VEHICLE DIAGNOSIS BASED ON VEHICLE SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS

• US 20170076514A1
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: BARLOW, ROGER C. Jr., VALERI, FRANK C., REILLY, SCOTT M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,824,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/00 Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof monitoring of programme-control systems G05B19/048, G05B19/406
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Methods and systems for diagnosing vehicle systems using vehicle sounds, vibrations, or both, are provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises one or more sensors and a processor. The one or more sensors are configured to measure a sound, a vibration, or both, produced by one or more vehicle components. The processor is coupled to the one or more sensors. The processor is configured to compare the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound for the one or more vehicle components, generating a comparison; and diagnose a vehicle system or device using the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring a sound, a vibration, or both produced by one or more vehicle components;

comparing the measured sound, vibration or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components, generating a comparison; and

diagnosing a vehicle system or device using the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

taking a vehicle action based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring one or more vehicle parameters during operation of a vehicle;

wherein the step of comparing the measured sound or vibration with an expected sound comprises comparing the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components in consideration of the one or more measured vehicle parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of comparing the measured sound or vibration with an expected sound or vibration from the one or more vehicle components based on prior vehicle testing including measurement of vehicle sounds, vibrations, or both under conditions with similar values of the one or more vehicle parameters.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the step of measuring the one or more vehicle parameters comprises measuring a powertrain torque during operation of a vehicle; and

the step of comparing the measured sound or vibration with an expected sound or vibration comprises comparing the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components in consideration of the powertrain torque.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the step of measuring the one or more vehicle parameters comprises measuring a number of revolutions per minute (rpm) of an engine of a vehicle during operation of the vehicle; and

the step of comparing the measured sound or vibration with an expected sound or vibration comprises comparing the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components in consideration of the rpm of the engine.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the step of measuring the one or more vehicle parameters comprises measuring an engagement of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle during operation of the vehicle; and

the step of comparing the measured sound or vibration with an expected sound or vibration comprises comparing the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components in consideration of the engagement of the accelerator pedal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of measuring a sound or vibration comprises measuring a sound from an induction system of the vehicle using a microphone or accelerometer;

the step of generating the comparison comprises comparing the measured induction system sound with an expected induction system sound; and

the step of diagnosing a vehicle system or device comprises diagnosing the vehicle system or device using the comparison of the measured induction system sound with an expected induction system sound.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of measuring a sound or vibration comprises measuring a sound from an exhaust system of the vehicle using a microphone or accelerometer;

the step of generating the comparison comprises comparing the measured exhaust system sound with an expected exhaust system sound; and

the step of diagnosing a vehicle system or device comprises diagnosing the vehicle system or device using the comparison of the measured exhaust system sound with an expected exhaust system sound.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of measuring a sound or vibration comprises measuring a vibration from a powertrain mounting apparatus using an accelerometer;

the step of generating the comparison comprises comparing the measured vibration with an expected vibration from the powertrain mounting apparatus; and

the step of diagnosing a vehicle system or device comprises diagnosing the vehicle system or device using the comparison of the measured vibration with the expected vibration.

11. A method comprising:

operating one or more test vehicles under a plurality of conditions, each of the plurality of conditions representing a different combination of values of different vehicle parameters;

measuring a corresponding powertrain-related sound, vibration, or both for each of the plurality of conditions; and

storing, in memory, information pertaining to each of the plurality of conditions along with the corresponding powertrain-related sound, vibration, or both for each of the plurality of conditions, for subsequent use in diagnosing one or more vehicle systems or devices by comparing engine-related sounds, vibrations, or both in a subsequent drive cycle with the stored information.

12. A system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a sound, a vibration, or both produced by one or more vehicle components; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, the processor configured to;

compare the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components, generating a comparison; and

diagnose a vehicle system or device using the comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

one or more additional sensors configured to measure one or more vehicle parameters during operation of a vehicle;

wherein the processor is further coupled to the one or more additional sensors, and is further configured to compare the measured sound, vibration, or both with an expected sound, vibration, or both for the one or more vehicle components in consideration of the one or more measured vehicle parameters to generate the comparison.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory configured to store information from prior vehicle testing including measurement of vehicle sounds under conditions with similar values of the one or more vehicle parameters;

wherein the processor is further configured to generate the comparison using the stored information from the memory.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more additional sensors are configured to measure a powertrain torque during operation of a vehicle; and

the one or more vehicle parameters include the powertrain torque.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more additional sensors are configured to measure an engagement of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, a measure of revolutions per minute of an engine of the vehicle, or both, during operation of the vehicle; and

the one or more vehicle parameters include the measure of the engagement of the accelerator pedal.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure the sound from one or more vehicle components that are mechanically coupled to an engine of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone or accelerometer configured to measure the sound from an induction system of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone or accelerometer configured to measure the sound from an exhaust system of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer configured to measure the sound from a vibration of a powertrain mounting apparatus of the vehicle.