On-vehicle breakdown-warning report system

• US 6,972,669 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kozo, Saito, Masahiko, Nakahara, Takashi, Manaka, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US10/687,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/428, 340/439, 340/441, 340/459, 340/461, 701/29, 701/31, 701/35
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/0422 involving data transmission, e.g. via satellite or GPS; for data monitoring, telemetry or platooning purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/044 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/08 Failure or malfunction detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/80 Detection or control after a system or component failure
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/802 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/041 Built in Test Equipment [BITE]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system is disclosed. an occurrence of break-down is detected and judged based on a signal in an electronic control system installed on a control apparatus for an engine ignition system, a charging system, an engine fuel system, a engine cooling system, a power transmission system, and an oil lubricating system of an automobile or a diagnosis display system; and a diagnostic data is sent to an information terminal device of a diagnosis and maintenance agency or a service company having a diagnosis and maintenance agency as a contents information by using an on-vehicle mobile communication apparatus, and an action for an emergency measures and a maintenance schedule is asked.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system, wherein

an occurrence of break-down is detected and judged based on a signal in an electronic control system installed on a control apparatus for an engine ignition system, a charging system, an engine fuel system, a engine cooling system, a power transmission system, and an oil lubricating system of an automobile or a diagnosis display system;

a current vehicle position and diagnostic data are sent to an information terminal device of at least a service company having plural diagnosis and maintenance agencies, as a contents information, using an on-vehicle mobile communication apparatus, and a proposal for an emergency measures and a maintenance schedule are requested; and

said service company requests estimates for maintenance proposals from diagnosis and maintenance companies based on said current position and diagnostic data;

an estimate for maintenance from said diagnosis and maintenance agencies, which is transmitted from said service company as a collection of responsive estimates for maintenance from said diagnosis and maintenance agencies, is received, and said estimate is presented to a user;

said user is allowed to select a diagnosis and maintenance agency;

the user'"'"'s selection of a diagnosis and maintenance agency from among the diagnosis and maintenance agencies is received for displaying navigation information for travel to the selected diagnosis and maintenance agency, based on position information of the selected diagnostic and maintenance agency.

2. A vehicle break-down diagnosis and maintenance diagnosis system, wherein

by comparing control data of a powertrain and vehicle control system in a designated operation condition with an allowable zone for a normal operation condition, when a break-down diagnostic processing program installed in a vehicle provides a diagnosis result indicating that said control data is located outside said allowable zone, said diagnosis result is reported to a driver with an on-vehicle display panel;

said break-down diagnostic processing program outputs a diagnostic data card recording a history reaching an abnormal data, and transmits said diagnostic data card via a mobile data communication terminal to an information terminal of a service company having a plurality of maintenance agencies, as content information;

said service company receives said diagnostic data card, collects responses from said maintenance agencies, including estimates for exchanging of parts and investigation and maintenance, and whether or not inspection and measurement is necessary based on said diagnostic data card and a current position, and transmits the collected responses together with position information of respective maintenance agencies; and

said system receives said responses of said maintenance agencies and displays navigation information for travel to the maintenance agency, based on a position information of the maintenance agency, for ordering maintenance and inspection.

3. An on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system, comprising:

a break-down diagnosis apparatus for outputting a diagnostic result based on control data for a control system including powertrain control and vehicle control in a designated operation condition, and control data for an ordinary operation condition;

an on-vehicle panel for displaying a diagnostic result from said break-down diagnosis apparatus for individual component parts of said control system; and

a memory apparatus for storing control data for individual component parts, or diagnostic data, as a diagnostic result obtained by comparing said control data with an allowable range;

an on-vehicle mobile data communication terminal;

a vehicle maintenance selection apparatus; and

a maintenance information acquisition apparatus for,

when a component part is specified on said on-vehicle panel, sending control data or diagnostic data for said component part, requesting maintenance information, estimate information regarding for changes required for inspection and maintenance work, and position information regarding respective maintenance agencies, to plural maintenance agencies outside a vehicle, and acquiring maintenance information individually from said plural maintenance agencies;

for displaying acquired plural maintenance information and estimation information; and

for receiving as an input a selection of a maintenance agency to which a maintenance work is ordered based displayed maintenance information and estimation information, and

displaying navigation information for travel to the selected maintenance agency based on the position information of the selected maintenance agency.

4. An on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system of claim 3, wherein

said control system further includes a body control and an information control.

5. An on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system of claim 3, wherein

a measured data or setting data in a normal operation condition is used for a control data in a normal operation condition.

6. A server system for receiving and processing a data through a network or a public circuit comprising a vehicle information data base which stores a diagnostic data card received from a wireless communication system installed on plural vehicles, and a maintenance agency information data base in which information on the maintenance agency and service providing conditions are stored;

wherein;

when said server system receives the diagnostic data card from said vehicle a break-down diagnosis is performed based on a history of a diagnostic result for the vehicle, the received diagnostic data card, and diagnostic data card for the vehicle stored in said vehicle information data base;

said server system stores an answer regarding a necessity for maintenance, an estimate for renewal parts and inspection and maintenance work, and a necessity for inspection and measurement obtained on the basis of the diagnostic result in said vehicle data card; and

said server system sends information concerning a maintenance agency adapted to the service providing conditions to the vehicle.