Failure diagnosis apparatus

• US 20020116103A1
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubshi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Maeda, Takashi, Matsunaga, Takanori, Matsui, Toshinori, Fujioka, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,577,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle enables communications between a gateway, which automatically and effectively collects information on a condition of a vehicle having a plurality of network buses, and an information center outside the vehicle in an automatic and efficient manner. A failure diagnosis section is mounted on the gateway installed on the vehicle. The vehicle-installed gateway has a connecting section for connection to information communications terminals such as portable telephones through wireless communications. In addition, the vehicle-installed gateway has a protection processing section for performing security processing on possession information possessed by the gateway.

Claims

1. A failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle in which a plurality of electronic controllers mounted on the vehicle are connected with one another by means of a plurality of network buses for transmitting data between the electronic controllers through the network buses,

said apparatus including a gateway with a protocol conversion section for enabling said plurality of electronic controllers to mutually communicate with one another through said plurality of network buses, said gateway comprising:

an information acquisition section for acquiring control information or diagnosis information about diagnoses respectively performed by said plurality of electronic controllers; and

a failure diagnosis section for diagnosing failure of the vehicle by using said control information or diagnosis information acquired by said information acquisition section.

2. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an information communications terminal connecting section adapted to be connected to an information communications terminal through wireless communications to enable communications with a device outside the vehicle,

3. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said information communications terminal connecting section is replaceable with another one according to a change of said information communications terminal.

4. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said gateway further comprises an intrinsic information storage section which acquires intrinsic information possessed by said information communications terminal and stores the acquired intrinsic information of said information communications terminal.

5. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said gateway starts a diagnosis when detected information on a condition of the vehicle satisfies a prescribed condition.

6. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said gateway further comprises an information protection processing section for performing protection processing of possession data, said information obtained from said plurality of electronic controllers connected with said plurality of network buses being protected by using said information protection processing section.

7. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said gateway further comprises a power supply control section which is connected with a power supply for supplying power to a CPU when an ignition key is in an “

OFF”

state, thereby enabling said gateway to perform a prescribed operation in the state of said ignition key being turned off.

8. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said gateway cancels a diagnosis service under use based on a diagnosis service cancellation signal.

9. The failure diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data base having information about failure phenomena and diagnosis procedures necessary to diagnose the failure phenomena;

a retrieval section for retrieving said data base for said diagnosis procedures based on said failure phenomena; and

a trouble diagnosis section for acquiring a diagnosis procedure for diagnosing a failure phenomenon generated in the vehicle by retrieving said data base by use of said retrieval section, said trouble diagnosing section being operable to diagnose said plurality of controllers according to the diagnosis procedure acquired.