JP2006349428A - Trouble diagnosing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a trouble diagnosing device capable of efficiently specifying/repairing troubled portions. <P>SOLUTION: This trouble diagnosing device for diagnosing troubles generated in a vehicle is provided with an acquisition means for acquiring information as to the trouble detected in the vehicle, utilizing communication, a determination reference change means for changing a trouble generation determination reference about the one trouble, in one or more of other vehicles with vehicular conditions similar to that of the one vehicle, to a more relaxed standard, when the one trouble is detected in the one vehicle, and an extraction means for extracting vehicular conditions common to the vehicles with the one trouble detected in accordance with the more relaxed trouble determination standard from among the one or more of other vehicles, or features of vehicular peripheral environment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a failure diagnosis device for diagnosing a failure that has occurred in a vehicle, and more particularly, to a failure diagnosis device that improves the efficiency of identifying and repairing a failure location.

  Conventionally, a failure diagnosis apparatus that diagnoses a failure that has occurred in a vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

All of the devices / systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 use communication to exchange information for failure diagnosis between the in-vehicle device and the device outside the vehicle.
JP 2002-228552 A JP 2002-334168 A JP 2002-335340 A

  However, in the conventional devices / systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 above, what conditions (vehicle type, vehicle state, surrounding environment, etc.) are likely to occur for a failure found in a certain vehicle. Cannot be analyzed.

  Therefore, in the conventional apparatus / system, a large amount of information must be collected and enormous narrowing down must be performed each time a failure is detected in the vehicle. If narrowing down is insufficient, there will be an increase in the number of work that must be reproduced and confirmed by specialized workers using a service tool etc. at dealers and repair shops, and the efficiency of identifying and repairing faulty parts will deteriorate.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a failure diagnosis apparatus that makes it possible to efficiently identify and repair a failure location.

  One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a failure diagnosis apparatus outside a vehicle for diagnosing a failure that has occurred in a vehicle, and acquiring information related to a failure detected in the vehicle using communication When one failure is detected in one vehicle and the vehicle, the vehicle state or attribute is similar to that of the one vehicle (for example, the same model, the chassis number is close, and the same parts are mounted, traveling A determination criterion changing means for changing the failure determination criterion for the one failure in the other one or more vehicles to a more gradual reference, and among the one or more other vehicles, Vehicle condition (for example, elapsed time after engine start) common to vehicles in which the above-mentioned one failure is detected according to various failure determination criteria, or vehicle surrounding environment (for example, current vehicle position (including altitude), failure detection) Time, weather (including temperature and humidity), a failure diagnosis apparatus having an extraction means for extracting features, etc.).

  In this one aspect, for example, the determination criterion changing means instructs an in-vehicle device that detects a failure in each of the one or more other vehicles to loosen the determination criterion using communication.

  Further, in this aspect, the failure diagnosis apparatus further includes determination means for determining how serious the one failure is, and the determination criterion changing means is based on a determination result by the determination means. A) Change the degree of change of the failure occurrence criterion (for example, loosen the failure criterion for a serious failure) and / or B) Change the number of one or more other vehicles ( For example, the number may be increased in the case of a serious failure).

  Further, in this one aspect, the extraction means may, for example, determine a vehicle state or a vehicle surrounding environment common to a predetermined number or more of the vehicles in which the one failure is detected according to the milder failure determination criterion. This is extracted as a condition where failure is likely to occur.

  Further, in this one aspect, when the one or more other vehicles detect the one failure according to the more gradual failure determination criteria, the information relating to the current vehicle position and the information relating to the current position of the own vehicle are also provided. It is preferable to transmit to.

  According to this aspect, when a failure is detected in a certain vehicle, it is possible to investigate whether or not there is an indication that the failure is likely to occur in another vehicle in a similar vehicle state to the vehicle. By searching for a common point between the vehicle state of the vehicle in which the sign appears and the surrounding environment of the vehicle, it is possible to infer a condition where the failure is likely to occur. Then, by using this estimation result, it becomes possible to efficiently identify and repair the fault location.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the failure diagnosis apparatus which improves the specification and repair of a failure location can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, since a person skilled in the art knows the basic concept of a failure diagnosis device that diagnoses a vehicle failure outside the vehicle using communication, the main hardware configuration, the operating principle, and the basic control method, etc. Detailed description is omitted.

  A failure diagnosis system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a failure diagnosis apparatus used in the system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the entire failure diagnosis system 100 according to the present embodiment. Here, it is assumed that the failure diagnosis system 100 performs diagnosis for the vehicle 101.

  The failure diagnosis system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 102 mounted on a vehicle to be diagnosed and a failure diagnosis device 103 having a communication function.

  The in-vehicle device 102 is connected to a communication device 104 for communicating with the failure diagnosis device 103, each in-vehicle ECU and an in-vehicle LAN such as CAN (Controller Area Network), and diagnostic information (failure information, error information) from these ECUs. A diagnostic master ECU 105 that collects

  The communication device 104 uploads the diagnosis information collected by the diagnosis master ECU 105 to the failure diagnosis apparatus 103. In addition, ID information for identifying the vehicle is also transmitted.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that information related to the vehicle position (including altitude), the time when the diagnosis occurs, the elapsed time after engine start when the diagnosis occurs, and the like are also transmitted. Details will be described later.

  The failure diagnosis apparatus 103 functions as a communication station and also functions as an information analysis center that analyzes diagnostic information received from each diagnosis target vehicle. The failure diagnosis apparatus 103 having such a role may be managed and operated by the automobile manufacturer itself, or may be managed and operated by a third party. In addition, the collection of failure information according to the present embodiment described below may be automatically performed, for example, with or without explicitly indicating to the owner the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 102 is mounted. It may be performed only for vehicles for which the vehicle owner has a separate contract with a business operator that manages and operates the failure diagnosis apparatus 103.

  The communication connection between the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 and the communication device 104 mounted on the diagnosis target vehicle may be a direct wireless communication connection not via a relay station, or via road-to-vehicle communication or wired communication. It may be a communication connection.

  The failure diagnosis apparatus 103 has a vehicle database (DB) 106 that summarizes data about vehicles to be diagnosed. The vehicle database 106 includes, for example, information such as the vehicle type / model, chassis number, mounted ECU type and product number for each target vehicle.

  The manager / operator of the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 acquires, for example, the former by listening to the vehicle owner at the time of the contract, and the latter by receiving information from the vehicle manufacturer.

  Next, the flow of processing for investigating and estimating conditions that are likely to occur for each failure in the failure diagnosis system and apparatus according to the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

  When receiving the diagnosis information from the target vehicle 101, the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 identifies the model of the transmission source vehicle 101 by checking the ID information received together with the vehicle database 106.

  Next, the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 performs an investigation on a predetermined vehicle group 107 in order to investigate and infer what conditions the failure detected in the vehicle 101 is likely to occur. Here, the investigation target vehicle group 107 is selected from the vehicle database 108 based on the vehicle state and attributes as follows.

  First, a vehicle of the same type as the diagnosis generating vehicle 101 is extracted. In addition to this, even if the model is different, if there is a model vehicle on which the same part as the part in which the diagnosis occurs in the vehicle 101 is mounted, it is extracted.

  Then, these extracted vehicle groups are further narrowed down to those having close chassis numbers (frame numbers) and total travel distances, and the final vehicle group 107 to be investigated is obtained. Here, the total travel distance of each vehicle can be easily set in the failure diagnosis device 103 by designing and setting the communication device 104 of each vehicle to be uploaded to the failure diagnosis device 103 whenever the IG is off. Can be collected and grasped.

  Next, the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 uses the communication for the vehicle group 107 that has been determined to have a vehicle state and vehicle attributes similar to the diagnosis generation vehicle 110, and uses the communication to diagnose the same diagnosis. Send an instruction to increase the sensitivity (Diag sensitivity increase instruction).

  Here, the diagnosis sensitivity refers to the degree of looseness / severity (easy to be determined / difficult to determine) that is determined as the occurrence of failure for a predetermined parameter subjected to diagnosis diagnosis. The diagnostic sensitivity increase refers to a change in the setting of the determination criteria for facilitating the failure determination logic to determine a failure.

  As a more specific example, assuming that the default setting is to determine that a failure has occurred when the parameter to be diagnosed exceeds a determination threshold value, for example, three, a determination with increased diagnosis sensitivity is made. In the logic, if the determination threshold is exceeded, for example, it is determined that a failure has occurred. Alternatively, if it is assumed that the default setting is to determine that a failure has occurred when a parameter subjected to diagnosis diagnosis continues in a predetermined state for 60 seconds, for example, the determination logic with the increased diagnosis sensitivity sets the determination threshold value. For example, if it continues for 20 seconds, it is determined that a failure has occurred.

  In each vehicle of the vehicle group 107, when an instruction to increase diagnosis sensitivity is received from the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 by the communication device 104 of the in-vehicle device 102 (illustration of the vehicle group 107), the diagnosis master ECU 105 changes the failure determination logic. , Loosen the diagnostic sensitivity.

  With this diagnosis sensitivity increase, the diagnosis master ECU 105 of the vehicle group 107 newly determines that a failure has occurred when a tendency / indication of failure occurrence is observed even if the diagnosis sensitivity is not determined to be normal. Will do.

  The diagnostic information based on the diagnostic sensitivity after the change is uploaded to the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 by the communication device 104. That is, (1) diagnosis information and (4) diagnosis information in FIG. 1 are based on different determination criteria (diagnosis sensitivity).

  In addition, in the present embodiment, when the communication device 104 of the vehicle group 107 uploads the diagnosis information to the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 based on the diagnosis sensitivity after the change, the current vehicle current position is also uploaded. It shall be designed and set to The current position of each vehicle can be easily detected in each vehicle by a known method such as using GPS.

  The failure diagnosis apparatus 103 collects diagnostic information (if any) after the diagnostic sensitivity is increased, and at the same time, based on the collected positional information of the diagnostic vehicle and the like, The environment around the vehicle is analyzed, and it is analyzed what conditions are likely to cause a failure that has occurred in the vehicle 101.

  Specifically, for example, the position information of the vehicle 107 that has undergone diagnosis after the diagnosis sensitivity is increased is checked against map data, and the location of the vehicle 107 that shows the same failure indication as the failure that has occurred in the vehicle 101 ( For example, whether it is distributed in cold regions, highlands, along the sea, etc.).

  In addition, for example, what kind of vehicle 107 shows the same failure indication as the failure that has occurred in the vehicle 101 by comparing the position information and the diagnosis occurrence time of the vehicle 107 that has been diagnosed after the diagnosis sensitivity is increased with the weather information data. Investigate whether it is under the weather (for example, sunny, rain, snow, wind speed, temperature, humidity, etc.). Here, the diagnosis occurrence time is preferably recorded in the vehicle 107 and uploaded to the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 together with the diagnosis information and position information. Alternatively, the diagnosis information 103 and the diagnosis information and position information are transmitted from the vehicle 107 in the failure diagnosis apparatus 103. May be the time at which was received.

  In addition, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the elapsed time after engine start when the diagnosis occurs is designed and set so as to be uploaded from the vehicle 107 to the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 together with the diagnosis information and the position information. As a result, a diagnosis occurs after the diagnosis sensitivity is increased, and the distribution of the elapsed time after the engine start can be investigated for the vehicle 107 showing the same failure occurrence sign as the failure that has occurred in the vehicle 101.

  In this way, the failure diagnosis device 103 collects information on the vehicle state and the surrounding environment of the vehicle showing the same failure occurrence sign as the failure that occurred in the vehicle 101 from the vehicle 107, and performs statistical processing, Analyze the conditions under which the failure is likely to occur.

  In this statistical processing, the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 extracts the characteristics of the conditions common to many vehicles 107, and the extracted characteristics (for example, the sign is seen on a vehicle in a cold region where a sign is seen in a cold region, where the sign is seen. Appears) as a condition that the failure is likely to occur.

  Based on such a condition analysis, the failure diagnosis apparatus 103 provides various types of results obtained from the above analysis so that a specialized worker can efficiently identify and repair the failure location using a service tool or the like at a dealer or a repair shop. Communicate conditions that are likely to cause failures to dealers and repair shops. This transmission is preferably sent directly to the service tool using communication.

  At this time, it is preferable to transmit the procedure for repairing the failure, the part number of necessary parts and the inventory information thereof to the dealer or the repair shop. Further, as a result of the above analysis, if it is found that a failure occurring in the vehicle 101 tends to depend on a location (for example, a cold region, a highland, along the sea, etc.), a dealer or repair shop in a location that satisfies the condition The information may be transmitted preferentially and / or intensively.

  By such information transmission, in dealers and repair shops, it is possible to deal with new failures that occur in the vehicle 101 and conditions that are likely to cause such failures (in other words, factors that are presumed to be the cause of the failure). The relationship can be grasped in advance.

  Therefore, even at a dealer or a repair shop, even if failure reproduction is not successful, the failure location can be easily narrowed down by comparing the vehicle state and the conditions between the surroundings with the above correspondence. In addition, the procedure for repairing the failure, the part number of the necessary parts, and inventory information are also communicated, so that the service tool diagnostics acquisition, the failure part part number survey in the parts list, inventory confirmation, etc. Man-hours can be reduced.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, when a failure is detected in a certain vehicle, the total mileage in the same type vehicle as that vehicle or in other types of vehicles equipped with the same parts as those in which the failure has occurred. Alternatively, it is possible to investigate vehicles that have signs that the failure is likely to occur from those with close chassis numbers, so by searching for similarities in the vehicle status of the vehicles that are showing signs and the surrounding environment of the vehicle, Conditions that are likely to cause failures can be inferred. Then, by transmitting this estimation result to a dealer or a repair shop in advance, it becomes possible to efficiently identify and repair the fault location.

  In the above embodiment, how serious the failure detected in the vehicle 101 is by diagnosing the diagnostic information received from the diagnostic vehicle 103 from, for example, a lookup table that is stored in advance. 1) Change the degree of diag-sensitivity increase instructed to the vehicle group 107 based on the result of the determination (for example, the diag-sensitivity is reduced in the case of a serious failure) and / or 2) You may make it increase / decrease the chassis number range selected as investigation object, and / or the total mileage range (for example, investigation object is increased, so that it is a serious failure).

  The present invention is particularly applicable to a failure diagnosis device that diagnoses a vehicle failure outside the vehicle using communication. The appearance, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle to be diagnosed do not matter.

  The present invention can also be applied to a moving body other than a vehicle such as a ship or an airplane.

1 is a schematic diagram of an entire failure diagnosis system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Failure diagnosis system 101 Vehicle 102 In-vehicle device 103 Failure diagnosis device 104 Communication device 105 Diag master ECU
106 Vehicle database (DB)
107 Target vehicle group

Claims (3)

A failure diagnosis device outside a vehicle for diagnosing a failure occurring in a vehicle,
An acquisition means for acquiring information on a failure detected in the vehicle using communication;
When one failure is detected in one vehicle, the failure occurrence criterion for the one failure in one or more other vehicles having similar vehicle status or attributes to the one vehicle is changed to a more gradual criterion Judging criteria changing means for
Extracting means for extracting a characteristic of a vehicle state or a surrounding environment common to the vehicle in which the one failure is detected according to the more gradual failure determination criterion among the one or more other vehicles. Fault diagnosis device. The failure diagnosis device according to claim 1,
A judgment means for judging how serious the one fault is;
The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination criterion changing unit changes a degree of change of the failure occurrence determination criterion based on a determination result by the determination unit. The failure diagnosis device according to claim 1,
A judgment means for judging how serious the one fault is;
The failure diagnosing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination criterion changing unit changes the number of the one or more other vehicles based on a determination result by the determination unit.

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