Faster product improvement

• US 10,430,800 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Traffilog Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Traffilog Ltd.
• Inventors: Remboski, Donald James, Dedo, Jacqui A., Megged, Yoav, Shafriri, Dani
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US15/404,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form

Abstract

A method for monitoring a vehicle, the method includes measuring multiple vehicle operating parameters using a vehicle monitor; wherein the vehicle monitor is mechanically coupled to the vehicle or installed in the vehicle; searching, by the vehicle monitor, for one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters; wherein an out-of-range vehicle operating parameter is a vehicle operating parameter that is outside an allowable range of the vehicle operating parameter; and responding to the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters by the vehicle monitor; wherein the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters are indicative of at least one vehicle failure that is impending; wherein the responding precedes an occurrence of the at least one vehicle failure that is impending; and wherein the responding comprises at least one out of: sending one or more out-of-range alerts indicting about the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters; sending additional information relating to the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters; requesting to receive a vehicle monitor software update for managing the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters; and triggering a vehicle monitor software update for managing the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a vehicle, the method comprises:

measuring multiple vehicle operating parameters using a vehicle monitor;

wherein the vehicle monitor is mechanically coupled to the vehicle or installed in the vehicle;

searching, by the vehicle monitor, for one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters;

wherein an out-of-range vehicle operating parameter is a vehicle operating parameter that is outside an allowable range of the vehicle operating parameter; and

responding to the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters by the vehicle monitor;

wherein the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters are indicative of at least one vehicle failure that is impending;

wherein the responding precedes an occurrence of the at least one vehicle failure that is impending; and

wherein the responding comprises requesting to receive a vehicle monitor software update for managing the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters;

receiving, by the vehicle monitor, the software update;

updating, by the vehicle monitor, the vehicle monitor software with the software update; and

managing, by the vehicle monitor, the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the updating comprises updating the vehicle monitor software to calculate additional system state parameters from all sources of data on the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters is temperatures of an engine coolant supplied to an engine of the vehicle;

and wherein the updating comprises updating the vehicle monitor software to capture engine information on speed, on an operating power and on a torque of the engine.

4. The method according to claim 3 comprising determining, by using the engine information and a thermal efficiency model of the engine, a cooling system load during a period in which the temperatures of the engine coolant were out-of-range.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the updating comprises updating the vehicle monitor software to capture the engine information at a more detailed level in relation to the capture of the engine information before the updating.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the managing comprises changing a frequency of monitoring associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the managing comprises changing a resolution of monitoring associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the managing comprises changing a duration in which monitoring results associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters is stored in the vehicle monitor.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the updating comprises updating the vehicle monitor software to increase, in comparison to a period before the updating, an amount of raw data collected from a vehicle system associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the managing comprises changing a configuration of a vehicle component associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the managing comprises changing a monitoring parameter associated with the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is fixed.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is dynamic.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is time dependent.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is dependent upon a value of one or more other vehicle operating parameters.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is dependent upon a configuration of the vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is dependent upon a rate of change of a value of the vehicle operating parameter.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein an allowable range of a vehicle operating parameter is dependent upon an accumulated value of the vehicle operating parameter over a period of time.

19. A computer program product that is non-transitory and stores instructions that once executed by a vehicle monitor causes the vehicle monitor to perform the steps of:

measuring multiple vehicle operating parameters using a vehicle monitor;

wherein the vehicle monitor is mechanically coupled to the vehicle or installed in the vehicle;

searching, by the vehicle monitor, for one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters;

wherein an out-of-range vehicle operating parameter is a vehicle operating parameter that is outside an allowable range of the vehicle operating parameter; and

responding to the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters by the vehicle monitor;

wherein the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters are indicative of at least one vehicle failure that is impending;

wherein the responding precedes an occurrence of the at least one vehicle failure that is impending; and

wherein the responding comprises requesting to receive a vehicle monitor software update for managing the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters;

receiving, by the vehicle monitor, the software update;

updating, by the vehicle monitor, the vehicle monitor software with the software update; and

managing, by the vehicle monitor, the one or more out-of-range vehicle operating parameters.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19 wherein the responding comprises sending one or more out-of-range alerts to a system that is external to the vehicle.