JPH11134529A - Vehicle information collection system and on-vehicle investigation device applied for the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable vehicle diagnosis without bringing a vehicle to a dealer and to efficiently obtain condition information obtained by the diagnosis of the vehicle from many vehicles. SOLUTION: An information center 50 is communicably connected to plural on-vehicle investigation devices 10. The information center 50 decides condition information to be collected and, moreover, decides an object vehicle of information collection and transmits an investigation request about the condition information to the object vehicle. The on-vehicle investigation device 10 obtains the condition information by executing investigation indicated by the investigation request and transmits the condition information obtained by the investigation to the information center 50. The condition information can simply be collected from plural vehicles. In a transmission of the investigation request, it is also appropriate to transmit an investigation program to be used for the investigation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle information collecting system, and more particularly, to a system capable of efficiently collecting state information obtained from a vehicle diagnosis and investigation from a large number of vehicles. Further, the present invention relates to an in-vehicle investigation device suitably applied to the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the development of electronic technology, many devices mounted on a vehicle are controlled by an electronic control device having a computer. Devices to be controlled are, for example, engines and transmissions, and also suspensions and brake devices, and auto cruises, air conditioners, navigation devices, and the like.
Various. Further, by using the function of the electronic control unit, information on the state of the vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as state information) can be easily acquired at the time of maintenance, inspection, repair, and the like of the vehicle. A typical device of this type is a conventionally known (failure) diagnostic device (also called a diagnostic device). In the diagnostic device, the diagnostic check items correspond to the status information.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-15096 discloses a portable failure diagnosis device. This diagnostic device is connected to a vehicle-mounted electronic control device by a mechanic.
Then, state information necessary for maintenance is output from the control device to the diagnostic device. A maintenance manual is sent from the host computer to the portable diagnostic device as needed,
This manual is referenced by the mechanic.

[0004] Diagnosis devices mounted on vehicles are also well known. For example, a so-called multimedia computer for controlling a navigation or audio system, and further having a diagnostic function has been put to practical use.

[0005]

Conventionally, in order to receive a diagnosis of a vehicle, the vehicle usually needs to be brought to a dealer or the like. For example, when an abnormality is felt in the vehicle, the user moves the vehicle to a dealer. At the dealer, a worker having maintenance skills operates the diagnostic device, checks various signals displayed on the diagnostic device, and performs necessary maintenance or repair based on the check result. In another example, a worker visits a user to perform inspection and maintenance. The user must wait for a worker to come.
As described above, conventionally, the user is burdened with labor and time, and as a result, few users are willing to actively diagnose their own vehicles. Therefore, it is desired that the burden on the user is reduced and the diagnosis of the vehicle can be more easily received.

Conventionally, it has been difficult to collect specific state information from a large number of vehicles as described below. For example, it is assumed that a failure has occurred in a certain vehicle, and it is necessary to examine whether or not a similar failure has occurred in other vehicles of the same vehicle type. At this time, in order to use the conventional diagnostic apparatus, each target vehicle must be brought to the dealer. However, this method is difficult to adopt as a practical problem, considering the burden on the user. Investigations using opportunities to bring vehicles to dealers for other reasons, such as periodic inspections, can be considered, but this takes time. After all, it is difficult to monitor the status information of many vehicles actually used in the past,
The only way to do this was to monitor a limited number of vehicles or conduct reproducibility tests using test vehicles.

In particular, conventionally, each of a large number of vehicles has
It has been difficult to investigate how they have been used for some time. As mentioned above,
The state information of the user's vehicle can be obtained only when the worker is handling the vehicle. Therefore, even if a worker can inspect a large number of vehicles, it is difficult to conduct a continuous investigation for a period of several days or one month. This type of survey is very effective in improving the vehicle, and it is desired that such a survey be feasible.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle information collecting system capable of easily and efficiently collecting vehicle state information.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

(1) A vehicle information system of the present invention is a system for collecting state information obtained by a diagnostic investigation of a vehicle, and determines state information to be collected and a vehicle to be collected.
An information center for requesting the target vehicle to investigate the state information, communicatively connected to the information center, acquiring the state information in response to the request, and transmitting the acquired state information to the information center; An on-vehicle survey device.

[0010] Further, the vehicle information collecting system of the present invention comprises:
A vehicle-mounted surveying device provided in each of the plurality of vehicles; and an information center wirelessly connected to the vehicle-mounted surveying device, wherein the information center determines state information to be collected. And a target vehicle determining means for determining a target vehicle for information collection, and transmits a research request for the state information to the target vehicle, and the on-vehicle research device executes a research indicated in the research request. A surveying means for acquiring the status information, and transmitting the status information acquired by the survey to the information center.

As described above, according to the present invention, the information center requests the vehicle to acquire state information using wireless communication, and collects the state information returned in response to the request. The information collection target vehicle may be a single vehicle or a plurality of vehicles. The target vehicle may be specified as a certain type of vehicle, a certain type of vehicle, or a vehicle in a certain area. The collected state information may be arbitrary, for example, the sensor output signal itself related to the in-vehicle device,
Further, for example, information of a result obtained by performing predetermined arithmetic processing on a sensor output signal may be used.

According to the present invention, a remote diagnosis can be performed, and the user can receive a diagnosis of the vehicle at an arbitrary place without bringing the vehicle to a dealer or the like. Therefore, the burden on the user for vehicle diagnosis is reduced, and the number of users who actively receive vehicle diagnosis can be increased.

In particular, according to the present invention, by setting a plurality of vehicles as target vehicles for information collection, it is possible to collect necessary state information from these target vehicles. Obtaining state information from a large number of vehicles, which has been difficult in the past, can be easily realized by applying the present invention. Based on the information thus obtained, it is possible to improve the vehicle or take measures against a failure that is expected to occur.

Further, according to the present invention, it has been possible to easily realize a conventionally difficult investigation on how each of a plurality of vehicles has been used for a long period of time. For example, a survey request sent from the information center to the on-vehicle survey device indicates that status information should be acquired over a certain period. In response to this request, the status information obtained over a certain period is sent to the information center. The status information may be transmitted to the information center one after another, or may be transmitted to the information center after a certain period of time. By utilizing the results of this type of investigation, it is possible to quickly and easily make an appropriate improvement of the vehicle.

(2) Preferably, the information center, when transmitting the investigation request, transmits an investigation request including an investigation program necessary to acquire the state information;
The surveying means of the on-vehicle surveying device performs a requested survey using the surveying program. According to this aspect, it is possible to perform an investigation that is not assumed at the stage when the vehicle is manufactured. For example, when a failure occurs in a certain vehicle,
Suppose a specific investigation was needed to find out the likelihood of a similar failure in the same model. At this time, a program necessary for the survey is sent to the vehicle-mounted survey device, and the survey is performed using this program.

(3) Preferably, the information center performs a broadcast using a broadcast format when transmitting the investigation request to the plurality of target vehicles. Broadcasting refers to transmitting data to a plurality of transmission destinations at once to distribute the same data to a plurality of transmission destinations. According to this aspect, it is not necessary to individually send a survey request to each target vehicle, so that the survey request can be transmitted efficiently.

In the present invention, any communication means may be used between the information center and the on-vehicle investigation device. Different communication means may be used for transmission of the investigation request by the information center and transmission of the state information by the vehicle-mounted investigation device. For example, in the transmission of the former investigation request, FM multiplex broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, or a roadside beacon device is suitably used as one of the broadcast formats described above.

(4) The in-vehicle investigation device of the present invention receives the investigation request for the state information obtained by the vehicle diagnosis investigation transmitted from the information center, and executes the investigation indicated in the investigation request. Investigation means for acquiring the state information, and transmission means for transmitting the state information acquired by the investigation to the information center, wherein the information center is selected as a target vehicle for collecting the state information. Sometimes, the status information is provided to an information center. The investigation device of this aspect is suitably applied to the above-described vehicle information collection system as an in-vehicle terminal device.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a diagnostic system to which a vehicle information collecting system according to the present invention is applied.
This system includes an on-vehicle survey device 10 and an information center 5
Has zero. The information center 50 is communicably connected to each of the on-vehicle survey devices 10 mounted on a number of vehicles.

A diagnostic control ECU 12 having a CPU is provided in the on-vehicle investigation device 10.
Controls the overall process of acquiring state information on the vehicle side. It is also preferable to provide the diagnosis control ECU 12 integrally with a computer used for other purposes. In particular, as part of what is called ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), development of an information system for communicatively connecting a vehicle and an information center is progressing. In this system, a computer provided in the vehicle has a navigation function and the like. This kind of computer has the diagnostic control ECU 1
It is also preferable to have the second function.

The diagnostic control ECU 12 controls the equipment ECU 14, the equipment to be controlled 16, and the equipment sensor 1 via the in-vehicle LAN.
8 is connected. The device ECU 14 controls the control target device 16 by sending a control signal. The signal detected by the device sensor 18 is input to the device ECU 14,
Used for equipment control. For example, the control target device 16
As mentioned above, the engine, transmission, suspension, brake device, auto cruise, air conditioner,
Any device such as a navigation device. For example,
If the control target device 16 is an engine, the device EC
U14 is an engine control device, and the device sensor 18 is
Examples include a water temperature sensor and a rotation speed sensor. In addition, equipment EC
U14 and the diagnostic control ECU 12 described above may be integrated.

Although FIG. 1 shows one device 16 to be controlled, the diagnosis control ECU 12 is actually connected to a plurality of devices. Each device ECU 14 is provided with a survey program (check program) for acquiring state information of the corresponding control target device 16. The investigation program may simply send a detection signal of the device sensor 18 to the diagnosis control ECU 12. Further, the program may be such that a predetermined arithmetic processing is performed on the detection signal, and then information on the arithmetic result is sent to the diagnosis control ECU 12.

When executing the inspection program, first, a check code indicating the inspection program is sent from the diagnostic control ECU 12 to the device ECU 14. The check code is stored in the check code table storage unit 20 connected to the diagnostic control ECU 12. When the check code is sent, the device ECU 14 runs a program routine corresponding to the code.

Further, a display 24 and a speaker 26 as output means are connected to the diagnostic control ECU 12 via an input / output interface 22, and further, an input device 28 operated by a vehicle user is connected. The input device 28 includes a switch, a joystick, and a voice input device. Further, the diagnostic control ECU 12 includes:
Transmission / reception circuit 3 for performing wireless communication with information center 50
0 is connected. Transmitting / receiving circuit 30 and information center 5
Data communication is performed with the transmission / reception circuit 60 on the 0 side.

On the other hand, the information center 50 is provided with a center control section 52 having a CPU and controlling the entire center. The center control unit 52 performs a process of determining state information to be collected in accordance with an instruction of an operator, a process of determining a target vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) for information collection, and further collects state information from the determined target vehicle. Process for That is, the center control unit 52 functions as the collection information determination unit and the target vehicle determination unit of the present invention.

An input device 54 and a center storage unit 56 are connected to the center control unit 52. The operator operates the input device 54 to specify the status information to be collected and the corresponding survey item. Further, the center storage unit 56 stores various data used for the information collection processing, as described later.

Further, a collected information storage unit 58 is connected to the center control unit 52. The state information collected from the on-vehicle investigation device 10 is written into the collected information storage unit 58 by the center control unit 52. The center control unit 52 also performs processing such as totalization of the collected state information.

The configuration of the vehicle information collection system shown in FIG. 1 has been described above. Next, the operation of this system will be described with reference to FIG. First, at the information center 50, the input device 54 is operated by an operator, and a survey item is designated (S10). The center storage unit 56 stores a survey item list table that associates survey items with the types of vehicles to be investigated. The center control unit 52
The search target vehicle type is searched with reference to this table, and the vehicle to be investigated is specified by this processing (S12). For example, in S10 described above, the investigation item “fuel remaining amount display device A
Output signal confirmation ”is specified. In S12, a vehicle including the device A is searched and determined as a target vehicle.
Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the operator operates the input device 54 to specify the target vehicle type without performing the above-described search processing. Further, the target vehicle may be determined based not only on the vehicle type but also on the year, serial number, manufacturing time, method of use (for private use, business use, etc.), area of use, and the like.

Next, the center control unit 52 refers to the check code list table stored in the center storage unit 56. In this table, check codes corresponding to each survey item are shown. Check items and check programs (check programs) are prepared in advance for check items that are already assumed to be performed later in the vehicle manufacturing stage. The check code is stored in the check code table storage unit 20 on the vehicle side, and the investigation program is stored in the equipment ECU 14 on the vehicle side. The check code list table is a table of check codes corresponding to such a presumed investigation. The center control unit 52 searches this table (S1
4) It is determined whether there is a check code corresponding to the survey item (S16), and if there is a check code, the process proceeds to S20.

If S16 is NO (there is no check code), the center control unit 52 searches for a research program corresponding to the research item (S18). The survey program is stored in the center storage unit 56 in association with the survey item. At this point, the survey program may be input by the operator using the input device 54. At this point, a survey program may be created by the operator. The center control unit 52, the input device 54, and the center storage unit 56 are preferably used for creating the survey program.
After the search for the survey program, the process proceeds to S20.

In S20, a survey request is transmitted from the information center 50 to the vehicle-mounted survey device 10. The investigation request includes a check code (when S16 is YES), or
Includes a survey program (when S16 is NO). Therefore, the investigation request indicates what kind of investigation should be performed (investigation contents). In transmission of the survey request here, individual transmission for each target vehicle may be performed, but preferably, broadcast using a broadcast format is performed. The broadcast is
As described above, in order to distribute the same data to a plurality of transmission destinations, this means transmitting data to the transmission destinations at once. Here, for example, FM multiplex broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and roadside beacon devices are used. By using the broadcast, it is possible to transmit the investigation request efficiently.

Next, the processing on the vehicle side will be described with reference to FIG. On the vehicle side, the investigation request is sent to the transmission / reception circuit 3
0 and sent to the diagnostic control ECU 12 (S
30). When the survey request is transmitted in a broadcast format, the own vehicle is not necessarily the vehicle to be surveyed. Therefore, the diagnostic control E
The CU 12 confirms that the own vehicle is the target vehicle based on the survey request. After this confirmation, the diagnosis control ECU 12
The control indicated by the check request is executed (S32).

In S32, when the check request includes the check code, the check code is used for the diagnosis control EC.
It is sent from U12 to the equipment ECU14. Equipment ECU 14
Has a check code and a corresponding inspection program, and executes this program routine. On the other hand, when the investigation request includes the investigation program, this program is transmitted from the diagnosis control ECU 12 to the equipment ECU 14.
And the inspection program is executed by the device ECU 14. By executing the survey program, status information corresponding to the survey item specified on the information center 50 side is obtained.

In the present embodiment, various investigation programs for collecting various state information related to an arbitrary vehicle-mounted device can be applied. Some survey programs, for example, may not be executable unless the vehicle is stationary. When such a program is executed, the diagnosis control ECU 12 causes the display 24 and the speaker 26
, An instruction to continue stopping the vehicle until the end of the survey is presented to the user. The user operates the input device 28
To notify the diagnostic control ECU 12 that the instruction will be followed. After confirming the user's response, the survey program is executed. In addition, some survey programs may require a special mode setting to perform the survey. For example, there is a program that is not executed unless the diagnosis mode is set by grounding a certain signal line. Even when such a program is executed, confirmation and inquiry processing to the user is performed using the display 24 and the like in the same manner as described above.
The diagnosis process is started in a safe state.

In this embodiment, it is also possible to apply a survey program utilizing the cooperation of the user. This type of program is, for example, a program for acquiring status information relating to “instrument panel display abnormality”. Each number in the vehicle speed display section is assumed to be composed of seven segments as shown in FIG. These segments are turned on one by one in order. Speaker 26
According to the guidance output from, the user uses the input device 28 to input a visual confirmation result as to whether the segment is turned on or off.

Returning to FIG. 2, the equipment ECU 14 performs diagnosis control E on the vehicle state information obtained by executing the investigation program.
Send to CU12. The diagnosis control ECU 12 notifies the user of the investigation result using the display 24 and the speaker 26 (S34). Here, the status information itself may be indicated, but preferably, it is indicated that the inspection result is normal or abnormal. Further, the diagnostic control E
The CU 12 transmits the status information of the investigation result to the information center 50 using the transmission / reception circuit 30 (S36). Here, unlike the communication (broadcast format) of the above-described investigation request, individual communication between each vehicle and the information center 50 is performed.

Regarding the above-described investigation on the vehicle side, in the present embodiment, it is also preferable to apply an investigation program for conducting an investigation over a long period of time. For example, a signal from a sensor attached to an engine or a transmission is continuously obtained over a one-month period. Thus, it is possible to know how the vehicle is usually used by the user. In this aspect, the status information obtained during the investigation period may be sequentially transmitted to the information center 50. Further, during the investigation period, the state information may be stored in the diagnosis control ECU 12 or the device ECU 14 and finally transmitted to the information center 50 in a lump. Of course, the investigation period may be appropriately divided into a plurality of sections, and the state information obtained in the divided sections may be transmitted together. Further, a result obtained by subjecting the state information obtained during the investigation period to a predetermined arithmetic processing (average or the like) may be sent to the information center 50.

Returning to FIG. 2, the processing in the information center 50 that has received the status information will be described. The status information of the investigation result is received by the transmission / reception circuit 60 and sent to the center control unit 52 (S40). The center control unit 52 stores the sent state information in the collected information storage unit 58. The transmission of the survey results from all the vehicles whose information is to be collected is awaited. When a certain number of pieces of information have been collected, it is considered that necessary information has been obtained, and the collection may be terminated.

The center control section 52 reads the collected information from the collected information storage section 58 and totals it (S42), and analyzes the totaling result (S44). In aggregation processing and analysis processing,
Statistical processing is performed as appropriate. These processes may be performed according to an instruction of the operator, or may be performed according to a prepared program.

For example, in a case where it is necessary to consider whether a failure has occurred in a certain vehicle and a similar failure has occurred in another vehicle of the same vehicle type, the above embodiment is preferably applied. Is done. By collecting and analyzing the survey results, it is possible to quickly take necessary measures.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the information center requests the vehicle to acquire state information using wireless communication, and collects the state information returned in response to the request. Therefore, specific state information can be easily collected from a plurality of vehicles. Acquisition of state information from a large number of vehicles, which could not be performed conventionally, can be easily realized. Furthermore,
A previously difficult study of how each of a plurality of vehicles has been used for a long period of time can be easily realized. Based on the information thus obtained, it is possible to improve the vehicle or take measures against a failure that is expected to occur.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the state information is collected from a large number of vehicles has been described. However, the present embodiment is also applicable to a case where one vehicle or a small number of vehicles are diagnosed. A check request including a check code or a check program for diagnosis is sent from the information center 50 to the vehicle. Since there are few targets, it is considered preferable to perform individual communication rather than using a broadcast format. In the vehicle, status information is acquired in response to the survey request. As described above, according to the present embodiment, remote diagnosis of the vehicle can be performed. Therefore, the user can receive a diagnosis of the vehicle at an arbitrary place without bringing the vehicle to a dealer or the like. The above diagnosis may be performed based on a request of a user, may be performed based on a request of a person other than the user, or may be performed spontaneously by an information center.

In addition, the system according to the present embodiment can also perform countermeasure processing based on information obtained from the vehicle, that is, vehicle maintenance and failure repair. For example, FIG.
Based on the analysis result in S44, a maintenance program, a repair program, and other appropriate control programs are created. It is also preferable to create a program that is an improvement of the control program currently possessed by the vehicle. The program may be created by the center control unit 52 of the information center 50. Further, a countermeasure program may be created using another computer. The created program is sent to the vehicle-mounted survey device 10 by the center control unit 52 using the transmission / reception circuit 60. The countermeasure program received by the vehicle is sent to the diagnosis control ECU 12 and further transmitted to the device ECU 1.
4, downloaded, installed and executed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a speed display section of an instrument panel for explaining an example of a survey program.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 on-vehicle investigation device, 12 diagnostic control ECU, 14 device ECU, 16 controlled device, 18 device sensor, 2
0 Check code table storage, 22 input / output interface, 24 display, 26 speaker,
28, 54 input device, 30, 60 transmitting / receiving circuit, 50
Information center, 52 center control unit, 56 center storage unit, 58 collected information storage unit.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle information collecting system for collecting state information obtained by a vehicle diagnosis and investigation, which determines state information to be collected and a target vehicle for information collection, and checks the target vehicle for the state information. And an in-vehicle investigation device communicably connected to the information center, acquiring the status information in response to the request, and transmitting the acquired status information to the information center. Vehicle information collection system. 2. A vehicle information collection system for collecting state information obtained by a vehicle diagnosis and investigation, comprising: an on-vehicle investigation device provided for each of a plurality of vehicles; The information center comprising: collected information determining means for determining state information to be collected; and target vehicle determining means for determining a target vehicle for information collection. The vehicle-mounted survey device transmits a survey request for the status information, and the survey device acquires the status information by executing a survey indicated in the survey request, and transmits the status information acquired by the survey to the information center. A vehicle information collection system characterized by transmitting the information to a vehicle. 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the information center transmits a survey request including a survey program necessary for acquiring the state information when transmitting the survey request. A vehicle information collection system, wherein the investigation means of the vehicle-mounted investigation device performs a required investigation using the investigation program. 4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the information center performs broadcasting using a broadcast format when transmitting the investigation request to the plurality of target vehicles. An information collection system for a vehicle, comprising: 5. A receiving means for receiving an investigation request for state information obtained by a vehicle diagnostic investigation transmitted from an information center, and an investigation means for executing the investigation indicated in the investigation request and acquiring said state information. And transmitting means for transmitting the status information obtained by the survey to the information center, wherein when the information center selects the target vehicle for collecting the status information, the status information is transmitted to the information center. An in-vehicle investigation device characterized by providing.