VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090254240A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bush, Helen M., Hendrix, Matthew S., Olsen, John A. III, Bradley, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• 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: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A system that enables a fleet of vehicles to be maintained is provided. The disclosed system allows a fleet operator to review the history of the vehicles in the fleet along with vehicle sensor data to identify earmarks in the vehicle sensor data that are predictive of faults that the vehicles have experienced. The operator develops statistical algorithms that can detect an earmark in vehicle sensor data. The system then collects vehicle sensor data and applies the statistical algorithms the vehicle data to determine if a potential fault is going to occur in a vehicle. In response to determining that a potential fault is going to occur, the disclosed system automatically alerts the vehicle driver, automatically schedule a maintenance visit, automatically check the fleet inventory for components required for a maintenance visit and order unavailable components, and automatically dispatch the components to the mechanic.

Claims

1. A preventative vehicle maintenance system comprising:

a fleet of vehicles comprising a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising at least a portion of the vehicles in the fleet;

each of a plurality of ECMs disposed in each of the plurality of vehicles within the fleet of vehicles, each of the ECMs being configured to collect data from one or more sensors disposed within the respective vehicle in which the ECM is disposed;

a computer processor adapted to execute a vehicle maintenance engine; and

a memory coupled to the computer processor and adapted for storing the vehicle maintenance engine, wherein the vehicle maintenance engine is configured for;

receiving from the ECMs sensor signal data collected from the one or more sensors disposed within the respective plurality of vehicles,

statistically analyzing data received from at least one type of sensor of said one or more sensors disposed within the plurality of vehicles to identify at least one earmark corresponding to a potential fault condition for one or more vehicle components associated with the at least one type of sensor,

individually comparing the sensor signal data from the at least one type of sensor received from each of the plurality of vehicles to the identified earmark,

in response to the received sensor signal data from the at least one type of sensor for a particular one of the plurality of vehicles being within a particular range of the earmark, generating an alert code for the particular vehicle, and

in response to generating said alert code, repairing the one or more vehicle components for the particular vehicle to prevent the occurrence of a failure of the one or more vehicle components in advance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein statistically analyzing data received from the at least one type of sensor of said one or more sensors disposed within each of the plurality of vehicles comprises determining a statistical distribution of the data received from the at least one type of sensor from substantially all of the plurality of vehicles.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein individually comparing the sensor signal data from the at least one type of sensor from each of the plurality of vehicles to the identified earmark comprises statistically comparing a statistical distribution of the data from the at least one type of sensor from each of the plurality of vehicles to the statistical distribution of the data from the at least one type of sensor from substantially all of the plurality of vehicles to determine a degree of difference between the statistical distributions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert code indicates that the particular vehicle needs an oil change.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the earmark defines an acceptable operating range of oil pressure, and the at least one type of sensor comprises an oil pressure sensor, and wherein sensor signal data from the oil pressure sensor for the particular vehicle is outside of the acceptable operating range for oil pressure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert code indicates that the particular vehicle needs a new battery.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the earmark defines a threshold value of battery voltage, and the at least one type of sensor comprises a battery voltage sensor, and wherein sensor signal data from the battery voltage sensor for the particular vehicle crosses below the threshold value of battery voltage.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert code indicates that the particular vehicle needs starter maintenance.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the earmark defines a threshold value of battery voltage and a threshold value of cycle counts of the starter, and the at least one type of sensor comprises a battery voltage sensor and a starter cycle count sensor, and wherein sensor signal data from the battery voltage sensor for the particular vehicle crosses below the threshold value of battery voltage and the sensor signal data from the starter cycle count sensor for the particular vehicle exceeds the threshold value of cycle counts of the starter.

10. A method for maintaining a vehicle comprising the steps of:

receiving from a plurality of electronic control modules (ECM) sensor signal data collected from a first type of sensor disposed within each of a plurality of vehicles, wherein each ECM is disposed within a respective one of the plurality of vehicles;

determining a first statistical distribution of the sensor signal data from substantially all of the plurality of vehicles;

determining a second statistical distribution for each of the plurality of vehicles of the sensor signal data from the first type of sensor from each of the plurality of vehicles;

statistically comparing each second statistical distribution for each of the plurality of vehicles to the first statistical distribution related to substantially all of the plurality of vehicles to determine a degree of difference between the statistical distributions;

in response to the degree of difference being outside of a predetermined range based on the first statistical distribution for substantially all of the plurality of vehicles, generating an alert code for the particular vehicle; and

in response to generating said alert code, repairing one or more vehicle components for the particular vehicle associated with the first type of sensor data to prevent the occurrence of a failure of the one or more vehicle components in advance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the first statistical distribution of the sensor data from substantially all of the plurality of vehicles comprises sensor signal data collected from the ECMs during a first time period, and determining the second statistical distribution of the sensor signal data from each of the plurality of vehicles comprises sensor signal data collected during a second time period, wherein the second time period is subsequent to the first time period.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the first statistical distribution of the sensor data from substantially all of the plurality of vehicles comprises sensor signal data collected from the ECMs during a first time period, and determining the second statistical distribution of the sensor signal data from each of the plurality of vehicles comprises sensor signal data collected during the first time period.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles comprise at least a portion of a fleet of vehicles.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles operate in substantially the same geographic region.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles are the same model of vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles are made by the same manufacturer.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of vehicles are the same type of vehicle.

18. A method for maintaining a vehicle comprising the steps of:

receiving from an ECM a first set of sensor signal data collected from one or more sensors disposed within a vehicle, the first set of sensor signal data being collected during a first time period;

receiving from the ECM a second set of sensor signal data collected from the one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle, the second set of sensor signal data being collected during a second time period;

determining a statistical distribution of at least a portion of the first set of sensor signal data associated with a particular type of sensor;

determining an average of at least a portion of the second set of sensor signal data associated with the particular type of sensor;

statistically comparing the average to the statistical distribution to determine a degree of difference between the average and the statistical distribution;

in response to the degree of difference being outside of a predetermined range based on the statistical distribution of at least a portion of the first set of sensor signal data associated with the particular type of sensor, generating an alert code for the vehicle; and

in response to generating said alert code, repairing one or more vehicle components for the vehicle associated with the first type of sensor data to prevent the occurrence of a failure of the one or more vehicle components in advance.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the second time period is subsequent to the first time period.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the second period of time is subsequent to the first period of time.

21. A method for maintaining a vehicle comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of sensor signal data collected by a plurality of electronic control modules (ECM) during a first period of time, each ECM being disposed within a respective vehicle of a plurality of vehicles, and the sensor signal data collected by each ECM being collected from one or more sensors disposed within the respective vehicle in which the respective ECM is disposed;

statistically analyzing at least a portion of the first set of sensor signal data collected from at least one type of sensor of the one or more sensors to identify at least one earmark corresponding to a potential fault condition for one or more vehicle components associated with the at least one type of sensor;

receiving sensor signal data collected by the plurality of ECMs during a second period of time,

individually comparing at least a portion of the sensor signal data collected from the at least one type of sensor from each of the plurality of vehicles to the identified earmark;

in response to the least a portion of the sensor signal data from a particular vehicle of the plurality of vehicles being within a particular range of the earmark, generating an alert code for the particular vehicle, and

in response to generating said alert code, repairing the one or more vehicle components for the particular vehicle to prevent the occurrence of a failure of the one or more vehicle components in advance of the failure of the one or more components.