VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR TOOL

• US 20160350985A1
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McQuade, Charles Michael, Brinton, Brett, Colvin, Greg
• Application Number:
  US15/231,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20160350985A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• 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: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Operational data generated and used in a vehicle to control various vehicular systems is temporarily stored in a data buffer in the vehicle. A processor in the vehicle is configured to detect anomalous conditions, which can be based on predefined fault codes or user defined conditions (based on a single parameter or a combination of parameters). Whenever such an anomaly is detected, a diagnostic log is conveyed from the vehicle to a remote location. Such a log will include the detected anomaly, and buffered operational data. In at least one embodiment, the diagnostic log includes buffered operational data collected both before and after the anomaly. The diagnostic log is analyzed at the remote location to diagnose the cause of the anomalous condition, so a decision can be made as to whether the vehicle requires immediate repair, or whether the repair can be scheduled at a later time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a remote computing device; and

an onboard vehicle data collection device logically coupled to a vehicle data bus over which passes a stream of vehicle operational data, the onboard vehicle data collection device including;

a memory;

a ring buffer arranged in the memory;

a data monitoring element to capture a predefined subset of vehicle operational data from the vehicle data bus during vehicle operation, such that the predefined subset of vehicle operational data is continuously copied into the ring buffer during vehicle operation;

a trigger detection element to;

monitor the stream of vehicle operational data;

detect a plurality of predefined trigger events; and

upon detection of a first trigger event of the plurality of predefined trigger events, copy a portion of vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer to an area of the memory allocated for trigger event data that will be wirelessly transmitted to a remote data storage element, wherein the trigger event data includes data representing the first trigger event and the portion of vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer; and

a wireless data link device to communicate the trigger event data to the remote data storage element.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the onboard vehicle data collection device comprises:

a vehicle location sensing element to supply vehicle location data, wherein the trigger event data includes vehicle location data supplied by the vehicle location sensing element at a time proximate the detection of the first trigger event.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger event data also includes at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a predefined period of time before the detection of the first trigger event.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger event data also includes at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a predefined period of time after the detection of the first trigger event.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the trigger event data also includes at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a first predefined period of time before the detection of the first trigger event, and at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a second predefined period of time after the detection of the first trigger event.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the first predefined period of time is about thirty seconds and the second predefined period of time is about fifteen seconds.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first trigger event is directed towards an engine fuel supply event, a vehicle braking event, a vehicle cooling event, or a vehicle transmission event.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the onboard vehicle data collection device comprises:

a user input arranged to manually cause the first trigger event.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the onboard vehicle data collection device forces detection of a second trigger event, the second trigger event.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the portion of vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer has a reconfigurable size.

11. A method, comprising:

operating a vehicle;

passing a stream of vehicle operational data over a vehicle data bus;

continuously capturing, via an onboard vehicle data collection device logically coupled to the vehicle data bus, a predefined subset of vehicle operational data from the vehicle data bus while operating the vehicle;

continuously storing the captured predefined subset of vehicle operational data in a ring buffer arranged in a memory;

detecting, via a trigger detection element, a first trigger event of a detectable plurality of predefined trigger events;

upon detecting the first trigger event, copying a portion of vehicle operational data from the ring buffer to an area of the memory allocated for trigger event data, wherein the trigger event data includes data representing the first trigger event and the portion of vehicle operational data copied into the ring buffer upon detecting the first trigger event; and

communicating, via a wireless data link device, the trigger event data to a remote data storage element.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein detecting the first trigger event includes:

monitoring, via the trigger detection element, the stream of vehicle operational data.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein detecting the first trigger event includes:

monitoring, via the trigger detection element, the captured predefined subset of vehicle operational data.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein detecting the first trigger event includes:

providing vehicle location data via a vehicle location sensing element, wherein the trigger event data includes vehicle location data provided by the vehicle location sensing element at a time proximate the detection of the first trigger event.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the trigger event data also includes at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a first predefined period of time before detecting the first trigger event, and at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a second predefined period of time after detecting the first trigger event.

16. An onboard vehicle data collection device, comprising:

a memory;

a ring buffer arranged in the memory;

a data monitoring element coupled to a vehicle data bus over which passes a stream of vehicle operational data, the data monitoring element arranged to capture a predefined subset of vehicle operational data from the vehicle data bus during vehicle operation such that the predefined subset of vehicle operational data is continuously copied into the ring buffer during vehicle operation;

a trigger detection element to;

monitor vehicle operational data;

detect, based on the monitored vehicle operational data, a plurality of predefined trigger events; and

upon detection of a first trigger event of the plurality of detectable predefined trigger events, copy a portion of vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer to an area of the memory allocated for trigger event data, wherein the trigger event data includes data representing the first trigger event and the portion of vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer; and

a wireless data link interface to communicate the trigger event data toward a remote data storage element.

17. An onboard vehicle data collection device according to claim 16, wherein the trigger detection element to monitor the vehicle operational data is arranged to monitor the stream of vehicle operational data.

18. An onboard vehicle data collection device according to claim 16, wherein the trigger detection element to monitor the vehicle operational data is arranged to monitor the predefined subset of vehicle operational data that is continuously copied into the ring buffer.

19. An onboard vehicle data collection device according to claim 16, wherein the trigger event data also includes at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a first predefined period of time before detecting the first trigger event, and at least some vehicle operational data stored in the ring buffer for a second predefined period of time after detecting the first trigger event.

20. An onboard vehicle data collection device according to claim 16, wherein the trigger event data is only communicated toward the remote data storage element upon detection of the first trigger event.