Vehicle Diagnostic and Prognostic Methods and Systems

• US 20070271014A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/00 Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01558 monitoring crash strength
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• 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: H01H 35/146 operated by plastic deformation or rupture of structurally associated elements

Abstract

Method for predicting failures in vehicular components includes mounting sensors on the vehicle which provide data affected by the operation of the components, obtaining data from the sensors, detecting patterns in the obtained data on the vehicle, analyzing the detected patterns to predict failure of any component, and informing the user, owner, dealer and/or manufacturer of the vehicle about the predicted failure to enable preventative and corrective action to be taken. A vehicle with remote telematics capability includes sensors arranged to provide data about conditions of the vehicle or components, a processor for receiving data provided by the sensors and converting the data into an output constituting a signal about a diagnostic condition of the vehicle or component(s), and a communications unit arranged to transmit the signal. The communications unit can establish a communications channel with a dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle at a location remote from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for predicting impending failures in one or more of a plurality of components or subsystems on a vehicle, comprising:

mounting sensors on the vehicle, the sensors providing data which is affected by the operation of the components or subsystems;

obtaining data from the sensors during operation of the components or subsystems;

detecting patterns in the obtained data on the vehicle;

analyzing the detected patterns to create a prediction of an impending failure of one of the components or subsystems; and

informing the user, owner, dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle about the predicted failure to enable corrective action to be taken before the predicted failure occurs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a trained pattern recognition algorithm to detect the patterns in the obtained data and analyze the detected patterns.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising using vehicle model-specific data to train the pattern recognition algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the predicted failure to the dealer or manufacturer at a location remote from the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging a communications unit on the vehicle to inform the dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle about the predicted failure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the sensors to a processor on the vehicle; and

constructing the processor to detecting the patterns in the obtained data and analyze the detected patterns to create a prediction of an impending failure of one of the components or subsystems such that the processor converts input from the sensors into an output constituting a signal about the condition of the components or subsystems.

7. A vehicle with remote telematics capability, comprising:

sensors on the vehicle and arranged to provide data about conditions of the vehicle or components or subsystems of the vehicle during use of the vehicle;

a processor coupled to said sensors for receiving data provided by said sensors, said processor being arranged to convert the data from said sensors into an output constituting a signal about a diagnostic condition of the vehicle or a component or subsystem of the vehicle; and

a communications unit arranged on the vehicle and coupled to said processor, said communications unit being arranged to wirelessly transmit the signal.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said communications unit is arranged to establish a communications channel with a dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle at a location remote from the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said processor is arranged to detect patterns in the data provided by said sensors and analyze the detected patterns to create a prediction of an impending failure of one of the components or subsystems, whereby the signal about the diagnostic condition may be indicative of a prediction of impending failure of one of the components or subsystems.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said processor includes a trained pattern recognition algorithm to detect the patterns in the obtained data and analyze the detected patterns.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle, the pattern recognition algorithm being trained on vehicle model-specific data.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a display arranged on the vehicle and visible to an operator of the vehicle, said processor being coupled to said display and arranged to indicate on said display the diagnostic condition of the vehicle or a component or subsystem of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said sensors include a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a turbidity sensor for measuring pressure, temperature and turbidity, respectively, of a fluid used in the vehicle, said processor being arranged to convert the data from said pressure sensor, said temperature sensor and said turbidity into an output constituting a signal about a condition of the fluid used in the vehicle, said communications unit being arranged to transmit the signal to a remote site.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the fluid is coolant or oil.

16. A remote vehicle monitoring arrangement, comprising:

at least one vehicle as set forth in claim 7;

and

a remote monitoring site including a communications unit arranged to receive and use signals from said communications unit on the at least one vehicle.

17. A method for monitoring fluid used on a mobile vehicle, comprising:

measuring pressure of the fluid;

measuring temperature of the fluid;

measuring turbidity of the fluid;

diagnosing, on the vehicle, a condition of the fluid based on the measured pressure, temperature and turbidity;

predicting failure of a component on the vehicle based on the diagnosed condition of the fluid; and

informing the user, owner, dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle about the predicted failure of the component fluid to enable corrective action to be taken before the predicted failure occurs.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

mounting a pressure sensor on the vehicle to measure the pressure of the fluid;

mounting a temperature sensor on the vehicle to measure the temperature of the fluid;

mounting a turbidity sensor on the vehicle to measure the turbidity of the fluid; and

obtaining data from the sensors during use of the fluid;

the step of predicting failure of the component comprising detecting patterns in the obtained data on the vehicle and analyzing the detected patterns to create a prediction of an impending failure of the component.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a trained pattern recognition algorithm to detect the patterns in the obtained data and analyze the detected patterns.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising arranging a communications unit on the vehicle to inform the dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle about the predicted failure.