US 7 010 416 B2 From Step 160 l Sequentially execute in the manner described above each 170 of the nine O2 sensor tests regardless of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle This test sequence is preferably done in an evenly paced manner with no more than 10 30 seconds between each test Return to the Function List and enter the Non continuous 180 tests screen Sequentially execute in the manner described above each of the displayed non continuous tests regardless of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle This test sequence is preferably done in a substantially evenly paced manner with no more than 10 30 seconds between each test 190 200 After one or more of2. inder bank and said first oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank upstream of a catalyst associated with said first cylinder bank 13 The method of claim 11 wherein said vehicle has an engine comprises a first cylinder bank and said first oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank downstream of a catalyst associated with said first cylinder bank 14 The method of claim 11 wherein said second type of information is information that has been acquired from a second oxygen sensor within said vehicle 15 The method of claim 14 said vehicle comprises an engine that comprises a first cylinder bank and said first oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank upstream of a catalyst associated with said first cylinder bank and said second oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank downstream of said first catalyst 16 The method of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises a third requesting step said third requesting step comprising the step of requesting a third type of information from said vehicle computer and said third type of information is information that has been acquired from a third oxygen sensor within said vehicle 17 The method of claim 16 wherein said vehicle has an engine that comprises both a first cylinder bank and a second cylinder bank said first oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank upst
3. FIGS 1A and 1B depict a method of resetting emissions related monitors according to a particular embodiment of the invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in greater detail and in reference to various particular embodiments of the invention As will be understood by one skilled in the US 7 010 416 B2 5 relevant field the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth below Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art It should also be understood that while certain embodi ments of the invention comprise inventive methods that include one or more steps in some circumstances certain of these steps may be omitted or executed in different sequences than described herein and that additional steps may be added without taking the method outside the scope of the present invention The methods described herein may be performed while the vehicle is operating on a paved surface such as a road or on an unpaved surface Alternatively the methods described herein may be performed while the vehicle is disposed on a dynamometer e g one or more substantially stationary spinning rollers In order to use a method according to one embodiment of the invention to reset one or more active emis
4. after said step of receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer 31 The method of claim 30 wherein said second request ing step is performed about 30 seconds or less after said step of receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer 32 The method of claim 30 wherein said method further comprises a third requesting step that comprises requesting a third set of information from said vehicle computer and said third requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less after said step of receiving said second set of information from said vehicle computer 33 The method of claim 32 wherein said second requesting step is performed about 30 seconds or less after said step of receiving said first set of information and said third requesting step is performed about 30 seconds or less after said step of receiving said second set of information 34 The method of claim 1 wherein said method comprises receiving said first type of infor mation from said vehicle computer and 10 15 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 12 said method comprises executing said second requesting step after receiving said first type of information from said vehicle computer 35 A method of resetting one or more active emission system error indicators associated with a vehicle said method comprising the steps of placing said vehicle on a dynamometer and while said vehicle is on said
5. at least one non continuous test on an engine associated with said vehicle 55 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said first requesting step comprises a step of requesting a first set of information from said vehicle computer said computer readable medium stores computer execut able instructions for receiving said first set of informa tion from said vehicle computer said second requesting step comprises a step of requesting a second set of information from said vehicle computer after receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer and said computer readable medium stores computer execut able instructions for receiving said second set of infor mation from said vehicle computer 56 The computer readable medium of claim 55 wherein second requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less after said step of receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer 57 The computer readable medium of claim 55 wherein said method further comprises a third requesting step that comprises requesting a third set of information from said vehicle computer and said third requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less after said step of receiving said second set of information from said vehicle computer
6. described in step by step format below This method is preferably performed using the MD 2001A Professional Enhanced Scan Tool referenced above Initial Procedure Connect Scan tool Choose OBD II Global vehicle Start vehicle Erase stored data from scan tool Go to function list Select IIM Readiness Check for and record Incomplete Monitors Allow engine to warm up for 3 5 minutes After conducting the Initial Procedure described above the user begins performing the various steps shown in FIGS 1A and 1B which are listed in sequence below 1 At Step 110 check for DTC codes and record these codes 2 Next at Step 120 check for pending codes and record these codes 3 Next at Step 130 check and record freeze frame data and record the dominant code 4 Next at Step 140 erase DTC data 5 Next at Step 150 perform normal driving in stop and go traffic at speeds reaching the 20 45 MPH range This will begin the evaluation of the O and O Heater Monitors 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 6 Next at Step 160 obtain a response from the vehicle s PCM by entering the O sensor tests screen 7 Next at Step 170 sequentially execute in the manner described above each of the nine O sensor tests regard less of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle This test sequence is preferably done in a substantially evenly paced manner with no m
7. error indicators according to yet another embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of 1 placing a vehicle on a dynamometer and 2 while the vehicle is on the dynamom eter requesting two or more different types of information from a computer within the vehicle In a preferred embodi ment of the invention this method comprises requesting in a pre determined sequence two or more different types of information from the computer In a further preferred embodiment of the invention a scan tool is used to perform the step of requesting two or more different types of infor mation from the computer As will be understood by one skilled in the art while the inventive concepts described above are referred to as inven tive methods the present invention may also be embodied in systems or devices that are configured to perform the methods referenced herein In addition the present invention may also be embodied in a computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions for executing the methods referenced herein In various embodiments of the invention the systems devices or computer readable instructions are configured for executing the various steps of the various methods referenced herein substantially auto matically i e substantially without human intervention BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus described the invention in general terms reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein
8. from the various oxygen sensors using a scan tool such as the Professional Enhanced Scan Tool referenced above or other bi directional scan tool Such bi directional scan tools are well known in the art and include 1 model KM9640 by Actron Manufacturing Company and 2 the Mastertech MTS Tech 1A by Vetronix Corporation As will be understood by one skilled in the art users may alternatively use any other suitable device to request infor mation from the vehicle s various sensors For example a Visor Personal Digital Assistant equipped with D101 Visor OTTOSCAN software may be suitable for this purpose In a preferred embodiment of the invention the step of requesting two or more different types of information from the vehicle computer comprises performing one or more non continuous tests on the vehicle s engine Such tests are known in the art and are described in greater detail on pages 3 7 and 3 8 of the Professional Enhanced Scan Tool User Manual referenced above In a preferred embodiment of the invention at least one of these non continuous tests provides test results from a catalyst monitor In a further preferred embodiment of the invention at least one of the non continuous tests provides test results from an evapora tive OBD II monitor 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 In one embodiment of the invention the step of requesting two or more different types of information
9. if the drive cycle is executed properly by the technician all of the vehicle s active system error indicators will reset automatically in response to the vehicle being put through the drive cycle Technicians typically attach a scan tool to the vehicle while performing the drive cycle to manually verify in real time that the vehicle s system error indicators are resetting prop erly Once the technician determines that all of the vehicle s system error indicators have reset properly the vehicle s owner takes the vehicle back to an emissions testing facility where an emissions tester verifies that the vehicle s check engine light is not illuminated and that none of the vehicle s system error indicators are active e g that the current status of all the vehicle s readiness monitors is ready Once this verification process is complete the vehicle is certified as having passed the emissions test One problem with the current emissions testing process is that the prior art process of resetting active system error indicators is unnecessarily time consuming This is due to the fact that standard drive cycles typically require that the vehicle be driven for at least 40 minutes to properly com plete the drive cycle In fact it commonly takes an hour or more to properly reset a vehicle s system error indicators using prior art techniques Another problem with current emissions testing processes is that the prior art
10. indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps in a pre determined sequence 3 The method of claim 1 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps at about the same time 4 The method of claim 1 wherein said first requesting step is executed electronically 5 The method of claim 4 wherein said second requesting step is executed electronically 6 The method of claim 1 wherein said first type of information comprises emissions related information 10 15 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 7 The method of claim 6 wherein said second type of information comprises emissions related information 8 The method of claim 6 wherein said first type of information is information that has been acquired from one or more sensors within said vehicle 9 The method of claim 8 wherein said second type of information is information that has been acquired from said one or more sensors 10 The method of claim 9 wherein each of said one or more sensors is adjacent said vehicle s engine 11 The method of claim 1 wherein said first type of information is information that has been acquired from a first oxygen sensor within said vehicle 12 The method of claim 11 wherein said vehicle comprises an engine comprising a first cyl
11. resets In one embodiment of the invention the user first executes the oxygen sensor and non continuous tests repeat edly while driving the vehicle in stop and go traffic prefer ably between speeds of 20 45 mph Next in response to determining that one or more of the vehicle s oxygen sensor system error indicators have reset the user preferably increases the speed of the vehicle to between 55 and 65 mph and then executes the oxygen sensor and non continuous tests repeatedly while driving the vehicle in this range of speeds for five to ten minutes This helps to activate and reset the EGR EVAP and CATALYST monitors if neces sary In one embodiment of the invention after the user com pletes the various oxygen sensor and non continuous tests at least once while driving in the 55 65 mph range the user executes an erase old data function on the diagnostic tool This removes any old data stored during testing and reveals the newest more recent data The user then returns to the diagnostic tool s function list and determines whether the required system error indicators have reset If the system error indicators have not reset at this time the user returns to diagnostic tool s view data screen and uses this screen to determine whether further repairs are needed Method According to One Embodiment of the Invention A method for resetting system error indicators on a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention is
12. that said active emissions system error indicator has reset stopping execution of said first and second requesting steps 40 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps in a pre determined sequence 41 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps at about the same time 42 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said first type of information is information that has been acquired from one or more sensors within said vehicle 43 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said second type of information is information that has been acquired from said one or more sensors 44 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said first requesting step comprises performing at least one non continuous test on an engine associated with said vehicle 45 The electronic device of claim 38 wherein said first requesting step comprises a step of requesting a first set of information from said vehicle computer said electronic device is configured for receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer US 7 010 416 B2 13 said second requesting
13. a United States Patent Lewis US007010416B2 US 7 010 416 B2 Mar 7 2006 10 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 75 73 21 22 65 60 51 52 58 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESETTING VEHICLE EMISSION SYSTEM ERROR INDICATORS Inventor Marshall J Lewis Lilburn GA US Assignee PH2 Solutions Inc West Orange NJ US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 0 days Appl No 10 762 190 Filed Jan 20 2004 Prior Publication Data US 2004 0215386 A1 Oct 28 2004 Related U S Application Data Provisional application No 60 440 910 filed on Jan 17 2003 Int CI BOOT 7 12 2006 01 US Gls utente te 701 109 701 114 324 327 123 691 Field of Classification Search 701 109 701 114 123 691 692 324 327 379 380 60 276 See application file for complete search history Method of Resetting 100 Emissions Related Monitors Check for DTC codes and record Y Check for pending codes and record y Check and record freeze frame data and record Dominant ad Code 140 Erase DTC data Perform normal driving in stop and go traffic reaching 20 150 45 MPH range This will begin the evaluation of the O2 and 02 Heater Monitors 160 Obtain response from the vehicle s PCM by entering the O2 sensor tests screen To Ste
14. al values and determine if further repairs are needed Selected Advantages of the Inventive System and Method Using a diagnostic tool to rapidly perform diagnostic tests on a vehicle s emissions system for example in the manner set forth above serves to stimulate the vehicle s PCM to perform diagnostic tests earlier than it would under normal driving conditions or under the driving conditions pre scribed by a typical drive cycle Thus when executed properly in one embodiment of the invention the above techniques serve to reset the vehicle s system error indica tors e g reset the vehicle s readiness monitors in much less time than prior art methods For example prior art methods for resetting a vehicle s system error indicators typically take over 75 minutes and often several hours or days to complete In contrast various embodiments of the invention may be used to reset a vehicle s system error indicators in one to 15 minutes provided there are no mechanical problems that would prevent it from doing so In addition various methods disclosed herein may be used to quickly and accurately identify whether the vehicle s emis sion system needs to be repaired and if so what repairs are needed As will be understood by one skilled in the art it is currently understood in the automotive field that in order to reset a vehicle s readiness monitors it is necessary to drive the vehicle through certain driving patte
15. al scan tool is used to request the two or more different types of information from the vehicle s computer In one embodiment of the invention the scan tool is the Profes sional Enhanced Scan Tool Model Number MD2001A which is currently manufactured by Actron Manufacturing Company of Cleveland Ohio The current user manual for this scan tool was included in Appendix B of the provisional patent application referenced above which is incorporated herein by reference US 7 010 416 B2 3 In one embodiment of the invention each of the two or more different types of information requested from the vehicle s computer includes emissions related information This information is preferably information that has been acquired from one or more sensors within the vehicle each of which is preferably adjacent to or within the vehicle s engine A particular embodiment of the invention is a method of resetting active emissions system error indicators by requesting in sequence two or more different types of information from a vehicle s power train control module PCM This is preferably done electronically using a scan tool such as the Professional Enhanced Scan Tool refer enced above In one embodiment of the invention the method of resetting one or more active emission system error indicators comprises requesting in sequence three four five six seven eight or more different types of information from a vehicle computer In a parti
16. and said second requesting step substantially automatically until said active emissions system error indicator resets 49 The computer readable medium of claim 48 further comprising computer executable instructions for determining whether said active emissions system error indicator has reset and in response to determining that said active emissions system error indicator has reset stopping execution of said first and second requesting steps 50 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error 10 15 20 25 30 40 14 indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps in a pre determined sequence 51 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets comprises performing said first and second requesting steps at about the same time 52 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said first type of information is information that has been acquired from one or more sensors within said vehicle 53 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said second type of information is information that has been acquired from said one or more sensors 54 The computer readable medium of claim 48 wherein said first requesting step comprises performing
17. cular embodiment of the invention the step of requesting two or more different types of information from the vehicle computer comprises the step of requesting infor mation from a first oxygen sensor within the vehicle The inventive method preferably also comprises the step of requesting information from a second oxygen sensor within the vehicle One embodiment of the inventive method also preferably comprises the step of requesting information from a third oxygen sensor within the vehicle In various embodiments of the invention the inventive method com prises requesting one to nine or more values from different oxygen sensors within the vehicle Such oxygen sensors may include for example 1 an oxygen sensor that is adjacent a first cylinder bank and that is upstream of a first catalyst associated with the first cylinder bank 2 an oxygen sensor that is adjacent the first cylinder bank and that is downstream of the first catalyst associated with the first cylinder bank 3 an oxygen sensor that is adjacent a second cylinder bank and that is upstream of a first catalyst asso ciated with the second cylinder bank 4 an oxygen sensor that is adjacent the second cylinder bank and that is down stream of the first catalyst associated with the second cylinder bank Other such sensors are described on Pages 3 6 of the user manual for the Professional Enhanced Scan Tool referenced above As noted above the user preferably requests information
18. dynamometer requesting two or more different types of information from a computer within said vehicle until at least one of said active emission system error indicators resets 36 The method of claim 35 further comprising request ing said two or more different types of information in a predetermined sequence 37 The method of claim 35 wherein a scan tool is used to perform said step of requesting two or more different types of information from said computer 38 An electronic device for resetting an active emissions system error indictor associated with a vehicle said elec tronic device being configured for performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets in response to at least one of said first or second requesting steps and wherein said first requesting step comprises requesting a first type of information from a vehicle computer associated with said vehicle said second requesting step comprises requesting a second type of information from said vehicle computer and said electronic device is configured for performing said first requesting step and said second requesting step substantially automatically until said active emissions system error indicator resets 39 The electronic device of claim 38 said electronic device being configured for determining whether said active emissions system error indicator has reset and in response to determining
19. erforming oxygen sensor tests may vary in order and timing from the sequence and timing pattern set forth above For example the user may execute the Lean to Rich sensor threshold voltage test as the first test rather than the second Similarly the user may execute the High sensor voltage for switch time test as the second test rather than the fourth By the same token in one embodiment of the invention two or more of the above oxygen sensor tests are performed simultaneously rather than sequentially In another embodi ment of the invention the user waits longer than 20 seconds e g about 50 seconds or less after a particular oxygen sensor test is completed to initiate the next sequential oxygen sensor test For example in one embodiment of the invention the user first initiates a first oxygen sensor test and after this first test is complete the user waits about 50 seconds or less and then initiates a second oxygen sensor test In one embodiment of the invention after the user com pletes at least two of the oxygen sensor tests as described above and preferably after all nine of the oxygen sensor tests have been completed as described above the user executes one or more non continuous tests These tests are preferably executed in the manner set forth on pages 3 8 of the user manual for the MD 2001A Professional Enhanced Scan Tool In one embodiment of the invention the user executes a first non continuous test withi
20. from the vehicle computer comprises a first step of requesting a first set of information e g the results of an oxygen sensor test or a non continuous test from the vehicle computer and a second step of requesting a second set of information from the vehicle computer after receiving the first set of infor mation from the vehicle computer The second step of requesting a second set of information is preferably per formed about 60 seconds or less after receiving the first set of information In a further embodiment of the invention the step of requesting two or more different types of information comprises a third step of requesting a third set of information from the vehicle computer This step is preferably performed about 60 seconds or less after receiving the second set of information In a preferred embodiment of the invention the second step of requesting a second set of information is performed about 30 seconds or less and preferably 20 seconds or less after receiving the first set of information Also the third step of requesting a third set of information from the vehicle computer is preferably performed about 30 seconds or less and preferably 20 seconds or less after receiving the second set of information As noted above one embodiment of the invention com prises the general concept of using a scan tool to reset active emissions system error indicators on a vehicle A method of resetting one or more active emission system
21. ing one or more steps of any of the above methods substantially automatically e g without human intervention Conclusion Many modifications and other embodiments of the inven tion will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings pre sented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings Therefore it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims Although specific terms are employed herein they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation What I claim is 1 A method of resetting an active emissions system error indictor associated with a vehicle said method comprising performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator resets in response to at least one of said first or second requesting steps and wherein said first requesting step comprises requesting a first type of information from a vehicle computer associated with said vehicle and said second requesting step comprises requesting a second type of information from said vehicle computer 2 The method of claim 1 wherein said step of performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error
22. l scan tool is used to perform the first and second requesting steps 57 Claims 2 Drawing Sheets From Step 160 4 Sequentially execute in the manner described above each 479 of the hine O2 sensor tests regardless of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle This test sequence is preferably done in an evenly paced manner with no more than 10 30 seconds between each test Return to the Function List and enter the Non continuous 180 tests screen Sequentially execute in the manner described above each of the displayed non continuous tests regardless of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle This test sequence is preferably done in a substantially evenly paced manner with no more than 10 30 seconds between each test L 190 200 After one or more of the system error indicators has reset increase the speed of the vehicle to 5 65 mph and drive the vehicle within this range of speeds for five to ten minutes This will help reset the EGR EVAP and Catalyst monitors if necessary 210 Continue to repeatedly conduct the O2 sensor tests and Non Continuous tests as described above while the vehicle is being driven within the 55 65 mph range After each O2 sensor test and Non continuous test has 220 been executed at least once enter the Erase Old Data screen Follow the directions displayed on the screen for erasing the old data
23. laim 1 wherein said scan tool is a bidirectional scan tool 22 The method of claim 20 wherein said second request ing step is executed using said scan tool 23 The method of claim 22 wherein said scan tool is a bidirectional scan tool 24 The method of claim 1 wherein said first requesting step comprises performing at least one non continuous test on an engine within said vehicle 25 The method of claim 24 wherein said non continuous test provides test results from a catalyst monitor 26 The method of claim 25 wherein said non continuous test provides test results from an OBD 2 monitor 27 The method of claim 1 wherein said first requesting step comprises a step of requesting a first set of information from said vehicle computer said method comprises receiving said first set of infor mation from said vehicle computer said second requesting step comprises a step of requesting a second set of information from said vehicle computer after receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer and said method comprises receiving said second set of infor mation from said vehicle computer 28 The method of claim 27 wherein said first set of information comprises the results of an oxygen sensor test 29 The method of claim 27 wherein said first set of information comprises the results of a non continuous test 30 The method of claim 27 wherein second requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less
24. n about 60 seconds and preferably about 20 seconds or less after completing the last of the oxygen sensor tests In a preferred embodiment of the invention the user first sequentially executes each of three or more and preferably all nine oxygen sensor tests as described above and then executes one or more non continuous tests within about 60 seconds and preferably about 20 seconds or less after completing the last of the oxygen sensor tests Such non continuous tests include for example tests for receiving data from the vehicle s catalyst and evaporative OBD II monitors US 7 010 416 B2 7 In a preferred embodiment of the invention the step of executing one or more non continuous tests comprises executing preferably in a sequential manner two three four five six seven or more non continuous tests In one embodiment of the invention the various non continuous tests are executed no more than about 60 seconds and preferably no more than about 20 seconds or less apart That is there user executes each non continuous test within 60 seconds and preferably no more than about 20 seconds or less of receiving the results from any immediately preced ing non continuous test After completing the last of the non continuous tests the user preferably repeats the oxygen sensor and non continu ous tests in the manner set forth above until one or more and preferably all of the vehicle s system error indicators
25. ore than 10 30 seconds between each test 8 Next at Step 180 return to the Function List and enter the Non continuous tests screen 9 Next at Step 190 sequentially execute in the manner described above each of the displayed non continuous tests regardless of whether the tests are supported by the vehicle or not This test sequence is preferably done in a substantially evenly paced manner with no more than 10 30 seconds between each test 10 Next at Step 200 after one or more of the system error indicators has reset increase the speed of the vehicle to 55 65 mph and drive the vehicle within this range of speeds for five to ten minutes This will contribute to resetting the EGR EVAP and Catalyst monitors if nec essary 11 Next at Step 210 continue to repeatedly run the O sensor tests and Non Continuous tests as described above while the vehicle is being driven at speeds between 55 65 mph 12 Next at Step 220 after each O sensor test and Non continuous test has been executed at least once enter the Erase Old Data screen 13 Next at Step 230 follow the directions displayed on the screen for erasing the old data 14 Finally at Step 240 return to the Function List and determine whether the required number of monitors have reset If the Monitors Have Not Reset 1 Go to the View Data screen 2 Check and record the displayed values 3 Compare the recorded values to anticipated norm
26. p 170 56 References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 5 131 372 A 7 1992 Nakaniwa ssseseseseee 123 673 5 373 822 A 12 1994 Thompson 06 123 520 5 671 141 A 9 1997 Smith et al wo 701 29 6 553 754 B1 4 2003 Meyer etal 60 277 6 615 577 B1 9 2003 Meyer et al 60 276 6 691 020 B1 2 2004 Meyer etal 701 108 2003 0004634 A1 1 2003 Meyer etal 701 108 2003 0200025 A1 10 2003 Ross 04 701 200 2003 0217025 A1 11 2003 Costantino 0 0 0 707 1 2005 0188218 A1 8 2005 Walmsley et al 713 200 cited by examiner Primary Examiner John T Kwon 74 Attorney Agent or Firm IP Counsel Consultants Michael E Melton 57 ABSTRACT A method of resetting an active emissions system error indictor associated with a vehicle The method comprises performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until the active emissions system error indicator resets in response to the first or second requesting steps In one embodiment the first requesting step comprises requesting a first type of information e g information from a first vehicle oxygen sensor from a vehicle computer associated with the vehicle and the second requesting step comprises requesting a second type of information e g information from a second vehicle oxygen sensor from the vehicle computer In a particular embodiment of the invention an electronic tool such as a bi directiona
27. process of resetting active system error indicators is often difficult and unsafe This is due to the fact that standard drive cycles often require that the vehicle be driven in a rigorously prescribed manner in order to reset the various system error indicators For example the Ford drive cycle referenced above requires that a driver drive the vehicle continuously for 10 minutes at a speeds of 45 65 mph while avoiding sharp turns and hills This can be difficult and unsafe to achieve in certain settings especially on the congested roadways common to most major cities Accordingly there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for resetting active emissions system error indi cators that may be performed quickly and safely SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Various embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods and apparatuses for quickly and safely resetting active emissions system error indicators within a vehicle such as an automobile One embodiment of the invention is a method of resetting active emissions system error indicators by requesting two or more different types of information from the vehicle s computer In one embodi ment of the invention the method comprises requesting in a pre determined sequence two or more different types of information from the vehicle s computer In a further embodiment of the invention a tool preferably an elec tronic tool such as a scan tool and preferably a bi direc tion
28. ream of a catalyst associated with said first cylinder bank said second oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank downstream of said first catalyst and said third oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said second cylinder bank upstream of a catalyst associated with said second cylinder bank 18 The method of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises a fourth requesting step said fourth requesting step comprising the step of requesting a fourth type of information from said vehicle computer and said fourth type of information is information that has been acquired from a fourth oxygen sensor within said vehicle 19 The method of claim 18 wherein said vehicle comprises an engine comprising both a first cylinder bank and a second cylinder bank US 7 010 416 B2 11 said first oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank upstream of a first catalyst that is asso ciated with said first cylinder bank said second oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said first cylinder bank downstream of said first catalyst said third oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said second cylinder bank upstream of a second catalyst that is associated with said second cylinder bank and said fourth oxygen sensor is disposed adjacent said sec ond cylinder bank downstream of said second catalyst 20 The method of claim 1 wherein said first requesting step is executed using a scan tool 21 The method of c
29. rns under pre determined operating conditions such as those included in an appropriate drive cycle For example in the most recent US 7 010 416 B2 9 issue of OBDII Drive Cycle Guide 1996 2002 Domestic amp Import Cars Light Trucks Vans and SUVs which was published in 2002 by MOTOR Information Systems of Troy Michigan the author notes i n order to reset the readiness monitors to Ready certain driving patterns and operating conditions must be met Unlike DTCs Readiness Monitors cannot be manipulated via a scan tool Similarly the author states that The monitored system cannot be checked when the engine is started briefly and is shut down nor can the status of the monitor be re set through the scan tool The scan tool can verify the status of the monitor but cannot change the status See page ix Accordingly in a manner contrary to current teachings and practices in the automotive field the above method allows technicians to legally and effectively use a scan tool to quickly reset a vehicle s readiness monitors without executing a complicated time consuming prior art drive cycle Automated Device for Performing the Above Methods While various methods described herein are described as being performed by a technician using a tool such as a scan tool it should be understood that the present invention includes devices such as electronic devices that are con figured e g programmed for execut
30. sion system error indicators a user first warms up the vehicle s engine for at least five minutes In another embodiment of the invention the user may omit this step The user then connects a diagnostic tool preferably an electronic diagnostic tool to the vehicle in a manner known in the art In a preferred embodiment of the invention the diagnostic tool is a scan tool such as the MD 2001A Professional Enhanced Scan Tool referenced above The user then uses the diagnostic tool to retrieve infor mation from one or more of the vehicle s oxygen sensors As described in detail in the user manual for the MD 2001A Professional Enhanced Scan Tool to do this the user preferably selects an O2 monitor test option from the OBD II function list to indicate that the user would like to use the diagnostic tool to initiate one or more oxygen sensor tests The user then uses the diagnostic tool to initiate prefer ably in sequence two or more oxygen sensor tests During each of these tests the diagnostic tool retrieves information from at least a particular one of the vehicle s oxygen sensors In various preferred embodiments of the invention the user uses the diagnostic tool to initiate at least three four five six seven eight nine or more oxygen sensor tests In a preferred embodiment of the invention the user uses the diagnostic tool to initiate these tests substantially sequen tially When such tests are performed sequentiall
31. ssions standards In many states such as Georgia in order for a vehicle to pass a regularly scheduled emissions test the vehicle s check engine light must be off and the vehicle must not have any currently active system error indictors e g the vehicle s OBD II readiness monitors must not indicate that there is a problem with the vehicle s emissions related systems or components If a vehicle fails inspection the owner typically takes the vehicle to a mechanic who uses a diagnostic tool such as a scan tool to determine which of the vehicle s system error indicators are currently active The mechanic then uses this information to determine which if any specific repairs are needed to bring the vehicle into compliance with emissions standards Once the repairs are done it is necessary to deactivate or reset any active system error indicators To do this a technician typically puts the vehicle through a drive cycle such as the Ford P1000 I M Readiness Code Drive Cycle As will be understood by one skilled in the art during the drive cycle the vehicle is operated in various prescribed ways for specified periods of time 10 15 20 25 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 When putting the vehicle through the drive cycle the technician also activates various vehicle systems such as the vehicle s air conditioning system If all of the vehicle s systems are functioning properly and
32. st preferably the Lean to Rich sensor threshold voltage test After this second test is complete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a third oxygen sensor test preferably the Low sensor voltage for switch time test After this third test is complete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a fourth oxygen sensor test preferably the High sensor voltage for switch time test After this fourth test is com plete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a fifth oxygen sensor test preferably the Rich to Lean sensor switch time test After this fifth oxygen sensor test is complete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a sixth oxygen sensor test preferably the Lean to Rich sensor threshold voltage test After this sixth test is complete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a seventh oxygen sensor test preferably the Low sensor voltage for switch time test After this seventh test is complete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates an eighth oxygen sensor test preferably the High sensor voltage for switch time test After this eighth test is com plete the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a ninth oxygen sensor test preferably the Rich to Lean sensor switch time test It should be understood that the above sequence of p
33. step comprises a step of requesting a second set of information from said vehicle computer after receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer and said electronic device is configured for receiving said second set of information from said vehicle computer 46 The electronic device of claim 45 wherein second requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less after said step of receiving said first set of information from said vehicle computer 47 The electronic device of claim 45 wherein said method further comprises a third requesting step that comprises requesting a third set of information from said vehicle computer and said third requesting step is performed about 60 seconds or less after said step of receiving said second set of information from said vehicle computer 48 A computer readable medium storing computer ex ecutable instructions for performing a first requesting step and a second requesting step until said active emissions system error indicator associated with said vehicle resets in response to at least one of said first or second requesting steps and wherein said first requesting step comprises requesting a first type of information from a vehicle computer associated with said vehicle said second requesting step comprises requesting a second type of information from said vehicle computer and said computer executable instructions include instruc tions for performing said first requesting step
34. systems that are configured to reduce harm ful emissions from the vehicle These vehicles are also equipped with a variety of sophisticated emissions related devices for informing the vehicle s owner and vehicle technicians if the vehicle s emissions systems are not func tioning properly One such emissions related device is a check engine light or malfunction indicator light which is commonly located on the vehicle s dashboard Such check engine lights are typically configured to illuminate when the vehi cle s on board computer detects a problem with the vehi cle s emissions system The vehicle is also equipped with a variety of emissions related sensors that are configured to monitor either con tinuously or intermittently various aspects of the vehicle s emissions system These sensors are configured to transmit data to a computer within the vehicle for analysis by the computer If the computer determines that data from one or more of the sensors is indicative of a problem within the vehicle s emissions system the computer activates one or more system error indicators which are commonly referred to as readiness monitor points or flags These system error indicators are then used to help technicians diagnose and repair the vehicle s emissions system In addition the system error indicators may be used by state certified emis sions testing authorities to determine whether the vehicle meets state emi
35. the system error indicators has reset increase the speed of the vehicle to 55 65 mph and drive the vehicle within this range of speeds for five to ten minutes This will help reset the EGR EVAP and Catalyst monitors if necessary 210 Continue to repeatedly conduct the O2 sensor tests and Non Continuous tests as described above while the vehicle is being driven within the 55 65 mph range After each O2 sensor test and Non continuous test has 220 been executed at least once enter the Erase Old Data screen Follow the directions displayed on the screen for erasing 230 the old data Return to the Function List and determine whether the required number of monitors have reset 240 FIG 1B US 7 010 416 B2 1 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESETTING VEHICLE EMISSION SYSTEM ERROR INDICATORS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U S provisional patent application 60 440 910 entitled Systems and Meth ods for Resetting Automobile Emission System Error Indi cators which was filed on Jan 17 2003 and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has become apparent that gas emissions from vehicles such as automobiles can contribute to air pollution espe cially in particularly congested areas such as large cities Accordingly modern vehicles are equipped with sophisti cated emissions
36. y the user uses the diagnostic tool to conduct one test at a time Alternatively the user may use the diagnostic tool to per form two or more of the tests simultaneously In a preferred embodiment of the invention the diagnostic tool is configured to perform a plurality of different oxygen sensor tests For example the diagnostic tool is preferably configured to conduct two or more of the following oxygen sensor tests 1 Rich to Lean sensor threshold voltage 2 Lean to Rich sensor threshold voltage 3 Low sensor voltage for switch time 4 High sensor voltage for switch time 5 Rich to Lean sensor switch time 6 Lean to Rich sensor threshold voltage 7 Low sensor voltage for switch time 8 High sensor voltage for switch time and 9 Rich to Lean sensor switch time In a preferred embodiment of the invention the user uses the MD 2001A Professional Enhanced Scan Tool referenced above to perform the step of initiating two or more oxygen sensor tests In this embodiment of the invention the user first initiates a first oxygen sensor test preferably the Rich to Lean sensor threshold voltage test by selecting an 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 appropriate button on the scan tool After this first test is complete e g the scan tool has displayed results for the first oxygen sensor test the user preferably waits about 20 seconds or less and then initiates a second oxygen sensor te
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search