Remote troubleshooting system

• US 20070299575A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Yamasaki, Shinya, Yamada, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A remote troubleshooting system comprises a vehicle that transmits vehicle data regarding a stress factor of a specific onboard component at a specified timing, and a troubleshooting server that is connected to the vehicle via a network, receives the vehicle data from the vehicle, and performs the troubleshooting of the onboard component. The server determines a precaution level based on the vehicle data from the vehicle, selects a troubleshooting program that is suitable to the precaution level determined, and transmits this to the vehicle. The vehicle replaces the troubleshooting program currently stored by a memory with the troubleshooting program received. Thereby, the reliability of the troubleshooting can be improved.

Claims

1. A remote troubleshooting system for performing troubleshooting of an onboard component of a vehicle using a troubleshooting server, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a memory to store a first troubleshooting program that is enable to be rewritten and a control processor unit to control a transmission of vehicle data regarding a stress factor of a specific onboard component of the vehicle to the troubleshooting server at a specified timing by processing the first trouble shooting program stored in the memory;

the troubleshooting server is connected to the vehicle via a network, receives the vehicle data from the vehicle, and performs the troubleshooting of the onboard component;

the troubleshooting server comprises a determining device to determine a precaution level regarding the troubleshooting of the onboard component based on the vehicle data from the vehicle, a memory device to store a plurality of troubleshooting programs that are in accordance with the precaution level, and a transmitting device to select a second troubleshooting program from the plurality of troubleshooting programs stored and transmit the second troubleshooting program to the vehicle, the selected second troubleshooting program being suitable to the precaution level determined; and

the vehicle further comprises a renewal device to replace the first troubleshooting program stored by the memory with the second troubleshooting program transmitted by the transmitting device of the troubleshooting server.

2. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data regarding the stress factor includes an atmosphere temperature and an atmosphere humidity of a circumference of the onboard component and an vibration frequency of the onboard component.

3. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data regarding the stress factor includes information of a kind of the vehicle, and the troubleshooting server performs a statistical processing by the kind of the vehicle based on the vehicle data.

4. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of troubleshooting programs are configured so as to have the vehicle transmit the vehicle data with a specified frequency that is in accordance with the precaution level.

5. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of troubleshooting programs are configured so as to have the vehicle transmit the vehicle data more frequently when the precaution level is higher.

6. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 1, wherein the troubleshooting server is configured to accumulate the vehicle data from the vehicle and further comprises a changing device to change a threshold for determining the precaution level by the determining device based on the vehicle data accumulated.

7. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 6, wherein the changing device is configured to change the threshold based on a statistical processing of the vehicle data accumulated.

8. The remote troubleshooting system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises a device for guiding of vehicle'"'"'s entering into a service shop and/or making order of an onboard component based on the precaution level determined by the determining device.