Interface and monitoring system and method for a vehicle idling control system

• US 8,938,331 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Oakes, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US13/412,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-278, 714/46, 715/705, 715708-710, 701/1, 701/29.1, 701/33.4, 701/34.4, 701/36, 701/99, 62/36.1, 621/32, 621/33, 622/39, 622/44, 165 41- 44, 165/271
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/322 for improving the stop or idling operation of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/2262 related to the period of on/off time of the heater
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An idle control system for a vehicle is provided.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring vehicle operation including the steps of:

operating an auxiliary HVAC system in a vehicle to heat or cool the vehicle with the auxiliary HVAC system powered by a battery of the vehicle;

logging operation parameters regarding operation of the auxiliary HVAC system in a storage device;

in response to the operation parameters indicating an operational failure of the auxiliary HVAC system to heat or cool the vehicle to a desired temperature, operating a heating and air conditioning system under power of an engine of the vehicle in combination with the auxiliary HVAC system without regard to a position of an ignition switch of the vehicle;

removing stored operation parameters that have aged beyond a pre-determined age; and

preventing automatic removal of stored operation parameters for a defined timeframe surrounding an indication of the operational failure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of logging operation parameters includes logging environmental conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of manually removing the stored operation parameters for the defined timeframe surrounding the operational failure.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing troubleshooting instructions to a user upon detection of the operational failure.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes:

providing interactive troubleshooting instructions to a user in response to the operational failure;

receiving input from the user in response to the troubleshooting instructions;

in response to the input, providing different information to the user.

6. The method of claim 5, which includes

displaying the troubleshooting instructions and the different information to the user;

and

wherein the troubleshooting instructions include at least one of an illustration and a schematic, and the troubleshooting instructions direct at least one of diagnosing the operational failure and correcting the operational failure.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes:

determining a first amount of time that the engine spends idling without operation of the auxiliary HVAC system and a second amount of time that the engine spends idling with operation of the auxiliary HVAC system; and

providing an indication corresponding to fuel savings as a function of the first amount of time and the second amount of time.

8. A method of monitoring operation of a vehicle, comprising:

operating an auxiliary HVAC device mounted in the vehicle to heat or cool the vehicle with the auxiliary HVAC device powered by a battery of the vehicle;

storing operation parameters of the auxiliary HVAC device;

removing stored operation parameters that have aged beyond a pre-determined age when an operational failure of the auxiliary HVAC device is absent;

detecting the operational failure of the auxiliary HVAC device to heat or cool the vehicle to a desired temperature;

in response to detecting the operational failure, operating a heating and air conditioning system under power of an engine of the vehicle in combination with the auxiliary HVAC device without regard to a position of an ignition switch of the vehicle; and

retaining the stored operation parameters for a predefined timeframe when the operational failure is detected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the storing of the operation parameters includes logging environmental conditions.

10. The method of claim 8, further including providing troubleshooting information to a user in response to the detecting of the operational failure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the troubleshooting information instructs the user in diagnosing the operational failure.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the troubleshooting information instructs the user in correcting the operational failure.

13. The method of claim 8, which includes displaying information corresponding to the operational failure to a user on a display screen of the device.

14. The method of claim 8, which includes providing interactive troubleshooting instructions to a user in response to the operational failure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user provides input to the device in response to the troubleshooting instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes providing different information to the user in response to the input.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes displaying the troubleshooting instructions to the user and displaying the different information to the user in response to the input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the troubleshooting instructions include at least one illustration.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the troubleshooting instructions include at least one schematic corresponding to the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the troubleshooting instructions instruct the user for at least one of diagnosing the operational failure and correcting the operational failure, and including at least one of an illustration and a schematic.

21. The method of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary HVAC device includes an auxiliary HVAC accessory, and which includes determining a first amount of time that the engine spends idling without operation of the HVAC accessory and a second amount of time that the engine spends idling with operation of the HVAC accessory.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes providing an indication corresponding to fuel savings as a function of the first amount of time and the second amount of time.