Vehicular diagnostic method, vehicular diagnostic system, vehicle and center

• US 8,386,117 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US12/591,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701 291- 294, 701 314- 319, 701 322- 324, 709/218, 455/423, 455/67.11, 702182-184, 702/62, 702/108, 702/122, 702/123, 702/188, 340/426.13, 34042616-42618, 340/539.11, 340/539.14
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

When determining that a failure has occurred, a vehicle (10) transmits alarm lamp illumination information, vehicle ID information and user identification information to a center (20). The center (20) transmits the received alarm lamp illumination information to an automobile dealer computer (30) at an automobile dealer. The center (20) then obtains abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer, prepares an abnormality notification, and transmits the abnormality notification to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) notifies a user of the abnormality notification, and reserves servicing at the automobile dealer through an operation of a reservation button performed by the user. With the reservation, the center (20) transmits an abnormality transmission request to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) collects failure information in response to the failure information transmission request, and transmits the failure information to the center (20). The center (20) transmits detailed abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer to the vehicle (10).

Claims

1. A communications center, comprising:

means for receiving from a vehicle a first failure information specifying a failure that has occurred in the vehicle and for transmitting to the vehicle a first countermeasure information in response to the first failure information; and

means for preparing a first countermeasure information, which provides countermeasures for the specified failure, in response to the first failure information;

wherein;

the means for receiving receives from the vehicle a second failure information indicating details regarding the failure, after transmitting the first countermeasure information, and transmits to the vehicle a second countermeasure information in response to the second failure information;

the means for preparing prepares a second countermeasure information, which provides countermeasures for the details regarding the failure in the second failure information, in response to the second failure information; and

when a data volume of the second failure information is equal to or larger than a predetermined information volume, the means for receiving receives the second failure information in a plurality of pieces such that each piece does not exceed the predetermined information volume.

2. The communications center according to claim 1, further comprising

means for storing at least the first failure information from among the first failure information and the second failure information received by the means for receiving.

3. The communications center according to claim 1, wherein

the collected details regarding the failure specified in the second failure information include at least one of sensor information from various sensors mounted in the vehicle, operation state information of the device mounted in the vehicle, and self-diagnosis information from the device mounted in the vehicle.

4. A communications center, comprising:

a communication device that receives a first failure information, specifying a failure that has occurred in a vehicle, from the vehicle; and

a controller that prepares a first countermeasure information that provides countermeasures for the first failure information;

wherein;

the communication device receives a second failure information, indicating details regarding the failure, from the vehicle in response to the first countermeasure information;

the controller prepares a second countermeasure information that provides countermeasures for the second failure information; and

when a data volume of the second failure information is equal to or larger than a predetermined information volume, the communication device receives the second failure information in a plurality of pieces such that each piece does not exceed the predetermined information volume.

5. The communications center according to claim 4, further comprises

a storage device that stores at least the first failure information from among the first failure information and the second failure information transmitted from the vehicle.

6. The communications center according to claim 4, wherein

the collected details regarding the failure specified in the second failure information include at least one of sensor information from various sensors mounted in the vehicle, operation state information of the device mounted in the vehicle, and self-diagnosis information from the device mounted in the vehicle.