Operator-side system and mode file identifying method

• US 7,962,258 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Kiyoshige
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/065,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 29- 35, 701/36, 34042622-42635
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0297 Reconfiguration of monitoring system, e.g. use of virtual sensors; change monitoring method as a response to monitoring results
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A storing unit stores a map indicating correspondences between keywords representing states of a vehicle and faulty conditions of the vehicle. A keyword setting unit sets the keywords in response to the vehicle as a recorded object. A processing unit identifies the faulty condition corresponding to the set keywords by searching the storing unit. Then, the mode file corresponding to the identified faulty condition is decided as the mode file to be set in a data recording system, based on correspondences between the previously-set faulty conditions and data contents to be recorded and conditions.

Claims

1. An operator-side system comprising:

a storing unit for storing a plurality of computer-readable mode files, codes and keywords, wherein the codes are respectively correlated with the mode files and identify a faulty condition of a vehicle, and the keywords are respectively correlated with the mode files and identify the faulty condition of the vehicle;

a keyword setting unit for setting the codes and the keywords as search keys, wherein the codes are acquired via a network from a control unit mounted on the vehicle, the keywords are input by an operator, and the network transmits/receives information to/from the control unit; and

a processing unit for identifying the mode file corresponding to the search keys among the plurality of mode files based on the search keys,

wherein contents of the mode files comprise types of the vehicle data and acquiring conditions, which are required to take measures against a particular faulty condition, out of a plurality of different vehicle data that contain control parameters in the control unit; and

wherein the codes and the keywords are different from the vehicle data and acquiring conditions in the correlated mode files.

2. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the codes comprise diagnosis codes generated in the control unit.

3. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the keywords comprise character strings reflecting states of the vehicle assumed in the faulty conditions.

4. The operator-side system according to claim 3, wherein the keywords further comprise character strings representing driving environments of the vehicle.

5. The operator-side system according claim 1, wherein the storing unit further stores a predetermined mode file in which types of the vehicle data and acquiring conditions, which are required commonly to take measures against various faulty conditions that are not correlated with the codes and the keywords, are described, and

the processing unit identifies the predetermined mode file when the mode file corresponding to the search keys is not identified.

6. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the storing unit further stores:

a plurality of file sets respectively correlated with different types and models of vehicles and respectively comprising units of the plurality of mode files; and

identifiers of the control unit respectively correlated with types and models of a plurality of vehicles, and

wherein the processing unit identifies a type and a model of the vehicle, which correspond to the identifiers acquired, among the types and the models of the plurality of vehicles based on the identifiers acquired from the control unit, and

the processing unit also identifies a file set, which corresponds to the type and the model of the vehicle identified, among the plurality of file sets.

7. The operator-side system according to claim 1,

wherein the mode files contain one or more of values learned by the control unit and peripheral information of the vehicle, as the acquired contents, and

wherein the values learned by the control unit comprise signals from sensors.

8. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein a sensitivity of an acceleration sensor is set differently in response to individual mode file in the plurality of mode files.

9. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the network transmits/receives information to/from a data recording system, wherein the vehicle data is recorded to the data recording system based on the types and the acquiring conditions described in the mode file decided, and the data recording system can execute the data communication with the control unit, and

wherein the keyword setting unit acquires the codes from the control unit via the data recording system.

12. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the mode files comprise acquired contents and acquired data to identify the faulty condition and the acquired contents and the acquired data are set in advance in the mode files.

13. The operator-side system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit identifies the mode file which is correlated most with, the code or the keyword corresponding to the search key.

10. An operator-side device comprising:

a storing unit for storing a plurality of computer-readable mode files, codes and keywords, wherein the codes are respectively correlated with the mode files and identify a faulty condition of a vehicle, and the keywords are respectively correlated with the mode files and identify the faulty condition of the vehicle;

a keyword setting unit for setting the codes and the key words as search keys, wherein the codes are acquired via a network from a control unit mounted on the vehicle, the keywords are input by an operator, and the network transmits/receives information to/from the control unit; and

a processing unit for identifying the mode file corresponding to the search keys among the plurality of mode files based on the search keys,

wherein contents of the mode files stored in the storing unit comprise types of the vehicle data and acquiring conditions, which are required to take measures against a particular faulty condition out of a plurality of different vehicle data that contain control parameters in the control unit; and

wherein the codes and the keywords are different from the vehicle data and acquiring conditions described in the correlated mode files.

11. The operator-side system according to claim 10, wherein the respective mode file is stored in the storing unit prior to recording vehicle data.

14. An operator-side system comprising:

a storing unit for storing a plurality of computer-readable mode files, codes and keywords, wherein the codes are respectively correlated with the mode files;

a keyword setting unit for setting the codes and the keywords as search keys, wherein the codes are acquired via a network from a control unit mounted on the vehicle, the keywords are input by an operator, and the network transmits/receives information to/from the control unit; and

a processing unit for identifying the mode file corresponding to the search keys among the plurality of mode files based on the search keys,

wherein contents of the mode files comprise types of the vehicle data and acquiring conditions, and the processing unit identifies the mode file which is correlated most with the code or the keyword corresponding to the search key; and

wherein the codes and the keywords are different from the vehicle data and acquiring conditions described in the correlated mode files.