Vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus

• US 20070083305A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazunori, Shimizu, Kokichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

An engine control unit has a data memory for storing freeze frame data that is data indicating the operating status of vehicle equipment at the time when an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected. The engine control unit saves the freeze frame data stored in the data memory in a storage unit of a management station outside the vehicle through radio communication. The engine control unit determines the properness of the communication and performs a memory operation for erasing the relevant freeze frame data from the data memory based on a determination that the communication has been properly performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus comprising:

an electronic unit including a data memory for storing abnormality analysis data used for analyzing abnormality of vehicle equipment; and

a storage unit provided separately from the electronic unit for storing the abnormality analysis data when transmitted from the data memory through communication,

wherein the electronic unit determines properness of the communication, and performs a memory operation of erasing the abnormality analysis data from the data memory when the communication is determined to be proper.

2. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the abnormality analysis data is freeze frame data indicating an operating status of the vehicle equipment at the time when an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of abnormality monitoring on the vehicle equipment performed based on a sensor output from a sensor for detecting a physical quantity which changes depending on the operating status of the vehicle equipment.

3. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the electronic unit maintains a supply of power from a vehicle battery for a time period required for saving the freeze frame data when a key switch of the vehicle is turned off when the freeze frame data is being saved.

4. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the storage unit is provided in a management station for managing the freeze frame data outside the vehicle,

wherein saving of the freeze frame data through communication is executed through radio communication with the management station, and

wherein the electronic unit determines that the communication is properly performed based on information indicating proper reception of the freeze frame data provided by the management station.

5. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the electronic unit further re-transmits the freeze frame data to the management station, when the information indicating proper reception of the freeze frame data is not provided from the management station within a predetermined period after the transmission of the freeze frame data.

6. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the electronic unit further counts the number of consecutive re-transmissions of the freeze frame data and stops the re-transmission of the freeze frame data on an assumption that abnormality has occurred in communication between the vehicle and management station, when the information indicating proper reception of the freeze frame data is not provided from the management station after the counted number of consecutive re-transmissions reaches a predetermined number of times.

7. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the electronic unit further counts the number of consecutive re-transmissions of the freeze frame data and provides a user of information indicating that abnormality has occurred in communication between the vehicle and management station when the information indicating proper reception of the freeze frame data is not provided from the management station after the counted number of consecutive re-transmissions reaches a predetermined number of times.

8. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the electronic unit determines whether or not a communication environment is properly established with the management station for the transmission of the freeze frame data and transmits the freeze frame data when the communication environment is determined to be properly established.

9. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the electronic unit determines whether the vehicle is in a position where radio communication can be performed with the management station and determines that the communication environment is properly established when the vehicle is determined to be in such a position.

10. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the vehicle has a navigation control unit forming part of a navigation system, and

wherein the electronic unit determines whether vehicle is in a position in which the radio communication can be performed based on position information obtained through the navigation control unit.

11. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the management station also exchanges with the vehicle information on data other than data associated with the freeze frame data, and

wherein the electronic unit determines whether the vehicle is in a position in which the radio communication can be performed based on the state of sensitivity in exchanging the information.

12. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a communication line is provided for connection to an external tool, and

wherein the electronic unit further notifies the management station of a request for returning of the freeze frame data when output of the freeze frame data is requested from an external tool and outputs the freeze frame data returned from the management station to the external tool.

13. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claims 12,

wherein the electronic unit further outputs information indicating that the freeze frame data is stored and maintained in the management station to the external tool, when the freeze frame data is not returned from the management station within a predetermined period after notifying the request for returning of the freeze frame data.

14. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the electronic unit includes a communication unit for performing radio communication with management station.

15. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the storage unit is provided in an on-vehicle control unit for managing the freeze frame data inside the vehicle, so that the saving of the freeze frame data through communication is executed through wire communication with the on-vehicle control unit, and

wherein the electronic unit determines that the communication is properly performed based on information indicating proper reception of the freeze frame data provided by the on-vehicle control unit.

16. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the data memory includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and

wherein the electronic unit stores data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment based on and at the time of detection of an abnormality of the vehicle equipment as a result of the abnormality monitoring in the volatile memory and temporarily saves the data stored in the volatile memory in the non-volatile memory as the freeze frame data.

17. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the freeze frame data includes time-sequential freeze frame data which indicates the operating status of the vehicle equipment at the point in time of detection of an abnormality of the vehicle equipment, and the status of the same before and after that point in time.

18. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the data memory includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and

wherein the electronic unit stores data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment in the volatile memory on a time-sequential basis, associates data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment at the point in time of the detection of an abnormality of the vehicle equipment with data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment before and after the point in time when an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of the abnormality monitoring, and temporarily saves the items of data thus associated in the non-volatile memory as the time-sequential freeze frame data.

19. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the data stored in the volatile memory on a time-sequential basis includes at least three items of data sampled at predetermined intervals,

wherein storage of items of data stored on a time-sequential basis in the volatile memory is carried out by sequentially shifting the items of data on a first-in first-out basis so as to maintain a relationship between the items of data sampled at the predetermined intervals and addresses associated with the sequence of sampling of those items of data, and

wherein, when an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of abnormality monitoring, the electronic unit associates the item of data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment at the point in time of detection of the abnormality of the vehicle equipment with the first item of data following the point in time among the items of data thus shifted and at least the two items of data preceding the point in time among the items of data thus shifted, as the time-sequential freeze frame data.

20. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein plural items of data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment are stored in the volatile memory forming part of the data memory, part of the plural items of data being used as the freeze frame data, and

wherein the electronic unit determines whether the supply of power from the vehicle battery has been continued since an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of the abnormality monitoring at the time of communication of the freeze frame data and saves data, which is not used as the freeze frame data, among the plural items of data indicating the operating status of the vehicle equipment stored in the volatile memory in the storage unit, along with the freeze frame data, based on a determination that the supply of power is continued.

21. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein time information indicating time at which an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of the abnormality monitoring is added to the freeze frame data.

22. A vehicle abnormality monitoring apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the freeze frame data is added with time information indicating total time during which the data memory had no vacant capacity sufficient to store the freeze frame data and during which a key switch of the vehicle is on since the time when an abnormality of the vehicle equipment is detected as a result of the abnormality monitoring.