Malfunction procedure indicating system and method

• US 4,398,258 A
• Filed: 12/22/1980
• Issued: 08/09/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsukahara, Kenji, Urano, Susumu, Naitoh, Masataka, Kojima, Yasuhumi, Kuroda, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/218,832
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 364/551, 364/513, 364/424, 364/710, 364/185, 340/52 R, 340/517-518
• US Class Current: 704/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A malfunction procedure indicating system which monitors continuously the condition of a plurality of inspection items associated with the operation of a vehicle, whereby when the existence of a malfunction in at least one of the plurality of inspection items is detected, a first procedure corresponding to the malfunction is indicated by both verbal representation and visual display during the operation of the vehicle and a second procedure following the first procedure is also indicated by both verbal representation and visual display.

Claims

1. A malfunction procedure indicating system comprising:

sensing means for sensing a condition of each of a plurality of inspection items associated with an operation of a vehicle to generate a detection signal;

computing means responsive to the detection signals of said sensing means such that when the existence of a malfunction in at least one of said plurality of inspection items is determined, a first indication signal corresponding to said malfunction inspection item is generated, and said computing means monitors whether an operation as indicated by the first indication signal has been carried out, a second indication signal is generated upon detecting that the operation is carried out, and thereafter said computing means generates an indication discontinuing signal when it is determined from the signal of said sensing means that the malfunction does not exist;

indicating means responsive to said first and second indication signals from said computing means to indicate a malfunction procedure from said computing means to indicate a malfunction procedure by verbal representation in response to each of said indication signals during the operation of said vehicle, said indicating means discontinuing indication in response to said indication discontinuing signal.

2. A malfunction procedure indicating system comprising:

sensing means for sensing a condition of each of a plurality of inspection items associated with an operation of a vehicle to generate a detection signal;

computing means responsive to the detection signals of said sensing means such that when the existence of a malfunction in at least one of said plurality of inspection items is determined, a first indication signal corresponding to said malfunctioning inspection item and a second indication signal different from said first indication signal are generated;

indicating means responsive to said first and second indication signals from said computing means to indicate a malfunction procedure by verbal representation in response to each of said indication signals during the operation of said vehicle; and

wherein said sensing means includes a cooling water temperature sensor, battery voltage sensor, a headlamp sensor, a brake lamp sensor and air pressure sensors.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said indicating means is responsive to the indication signals from said computing means to indicate the malfunction procedures by both verbal representation and visual display.

4. A malfunction procedure indicating system comprising;

a plurality of sensors each for sensing a condition of one of a plurality of inspection items associated with an operation of a vehicle to generate a detection signal;

an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog detection signals generated from each of said said sensors to digital signals;

computing means including a central processing unit, and a read-only memory and a read/write memory which are connected to said central processing unit, for reading in the digital signals from said analog-to-digital converter and checking the condition of each of said plurality of inspection items by programmed processing, whereby when the existence of a malfunction in at least one of said plurality of inspection items is determined, a first indication signal corresponding to said malfunctioning inspection item and a second indication signal different from said first indication signal are generated;

a voice synthesizer responsive to said indication signals from said computing means to synthesize a voice and indicate a malfunction procedure corresponding to each of said indication signals by verbal representation; and

a display unit responsive to said indication signals from said computing means to indicate said malfunction procedure corresponding to each of said indication signals by visual display.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of sensors include a cooling water temperature sensor, a battery voltage sensor, a headlamp sensor, a brake lamp sensor and air pressure sensors.

6. A malfunction procedure indicating method comprising the steps of:

monitoring an engine cooling water temperature of a vehicle;

detecting whether the engine cooling water temperature has exceedd a first predetermined value;

indicating by verbal indication a warning of engine overheat on the basis of said detection;

detecting whether the engine cooling water temperature has exceeded a second predetermined value;

generating a voice indicating a first matter which the driver of the vehicle should operate, on the basis of said latter detection that whether the engine cooling water temperature has exceeded the second predetermined value; and

monitoring whether an operation of the first matter has been carried out, and generating, when the operation has been carried out, a voice indicating a second matter which the driver of a vehicle should operate.

7. A malfunction procedure indicating method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether the engine cooling water temperature has become lower than said first predetermined value; and

indicating by voice a matter that the driver may run the vehicle.