Apparatus for recording vehicular data, controller for recording vehicular data, and vehicular data recording system

• US 8,527,138 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nishino, Eisuke, Nagano, Yuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US13/213,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.2, 701/33.4, 701/430, 701/461, 701/540
• US Class Current: 701/32.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 41/00 Fittings for identifying vehicles in case of collision; Fittings for marking or recording collision areas
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first memory device, a second memory device and a controller. The first memory device stores vehicular data in accident. The second memory device has control data area for storing control data in nonvolatile manner. The controller records the vehicular data stored in the first memory device into the control data area of the second memory device by overwriting the control data in response to vehicular accident. It is possible to increase a recordable amount of vehicular data in vehicular accident without increasing recording capacity exclusively preserved to vehicular data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording vehicular data, comprising:

a first memory device which temporarily stores vehicular data, wherein the vehicular data includes at least operating data of an actuator and/or detecting data of a sensor;

a second memory device which has control data area for storing control data in nonvolatile manner, wherein the control data is data used to control a vehicle; and

a controller which records the vehicular data stored in the first memory device into the control data area of the second memory device by overwriting the control data in response to vehicular accident.

2. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to receive abnormal information about at least one of the sensor or the actuator, and wherein the controller changes an amount of storing capacity for the vehicular data in the second memory device so that the more a number of the abnormal information increases, the more an amount of the control data area in the second memory device is changed to store the vehicular data.

3. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the controller changes amount of storing capacity for the vehicular data in the second memory device in accordance with a predetermined vehicle condition.

4. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the controller changes an amount of storing capacity for the vehicular data in the second memory device so that the more a total score of seriousness of failure increases, the more amount of the control data area in the second memory device is changed to store the vehicular data, the total score being obtained by summing scores of failed sensor(s) and actuator(s), each score being determined based on a kind of sensor(s) and actuator(s).

5. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the controller inhibits further overwriting to the control data area after the vehicular data is recorded on the control data area.

6. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 5, wherein

inhibition of the overwriting to the control data area where the vehicular data is recorded is canceled;

a default value of control data to the control data area where the vehicular data is recorded is set; and

canceling the inhibition of the overwriting and setting the default value are performed by using an external device.

7. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the controller records vehicular data generated by the sensor or the actuator in abnormal condition into the control data area which stores control data relating to the sensor or actuator in abnormal condition.

8. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein

the second memory device includes a control data area where a learning control value, which substitutes a default value, is stored, and wherein the controller records vehicular data into the control data area where the learning control value is stored.

9. The apparatus for recording vehicular data in claim 1, wherein the vehicular data includes engine revolution speed, vehicle speed, engine coolant temperature, operating degree of a gas pedal, operating history of the gas pedal, opening degree of a throttle valve, position of a shift range, output of a front G-sensor, an output of a rear G-sensor, and/or pressure of brake fluid.

10. A vehicular data recording system comprising:

a sensor;

a first controller which is electrically connected with the sensor and outputs information about vehicular accident based on an output signal from the sensor;

a first memory device which temporarily stores vehicular data, wherein the vehicular data includes at least operating data of an actuator and/or detecting data of the sensor or another sensor;

a second memory device which has a control data area for storing control data in nonvolatile manner, wherein the control data is data used to control a vehicle;

a second controller which is electrically connected with the first controller and records the vehicular data stored in the first memory device into the control data area of the second memory device by overwriting the control data in response to vehicular accident.

11. A controller for recording vehicular data, the controller controlling a first memory device which temporarily stores vehicular data and a second memory device which has control data area for storing control data in nonvolatile manner, wherein the vehicular data includes at least operating data of an actuator and/or detecting data of a sensor and wherein the control data is data used to control a vehicle, the controller comprising:

command means for outputting command to record the vehicular data stored in the first memory device into the control data area in the second memory device in overwriting manner in response to information about vehicular accident.