JP2001229299A - Maintenance method and maintenance system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved vehicle information system which includes repair history and which stores data on the maintenance of a specified vehicle that can easily be maintained to the latest state. SOLUTION: A vehicle data storage system is provided with a vehicle mountable/recordable data storage device storing information on a vehicle on which a storage device is mounted, and external processor including a maintenance computer which can read and write data with the vehicle loading data storage device and a display device showing vehicle information so that a service person can conveniently refer to it during a maintenance procedure. A data file includes a maintenance manual guiding the repair and the maintenance of the vehicle such as information on a specified device or function loaded on the specified vehicle and includes the list of parts considered to be necessary for repair and maintenance so that the parts that the service person obtains can be identified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a maintenance method and a system thereof, and more particularly, to a maintenance method and a system for maintaining a vehicle by interacting with an external processing device.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicles must be maintained according to repair and maintenance procedures specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Vehicles are usually delivered with an owner's manual that describes the operation of the vehicle and the performance of basic maintenance functions, but for more extensive repairs and maintenance procedures, a more detailed maintenance manual must be consulted. If you can not do. Such maintenance documentation is typically obtained from the service department of a vehicle distributor and an independent service agent specializing in vehicle repair and maintenance.

[0003] Service departments and agents must have maintenance documentation for each vehicle that may be brought in for repair. Such documentation can be lengthy, as modern vehicles have a vast number of different systems and components that will be involved in repair and maintenance. In addition, manufacturers tend to provide their vehicles with special or unique features in an attempt to differentiate each product and increase the level of equipment in the market. Such unique features usually relate to vehicle systems that can be serviced and repaired and therefore must be documented in the maintenance manual, even if not all vehicles of the manufacturer have such features . For example, there may be many engine and transmission combinations available for one type of vehicle. The vehicle is provided with a driver adjustable suspension system. Also,
Other vehicle systems, including windows, mirrors, seats and sunroofs, are becoming increasingly self-powered. Radio acoustic systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are all very common and quite complex. These systems must also be described in the maintenance manual. Unique functions are often quite complex and difficult to maintain.

[0004] Further, since the specifications and design of the vehicle may change rapidly from year to year, a maintenance manual is generally newly issued every model year. Vehicle reliability has been improved
Due to the high price, the recent trend is for owners to keep their vehicles longer. With the age of the vehicle,
Maintenance and maintenance processes will inevitably increase. As vehicles continue to be used on a daily basis for longer periods after initial production, the number of books that the service department must maintain is growing rapidly. This puts a heavy burden on the service department who must keep documents at hand at all times.

[0005] In addition, manufacturers may perform collection or repair procedures that are required to keep vehicles compliant with government safety and pollution regulations and that are provided free of charge to the owner. Service manuals must be updated with such collections or modifications, and the service department must be able to verify that such collections or modifications have been incorporated into a particular vehicle. It would be advantageous for the service department if the burden of keeping most documentation and other vehicle documentation on hand could be reduced.

[0006] Individual vehicle owners also face documentation problems in that they need to keep a close record of vehicle maintenance. For example, in many countries vehicles must comply with emissions regulations and be equipped with special equipment to reduce pollution. Excessive modification of the exhaust system may have to pay a fine, and the owner must be able to verify that the correct system is properly maintained. It is important to verify the recovery and repair history of a particular vehicle, if necessary, and such documents are therefore always kept on board. Owners also need to keep documentation of vehicle recalls and other modifications in order to maximize personal safety and ensure that applicable regulations are kept up to date.

[0007] A vehicle may be considerably contaminated by use, and since various lubricating oils and solvents required for maintenance are attached to the vehicle, the maintenance performed on the vehicle often involves dust and dirt. For maintenance, refer to the aforementioned maintenance manual.
Often done while writing in the owner's manual on the vehicle, various forms of vehicle documentation are susceptible to damage and dirt. Further, the document itself is often inconvenient. For example, a mechanic may have to leave a vehicle being repaired many times to review maintenance manuals to make sure that proper procedures are being followed. By repeatedly moving between vehicles and documents,
The repair process slows down, increasing the chances of corrupting documents,
Repairs are complicated.

[0008]

From the foregoing, there is a need for an improved vehicle information system that stores data relating to maintenance of a particular vehicle, including repair history and that can be easily kept up to date. It will be obvious. The present invention fulfills this need.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a maintenance method and system for performing maintenance using information related to maintenance of a vehicle equipped with, for example, a storage device and a sensor. This vehicle-mounted data storage device is read by an external processing device including a maintenance computer. The maintenance computer can read from and write to the on-board data storage and is typically provided in a service department or other repair and maintenance facility. The maintenance computer is used together with a presentation device that presents vehicle information to service personnel so that it can be easily checked during a maintenance procedure.
The vehicle-mounted data storage device has sufficient data storage capacity to hold both the data file and the application software for reading the data file. That is, the maintenance computer executes application software stored on the data storage device to read the data file. This prevents the maintenance computer from becoming incompatible with the data files. The maintenance computer can write to the data storage device to record services performed on the vehicle and to update data files. In this way, the vehicle data storage system can store and easily update data on maintenance of a specific vehicle, including the repair history.

[0010] The data files stored in the data storage device include maintenance manuals that guide the repair and maintenance of the vehicle, preferably including special equipment or features installed on the vehicle, and may be used for repair and maintenance. A list of potential parts is also included so that service personnel can identify the parts needed to perform repairs or maintenance.

[0011] The data storage device is placed in a protected environment within the vehicle to minimize the chance of damaging the device and interconnecting devices. The data storage device is a means for storing vehicle information, but preferably does not include a processing device that is more sophisticated than necessary to interface with the maintenance processing device. By interfacing with the maintenance processor, the maintenance processor has the necessary control functions to navigate through the information stored in the data storage device. In this way, the data storage device is simplified to reduce costs and increase reliability, and to reduce the size of the device, thereby making it the most advantageous location in the vehicle for protection and function. Can be arranged.
No information storage activity takes place without monitoring from the maintenance processor, so there is no need to supply in-vehicle power to the data storage device. That is, the connection between the data storage device for information transmission and the maintenance processing device also supplies power to the data storage device from the maintenance processing device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an initial data amount is recorded in a data storage device at the time of manufacture. That is, in one of the final steps of the vehicle assembly process, data can be downloaded to a data storage device to store information about the configuration of that particular vehicle. The vehicle information includes, for example, maintenance manual data correlated with strict equipment as installed in the vehicle at the time of manufacture. Incorporating such information at the time of manufacture ensures that the information is accurate and up-to-date and responds to the vehicle without including irrelevant information that is not useful to the owner or service personnel who are likely to leave the vehicle. Can be guaranteed.

In another aspect of the invention, the data storage device is connected to the maintenance computer whenever data transmission is performed after assembly. That is, when vehicle information is retrieved from the data storage device or when additional information is recorded in the data storage device, data transmission is performed under the control of the maintenance computer. Thus, the data storage device can receive all the power required for operation from the maintenance computer. This allows records of vehicle maintenance actions, including records of corrections and warranty work performed on the vehicle, to be stored in the data storage device with minimal impact on the vehicle system.

Various presentation devices and presentation schemes can be used. For example, a conventional video display can be connected to the maintenance computer to visually display information retrieved from the data storage. Audio information can be presented via a speaker. For maximum convenience to service personnel, a display device, such as one mounted on a head visor or an eyeglass frame, can be used. Such a device is advantageous because information can be easily viewed while performing maintenance procedures.

[0015]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle-mounted data storage system 10 constructed according to the present invention. The system includes a data storage device 12 mounted in a protected location within a vehicle 14. The data storage device is connected to the maintenance computer 16 by a data cable 18 so that vehicle information can be read from and written to the data storage device under the control of the maintenance computer. The vehicle information includes service information for this particular vehicle 14 and the exact device configuration as mounted on the vehicle by the manufacturer. The maintenance computer 16 interfaces with the presentation device 20. The presentation device is, for example, a conventional computer video monitor, a liquid crystal display (L
CD) panel, which may include a head-up display that the mechanic can wear and show visual information in the field of view of the mechanic. With these three subsystems, the onboard data storage system 10 provides convenient means for storing and retrieving data relating to maintenance of this particular vehicle 14, including repair histories, and the service and services stored therein. Data can be easily updated.

In a preferred embodiment, the data storage device 1
2 holds a maintenance manual that guides the repair and maintenance of the vehicle 14 including special equipment or functions equipped on the vehicle, and parts information for ordering equipment necessary for repair and maintenance of the vehicle system. Includes small disk drives with sufficient data storage capacity to Specifically, the on-board storage 12 stores a list of parts that are deemed necessary for vehicle repair and maintenance so that service personnel can identify the parts needed for repair or maintenance. It is preferable to have a sufficient data capacity. Such information is a few gigabytes (GB)
Can be easily included in the data. For example, a conventional 2.5 inch diameter hard disk drive
It can store more than 10 gigabytes (GB) of data and can be used by International Business Machines (I
BM) available from suppliers such as Corporation. Other magnetic, semiconductor, and magneto-optical data devices can be used.

The data storage device 12 controls the vehicle 1 so that the chances of damage to the device and the interconnect devices are minimized.
4 is placed in a protected environment. The device can be located, for example, in a dedicated mounting on a vehicle firewall, in a luggage room, in a dashboard, or in a passenger compartment. Since the data storage device must accept the connection cable for data transmission to and from the maintenance computer, the data storage device does not damage or disable the cable connection sockets due to environmental dirt or dust, and It must be mounted so that it will not be damaged by use of the vehicle under typical operating conditions.

Although the data storage device 12 is means for storing vehicle information, it is preferable that the data storage device 12 does not include a processing device having an altitude higher than necessary for interfacing with the maintenance processing device. For example, if the data storage device is a small form factor disk drive, such as a 2.5 inch hard drive, a disk controller with basic processing functions must always be incorporated as part of the drive. However, in the preferred embodiment, device 12 does not include a microprocessor, such as one of the 80x86 microprocessor families from Intel Corporation. In this regard, the data storage device 12 can be said to be a device generally referred to as a "dumb" peripheral that cannot function alone without an external processing device. This external processing device is a maintenance computer 16. With this type of design scheme, the cost of the data storage device 12 can be minimized and thus the cost of the vehicle-mounted storage system 10 can be minimized.

The maintenance computer 16 is preferably capable of interfacing with on-board sensors and diagnostic devices. For example, a vehicle system that can communicate with an external processing device via a vehicle wiring harness or a vehicle data bus may incorporate a failure reporting or fault isolation function. When the vehicle 14 is brought in for maintenance, the external processing device can receive vehicle fault information from the vehicle system, perform necessary diagnostic functions, and store that information in the data storage device 12 for recording and later retrieval. can do.

The maintenance computer 16 stores data stored in the data storage device 1 in order to record services performed on the vehicle 14.
2 can be written. In this way, the vehicle owner can be confident that he has accurate and up-to-date information on all service actions taken on the vehicle and that the maintenance instructions are lost or damaged. No need to worry about. Similarly, mechanics can be confident that records are reliable and accurate. The maintenance computer can also be used to update vehicle information and maintenance instructions. When the vehicle manufacturer changes the maintenance procedure, modifies by collecting the equipment, issues an updated document such as a technical service announcement, or provides a revised version of the vehicle attached document by other methods, the vehicle mounted data storage system 10 is used. Is a convenient means of updating the documentation associated with a particular vehicle and a means of ensuring that such documentation is readily available to both the mechanic and the owner.

FIG. 2 shows the data storage system 10 in use at a service location. The service location may be, for example, a service section of a distributor or independent mechanic, or any other location with a maintenance computer 16. As mentioned above, the data storage device 12 mounted on the vehicle 14 is a "dumb" device and requires an external processing device such as a maintenance computer to allow a user to store and retrieve data. I do. Data connecting the data storage device 12 to the maintenance computer 16
Cable 18 is a small computer system
Various computer interface standards, including industry standard interconnect standards such as interface (SCSI) or similar standards, or proprietary standards of the manufacturer of the vehicle 14 may be included. The maintenance computer 16 includes software necessary to read maintenance manuals and other information recorded in the data storage device 12, move between items of the manuals, and display information in the manuals. .

The system illustrated in FIG. 2 includes two alternative presentation devices, a conventional video display monitor 24 and a heads-up display device 26 including goggles or glasses worn by a mechanic. The head-up display is performed by the maintenance computer 16 by the data storage device 12.
While watching the visual display of maintenance procedure information read from
It is preferable that the image is displayed on a lens worn by the mechanic so that the hands and eyes of the mechanic can be freely concentrated on the repair work.

The system shown in FIG.
It is shown to interface with the component computer 30 via a computer network 31 connecting the computer and the component computer. This computer network can be a network located at a service location, a wireless network, or a larger manufacturer-
Can be a distributor wide area network. The parts computer 30 includes a processing device 32, a display device 34, and an inventory management system 36. Once the mechanic has determined the particular parts needed for repair, a request can be made to the maintenance computer 16 for that part, which is relayed to the parts computer 30 via the network 32. Next, the parts computer issues a request to the inventory management system 36 for the parts. The inventory management component system preferably includes a database that catalogs all of the vehicle components that have been input to the onboard data storage device 12.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the data storage device 12 in the vehicle at the time of assembly. An external processing device such as the above-mentioned maintenance computer 16 is connected to the vehicle data storage device 12, and obtains appropriate information on the vehicle configuration from the manufacturer's database. The information includes a repair manual and a maintenance manual for the vehicle 14, a vehicle parts list reflecting a specific configuration of the vehicle, diagnostic information for maintenance actions, a maintenance history file added when the vehicle is repaired, and Preferably, other application software to assist owners and service personnel is included.

The information stored in the data storage device 12 is:
For example, a selection may be made from database 42 according to a VIN assigned to all manufactured vehicles and identifying a particular device mounted on the vehicle associated with that vehicle identification number (VIN). Other alternative identification schemes can be used as long as the information stored in data storage 12 incorporates information specific to that particular vehicle 14 in which the data storage will be mounted. This specific information should reflect, for example, the combination of engine and transmission mounted on the vehicle, driver operating systems such as electric windows, mirrors, seats, sunroofs, speed controllers, suspensions, etc. As other specific information, information related to a radio sound system, a heating, arousing, and an air conditioning system mounted on the vehicle 14 can be considered.

The assembly line device of FIG. 3 required to introduce data into the vehicle 14 includes an external processing device 44, which can communicate with data storage devices located within the vehicle and assemble. It can be a maintenance computer or some other general purpose computer that can download data to a data store to store information about the configuration of a particular vehicle 14. Accordingly, the external processing device retrieves data from the database 42 and transfers the retrieved data 46 to the data storage device 12 via the data connection line 48 with the vehicle 14.

FIG. 4 is a data block diagram showing data functions monitored by the maintenance computer, and shows the structure and configuration of data stored in the data storage device 12. The information stored in the top-level directory of the device data structure includes “Vehicle Information Management System” 50.
The system includes a “service process” folder 52
And a “components” folder 54, a “maintenance history” folder 56, and a “software” folder 58. An external processing unit of the data system 10 can access each of these folders or data areas.

The “service process” folder 52
"Document and browse / navigate" function 60, "diagnosis procedure" 62, and "vehicle-mounted processor communication" function 6
Preferably, four sub-areas are included. The “parts” folder 54 includes subareas of “part identification / stock management chapter heading” 66 and “parts request communication to parts computer” 68. The “maintenance history” folder 56 includes sub-areas of a “read maintenance history” function 70 and a “maintenance item creation” function 72. The "software" folder 58 contains "application software" for reading data files held in the data storage device. Specifically, the "software" folder contains application software that can be loaded and executed by external processing devices known to handle data files. For example, the application software is AS
It may include a CII text processor or a simple word processor program. The data files are "service process" 52, "parts" 54,
And “maintenance history” 56 information included in the folder. Because the maintenance computer reads and writes to the data storage device, the above folders and data structures may change during the life of the vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the use of the data storage system during the life of the vehicle. This flow chart represents various activities that may occur during the life of the vehicle in which the vehicle is operated and the data storage system is in use.

The first step in the operation, indicated by box 102 in the flowchart, is the operation performed during vehicle assembly prior to vehicle delivery. In this operation, according to the vehicle configuration,
Service process data, application programs, component data, and maintenance history data are stored in the data storage. After the vehicle is delivered, the vehicle is driven.
This is shown in the flow chart box 104. When a service is required, the data storage device is connected to an external processing device, such as the service computer described above, as shown in box 106 of the flowchart. When the service computer is connected to the data storage device, the service computer queries the data storage device and on-board sensors for information. This operation is indicated by flowchart box 108.

Once the diagnostic and fault isolation functions have been performed on the vehicle, maintenance and repair functions are performed, as shown by flowchart box 110. As a final step in maintenance and repair activities, the above operations performed are recorded in a data storage device and other update operations are performed on the stored data. These operations are illustrated by the flowchart box 112 in FIG.

[0032]

According to the present invention, there is provided a recordable data storage device for storing information on a vehicle equipped with a storage device,
A vehicle-mounted data storage system is provided that includes an external processing device that reads and writes to a data storage device, and a presentation device that presents vehicle information to maintenance personnel for convenient viewing during maintenance procedures. The maintenance computer can also write to the vehicle data storage to record maintenance performed on the vehicle and update vehicle information and maintenance instructions stored in the device. Thereby, data relating to maintenance of a specific vehicle including the repair history can be stored together with the vehicle so that the information is not lost or damaged. Further, the update of the vehicle configuration, parts, and collection history can be easily included.

The present invention has been described using presently preferred embodiments so that the invention may be understood. However, there are many configurations of vehicle-mounted data storage systems not specifically described herein but to which the invention can be applied. Therefore, the present invention
It should be understood that they should not be limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but have broad applicability with respect to vehicle data storage systems in general. Therefore, all modifications, variations, or equivalent configurations and embodiments included in the claims should be considered as included in the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle-mounted data storage system configured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is prepared for a maintenance operation at a service location;
FIG. 2 shows the vehicle of FIG. 1 connected to a maintenance computer.

FIG. 3 illustrates the vehicle of FIG. 1 at an assembly line endpoint where vehicle configuration information is stored in a data storage device using a specially configured maintenance computer or other data transmission device.

FIG. 4 is a data block diagram illustrating data functions monitored by a maintenance computer.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the use of a data storage system during a vehicle life.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Onboard data storage system 12 Data storage device 16 Maintenance computer 18 Data cable 20 Presentation device 30 Component computer 31 Computer network 32 Processing device 34 Display device 42 Database 44 External processing device 48 Data connection line

Claims (10)

[Claims] An information storage step (10) for storing maintenance target information of each maintenance target in each of the maintenance targets.
2) reading out the maintenance target information stored in the maintenance target, and inquiring or inquiring about any of the sensors mounted on the maintenance target, and a reading / inquiring step (108) for performing any of these; (110) a maintenance step of performing a maintenance operation on the maintenance target based on the target information and the inquiry to the sensor or a result of any one of these, and storing the maintenance operation in the maintenance target based on the performed maintenance operation Information update step (11) for updating the maintained maintenance target information.
2) A maintenance method having: 2. The maintenance method according to claim 1, further comprising a presentation step of presenting the maintenance target information and the inquiry result to the sensor obtained in the information reading / inquiry step or any one of them. 3. The maintenance target is a vehicle, and the maintenance target information is vehicle configuration information indicating a configuration of the maintenance target vehicle, maintenance information indicating a maintenance method of the maintenance target vehicle, or any of these. The inquiry result to the sensor includes a failure report and a fault isolation of the vehicle to be maintained or sensor information used for any of the above, the maintenance step, the read vehicle configuration information, and Based on the sensor information obtained as a result of the inquiry or any of them, a diagnosis / fault isolation step of performing a diagnosis report and fault isolation or any of them, and the diagnostic report and fault isolation results or any of these A maintenance operation step of performing a maintenance operation on the vehicle to be maintained. The method of maintenance described. 4. The maintenance target information further includes component information indicating components constituting the vehicle to be maintained, and further includes a component requesting step of requesting a component based on the read component information. Item 4. The maintenance method according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 5. The maintenance target information further includes maintenance history information indicating a maintenance history of the maintenance target vehicle,
The maintenance method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information updating step updates maintenance history information stored in the maintenance target based on the performed maintenance operation. 6. A maintenance system including a data storage device mounted on each maintenance target and a maintenance computer, wherein the maintenance computer stores maintenance target information of each maintenance target and a data storage device of each maintenance target. An information storage means for storing the maintenance target information stored in the data storage device to be maintained, and a read / inquiry means for making an inquiry to a sensor mounted on the maintenance object or any one of them. A maintenance unit for performing a maintenance operation on the maintenance target based on the read maintenance target information and a result of an inquiry to the sensor, or the maintenance unit based on the performed maintenance operation; A maintenance system having information updating means for updating maintenance target information stored in a target. 7. The maintenance system according to claim 6, wherein the maintenance computer further includes a presentation unit that presents the obtained maintenance target information and the inquiry result to the sensor or any one of them. 8. The maintenance target is a vehicle, and the maintenance target information is vehicle configuration information indicating a configuration of the maintenance target vehicle, maintenance information indicating a maintenance method of the maintenance target vehicle, or any of these. Inquiry result to the sensor, includes a fault report and fault isolation of the maintenance target vehicle or sensor information used for any of them, The maintenance means, the read vehicle configuration information, and Based on the sensor information obtained as a result of the inquiry or any one of them, a diagnostic report and a fault isolation or any one of these are performed. According to the diagnostic report and a fault isolation result or any one thereof, The maintenance system according to claim 6, wherein a maintenance operation is performed on a vehicle to be maintained. 9. The maintenance target information further includes component information indicating components constituting the vehicle to be maintained, and further includes a component computer that requests a component based on the read component information. The maintenance system according to any one of claims 6 to 8. 10. The maintenance target information further includes maintenance history information indicating a maintenance history of the maintenance target vehicle, and the information updating unit stores the maintenance target information in the maintenance target based on the performed maintenance operation. The maintenance system according to claim 6, wherein the updated maintenance history information is updated.