Optimization of a vehicle to compensate for water contamination of a fluid of a vehicle component

• US 10,137,905 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dai, Siyuan, Kashiba, Yusuke, Shiraishi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/363,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0028 Mathematical models, e.g. for simulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0037 Mathematical models of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0062 Adapting control system settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/021 Means for detecting failure or malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/211 Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• 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 5/0841 : Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

The disclosure includes embodiments for modifying a performance of a vehicle component whose performance is affected by a vehicle fluid that is contaminated by water. A method according to some embodiments includes recording sensor data describing refractometry measurements for the vehicle fluid. The method includes determining contamination data that describes an amount of water present in the vehicle fluid. The method includes analyzing the contamination data to determine parameter data describing modifications for a set of parameters for an advanced driver assistance system (“ADAS system”) that control the operation of the ADAS system, wherein the parameter data is operable to update the set of parameters and thereby modify the operation of the ADAS system to compensate for the amount of water present in the vehicle fluid so that vehicle component performs as though the vehicle fluid is substantially not contaminated by water.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a performance of a vehicle component whose performance is affected by a vehicle fluid that is contaminated by water, the method comprising:

recording sensor data describing refractometry measurements for the vehicle fluid;

determining contamination data for the vehicle fluid based on the sensor data and the refractometry measurements described by the sensor data, wherein the contamination data describes an amount of water present in the vehicle fluid and indicates that the vehicle fluid is contaminated by water; and

analyzing the contamination data to determine parameter data describing modifications for a set of parameters for an advanced driver assistance system (“

ADAS system”

) that control an operation of the ADAS system, wherein the parameter data is operable to update the set of parameters and thereby modify the operation of the ADAS system to compensate for the amount of water present in the vehicle fluid so that vehicle component performs as though the vehicle fluid is substantially not contaminated by water.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle fluid is selected from a group that consists of:

engine oil;

brake fluid;

fuel;

power steering fluid; and

transmission fluid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is selected from a group that consists of:

an engine;

a brake;

a brake line;

a fuel injector;

a fuel line;

a power steering unit; and

a transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ADAS system is a vehicular system that is operable to perform or control a performance of one or more of the following vehicle functions:

how easily a steering wheel of the vehicle is turned by a driver of the vehicle;

how much resistance the steering wheel provides to the driver when the driver turns the steering wheel;

how readily a braking system of the vehicle decelerates when the driver depresses a braking pedal of the vehicle;

how readily an engine of the vehicle accelerates when the driver of the vehicle depresses an accelerator of the vehicle;

how aggressive or passive a transmission of the vehicle changes one or more gears of the transmission when the driver of the vehicle provides an input that is operable to affect how or when the transmission changes the one or more gears of the transmission; and

how sluggish an engine of the vehicle performs when the driver provides an input that is operable to affect the operation of the engine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter data is determined by a server that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle to provide the parameter data to the vehicle via a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the server includes code and routines that are operable, when executed by a processor, to analyze a simulation generated by a game engine, wherein the simulation includes a virtual vehicle that is configured to replicate the performance of the vehicle component whose performance is affected by the vehicle fluid that is contaminated by water, wherein the code and routines cause the processor to analyze the simulation to generate the parameter data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the set of parameters based on the parameter data and operating the vehicle with the ADAS system engaged subsequent to modifying the set of parameters for the ADAS system based on the parameter data.

9. A system of a vehicle for modifying a performance of a vehicle component whose performance is affected by a vehicle fluid that is contaminated by water, the system comprising:

a refractometer mounted proximate to the vehicle fluid and operable to record sensor data describing a refractometry measurement for the vehicle fluid;

an advanced driver assistance system (“

ADAS system”

) including a set of parameters that control an operation of the ADAS system;

an onboard vehicle computer system that is communicatively coupled to the refractometer and the ADAS system, the onboard vehicle computer system including a non-transitory memory storing computer code which, when executed by the onboard vehicle computer system, causes the onboard vehicle computer system to;

determine contamination data for the vehicle fluid based on the sensor data and the refractometry measurements described by the sensor data, wherein the contamination data describes an amount of water present in the vehicle fluid and indicates that the vehicle fluid is contaminated by water; and

update the set of parameters for the ADAS system based on parameter data that is configured to modify the operation of the ADAS system to compensate for the amount of water present in the vehicle fluid so that vehicle component performs as though the vehicle fluid is substantially not contaminated by water.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle fluid is selected from a group that consists of:

engine oil;

brake fluid;

fuel;

power steering fluid; and

transmission fluid.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle component is selected from a group that consists of:

an engine;

a brake;

a brake line;

a fuel injector;

a fuel line;

a power steering unit; and

a transmission.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the ADAS system is a vehicular system that is operable to perform or control a performance of one or more of the following vehicle functions:

how easily a steering wheel of the vehicle is turned by a driver of the vehicle;

how much resistance the steering wheel provides to the driver when the driver turns the steering wheel;

how readily a braking system of the vehicle decelerates when the driver depresses a braking pedal of the vehicle;

how readily an engine of the vehicle accelerates when the driver of the vehicle depresses an accelerator of the vehicle;

how aggressive or passive a transmission of the vehicle changes one or more gears of the transmission when the driver of the vehicle provides an input that is operable to affect how or when the transmission changes the one or more gears of the transmission; and

how sluggish an engine of the vehicle performs when the driver provides an input that is operable to affect the operation of the engine.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the parameter data is determined by a server that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle to provide the parameter data to the vehicle via a wireless network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server includes code and routines that are operable, when executed by a processor, to analyze a simulation generated by a game engine, wherein the simulation includes a virtual vehicle that is configured to replicate the performance of the vehicle component whose performance is affected by the vehicle fluid that is contaminated by water, wherein the code and routines cause the processor to analyze the simulation to generate the parameter data.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory memory stores further computer code which, when executed by the onboard vehicle computer system, causes the onboard vehicle computer system to modify the set of parameters based on the parameter data and operate the vehicle with the ADAS system engaged subsequent to modifying the set of parameters for the ADAS system based on the parameter data.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory memory of an onboard vehicle computer system of a vehicle storing computer-executable code that, when executed by the onboard vehicle computer system, causes the onboard vehicle computer system to:

record sensor data describing refractometry measurements for a vehicle fluid;

determine contamination data for the vehicle fluid based on the sensor data and the refractometry measurements described by the sensor data, wherein the contamination data describes an amount of water present in the vehicle fluid and indicates that the vehicle fluid is contaminated by water; and

analyze the contamination data to determine parameter data describing modifications for a set of parameters for an advanced driver assistance system (“

ADAS system”

) that control an operation of the ADAS system, wherein the parameter data is operable to update the set of parameters and thereby modify the operation of the ADAS system to compensate for the amount of water present in the vehicle fluid so that vehicle component performs as though the vehicle fluid is substantially not contaminated by water.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the vehicle fluid is selected from a group that consists of:

engine oil;

brake fluid;

fuel;

power steering fluid; and

transmission fluid.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the vehicle component is selected from a group that consists of:

an engine;

a brake;

a brake line;

a fuel injector;

a fuel line;

a power steering unit; and

a transmission.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the ADAS system is a vehicular system that is operable to perform or control a performance of one or more of the following vehicle functions:

how easily a steering wheel of the vehicle is turned by a driver of the vehicle;

how much resistance the steering wheel provides to the driver when the driver turns the steering wheel;

how readily a braking system of the vehicle decelerates when the driver depresses a braking pedal of the vehicle;

how readily an engine of the vehicle accelerates when the driver of the vehicle depresses an accelerator of the vehicle;

how aggressive or passive a transmission of the vehicle changes one or more gears of the transmission when the driver of the vehicle provides an input that is operable to affect how or when the transmission changes the one or more gears of the transmission; and

how sluggish an engine of the vehicle performs when the driver provides an input that is operable to affect the operation of the engine.