Driving diagnosis apparatus and driving diagnosis system

• US 8,099,208 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tauchi, Nobutaka, Sekiyama, Hiroaki, Takeuchi, Shojiro, Oki, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US12/733,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 35, 701/123, 701200-201
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A driving diagnosis apparatus temporarily records a diagnosis result of the user before changed when a user is switched, and starts to diagnose the user after changed. Accordingly, since driving status of each user is independently diagnosed, the diagnosis result is proper. Further, when a driving distance of the vehicle is smaller than a threshold, the diagnosis result of a driving interval is not recorded so that the driving interval is removed from an object of giving a point. Influence to environment is also considered in evaluation of the driving status. Accordingly, in the driving diagnosis apparatus and a driving diagnosis system for diagnosing driving status and for evaluating a driver based on the diagnosis result, the diagnosis and the evaluation are properly performed.

Claims

1. A driving diagnosis apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an obtaining means for obtaining vehicle information that represents a vehicle condition;

a diagnosing means for diagnosing driving status of the vehicle based on the vehicle information when the vehicle runs;

a diagnosis result recording means for recording a diagnosis result of the diagnosing means;

a calculating means for calculating a point to be given to a driver based on the diagnosis result;

a calculation result recording means for recording a calculation result of the calculating means;

a registering means for registering an user;

a selecting and switching means for selecting and switching the user among registered users at least in the registering means; and

a driving distance determining means for determining whether a driving distance during first to fourth trip periods in an on-off term is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, wherein

the on-off term is defined as a period from time at which an accessory switch of the vehicle turns on to time at which the switch turns off,

the first trip period is defined as a period from time at which the accessory switch turns on to time at which the switch turns off when the user is not switched in the on-off term,

the second trip period is defined as a period from user switching time to next user switching time when the user is switched twice or more in the on-off term,

the third trip period is defined as a period from time at which the accessory switch turns on to first user switching time when the user is switched in the on-off term,

the fourth trip period is defined as a period from last user switching time to time at which the accessory switch turns off when the user is switched in the on-off term,

the diagnosis result recording means records the diagnosis result during one of the first to fourth trip periods in each user who is selected or switched by the selecting and switching means when the determining means determines in a determination process that the driving distance during the one of the first to fourth trip periods is equal to or larger than the threshold,

the diagnosis result recording means does not record the diagnosis result during one of the first to fourth trip periods when the determining means determines in the determination process that the driving distance during the one of the first to fourth trip periods is not equal to or larger than the threshold, and

the calculation result recording means records the point as the calculation result of the calculating means in each user who is selected or switched by the selecting and switching means.

2. The driving diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the selecting and switching means recognizes the user as a selecting object when the user is selected, and selects the user as the selecting object when recognition is successful, and

wherein the selecting and switching means recognizes a new user after switched when the user is switched, and selects the new user when recognition is successful.

3. The driving diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an anomaly determining means for determining anomaly of the obtaining means,

wherein the driving distance determining means removes one of the first to fourth trip periods, in which the anomaly determining means determines anomaly of the obtaining means, and defines removed periods as new trip periods, so that the driving distance determining means executes the determination process with using the new trip periods.

4. The driving diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the diagnosis result recording means determines whether the user is selected after one of the first to fourth trip periods when the user has not been selected in the one of the first to fourth trip periods, and

wherein the diagnosis result recording means records the diagnosis result in the one of the first to fourth trip periods in relation to the selected user when the diagnosis result recording means determines that the user is selected.

5. The driving diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the registering means registers the user sorted into one of groups,

wherein the calculation result recording means aggregates the points in all users sorted into the one of groups, and records the aggregated points in each group, instead of recording the points in each user, when the user is sorted into one of groups and registered.

6. A driving diagnosis system comprising:

an in-vehicle apparatus mounted on a vehicle; and

a server configured to communicate with the in-vehicle apparatus,

wherein the in-vehicle apparatus includes;

an obtaining means for obtaining vehicle information that represents a vehicle condition;

a diagnosing means for diagnosing driving status of the vehicle based on the vehicle information when the vehicle runs;

a diagnosis result recording means for recording a diagnosis result of the diagnosing means; and

an in-vehicle apparatus side transmitting means for transmitting information about the diagnosis result recorded by the diagnosis result recording means to the server,

wherein the server includes;

a calculating means for calculating a point to be given to a driver based on the information about the diagnosis result received from the in-vehicle apparatus;

a calculation result recording means for recording a calculation result of the calculating means as the point; and

a server side transmitting means for transmitting information about the calculation result recorded by the calculation result recording means to the in-vehicle apparatus,

wherein the in-vehicle apparatus further includes;

a registering means for registering an user;

a selecting and switching means for selecting and switching the user among registered users at least in the registering means; and

a driving distance determining means for determining whether a driving distance during first to fourth trip periods in an on-off term is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the on-off term is defined as a period from time at which an accessory switch of the vehicle turns on to time at which the switch turns off,

wherein the first trip period is defined as a period from time at which the accessory switch turns on to time at which the switch turns off when the user is not switched in the on-off term,

wherein the second trip period is defined as a period from user switching time to next user switching time when the user is switched twice or more in the on-off term,

wherein the third trip period is defined as a period from time at which the accessory switch turns on to first user switching time when the user is switched in the on-off term,

wherein the fourth trip period is defined as a period from last user switching time to time at which the accessory switch turns off when the user is switched in the on-off term,

wherein the diagnosis result recording means records the diagnosis result during one of the first to fourth trip periods in each user who is selected or switched by the selecting and switching means when the determining means determines in a determination process that the driving distance during the one of the first to fourth trip periods is equal to or larger than the threshold,

wherein the diagnosis result recording means does not record the diagnosis result during one of the first to fourth trip periods when the determining means determines in the determination process that the driving distance during the one of the first to fourth trip periods is not equal to or larger than the threshold, and

wherein the calculation result recording means records the point as the calculation result of the calculating means in each user who is selected or switched by the selecting and switching means.