Method and system for recording vehicle data relative to vehicle standard time

• US 5,957,986 A
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Freightliner Corporation
• Inventors: Coverdill, Cary N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/137,553
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/35, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/10 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

A master clock on a truck maintains vehicle standard time for the purposes of monitoring and recording vehicle performance data throughout the vehicle. Vehicle performance data is stored for a predefined period of time in response to detecting predefined events. Instances of vehicle performance data are time stamped with vehicle standard time. The master vehicle clock can also maintain the local time displayed to the driver. In response to inputs from the driver, the difference between driver local time and vehicle standard time is computed and the updated local time is displayed to the driver.

Claims

1. A master vehicle clock in a truck comprising:

a real time clock operable to maintain vehicle standard time for vehicle performance data measured from at least two vehicle data measuring devices in the truck;

a data logging device in communication with the vehicle data measuring devices and the real time clock;

the data logging device being operable to buffer vehicle performance parameters from the vehicle data measuring devices and the data logging device being operable to write a set of the buffered vehicle performance parameters along with a vehicle standard time indicator to a file in response to a user input event, where the set of buffered vehicle performance parameters is defined by a moving period of time that includes a time of the user input event;

memory communicative with the real time clock, the memory operable to maintain a difference between the vehicle standard time and a driver local time;

local time display device communicative with the real time clock, the local display device being operable to display the local driver time in a cabin of the truck; and

an input control communicative with the real time clock, the input control being operable to receive input from a user representing a change in the driver local time, and operable to communicate the change to the real time clock.

2. A data recording system on a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle data measuring devices operable to measure vehicle performance data;

a master vehicle clock operable to maintain vehicle standard time for the vehicle, and operable to maintain driver local time;

a data logging device communicative with the plurality of the vehicle data measuring devices and the master vehicle clock, the data logging unit being operable to monitor the vehicle performance data and to record selected vehicle performance data along with a time stamp in vehicle standard time from the master vehicle clock;

a local time display communicative with the master vehicle clock, the local time display being operable to display the driver local time.

3. In a vehicle including a data logging device for monitoring and recording events, a method for recording vehicle data relative to vehicle standard time and for maintaining driver local time, the method comprising:

recording vehicle performance data relative to vehicle standard time by stamping slices of the vehicle performance data with the vehicle standard time from a master vehicle clock;

storing a delta value representing a difference between the vehicle standard time and a driver local time;

computing the driver local time from the delta value and the vehicle standard time;

monitoring for a manually triggered event entered into an input device in the vehicle;

in response to detecting the manually triggered event, storing the slices of vehicle performance data and time stamp in vehicle standard time over a predefined period that includes a time of occurrence of the manually triggered event.