METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MATCHING VEHICLE ECU PROGRAMMING TO CURRENT VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITIONS

• US 20130261939A1
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: MCQUADE, CHARLES MICHAEL, HUNT, BRYAN, MAYER, DAN
• Application Number:
  US13/854,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/110
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/02 the parameters being related to the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/50 said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/70 said parameters being related to the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2487 Methods for rewriting
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques for implementing vehicle ECU reprograming, so the ECU programming, which plays a large role in vehicle performance characteristics, is tailored to current operational requirements, which may be different than the operational characteristics selected by the manufacturer when initially programming the vehicle ECU (or ECUs) with specific instruction sets, such as fuel maps. In one embodiment, a controller monitors the current operational characteristics of the vehicle, determines the current ECU programming, and determines if a different programming set would better suited to the current operating conditions. In the event that the current programming set should be replaced, the controller implements the ECU reprogramming. In a related embodiment, users are enabled to specify the ECU programming to change, such as changing speed limiter settings.

Claims

1. A method of changing ECU programming that limits maximum vehicle speed, the method, the comprising the steps of:

(a) coupling a wireless data link to a vehicle data bus logically coupled to the ECU responsible for setting maximum vehicle speed;

(b) enabling a driver of the vehicle to request changing the maximum vehicle speed setting; and

(c) determining if the speed change request is approved; and

(d) if the speed change request is approved, reprogramming the ECU in the vehicle using the new ECU programming to implement a new maximum vehicle speed setting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conveying ECU programming to implement the new maximum vehicle speed from a remote computing device to the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conveying the new maximum vehicle speed from a remote computing device to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of conveying an approval for the new maximum vehicle speed from a remote computing device to the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the approval is issued by a fleet operator.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the approval is issued by a third party tasked with reviewing such approvals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the speed change request is approved is implemented by a processor at the vehicle that:

(a) determines a current location of the vehicle using an input from a position sensing device at the vehicle;

(b) determines a maximum speed setting for the current location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the maximum speed setting for the current location is implemented by using a wireless data link to request the maximum speed setting from a remote location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the maximum speed setting for the current location is implemented by consulting a non-transitory memory disposed at the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the speed change request is approved is implemented by using a wireless data link to request the maximum speed setting from a remote location, wherein the remote location comprises at least one of:

(a) a third party monitoring service; and

;

(b) a fleet operator responsible for the vehicle.

12. A system for changing programming for a vehicle controller that limits a maximum vehicle speed, the system comprising:

(a) a vehicle controller that limits a maximum vehicle speed;

(b) a user interface that enables a driver of the vehicle to request changing the maximum vehicle speed setting; and

(c) an authorization controller that determines if the speed change request is approved.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the authorization controller is a remote computing device, and further comprising a wireless data link logically coupled to the user interface and the vehicle controller, the wireless data link being used for conveying:

(a) the driver request to the remote authorization controller; and

(b) a response from the remote authorization controller to the vehicle controller.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a position sensing device at the vehicle, and wherein the authorization controller is disposed at the vehicle, and implements the functions of:

(a) determining a current location of the vehicle using an input from the position sensing device at the vehicle;

(b) determining a maximum speed setting for the current location.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the authorization controller implements the function of determining the maximum speed setting for the current location by consulting a non-transitory memory disposed at the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the authorization controller implements the function of determining the maximum speed setting for the current location by using a wireless data link to request the maximum speed setting from a remote location, wherein the remote location comprises at least one of:

(a) a third party monitoring service; and

;

(b) a fleet operator responsible for the vehicle.

17. A method of matching the programming of a vehicle controller that controls at least one performance characteristic of a vehicle to current vehicle operational requirements, the comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a user to define current vehicle operational requirements;

(b) using a processor to analyze the vehicle operational requirements in real-time to determine if different programming would lead to improved performance, and

(c) if the analysis so indicates, changing the programming of the vehicle controller to improve the performance of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the current vehicle operational requirements are based on at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

(a) vehicle mass;

(b) vehicle speed;

(c) a route the vehicle will be traveling;

(d) ambient temperature;

(e) PTO use;

(f) time of day;

(g) ambient weather conditions;

(h) initiation of an extended uphill route segment;

(i) initiation of an extended downhill route segment;

(j) initiation of an extended idle condition; and

(k) initiation of heavy traffic conditions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of enabling a user to define current vehicle operational requirements comprises the step of enabling a driver to input the current vehicle operational requirements at the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of enabling a user to define current vehicle operational requirements comprises the step of enabling a dispatcher to input the current vehicle operational requirements at a location remote from the vehicle.