Method and apparatus for remote vehicle diagnosis

• US 10,665,040 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Colvin, Greg, McQuade, Charles Michael, Brinton, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Fisher, Paul R
• Application Number:
  US13/219,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,196 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Operational data generated and used in a vehicle to control various vehicular systems is temporarily stored in a data buffer in the vehicle. A processor in the vehicle is configured to detect anomalous conditions, which can be based on predefined fault codes or user defined conditions (based on a single parameter or a combination of parameters). Whenever such an anomaly is detected, a diagnostic log is conveyed from the vehicle to a remote location. Such a log will include the detected anomaly, and buffered operational data. In at least one embodiment, the diagnostic log includes buffered operational data collected both before and after the anomaly. The diagnostic log is analyzed at the remote location to diagnose the cause of the anomalous condition, so a decision can be made as to whether the vehicle requires immediate repair, or whether the repair can be scheduled at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for identifying in a first remote server data that corresponds to an anomalous vehicle condition and diagnosing an anomalous vehicle condition in a second remote server, in a system including a vehicle at least one vehicle processor and having a plurality of components for generating operational data during operation of the vehicle over a road, a data buffer in which the operational data is temporarily stored, a data link for wirelessly conveying data from the vehicle to a first remote server computing device at a first remote location during operation of the vehicle, the method comprising:

generating the operational data at the vehicle during operation of the vehicle that includes both geographic position data and anomalous condition data in the form of fault codes of the vehicle;

temporarily storing the operational data in the data buffer in the vehicle;

using the at least one vehicle processor to detect that an anomalous condition has occurred, and upon detection of the anomalous condition;

the least one vehicle processor responding within seconds or minutes of detecting the anomalous condition, by using the data link to wirelessly convey data having both geographic position data and anomalous condition data in the form of fault codes the anomalous condition data being and buffered operational data generated at a time proximate to detection of the anomalous condition to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, the data providing both geographic position data and anomalous condition data in the form of fault codes being conveyed over the data link to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location while the vehicle is operating on the road;

identifying the geographic position data and the anomalous condition data in the first remote server computing device at the first remote location while the vehicle is operating on the road but not performing an analysis to diagnosis the anomalous condition data at the first remote server computing device at the first remote location;

transmitting the identified anomalous condition data corresponding to the fault codes to a second remote server at a second remote location; and

analyzing the fault codes using the second remote server at the second remote location to diagnose the anomalous condition at the second remote location, the second remote server conducting the analysis of the data defining the anomalous condition to diagnose a cause of the anomalous condition while the vehicle is operating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data defining the anomalous condition comprises a fault code defined by a manufacturer of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data defining the anomalous condition comprises a fault code defined by an operator of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to remotely define one or more vehicle parameters whose presence corresponds to the anomalous condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to remotely define the buffered operational data to convey to the computing device at the remote location with the data defining the anomalous condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein responding within seconds or minutes of detecting the anomalous condition includes conveying earlier buffered operational data generated before detection of the anomalous condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein responding within seconds or minutes of detecting the anomalous condition includes conveying later buffered operational data generated after detection of the anomalous condition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

autonomously requesting at times, by a first processor in the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, additional one or more specific types of data from the at least one vehicle processor if the additional one or more specific types of data are needed by the second remote server computing device at the second remote location to facilitate a second processor in the second remote computing device at the remote location determining or confirming the cause of the anomalous condition.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing any operational data from being transmitted to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location until after a predetermined settling time has elapsed following an initial startup of the vehicle.

10. A system for diagnosing vehicle faults, comprising:

(a) a vehicle comprising;

(i) a plurality of components for generating operational data that includes geographic position data and anomalous condition data in the form of fault codes established by the manufacturer of the vehicle, the operation data being generated during operation of the vehicle;

(ii) a data buffer in which the operational data is temporarily stored;

(iii) a data link for wirelessly conveying data from the vehicle to a first remote server computing device at a first remote location during operation of the vehicle on a road; and

(iv) at least one vehicle processor configured to implement determined vehicle functions, the determined vehicle functions including;

(1) detecting an anomalous condition that is a fault code established by the manufacturer of the vehicle;

(2) in response to detecting the anomalous condition, automatically responding within seconds or minutes of detecting the anomalous condition, by using the data link to convey the operational data that contains both the geographic position data and the anomalous condition data at a time proximate to the detection of the anomalous condition to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, the data providing both the geographic position data and the anomalous condition being conveyed over the data link to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location while the vehicle is operating on the road; and

(b) at the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, identifying the geographic position data from the anomalous condition data, the first remote server computing device configured to identify the geographic position data from the anomalous condition data and not to analyze the anomalous condition data to provide a diagnosis of the fault codes, the first remote server computing device at the first remote location being further configured to provide the identified anomalous condition data in the form of fault codes to a second remote server computing device at a second remote location;

(c) at the second remote server computing device at the second remote location, performing an analysis to diagnosis the fault code data defining the anomalous condition, the second remote server computing device at the second remote location configured to use the identified anomalous condition data received from the first remote server computing device at the first remote location and to diagnose a cause of the anomalous condition while the vehicle is operating, the second remote server computing device at the second remote location being further configured to automatically schedule a repair of the anomalous condition based on the diagnosed cause of the anomalous condition.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein either the at least one of vehicle processor and the first remote server is configured to identify the anomalous condition as corresponding to a fault code defined by the vehicle'"'"'s manufacturer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein either the at least one vehicle processor and the first remote server is configured to identify a user defined anomalous condition, the user defined anomalous condition defined by an operator of the vehicle or an operator of the second remote server computing device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor is configured to receive instructions from the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, the instructions defining the anomalous condition.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor is configured to receive instructions from the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, the instructions defining a quantity or type of buffered operational data to be conveyed to the first remote location when the anomalous condition is detected.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor is configured to convey buffered operational data that is geographic position data generated before an occurrence of the anomalous condition to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location in response to detection of the anomalous condition.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor is configured to convey later buffered operational data that is geographic position data generated after the occurrence of the anomalous condition to the first remote computing device at the first remote location in response to detection of the anomalous condition.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein a first processor in the first remote server computing device at the first remote location requests additional one or more specific types of data from the vehicle processor if the additional one or more specific types of data are needed by the second remote server computing device at the second remote location to facilitate or confirm a diagnostic analysis performed by the second remote server computing device at the second remote location to enable a second processor in the second remote server computing device at the second remote location to identify a cause of the anomalous condition.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the data buffer, the data link, and the processor are combined into a diagnostic device that is added to the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the second remote server computing device at the second remote location is further configured to detect instances in which the cause of the anomalous condition is likely to cause damage to the vehicle, and upon such detection issue instructions to a vehicle operator to cease vehicle operations as soon as possible.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the second remote computing device at the second remote location is further configured to detect instances in which the cause of the anomalous condition is likely to cause an unsafe condition for the vehicle, and upon such detection issue instructions to a vehicle operator to cease vehicle operations as soon as possible.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein the data link comprises at least one of a cellular modem and a satellite data link.

22. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor implements the determined vehicle function of ignoring anomalous conditions that have already been reported to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor implements the determined vehicle function of using the data link to send buffered operational data to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location, regardless of whether the anomalous condition is detected, in response to a trigger signal from a vehicle operator.

24. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor implements the determined vehicle function of using the data link to send lamp escalation data to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location if a warning lamp associated with the anomalous condition that triggered sending data to the first remote server computing device at the first remote location changes status.

25. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle includes a position sensing component, and the at least one vehicle processor implements the determined vehicle function of determining if a current vehicle location is proximate to a known location where certain anomalous conditions should be ignored, and if so, configuring the at least one vehicle processor to ignore the certain anomalous conditions occurring proximate that known location.

26. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle processor responds to a transmission from the first remote server computing device at the first remote location that changes a temporal extent of the operational data stored in the data buffer, both before and after the anomalous condition occurs, as a user definable parameter.

27. A system for diagnosing vehicle faults, comprising:

(a) a vehicle comprising;

(i) a plurality of components for generating operational data during operation of the vehicle;

(ii) a data buffer in which the operational data is temporarily stored;

(iii) a data link for wirelessly conveying the data from the vehicle to a first remote computing server device at a first remote location during operation of the vehicle;

(iv) a vehicle location sensor for sensing a geographic location of the vehicle and storing it as geographic location data; and

(v) at least one vehicle local processor configured to implement determined vehicle functions, the determined vehicle functions including;

detecting an anomalous condition that is a fault code defined by a manufacturer of the vehicle;

after detecting the anomalous condition that is a fault code defined by a manufacturer of the vehicle, storing the fault code data in a buffer in the vehicle;

after detecting the anomalous condition and using the data link to convey data defining the anomalous condition and buffered operational data generated at a time proximate to the detection of the anomalous condition to the first computing server device at the first remote location; and

(b) the first remote computing server device at the first remote location configured identify but not to analyze or diagnose the data defining the anomalous condition of a fault code as being distinct from the collected geographic location data and storing the data defining the anomalous condition as buffered operational data generated at the time proximate to the detection of the anomalous condition;

(c) a second remote computing server device at a second remote location that is remote from the vehicle and from the first remote location, the second remote server computing device receiving the identify data fault codes that have not yet been analyzed to diagnose the anomalous condition that is descripted in the fault codes, the second remote server performing an analysis to diagnose the content and meaning of the fault codes to determine a cause of the anomalous condition while the vehicle is operating;

(d) in response to the analysis that diagnoses the content and meaning of the fault codes, providing these to a party to perform service of the diagnosed anomalous condition.