Failure determination apparatus for vehicle, failure determination method and computer readable medium for failure determination

• US 20100082199A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A failure determination apparatus for a vehicle includes: a failure determination element configured to determine that failure occurs at the vehicle when a state with failure detection continues for a first period, and to determine that the failure is resolved when a state without the failure detection continues for a second period; a notification element configured to notify failure information to an external device when the failure determination element determines that the failure occurs at the vehicle; a repair completion detection element configured to detect completion of repair of the vehicle with respect to the failure; and a short-cut element configured to shorten the second period when the repair completion detection element detects the completion of repair of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A failure determination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a failure determination element configured to determine that failure occurs at the vehicle when a state with failure detection continues for a first period, and to determine that the failure is resolved when a state without the failure detection continues for a second period;

a notification element configured to notify failure information to an external device when the failure determination element determines that the failure occurs at the vehicle;

a repair completion detection element configured to detect completion of repair of the vehicle with respect to the failure; and

a short-cut element configured to shorten the second period when the repair completion detection element detects the completion of repair of the vehicle.

2. The failure determination apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the repair completion detection element detects the completion of repair based on information from a service tool, and

wherein the service tool is disposed at a repair shop, and coupled with the failure determination apparatus when the vehicle is repaired at the repair shop.

3. The failure determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a repair start detection element configured to detect start of repair with respect to the failure,

wherein the notification element stops to notify the failure information during a period from a time when the repair start detection element detects the start of repair to a time when the repair completion detection element detects the completion of repair.

4. The failure determination apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first period is defined by a chronological time, and

wherein the second period is defined by the number of times when an ignition switch of the vehicle is switched from an off-state to an on-state.

5. The failure determination apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a failure detecting element configured to detect the failure in the vehicle and to transmit failure notice to the failure determination element; and

a failure resolution counter configured to counts the number of times when the ignition switch is switched from the off-state to the on-state,

wherein the failure determination element determines that the failure is resolved when the failure determination element does not receive the failure notice for the second period.

6. The failure determination apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the failure determination element is a navigation device,

wherein the notification element is a communication device,

wherein the failure detecting element is an ECU in the vehicle, and

wherein the external device is a server in an information service center.

7. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for determining failure in a vehicle, the instruction including:

an instruction for determining that failure occurs at the vehicle when a state with failure detection continues for a first period, and for determining that the failure is resolved when a state without the failure detection continues for a second period;

an instruction for notifying failure information to an external device when failure occurrence is determined;

an instruction for detecting completion of repair of the vehicle with respect to the failure; and

an instruction for shortening the second period when the completion of repair is detected.

8. A method for determining failure in a vehicle comprising:

determining that failure occurs at the vehicle when a state with failure detection continues for a first period, and determining that the failure is resolved when a state without the failure detection continues for a second period;

notifying failure information to an external device when failure occurrence is determined;

detecting completion of repair of the vehicle with respect to the failure; and

shortening the second period when the completion of repair is detected.