System and method for monitoring fuses in a vehicle

• US 10,348,080 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2018
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Meng, Ming Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US15/866,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20190214808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/002 Emergency driving lights in the event of failure of the principal lighting circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/74 Testing of fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/30 Means for indicating condition of fuse structurally associated with the fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/044 Checking correct functioning of protective arrangements, e.g. by simulating a fault for differential current circuit breakers H02H3/335
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/046 Signalling the blowing of a fuse detecting non functioning of a lamp H05B47/20

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring fuses in a vehicle are provided. The method includes receiving data from a fuse monitor coupled to one or more fuses. Each fuse associated with one or more electronic devices of the vehicle. The method also includes analyzing the data to determine whether a faulty fuse is detected and outputting an alert to a display of the vehicle in response to detecting a faulty fuse. The alert includes at least one of a fuse location, a fuse type, or fuse replacement information and activates a fuse application of the display of the vehicle to cause the alert to output on the display.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring fuses in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving data from a fuse monitor coupled to one or more fuses, each fuse associated with one or more electronic devices of the vehicle;

analyzing, using processing circuitry, the data to determine whether a faulty fuse is detected; and

outputting an alert to a display of the vehicle in response to detecting a faulty fuse,

wherein the alert includes at least one of a fuse location, a fuse type, or fuse replacement information, and

wherein the alert activates a software fuse application of the display of the vehicle to cause the alert to output on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry polls the fuse monitor according to a polling schedule.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting an audible alert in response to determining that the faulty fuse belongs to a predetermined set of fuses.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving one or more criteria associated with the faulty fuse;

retrieving data from one or more sensors associated with the one or more criteria; and

outputting the audible alert when the one or more criteria are satisfied based on the retrieved data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating one or more functions of a head unit associated with the display when a faulty fuse is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

altering one or more display characteristics of information associated with the faulty fuse.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the altering one or more display characteristics includes flashing the information associated with the faulty fuse.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading via communication circuitry information associated with the faulty fuse to a server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information includes the fuse type, a timestamp indicating date and time of a failure of the fuse, and an electronic device associated with the faulty fuse.

10. A system for monitoring fuses in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a display;

one or more fuses coupled to one or more electronic devices;

a fuse monitor coupled to one or more fuses; and

a processor configured to

receive data from the fuse monitor,

analyze the data to determine whether a faulty fuse is detected, and

output an alert to the display of the vehicle in response to detecting a faulty fuse,

wherein the alert includes at least one of a fuse location, a fuse type, or fuse replacement information, and

wherein the alert activates a software fuse application of the display of the vehicle to cause the alert to output on the display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to poll the fuse monitor according to a polling schedule.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

output an alert to a speaker in response to determining that the faulty fuse belongs to a predetermined set of fuses.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

retrieve one or more criteria associated with the faulty fuse;

retrieve data from one or more sensors associated with the one or more criteria; and

output the alert to the speaker when the one or more criteria are satisfied based on the retrieved data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

deactivate one or more functions of a head unit associated with the display when a faulty fuse is detected.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

alter one or more display characteristics of information associated with the faulty fuse.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the altered one or more display characteristics includes flashing the information associated with the faulty fuse on the display.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upload via communication circuitry information associated with the faulty fuse to a server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information includes the fuse type, a timestamp indicating date and time of a failure of the fuse, and an electronic device associated with the faulty fuse.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-readable instructions therein which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for monitoring fuses in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving data from a fuse monitor coupled to one or more fuses, each fuse associated with one or more electronic devices of the vehicle;

analyzing the data to determine whether a faulty fuse is detected; and

outputting an alert to a display of the vehicle in response to detecting a faulty fuse,

wherein the alert includes at least one of a fuse location, a fuse type, or fuse replacement information, and

wherein the alert activates a software fuse application of the display of the vehicle to cause the alert to output on the display.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

polling the fuse monitor according to a polling schedule.