Vehicle management system

• US 6,701,232 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaki, Masahito
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/128,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/34
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle management system for monitoring vehicle maintenance conditions includes a self-diagnosing system mounted on a vehicle for monitoring a control system by an on-board diagnosis apparatus and for storing a diagnosis information with first data related to a target diagnosis when an abnormality is recognized and second data being close to a trouble determination level even though within a normal range. A data communication system transmits the diagnosis information to an outside receiver via a wireless communication. An external database system receives the diagnosis information to accumulate it. A network system analyzes the second data and distributes an analyzed result to at least one of a user of the vehicle and a department with an access right to the database system.

Claims

1. A vehicle management system for monitoring vehicle maintenance conditions, comprising:

a self-diagnosing system mounted on a vehicle for monitoring a control system by an on-board diagnosis apparatus and for storing a diagnosis information with first data related to a target diagnosis when an abnormality is recognized and second data being close to a trouble determination level even though within a normal range;

a data communication system for transmitting said diagnosis information to an outside receiver via a wireless communication;

an external database system for receiving to accumulate said diagnosis information; and

a network system for analyzing said second data and for distributing an analyzed result to at least one of a user of the vehicle and a department with an access right to said database system.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains at least one of parameters of said control system.

3. The vehicle management system according to claim 2, wherein said diagnosis information contains said data obtained during an execution of diagnosis operations.

4. The vehicle management system according to claim 2, wherein said diagnosis information contains said data obtained in a predetermined period from a start to an end of diagnosis operations.

5. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains said data obtained during an execution of diagnosis operations.

6. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains said data obtained in a predetermined period from a start to an end of diagnosis operations.

7. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains an actuator information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a variance of a parameter accompanied with operations of said actuator.

8. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains a cooling system information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a difference between a temperature at a drive condition and an actual temperature.

9. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains an evaporating purge system information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a pressure change in said evaporating purge system.

10. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains a sensor information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a rationality between an output value of said sensor and a value assumed from a parameter related to a detection parameter of said sensor.

11. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains a fuel system information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a diagnosis value indicative of an A/F ratio control state.

12. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains diagnosis information of a wiring and input/output units connected to said wiring determined as being abnormal in dependency on whether an input/output continue to be deviated from a prescribed range in a specification.

13. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains diagnosis information of a catalyst for cleaning exhaust gas determined as being abnormal on the basis of a ratio of an inversion period of an output value of an A/F ratio sensor at an upstream side and at a downstream of said catalyst for cleaning exhaust gases of an engine.

14. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains an A/F ratio sensor information determined as being abnormal on the basis of a time to reach a target A/F ratio or an inversion time of a sensor output value.

15. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains a recirculating exhaust gas system information determined as being abnormal on the basis of an amount of variance in either one of an intake air amount, an intake pipe pressure or an EGR gas temperature accompanied with an executing/halting of recirculating exhaust gas.

16. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains a misfire diagnosis information of an ignition system determined by whether a misfire of said ignition system occurs or not on the basis of a difference in a rotational rate of an engine between cylinders in a predetermined crank angle interval.

17. The vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis information contains diagnosis information of a sensor determined as being abnormal on the basis of output values of sensors.