Vehicle information management system

• US 8,825,341 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujime, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/681,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 701/99, 701/67, 701/101, 701/115, 701/112, 701/30.1, 701/31.7, 701/31.8
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle information management system eliminates the need for a large capacity storage and allows an abnormality and a malfunction to be easily specified. An updating unit does not store diagnostic data obtained at the time of an engine stall in a storage if it is determined that the engine stalls is because of a rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, and stores diagnostic data obtained at the time of the engine stall in the storage if it is determined that the engine stall is not attributable to a rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, based on detection results from an operation detector and an engine state detector.

Claims

1. A vehicle information management system that manages diagnostic data that indicates a vehicle state, the vehicle information management system comprising:

an engine state detector arranged to detect whether an engine stalls;

an operation detector arranged to detect a rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle;

a plurality of parameter detectors arranged to detect parameters related to the vehicle state;

a diagnostic data producing unit programmed to produce the diagnostic data based on the parameters detected by the plurality of parameter detectors;

a storage arranged to store the diagnostic data; and

an updating unit programmed to, based on detection results from the operation detector and the engine state detector, not store in the storage the diagnostic data obtained when the engine stalls if it is determined that the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, and to store in the storage the diagnostic data obtained when the engine stalls if it is determined that the engine stall is not attributable to the rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, wherein the engine state detector includes a revolution speed detector arranged to detect a revolution speed of the engine, and the engine state detector is programmed to determine that the engine stalls if the revolution speed of the engine is not more than a first threshold value.

3. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, wherein the operation detector includes a switch detector arranged to determine whether a kill switch of the vehicle is operated, and the operation detector is programmed to determine that if the engine stalls in response to an operation of the kill switch, then the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation and the updating unit does not store the diagnostic data in the storage.

4. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, wherein the operation detector includes a stand state detector that determines whether a stand of the vehicle supports a vehicle body, and the operation detector is programmed to determine that if the engine stalls because the stand changes its state to a state to support the vehicle, then the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation, and the updating unit does not store the diagnostic data in the storage.

5. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, further comprising a lever detector arranged to detect an operation of a clutch lever provided on the vehicle;

wherein

the operation detector includes;

a time detector arranged to detect a time from an operation of the clutch lever to a stall of the engine when the engine stalls; and

a cause determining unit programmed to determine whether a result of detection from the time detector is not more than a second threshold value;

wherein

if a result of detection from the time detector is not more than the second threshold value, the operation detector determines that the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation and the updating unit does not store the diagnostic data in the storage.

6. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, wherein the operation detector includes an overturn detector arranged to detect whether the vehicle is overturned, and the operation detector is programmed to determine that if the engine stalls because of an overturn of the vehicle, then the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation and the updating unit does not store the diagnostic data in the storage.

7. The vehicle information management system according to claim 6, wherein the overturn detector includes an angle detector arranged to detect an inclination angle of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle information management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reader programmed to read the diagnostic data stored in the storage; and

a display that displays the diagnostic data read from the vehicle information management system.

9. A saddle riding type vehicle comprising:

a vehicle information management system that manages diagnostic data that indicates a vehicle state, the vehicle information management system comprising;

an engine state detector arranged to detect whether an engine stalls;

an operation detector arranged to detect a rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle;

a plurality of parameter detectors arranged to detect parameters related to the vehicle state;

a diagnostic data producing unit programmed to produce the diagnostic data based on the parameters detected by the plurality of parameter detectors;

a storage arranged to store the diagnostic data; and

an updating unit programmed to, based on detection results from the operation detector and the engine state detector, not store in the storage the diagnostic data obtained when the engine stalls if it is determined that the engine stalls because of the rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle, and to store in the storage the diagnostic data obtained when the engine stalls if it is determined that the engine stall is not attributable to the rider'"'"'s operation of the vehicle.

10. The saddle riding type vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a warning unit arranged to warn the rider about an abnormality in the vehicle, and the warning unit lights up when an abnormality is detected based on the diagnostic data.