Method and system for maintaining a configuration history of a vehicle

• US 20040002799A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dabbish, Ezzat A., Levenson, Samuel M., Reinold, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

A vehicle maintains a record of configuration elements, such as components for use in the vehicle, of the configuration of the vehicle. The vehicle also maintains a history of configuration functions for each of the configuration elements. The history may include a type of each configuration function, such as installation of a configuration element into the vehicle, and may also include a record of corresponding times at which the configuration functions have occurred, which can be utilized to determine a configuration of the vehicle at a time of an event. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle may maintain a service history of at least one service technician performing a service operation with respect to a corresponding one of the configuration elements. The service history may include a type of each service operation, and may also include a record of a corresponding time at which the service technician performed the service operation, which may be utilized to determine a service technician having most recently performed a service operation at a time of an event.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a configuration history of a configuration of a vehicle, the method performed by the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

maintaining a record of configuration elements of the configuration of the vehicle; and

maintaining a history of configuration functions for each of the configuration elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of maintaining the history of configuration functions includes maintaining a record of corresponding times at which the configuration functions have occurred.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of utilizing the history of configuration functions and the record of corresponding times to determine a configuration of the vehicle at a time of an event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of maintaining the history of configuration functions includes maintaining a type of each configuration function.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the configuration functions comprises at least one of the functions of installing the configuration element in the vehicle, removing the configuration element from the vehicle, replacing the configuration element with another configuration element in the vehicle, replacing another configuration element in the vehicle with the configuration element, modifying the configuration element, repairing the configuration element, upgrading the configuration element and rendering the configuration element operable.

6. A system for maintaining a configuration history of a configuration of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle having a plurality of configuration elements of a configuration of the vehicle; and

a configuration database maintaining a record of the configuration elements and

maintaining a history of configuration functions for each of the configuration elements.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration database maintains a record of corresponding times at which the configuration functions have occurred.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the configuration database maintains a representation of a configuration of the vehicle at a time of an event based on the history of configuration functions and the record of corresponding times.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration database maintains a type of each configuration function.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the configuration database maintains a type of each configuration function including at least one of the functions of installing the configuration element in the vehicle, removing the configuration element from the vehicle, replacing the configuration element with another configuration element in the vehicle, replacing another configuration element in the vehicle with the configuration element, modifying the configuration element, repairing the configuration element, upgrading the configuration element and rendering the configuration element operable.

11. A method for maintaining a configuration history of a configuration of a vehicle, the method performed by the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

maintaining a record of configuration elements of the configuration of the vehicle; and

maintaining a service history of at least one service technician performing a service operation with respect to a corresponding one of the configuration elements in the configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of maintaining the service history includes maintaining a record of a corresponding time at which the service technician performed the service operation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of utilizing the service history of configuration functions and the record of corresponding times to determine a service technician having most recently performed a service operation at a time of an event.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of maintaining the service history includes maintaining a type of each service operation.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a type of the service operation comprises at least one of the steps of installing a configuration element in the vehicle, removing the configuration element from the vehicle, replacing the configuration element with another configuration element, replacing another configuration element with the configuration element, repairing the configuration element, modifying the configuration element, upgrading the configuration element and adding the configuration element as an upgrade to another configuration element.

16. A system for maintaining a configuration history of a configuration of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle having a plurality of configuration elements of a configuration of the vehicle; and

a configuration database a service history of at least one service technician performing a service operation with respect to a corresponding one of the configuration elements in the configuration.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the configuration database maintains a record of a corresponding time at which the service technician performed the service operation.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the configuration database maintains a representation of a service technician having most recently performed a service operation at a time of an event.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the service history includes a type of each service operation.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the configuration database maintains a type of each configuration function including at least one of the functions of installing a configuration element in the vehicle, removing the configuration element from the vehicle, replacing the configuration element with another configuration element, replacing another configuration element with the configuration element, repairing the configuration element, modifying the configuration element, upgrading the configuration element and adding the configuration element as an upgrade to another configuration element.