INFORMATION OUTPUT DEVICE AND INFORMATION OUTPUT METHOD

Abstract

Information output device comprising: a detection unit (231) that detects a rotational speed of an engine (10) mounted in a vehicle (100); a storage unit (22) that stores historical information indicating a history of a state in which the rotational speed is lower than a rotational speed of the engine (10) at the time of idling; a memory control unit that causes the memory unit (22) to store the historical information; an output unit (234) which outputs the historical information stored in the storage unit (22); and a notification unit (233) that notifies that an exhaust pipe (20) of the vehicle (100) may be damaged if the past information meets a predetermined condition, wherein the notification unit (233) notifies a user that the exhaust pipe (20) of the vehicle (100) may be damaged when a cumulative time value in which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the past information read from the storage unit (22) exceeds a reference value.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information output device and an information output method, and more particularly to an information output device and an information output method for outputting past information relating to a vehicle. State of the art

[0002] An exhaust pipe, which is an exhaust passage of a vehicle's engine, may be damaged (e.g., JP-2017-31930 A). For example, in a state where the engine speed is lower than the engine speed at the time of idling (idle speed), the vibration width of the exhaust pipe connected to the engine increases. If the exhaust pipe repeatedly receives such vibrations, the exhaust pipe may be damaged.

[0003] From JP 2006-161 604 A, a diagnostic system for a vehicle is known which facilitates the analysis of a fault caused when the engine is started.

[0004] DE 10 2008 016 746 A1 discloses an arrangement for detecting and / or evaluating vibrations of motor vehicles. The arrangement comprises a vibration sensor coupled to an evaluation unit. This sensor comprises a measuring transducer arranged on a body or structure to detect vibration behavior.

[0005] JP 2010-275 900 A discloses a diagnostic device for a malfunction when starting the engine of a vehicle. Summary of the inventionTechnical problem

[0006] Here, the frequency at which the engine speed drops below idle largely depends on a driver's operation, such as gear shifting, and there are large individual differences. Accordingly, the risk of exhaust pipe damage varies from vehicle to vehicle.

[0007] Although it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the exhaust pipe to prevent exhaust pipe damage, if the thickness of the exhaust pipe is increased uniformly, the weight of a vehicle body will increase, even for a vehicle with a low risk of exhaust pipe damage. Therefore, costs may increase and fuel efficiency may decrease. Therefore, the exhaust damage caused by engine vibration must be predicted for each vehicle.

[0008] The object of the present disclosure is to provide an information output device or an information output method that can predict damage to an exhaust pipe due to vibration of an engine. Solution to the problem

[0009] The information output device according to the invention comprises the features of claim 1. According to the present disclosure, it comprises: a detection unit that detects a rotational speed of an engine mounted in a vehicle; a storage unit that stores historical information indicating a history of a state in which the rotational speed is lower than a rotational speed of the engine at the time of idling; a storage control unit that causes the storage unit to store the historical information; and an output unit that outputs the historical information stored in the storage unit.

[0010] The information output device may further comprise a reset unit that initializes the historical information stored in the storage unit through an external input. According to the invention, the information output device further comprises a notification unit that notifies that an exhaust pipe of the vehicle may be damaged when the historical information satisfies a predetermined condition. The storage control unit may cause the storage unit to store, as historical information, a cumulative time value at which the rotational speed is lower than the rotational speed of the engine at the time of idling. The storage control unit may cause the storage unit to store, as historical information, a cumulative frequency value of how often the rotational speed is lower than the rotational speed of the engine at the time of idling.

[0011] An information output method of the present disclosure includes the following steps performed by a computer: Detecting a speed of an engine mounted in a vehicle; Causing a storage unit to store historical information indicating a history of a state in which the rotational speed is lower than a rotational speed of the engine at the time of idling; and Outputting the historical information stored in the storage unit. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0012] According to the information output device and the information output method of the present disclosure, it is possible to predict damage to an exhaust pipe due to vibration of an engine. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle on which an information output device according to an embodiment is mounted. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the information output device. Fig. 3 is an SN line diagram illustrating a method of setting a reference value for determining whether the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe of the vehicle has increased. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing for determining the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe by the information output device. Description of the Embodiments[Overview of the Information Output Device]

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle 100 to which an information output device according to an embodiment is mounted. An exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 is connected to the engine 10 and discharges the exhaust gas of the engine 10 to an exterior of the vehicle 100. The exhaust pipe 20 is suspended from a frame F of the vehicle body.

[0014] During the rotation of the engine 10, a vibration is transmitted to the exhaust pipe 20. The vibration energy E1 of the exhaust pipe 20 changes depending on a rotational speed of a crankshaft of the engine 10 (hereinafter referred to as engine speed) and a vibration width of the exhaust pipe and is expressed by the following equation (1). [Formula 1] E1=α⋅f2⋅A2

[0015] In the equation, α represents a coefficient, f represents an engine speed, and A represents a vibration width. On the other hand, the energy E2 at which the engine 10 vibrates the exhaust pipe 20 is expressed by the following equation (2). [Formula 2] E2=β⋅f

[0016] In the equation, β represents a coefficient. Here, since E1 = E2, the oscillation width A is expressed by the following equation (3). [Formula 3] A=βα⋅f

[0017] As shown in equation (3), the vibration width A increases as the engine speed f decreases. The vehicle 100 uses a manual transmission method and is automatically adjusted so that the engine speed is not equal to or lower than the speed of the engine 10 at the time of idling (hereinafter referred to as "idling speed") in a state where the clutch is not engaged and an idling state exists. The idling speed can be regarded as the lower limit of the engine speed in a state where the vehicle's clutch is not engaged.

[0018] On the other hand, in a state where a low-speed gear such as a low-speed gear or a second gear is connected to the engine 10, when the vehicle 100 is traveling at a low speed at an intersection or the like at the time of turning right or left, the rotation of the tires of the vehicle 100 is transmitted to the engine 10, and the engine 10 may rotate at a speed lower than the idle speed. If a state where the engine speed is lower than the idle speed is repeated, the exhaust pipe 20 may be fatigued and damaged by vibration with a wide vibration width. For example, a part of the exhaust pipe 20 on which a urea-water mixer (not shown) is arranged may be damaged.Therefore, the information output device of the present embodiment can predict the damage of the exhaust pipe 20 by outputting past information indicating a history of a state in which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed. [Configuration of the information output device 200]

[0019] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the information output device 200. The information output device 200 is mounted on the vehicle 100. The information output device 200 is a computer connected to a warning lamp 21 and includes a storage unit 22 and a control unit 23. The warning lamp 21 is an indicator for notifying a user that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 has increased. The warning lamp 21 is mounted on, for example, an instrument panel. The storage unit 22 is a storage medium including a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and the like. The storage unit 22 stores a program executed by the control unit 23. The storage unit 22 is used as a working memory of the control unit 23.

[0020] The control unit 23 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 23 functions as a detection unit 231, a memory storage unit 232, a notification unit 233, an output unit 234, and a reset unit 235 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 22. The detection unit 231 detects a rotational speed of the engine mounted in the vehicle 100. The reset unit 235 initializes the historical information stored in the storage unit 22 in response to an external input.

[0021] The storage control unit 232 performs storage control of the storage unit 22. The storage control unit 232 determines whether the engine speed detected by the detection unit 231 is lower than the idle speed of the vehicle. If the engine speed detected by the detection unit 231 is lower than the idle speed, the storage control unit 232 causes the storage unit 22 to store historical information indicating a history of a state in which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed.

[0022] Specifically, the storage control unit 232 causes the storage unit 22 to store, as historical information, a cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed from the time of delivery of the vehicle 100 or the time of the previous replacement of the exhaust pipe 20.

[0023] For example, the memory control unit 232 begins timing when the engine speed is lower than the idle speed while the vehicle 100 is traveling, and stops timing when the engine speed is equal to or higher than the idle speed. The memory control unit 232 adds the measured time to the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed.

[0024] The notification unit 233 notifies the user that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased. The notification unit 233 reads historical information stored in the storage unit 22 at predetermined time intervals. If the read historical information meets a predetermined condition, the notification unit 233 reports that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased. If the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the read historical information exceeds a reference value, the notification unit 233 notifies the user that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased.For example, the notification unit 233 notifies that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased by illuminating the warning lamp 21. After the exhaust pipe 20 is repaired or replaced with a new one, the historical information stored in the storage unit 22 is initialized by the reset unit 235, which has received an external input signal. The external input signal is input, for example, by pressing a button of an external device temporarily connected to the information output device 200.

[0025] With such a configuration, a driver can know in advance that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe of the vehicle 100 has increased. On the other hand, if the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information is equal to or lower than the reference value, the notification unit 233 does not notify that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased.

[0026] The notification unit 233 may output a signal to a communication device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 100 while turning on the warning lamp 21, and may transmit a signal indicating that the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased to a management terminal device (not shown, for example, server terminals for dealers and service centers) provided at a location different from the vehicle 100 via a network from the communication device. In this case, various types of information for specifying the vehicle 100 or the user may be transmitted together. [SN line chart]

[0027] Fig. 3 is an SN line diagram illustrating a method for setting a reference value for determining whether the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 has increased. The vertical axis of Fig. 3 indicates the strength of the stress applied to the exhaust pipe 20, and the horizontal axis indicates the repetition number, which indicates how many times (number) the stress is repeatedly applied to the exhaust pipe 20 to damage the exhaust pipe 20 in the manner of a logarithmic axis. A line L in Fig. 3 shows a relationship between the tension applied to the exhaust pipe 20 and the repetition number, and is a substantially straight line. A manufacturer of the vehicle 100 measures the tension applied to the exhaust pipe 20 several times when the engine speed is lower than idle speed and determines an average value of the tension. Thus, if the determined average value of the tension is set to A and the repetition number corresponding to A on the line L is B, it can be understood that the exhaust pipe 20 will be damaged if tension is applied at the Bth time.

[0028] The manufacturer converts the repetition number B into time and adds a safety margin to the time, thereby determining a reference value at which the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 increases. If the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information exceeds the reference value, the notification unit 233 notifies the user that the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 may be damaged.

[0029] Reference is made to the description of Fig. 2. The output unit 234 outputs historical information stored in the storage unit 22. A maintenance technician at a dealer or service station instructs the output unit 234 to output the historical information stored in the storage unit 22 to an external device using a special tool at the time of vehicle inspection or the like of the vehicle 100. It is assumed that a maintenance technician at a dealer or service station has been informed in advance by the manufacturer of a reference value for determining whether the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 may be damaged.

[0030] The maintenance technician searches the historical information output by the output unit 234 in the external device and determines whether the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information exceeds the reference value specified by the manufacturer. If the maintenance technician determines that the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed exceeds the reference value specified by the manufacturer, or if the maintenance technician determines that the cumulative time value exceeds the reference value before a next vehicle inspection, the maintenance technician instructs the user to repair the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 or to replace the exhaust pipe 20 with a normal one (e.g., a new one).

[0031] If the maintenance technician determines that the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed does not exceed the reference value before the next vehicle inspection, the maintenance technician does not instruct the user to repair or replace the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100.

[0032] The output unit 234 can determine, with reference to the historical information stored in the storage unit 22, whether the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed exceeds the reference value, and can mark the determination result and output the historical information. For example, the output unit 234 can output historical information after affixing a mark * to a position where a reference value in the historical information read from the storage unit 22 is exceeded. With such a configuration, when the maintenance technician browses historical information, the output unit 234 can easily determine whether the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed exceeds the reference value specified by the manufacturer. [Processing to determine the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20]

[0033] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing for determining the possibility of damage to the exhaust pipe 20 by the information output device 200. This processing is started, for example, when a driver of the vehicle 100 starts the engine 10.

[0034] First, the detection unit 231 detects a rotational speed of the engine mounted on the vehicle 100 (S101). Next, the storage control unit 232 determines whether the rotational speed detected by the detection unit 231 is lower than the idle speed (S102). If the rotational speed detected by the detection unit 231 is lower than the idle speed (YES in S102), the storage control unit 232 adds a cumulative time value during which the rotational speed is lower than the idle speed to the historical information stored in the storage unit 22 (S103).

[0035] The notification unit 233 determines whether the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information exceeds the reference value (S104). If the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information exceeds the reference value (YES in S104), the notification unit 233 notifies the user that the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 may be damaged (S105) and returns to the processing of S101.

[0036] If the engine speed detected by the detection unit 231 is equal to or higher than the idle speed in the determination of S102 (NO in S102), the storage control unit 232 returns to the processing of S101. If the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information is equal to or less than the reference value in the determination of S104 (NO in S104), the notification unit 233 returns to the processing of S101.

[0037] According to the present embodiment, the storage control unit 232 causes the storage unit 22 to store historical information indicating a history of a state where the engine speed is lower than the idle speed, and the output unit 234 outputs the historical information stored in the storage unit 22. According to such a configuration, the replacement time of the exhaust pipe can be predicted using the history of the state where the engine speed is lower than the idle speed.

[0038] The present embodiment has described an example in which the storage control unit 232 causes the storage unit 22 to store the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed as historical information. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the example in which the cumulative time value is stored, and the storage control unit 232 may cause the storage unit 22 to store the cumulative frequency value for which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed as historical information.

[0039] If the cumulative frequency value at which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information read from the storage unit 22 exceeds a reference value, the notification unit 233 notifies the user that the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 may be damaged. On the other hand, if the cumulative frequency value at which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information is equal to or less than the reference value, the notification unit 233 does not notify the user that the exhaust pipe 20 of the vehicle 100 may be damaged. The reference value can be calculated according to the SN line diagram of Fig. 3, similar to the reference value for the cumulative time value during which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed.

[0040] In a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, driving may be performed in a state where the engine speed is lower than idle. The frequency with which the engine speed drops below idle largely depends on the driver's operation, such as gear shifting, and there are large individual differences. Accordingly, the risk of exhaust pipe damage varies for each vehicle.

[0041] Although it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the exhaust pipe to prevent exhaust pipe damage, if the thickness of the vehicle's exhaust pipe is increased uniformly, the weight of a vehicle body will increase even for a driver's vehicle with a low risk of exhaust pipe damage. Therefore, component costs may increase and fuel efficiency may be further deteriorated.

[0042] According to the present embodiment, the storage control unit 232 causes the storage unit 22 to store historical information indicating a history of a state where the engine speed at the time of idling is lower than the rotational speed of the engine 10, and the output unit 234 outputs the historical information stored in the storage unit 22. Accordingly, since it is possible to predict exhaust pipe damage caused by engine vibration based on a driving style of some drivers, an effect of suppressing an increase in component costs due to an increase in the weight of the exhaust pipe and preventing deterioration in the fuel efficiency of the vehicle is achieved, and an effect of suppressing the occurrence of vehicle breakdowns due to the driver's request to replace components is achieved.

[0043] Although the present disclosure has been described above using the embodiment, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the gist of the present disclosure. For example, a specific embodiment of distributing and integrating devices is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and all or part of the devices may be configured to be functionally or physically distributed and integrated into an arbitrary unit. Furthermore, novel embodiments generated by any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiment of the present invention.The effects of the new embodiments produced by the combination include the effects of the original embodiments.

[0044] This application is based on Japanese patent application filed on August 30, 2018 (Patent Application No. 2018-161730), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Industrial applicability

[0045] The information output device and the information output method of the present disclosure are useful for predicting damage to an exhaust pipe caused by vibration of an engine. List of reference numbers 10 Engine 20 exhaust pipe 21 Warning light 22 storage unit 23 Control device 100 vehicles 200 information output device 231 registration unit 232 Memory control device 233 Notification Unit 234 Output unit 235 Reset unit

Claims

[1] Information output device comprising: a detection unit (231) that detects a rotational speed of an engine (10) mounted in a vehicle (100); a storage unit (22) that stores historical information indicating a history of a state in which the rotational speed is lower than a rotational speed of the engine (10) at the time of idling; a memory control unit that causes the memory unit (22) to store the historical information; an output unit (234) which outputs the historical information stored in the storage unit (22); and a notification unit (233) that notifies that an exhaust pipe (20) of the vehicle (100) may be damaged if the past information meets a predetermined condition, wherein the notification unit (233) notifies a user that the exhaust pipe (20) of the vehicle (100) may be damaged when a cumulative time value in which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the past information read from the storage unit (22) exceeds a reference value. [2] The information output device according to claim 1, further comprising: a reset unit (235) which initializes the historical information stored in the memory unit (22) through an external input. [3] The information output device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage control unit causes the storage unit (22) to store, as past information, a cumulative time value at which the rotational speed is lower than the rotational speed of the engine (10) at the time of idling. [4] The information output device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage control unit causes the storage unit (22) to store, as past information, a cumulative frequency value of how often the rotational speed is lower than the rotational speed of the engine (10) at the time of idling. [5] Information output method comprising the following steps performed by a computer: Detecting a rotational speed of an engine (10) mounted in a vehicle (100); causing a storage unit (22) to store past information indicating a history of a state in which the rotational speed is lower than a rotational speed of the engine (10) at the time of idling; Outputting the historical information stored in the storage unit (22); and Notifying a user that the exhaust pipe (20) of the vehicle (100) may be damaged when a cumulative time value in which the engine speed is lower than the idle speed in the historical information read from the storage unit (22) exceeds a reference value.

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