VEHICLE OPERATION DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, VEHICLE OPERATION DIAGNOSTIC METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20110035137A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishita, Kanako, KONISHI, Teru, Ueno, Yusuke
• Application Number:
  US12/842,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035137A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/115
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/104 Driver's intention to turn, e.g. by evaluating direction indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/123 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation systems or GPS signals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Vehicle operation diagnostic devices, methods, and programs detect an idling stop of a vehicle. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a fuel consumption required for an engine of the vehicle to start, and acquire, if the idling stop is detected, an amount of fuel consumed if idling were to be continued during a period in which the idling stop is performed. The devices, methods, and programs determine whether a fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained based on the engine-start fuel consumption and the fuel consumption if idling were to be continued, and provide guidance based on the determination of whether the fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation diagnostic device, comprising:

a controller that is configured to;

detect an idling stop of a vehicle;

acquire an engine-start fuel consumption that is a fuel consumption required for an engine of the vehicle to start;

acquire, if the idling stop is detected, a tentative fuel consumption that is an amount of fuel consumed if idling were to be continued during a period in which the idling stop is performed;

determine whether a fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained based on the engine-start fuel consumption and the tentative fuel consumption; and

provide guidance based on the determination of whether the fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained.

2. The vehicle operation diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

acquire a stop period during which the idling stop of the vehicle is performed; and

acquire a unit fuel consumption that is a fuel consumption per unit time of the vehicle immediately before the idling stop of the vehicle is performed; and

calculate the tentative fuel consumption by multiplying the stop period and the unit fuel consumption.

3. The vehicle operation diagnostic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position storage unit;

wherein the controller is configured to;

acquire a position of the vehicle where the idling stop is performed; and

when it is determined that a fuel consumption reduction effect was not obtained, store the acquired position in the position storage unit.

4. The vehicle operation diagnostic device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect an idling of the vehicle;

determine if a position of the detected idling is a position stored in the storage unit; and

if the detected idling position is stored in the storage unit;

acquire a possible idling stop time;

acquire a fuel consumption per unit time during the idling;

calculate an effective idling stop time based on the acquired fuel consumption per unit time and an estimated fuel consumption required for the engine to start;

compare the acquired possible idling stop time with the calculated idle stop time; and

if the possible idling stop time is greater than or equal to the effective idling stop time, provide guidance comprising a recommendation to perform an idling stop.

5. The vehicle operation diagnostic device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to:

acquire an image from a front-mounted camera;

determine from the image the reason for the idling of the vehicle; and

acquire the possible idling stop time based on the determined reason for the idling of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle operation diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller detects the idling stop when a speed of the vehicle is zero and the engine of the vehicle has been stopped.

7. A vehicle operation diagnostic method, comprising:

detecting an idling stop of a vehicle;

acquiring an engine-start fuel consumption that is a fuel consumption required for an engine of the vehicle to start;

acquiring, if the idling stop is detected, a tentative fuel consumption that is an amount of fuel consumed if idling were to be continued during a period in which the idling stop is performed;

determining whether a fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained based on the engine-start fuel consumption and the tentative fuel consumption; and

providing guidance based on the determination of whether the fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained.

8. The vehicle operation diagnostic method according to claim 7, further comprising:

acquiring a stop period during which the idling stop of the vehicle is performed; and

acquiring a unit fuel consumption that is a fuel consumption per unit time of the vehicle immediately before the idling stop of the vehicle is performed; and

calculating the tentative fuel consumption by multiplying the stop period and the unit fuel consumption.

9. The vehicle operation diagnostic method according to claim 7, further comprising:

acquire a position of the vehicle where the idling stop is performed; and

when it is determined that a fuel consumption reduction effect was not obtained, storing the acquired position in a position storage unit.

10. The vehicle operation diagnostic method according to claim 9, further comprising:

detecting an idling of the vehicle;

determining if a position of the detected idling is a position stored in the storage unit; and

if the detected idling position is stored in the storage unit;

acquiring a possible idling stop time;

acquiring a fuel consumption per unit time during the idling;

calculating an effective idling stop time based on the acquired fuel consumption per unit time and an estimated fuel consumption required for the engine to start;

comparing the acquired possible idling stop time with the calculated idle stop time; and

if the possible idling stop time is greater than or equal to the effective idling stop time, providing guidance comprising a recommendation to perform an idling stop.

11. The vehicle operation diagnostic method according to claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring an image from a front-mounted camera;

determining from the image the reason for the idling of the vehicle; and

acquiring the possible idling stop time based on the determined reason for the idling of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle operation diagnostic method according to claim 7, further comprising detecting the idling stop when a speed of the vehicle is zero and the engine of the vehicle has been stopped.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for vehicle operation diagnostics, the program comprising:

instructions for detecting an idling stop of a vehicle;

instructions for acquiring an engine-start fuel consumption that is a fuel consumption required for an engine of the vehicle to start;

instructions for acquiring, if the idling stop is detected, a tentative fuel consumption that is an amount of fuel consumed if idling were to be continued during a period in which the idling stop is performed;

instructions for determining whether a fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained based on the engine-start fuel consumption and the tentative fuel consumption; and

instructions for providing guidance based on the determination of whether the fuel consumption reduction effect is obtained.