Vehicle diagnosis system

• US 6,567,730 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/928,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/32, 701/33
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A vehicle diagnosis system which makes a diagnosis of a vehicle upon a fault or the like in accordance with various diagnosis data in the vehicle. In one embodiment, a diagnosis data collector is disposed in the vehicle for collecting data on various items of vehicle equipment. A radio communication device is also disposed in the vehicle. At the time of diagnosis, the radio device transmits diagnosis equipment to an external diagnosis device. Diagnosis data may be transmitted by radio, telephone, over the Internet or otherwise.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnosis system, comprising:

one or more items of vehicle equipment (11a-11e . . . ) connected to a vehicle network;

a diagnosis data collector (12) disposed in a vehicle (10) for collecting given data on said vehicle equipment items (11a-11e . . . ) as data to be diagnosed through said vehicle network;

a radio communication device (14) disposed in the vehicle for at least transmitting said diagnosis data collected by said diagnosis data collector (12) and first driver information data from a first personal information input device (13c) and a first personal information memory (13b) disposed in the vehicle (10) by wireless means (A3a);

a controller (13) disposed in the vehicle for controlling said diagnosis data collector (12) and said radio communication device (14);

an external diagnosis device (21, 22) disposed apart from the vehicle (10) for receiving said diagnosis data and said first driver information data transmitted by wireless means (A3a) from said radio communication device (14) to diagnose the vehicle in accordance with said diagnosis data and to identify a driver in accordance with said first driver information data and second driver information data from a second personal information input device (13c′

) and a second personal information memory (13b′

) disposed in said external diagnosis device (21, 22);

a first information concealable and driver identifiable device (31a) disposed in the vehicle for converting original signals corresponding to said diagnosis data collected in said diagnosis data collector (12) and said first driver information data into a given form of signals which any person except a regular receiving person cannot understand and for decoding a given form of signals converted from said second driver information data sent from said external diagnosis device (21, 22);

a second information concealable and driver identifiable device (32a) disposed in said external diagnosis device (21, 22) for decoding said given form of signals converted from said collected diagnosis data and said first driver information data sent from said radio communication device (14) by said first information concealable and driver identifiable device (31a) into the original signals or readable signals from the second information concealable and driver identification device (32a) and for converting original signals corresponding to said diagnosed data and said second driver information data into a given form of signals which any person except a regular receiving person cannot understand; and

a time-clocking device (16) disposed in the vehicle for judging whether a certain period of time after an actuation time of the vehicle diagnosis system or a previous data collecting time has passed to a make a history of the timing of previously-collected and previously-transmitted diagnosis data and for judging whether timing is suitable for said collection and transmission of said diagnosis data.

2. A vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein said first information concealable and driver identifiable device is connected to said controller in the vehicle and said first personal information input device is connected through said first personal information memory to said controller in the vehicle.

3. A vehicle diagnosis system according to claim 2, wherein said second personal information input device is connected through a second personal information memory to said second information concealable and driver identifiable device in said external diagnosis device.