Clear historic data from a vehicle data recorder

• US 6,349,250 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Avery, Richard M. Jr., Hart, David Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/698,530
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/29, 701/34, 701/99, 340/483, 340/441, 340/440, 702/187, 731/16, 731/174, 731/172
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic control module disposed on a vehicle and operative to record in a memory a plurality of data items among a plurality of pages, and a computer program for execution by the electronic control module are disclosed. The plurality of data items include at least one event item and at least one accumulation item for the vehicle. In operation, recording of the at least one event item is disabled in a selected page of a plurality of pages in response to receiving a stop recording page signal associated with the selected page. All event items and all accumulation items for the selected page are then erased to eliminate historical data. Subsequent accumulation items may then be recorded in the selected page. Synchronization of the accumulation items and event items is re-established by erasing all historical accumulation items from the selected page when the selected page recording is reenabled.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic control module disposed on a vehicle and operative to record in a memory a plurality of data items among a plurality of pages, wherein the plurality of data items include at least one event item for the vehicle and at least one accumulation item for the vehicle, the method comprising:

disabling recording of the at least one event item in a selected page of the plurality of pages in response to receiving a stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the at least one event item.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one event item is a plurality of event items in the selected page, the method further comprising:

disabling recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording event signal associated with a selected event item of the plurality of event items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of event items;

enable recording of the plurality of event items except for the selected event item in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disable recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording event signal associated with the selected event item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page; and

enable recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one accumulation item is a plurality of accumulation items in the selected page, the method further comprising:

second disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording accumulation signal associated with a selected accumulation item of the plurality of accumulation items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page;

enabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

third disable recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording accumulation signal associated with the selected accumulation item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page; and

enable recording of the at least one event item and the selected accumulation item in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving the stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page;

erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page; and

enabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one event item is a plurality of event items in the selected page, the method further comprising:

disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording event signal associated with a selected event item of the plurality of event items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page;

enabling recording of the at least one accumulation item and the plurality of event items except for the selected event item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording event signal associated with the selected event item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page; and

enable recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one accumulation item is a plurality of accumulation items in the selected page, the method further comprising:

disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording accumulation signal associated with a selected accumulation item of the plurality of accumulation items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page;

enable recording of the at least one event item and the plurality of accumulation items except for the selected accumulation item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording accumulation signal associated with the selected accumulation item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page; and

enabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving the stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enable recording of the at least one accumulation item and the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page.

10. An information recording medium for use in an electronic control module operative to record in a memory a plurality of data items among a plurality of pages, wherein the plurality of data items include at least one event item for the vehicle and at least one accumulation item for the vehicle, the information recording medium recording a computer program that is readable and executable by the electronic control module, the computer program comprising:

disabling recording of the at least one event item in a selected page of the plurality of pages in response to receiving a stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the at least one event item.

11. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page.

12. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the at least one event item is a plurality of event items in the selected page, and the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording event signal associated with a selected event item of the plurality of event items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of event items;

enable recording of the plurality of event items except for the selected event item in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disable recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording event signal associated with the selected event item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page; and

enable recording of the plurality of event items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

13. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the at least one accumulation item is a plurality of accumulation items in the selected page, and the computer program further comprises:

second disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording accumulation signal associated with a selected accumulation item of the plurality of accumulation items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page;

enabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

third disable recording of the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording accumulation signal associated with the selected accumulation item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third disabling recording of the at least one event item in the selected page; and

enable recording of the at least one event item and the selected accumulation item in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

14. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving the stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

15. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page;

erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page; and

enabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to erasing the at least one accumulation item in the selected page.

16. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the at least one event item is a plurality of event items in the selected page, and the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording event signal associated with a selected event item of the plurality of event items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page;

enabling recording of the at least one accumulation item and the plurality of event items except for the selected event item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording event signal associated with the selected event item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page; and

enable recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

17. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the at least one accumulation item is a plurality of accumulation items in the selected page, and the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a stop recording accumulation signal associated with a selected accumulation item of the plurality of accumulation items in the selected page;

second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page;

enable recording of the at least one event item and the plurality of accumulation items except for the selected accumulation item in the selected page in response to second erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page;

second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording accumulation signal associated with the selected accumulation item in the selected page;

third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to second disabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page; and

enabling recording of the plurality of data items in the selected page in response to third erasing the plurality of data items in the selected page.

18. The information recording medium of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

disabling recording of the at least one accumulation item in the selected page in response to receiving the stop recording page signal associated with the selected page; and

enable recording of the at least one accumulation item and the at least one event item in the selected page in response to receiving a start recording page signal associated with the selected page.