Engine diagnostic method

• US 7,689,334 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lythgoe, Oliver Michael James, Massen, Anthony Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/540,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/33, 701/35, 702/188
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method is provided for diagnosing an engine system. The method may include receiving a request for diagnosing an engine system, delivering a diagnostic module to the requester from a location remote from the engine system, and having the diagnostic module coupled to the engine system. The method may further include diagnosing the engine system based on information received by the diagnostic module, and providing repair assistance based on the diagnosing of the engine system.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing an engine system, comprising:

receiving a request for diagnosing an engine system;

delivering a diagnostic module to the requester from a location remote from the engine system;

having the diagnostic module coupled to the engine system;

diagnosing the engine system based on information received by the diagnostic module; and

providing repair assistance based on the diagnosing of the engine system, the providing of repair assistance including transmitting repair instructions to the diagnostic module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnosing of the engine system includes transmitting data from the diagnostic module to a location remote from the engine system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the repair instructions include instructions to reconfigure an electronic control module of the engine system based on the diagnosing of the engine system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the repair instructions includes instructions to reconfigure the electronic control module with engine configuration information stored in a memory of the diagnostic module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of repair assistance includes selectively sending an engineer having a particular level of skills to the requestor for repairing the engine system based on a difficulty level of a problem as diagnosed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of repair assistance includes sending a part to the requester to repair the engine system.

7. The method of claim 1, further including receiving the diagnostic module back after providing the repair assistance.

8. A method of diagnosing an engine system comprising:

receiving a request for diagnosing an engine system;

delivering a diagnostic module to the requestor;

initiating diagnosis of the engine including

sensing at least one parameter of the engine system and generating data representing the sensed at least one parameter,

transmitting the data to the diagnostic module coupled to the engine system,

transmitting output data from the diagnostic module to a location remote from the engine system through a communication link;

diagnosing the engine system with the output data from the diagnostic module; and

changing engine configuration information in an electronic control module of the engine system, the engine configuration information including at least engine fuel map information.

9. The method of claim 8, further including,

resensing at least one parameter of the engine system and regenerating data representing the resensed at least one parameter;

transmitting the data to the diagnostic module coupled to the engine system;

transmitting output data from the diagnostic module to a location remote from the engine system through the network; and

diagnosing the engine system with the output data from the diagnostic module.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the changing of the engine configuration information in the electronic control module includes obtaining the engine configuration information from a memory of the diagnostic module, and changing the engine configuration information in the electronic control module with the engine configuration information obtained from the memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the changing of the engine configuration information in the electronic control module includes obtaining the engine configuration information through the network, and changing the engine configuration information in the electronic control module with the engine configuration information received through the network.

12. The method of claim 8 further including, processing the data transmitted to the diagnostic module in a processor of the diagnostic module to generate an initial diagnostic message.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the diagnostic module is implemented with a CAN calibration protocol.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the engine fuel map information includes information related to revolutions per minute of the engine and air density.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein changing the engine configuration information includes a user of the engine system instructing the diagnostic module to reconfigure the electronic control module.

16. A method of diagnosing an engine system comprising:

sending a request for diagnosing an engine system to a service provider;

receiving a diagnostic module from the service provider the diagnostic module configured to be electronically coupled to the engine system;

transmitting diagnostic data generated by the diagnostic module to the service provider; and

receiving repair information from the service provider to the diagnostic module based on the transmitted diagnostic data, the repair information including instructions to reconfigure an electronic control module of the engine system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving repair information includes receiving instructions to reconfigure the electronic control module with engine configuration information stored in a memory of the diagnostic module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving repair information includes engine configuration information to repair the engine system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein electronic coupling of the diagnostic module to the engine system includes coupling the diagnostic module to the engine system through a controller area network data bus.

20. The method of claim 16, further including sending the diagnostic module back to the service provider after receiving the repair assistance.