Vehicle communications signal diagnostics using radio receiver

• Main Author: James Martin Lawlis
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.08.2017
• Subjects: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

An automotive diagnostic tool having an antenna 104 and a controller 102. In response to a vehicle diagnostic request, the controller demodulates an antenna signal at a frequency in a range corresponding to electromagnetic emissions caused by an imbalance of a differential signal channel 114 in the vehicle, and alternately disables and enables the differential channel resulting in a baseline audio signature and an audio signature that includes a disturbance distinct from the baseline. The controller may request a vehicle controller transmit a predetermined signal over the differential channel when enabled to cause EM emissions in a predetermined range when the channel is unbalanced. The controller may output the demodulated signal to a speaker 108 for analysis by a listener. The demodulated signal may be further processed to identify emissions from the communication network. Also claimed is a method of diagnosing wiring issues in a vehicle, and also an automotive diagnostic tool that outputs a diagnostic signal in response to identifying a presence of a disturbance in an audio signature that is absent when the channel is balanced.