System for monitoring and recording motor vehicle operating parameters and other data

• US 6,356,823 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alion Science and Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: ITT Research Institute
• Inventors: Russell, David, Gawrelski, Richard J., Iannotti, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/492,687
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 369/21
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4135 using bit-wise arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

A motor vehicle data collection, monitoring and management system is provided for ready connection to the vehicle'"'"'s onboard data network through the data interface provided by the vehicle manufacturer. The data collected includes data available on the manufacturer'"'"'s network, such as network data traffic between control modules, as well as data from discrete components located outside of the motor vehicle network. The data collecting and monitoring system exhibits power saving features including automatic shutdown when the motor vehicle is switched off. A methodology for configuring the system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle having a plurality of sensor devices positioned on the vehicle for sensing operating parameters of said vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, said vehicle further having an onboard vehicle data network for receiving vehicle parameter data from said plurality of sensor devices, the system comprising:

a device for mounting on-board said vehicle;

the device including a passive network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network;

the device further including a plurality of device network modules connected to said passive network connector for data communication with one another;

said plurality of device network modules including a vehicle interface module with a connector for connection to said vehicle data network to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom;

said device network modules residing on separate circuit board substrates removably connected to said passive network connector and including a control module having a central processing unit with program memory storage for storing an operating program for said central processing unit;

said central processing unit and said vehicle interface module cooperating in accordance with said operating program to receive vehicle parameter data from said vehicle and to make said vehicle parameter data available to said device network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of device network modules further including a data storage module and said central processing unit and said data storage module cooperate in accordance with said operating program to store parameter data in said data storage module.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said data storage module includes storage memory.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said data storage module includes a magnetic storage disc.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said vehicle further includes at least one external sensor device positioned on the vehicle for sensing operating parameters of said vehicle and for generating external vehicle parameter data in response thereto;

said plurality of device network modules includes an external vehicle parameter interface module with a connector for connection to said at least one external sensor device to receive external vehicle parameter data therefrom and to make said external vehicle parameter data available to said device network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said network electrical power source is coupled to a vehicle electrical power source to receive electrical power therefrom and said power monitor module operates to terminate power consumed from said vehicle electrical power source when said vehicle electrical power circuit is in an OFF condition.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said circuit board substrates comprise PC/104 cards.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said passive network connector includes stack through connectors for each card.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said passive network connector includes ISA network connectors for each card.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said operating program includes both hardware and software interrupt commands.

11. A system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle having a plurality of sensor devices positioned on the vehicle for sensing operating parameters of said vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, said vehicle further having an onboard vehicle data network for receiving vehicle parameter data from said plurality of sensor devices, and a vehicle electrical power circuit operable between ON and OFF conditions to initiate and to cease operation of portions of said vehicle, respectively;

the system comprising;

a device for mounting on-board said vehicle;

the device including a passive network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network;

the device further including a plurality of device network modules, said plurality of device network modules receiving electrical power from a device network electrical power source, and said plurality of device network modules requiring electrical power from said network electrical power source to operate, with operation of said device network modules being terminated following interruption of power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules;

said plurality of device network modules connected to said passive network connector for data communication with one another;

said plurality of device network modules including a vehicle interface module with a connector for connection to said vehicle data network to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom, and a control module having a central processing unit with program memory storage for storing an operating program for said central processing unit;

said plurality of device network modules includes a power monitor module coupled to said vehicle electrical power circuit to sense the ON and OFF conditions thereof and to interrupt power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules in response to sensing an OFF condition of said vehicle electrical power circuit;

said power monitor module including a time delay system for delaying interruption of power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules for a preselected time delay after an OFF condition of said vehicle electrical power circuit is sensed, the time delay being set by accessing said power monitor module through said device network; and

said central processing unit and said vehicle interface module cooperating in accordance with said operating program to receive vehicle parameter data from said vehicle and to make said vehicle parameter data available to said device network.

12. A system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle a having a vehicle electrical power circuit operable between ON and OFF conditions to initiate and to cease operation of portions of said vehicle, respectively, said vehicle further having at least one sensor device positioned on the vehicle for sensing an operating parameter of said vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, said vehicle further having an onboard vehicle data network for receiving vehicle parameter data from said at least one sensor device, the system comprising:

a device for mounting on-board said vehicle;

the device including a network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network;

the device further including a plurality of device network modules connected to said passive network connector for data communication with one another, said plurality of device network modules receiving electrical power from a device network electrical power source

said plurality of device network modules including a sensor interface module with a connector for connection to said at least one sensor device to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom;

said plurality of device network modules includes a power monitor module coupled to said vehicle electrical power circuit to sense the ON and OFF conditions thereof and to interrupt power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules in response to sensing an OFF condition of said vehicle electrical power circuit;

said plurality of device network modules require electrical power from said network electrical power source to operate, with operation of said device network modules being terminated following interruption of power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules; and

said power monitor module includes a time delay system for delaying interruption of power flow from said network electrical power source to said device network modules for a preselected time delay after an OFF condition of said vehicle electrical power circuit is sensed, the time delay being set by accessing said power monitor module through said device network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said network electrical power source is coupled to a vehicle electrical power source to receive electrical power therefrom and said power monitor module operates to terminate power consumed from said vehicle electrical power source when said vehicle electrical power circuit is in an OFF condition.

14. A system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle having at least one sensor device positioned on the vehicle for sensing an operating parameter of said vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, the system comprising:

a first and a second device for mounting on-board said vehicle, each device including a network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network, a plurality of device network modules connected to said network connector for data communication with one another, said plurality of device network modules including a control module having a central processing unit with a system clock and program memory storage for storing an operating program for said central processing unit;

at least one of said devices having a sensor interface module with a connector for connection to said at least one sensor device to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom,

the system clock of at least one of said devices being synchronizable to an external clock, and

a synchronization communication link between said system clocks for synchronizing the system clocks of one device to the system clock of the other device.

15. A method for generating a data configuration structure used to configure a system for monitoring and recording analog parameter data generated by a vehicle-mounted transducer having a voltage-engineering units slope and network parameter data generated on a vehicle network, comprising the steps of:

entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter;

a name of the parameter;

voltage values defining the voltage-time slope of the transducer;

engineering units to be assigned to the analog parameter data;

storage bin values which must be exceeded before a change in parameter data is recognized;

entering in the data configuration structure, for each network parameter, a name of the parameter, the vehicle network address of the parameter, scale and offset values for the parameter engineering units to be assigned to the vehicle network parameter, and storage bin values which must be exceeded before a change in parameter data is recognized;

entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter, a storage threshold data value which must be exceeded before a change in parameter data is recognized;

entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter and for each network parameter entered, a data representation format for parameter data;

said data representation format including either a histogram format or a compressed time history format;

entering in the data configuration structure, for each histogram format specified, bin ranges expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format; and

entering in the data configuration structure for each compressed time history format specified, bin ranges, expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format, and a hysteresis value, expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter specified, the sample rate at which parameter data is to be sampled by the system for monitoring and recording parameter data.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of entering in the data configuration structure, for each network parameter specified, whether the network parameter is to be stored and monitored or is to be stored without monitoring.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of entering in the data configuration structure, for at least one group parameter, a name of the group parameter, and a name or a vehicle network address of a plurality of network parameters.