VEHICLE MOUNTED FAILURE INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20090248238A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Itoh, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A failure information system that transmits various kinds of failure information of a vehicle to an outside diagnosis service center is disclosed. The failure information system includes a signal receiving unit that receives a signal indicating a failure of a vehicle-mounted system, a vehicle-run judging unit that judges that the vehicle is running, a run-distance calculation unit that calculates a run-distance of the vehicle since the signal indicating a failure is received, a reliability judging unit that judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable if the signal receiving unit continuously receives the signal indicating a failure until the run-distance becomes a preset distance level, and an over-vehicle communication unit that transmits a failure information that includes the signal indicating a failure when the reliability judging means judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable.

Claims

1. A failure information system for transmitting failure information of a vehicle to an outside diagnosis center comprising:

signal receiving means for receiving a signal indicating a failure of a vehicle-mounted system;

vehicle-run judging means for judging that the vehicle is running;

run-distance calculation means for calculating a run-distance of the vehicle since the signal indicating a failure is received;

reliability judging means for judging that the signal indicating a failure is reliable if the signal receiving means continuously receives the signal indicating a failure until the run-distance becomes a preset distance level; and

over-vehicle communication means for transmitting failure information that includes the signal indicating a failure to an outside station when the reliability judging means judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable.

2. A failure information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the run-judging means comprises means for detecting an engine rotation speed to judge that the vehicle is running.

3. A failure information system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for detecting an engine rotation speed comprises a tachometer.

4. A failure information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the run-distance calculation means starts calculating the run-distance when the vehicle-run judging means judges that the vehicle is running.

5. A failure information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the run-distance calculating means comprises an odometer.

6. A failure information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the run-distance calculating means comprises a vehicle speedometer.

10. A failure information system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the failure information includes time at which the signal receiving means receives the signal indicating a failure.

11. A failure information system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the failure information further includes vehicle license number.

7. A failure information system for transmitting failure information of a vehicle to an outside diagnosis center comprising:

signal receiving means for receiving a signal indicating a failure of a vehicle-mounted system;

maintenance-service detecting means for detecting that the vehicle takes a maintenance service;

reliability judging means for judging that the signal indicating a failure is reliable when the signal receiving means receives the signal indicating a failure and when the maintenance-service detecting means does not detect that the vehicle takes the maintenance service; and

an over-vehicle communication unit for transmitting a failure information that includes the signal indicating a failure when the reliability judging means judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable.

8. A failure information system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the maintenance service detecting means comprises means for detecting a maintenance key used for the maintenance service.

9. A failure information system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the maintenance service detecting means comprises means for detecting a maintenance switch being turned on.