Fault prediction information output control method and device

Abstract

A failure prediction information output control device is provided with: a failure prediction unit (6) that predicts a failure of a vehicle on the basis of a vehicle signal; a failure time estimation unit (7) that estimates the occurrence time of a failure in the vehicle on the basis of the predicted failure; a management repair participant database (2) that stores identification information of management repair participants of the vehicle; an occupant detection unit (3) that detects identification information of an occupant; an occupant determination unit (4) that determines whether or not the occupant is a management repair participant by comparing the identification information of the occupant with the identification information of the management repair participant; and an output control unit (9) that does not output notification information relating to the predicted failure to the occupant when it is determined that the occupant at the point in time at which the failure of the vehicle is predicted is not a user who manages the repair participant and the occurrence period of the failure is outside the use period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fault prediction information output control method and device for acquiring notification information related to a predicted fault of a vehicle and controlling the output of the notification information based on whether an occupant is a management and repair participant. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fault prediction method for predicting a vehicle fault and a fault time based on a vehicle signal representing a characteristic of the vehicle. In this fault prediction method, after predicting a vehicle fault and a fault time, the user of the vehicle is notified of measures to be taken before the fault time occurs.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, even when the predicted vehicle failure period is outside the vehicle's use period and no immediate action is required to prevent the vehicle failure, the vehicle user is notified of the measures to be taken at the time when the vehicle failure or failure period is predicted. Therefore, the vehicle user may pay attention to the notified vehicle failure or failure period and may reduce his or her attention to driving.

[0004] In addition, generally, the car navigation system provides route information and road traffic information to the vehicle user. Therefore, if the provision of route information and road traffic information is stopped by giving priority to the notification of the failure or failure time to the vehicle user, there is a problem that the efficient driving of the vehicle user is inhibited.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a method and device for controlling output of failure prediction information, which enable a vehicle user to drive the vehicle safely and efficiently even when a failure of the vehicle is predicted.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-206247 Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention relates to a fault prediction information output control method, in which a vehicle fault is predicted based on a vehicle signal representing a characteristic of the vehicle; the occurrence period of the vehicle fault is estimated based on the predicted fault, and identification information of a vehicle management and repair participant is obtained, wherein the vehicle management and repair participant is a person who has the authority or obligation to entrust the repair when the vehicle fails and accepts the entrustment and performs the repair; identification information of a vehicle occupant is detected, and the detected identification information of the occupant is compared with the acquired identification information of the vehicle management and repair participant; when it is determined that the occupant at the time point when the vehicle fault is predicted is a user who is not a vehicle management and repair participant and the occurrence period of the vehicle fault is outside the vehicle's utilization period, notification information related to the predicted fault is not output to the occupant.

[0010] According to the present invention, even when a failure of a vehicle is predicted, a vehicle user can drive the vehicle safely and efficiently. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of notification information output when the occupant is a manager.

[0013] Figure 3 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of notification information output when the occupant is a repairer.

[0014] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the third embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram showing search information displayed on the in-vehicle display unit according to the third embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the third embodiment.

[0020] Fig.10 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the fourth embodiment.

[0021] Fig.11 It is an explanatory diagram showing acquired information displayed on the in-vehicle display unit according to the fourth embodiment.

[0022] Fig.12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the fourth embodiment.

[0023] Fig.13 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the fifth embodiment.

[0024] Fig.14 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the fifth embodiment.

[0025] Fig.15 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the sixth embodiment.

[0026] Fig.16 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the sixth embodiment.

[0027] Fig.17 It is a functional block diagram of the failure prediction information output control device of the seventh embodiment.

[0028] Fig.18 : is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Next, refer to the attached Figure 1While explaining one embodiment of the present invention. As an example, the following embodiment applies the present invention to a vehicle when a vehicle management and repair participant temporarily lends a vehicle to a user of a vehicle that is not a management and repair participant. The vehicle management and repair participant is a person who has the authority or obligation to arrange, entrust, and perform repairs and inspections when the vehicle is abnormal or faulty (hereinafter representatively referred to as "fault") (also referred to as a manager) and a person who accepts the entrustment and performs repairs and inspections (also referred to as a repairer), for example, including the owner of the vehicle, the person in charge of vehicle management (manager), a rental car company, a person in charge of vehicles in a vehicle allocation service, a person in charge of vehicles in a taxi company, a person in charge of maintenance in a car sales company, an operator in a repair factory, etc. In addition, the user of the vehicle of a non-management and repair participant is a person who borrows the vehicle from the manager for a fee or free of charge, for example, including a rental car company, a customer using a vehicle allocation service, a child using a parent's vehicle, a friend using a manager's vehicle, etc. In addition, the overall structure of the fault prediction information output control device of one embodiment is a cloud system that includes, in addition to the computer system 1 mounted on the vehicle itself, a cloud server managed by a car manufacturer, etc., a portable device such as a smartphone owned by a repairer, etc. The vehicles are configured as so-called connected cars in such a way that required information can be exchanged between them.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of the fault prediction information output control device of the first embodiment. The fault prediction information output control device is equipped with a repair participant management database 2, an occupant detection unit 3, an occupant determination unit 4, a vehicle data acquisition unit 5, a fault prediction unit 6, a fault period estimation unit 7, an information comparison unit 8, and an output control unit 9. Here, the occupant determination unit 4, the vehicle data acquisition unit 5, the fault prediction unit 6, the fault period estimation unit 7, the information comparison unit 8, and the output control unit 9 constitute a part of a computer system 1 provided in the vehicle. In addition, the fault prediction information output control device can have a display unit (a vehicle-mounted display, a portable device such as a smartphone, an external PC, etc.) for displaying the required information. In the present embodiment, the display unit is provided in the vehicle and is shown as an "in-vehicle display unit 10".

[0031] The management and repair participant database 2 is a storage unit that stores identification information of the management and repair participants of the vehicle. In addition, as identification information, for example, facial photos, fingerprint information, ID numbers, employee numbers and other information associated with individuals (including biological information) of the management and repair participants are included. In order to make identification more reliable, identification information other than the management and repair participants may also be stored. The management and repair participant database 2 is usually set outside the vehicle, but the vehicle's computer system 1 may also include the management and repair participant database 2.

[0032] The occupant detection unit 3 detects an occupant actually boarding the vehicle and acquires identification information thereof, and includes occupant identification equipment such as a vehicle-mounted camera such as a driver monitoring system, a fingerprint recognition device, and a touch panel for inputting an ID number or the like.

[0033] The passenger determination unit 4 determines whether the passenger is a vehicle management and repair participant based on the passenger identification information acquired by the passenger detection unit 3 and the identification information accumulated in the management and repair participant database 2. For example, the passenger can be identified based on the consistency between the facial photo information stored in the management and repair participant database 2 and the image information of the passenger acquired by the vehicle-mounted camera, or the ID number input by the passenger can be compared with the information in the management and repair participant database 2. The face recognition technology, for example, compares by deriving the similarity (correlation) of the positions of the feature points such as the eyes, nose, and mouth of the face, the size of the face area, etc. If the similarity is above a predetermined threshold, the passenger is determined to be a management and repair participant, and if it is less than the threshold, the passenger is determined to be a user other than the management and repair participant. In addition, the passenger can also be determined based on the consistency between the fingerprint registered in the management and repair participant database 2 and the fingerprint authenticated by the vehicle-mounted device, and whether the ID number and login password input into the management and repair participant database 2 are consistent with the ID number and login password input into the vehicle-mounted device. Alternatively, the occupant may be identified based on whether the user's vehicle reservation number acquired from the external terminal 11 installed outside the vehicle matches the reservation number input to the vehicle-mounted device.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the passenger detection unit 3 and the passenger determination unit 4 determine whether all passengers in the vehicle compartment are vehicle management and repair participants, and determine which seat in the vehicle compartment the management and repair participant is sitting in. In a simple embodiment, the passenger detection unit 3 and the passenger determination unit 4 may also be configured as follows: only the passenger sitting in the driver's seat, or only the passenger sitting in the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, are identified as management and repair participants.

[0035] The vehicle data acquisition unit 5 acquires vehicle data (vehicle signals representing the characteristics of the vehicle) during the driving of the vehicle (including during travel and temporary parking) for the purpose of predicting possible failures of vehicle components in the future. The vehicle data acquisition unit 5 collects, for example, output signals of existing sensors installed in the vehicle's powertrain, suspension, air conditioning device, various equipment, electrical components, etc., or internal signals of control units that control them as vehicle data. The failure prediction unit 6 detects signs of failure of vehicle components based on the vehicle data collected in this way and predicts the failure. When predicting the failure, the content of the adverse conditions that may be caused by the failure of the component (for example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The prediction of the abnormal category shown).

[0036] There are various known methods for predicting failures, depending on the target parts, equipment, etc., and appropriate known methods can be used. For example, there can be cited: a method for detecting the deviation value relative to the threshold of each signal according to specified conditions and rules for time series data including engine speed and engine temperature; a method for observing the invariant analysis (Invariant analysis), that is, the correlation of multiple signals to detect the time when part of the correlation is destroyed; a method for using machine learning to determine the state of the vehicle (normal or abnormal), etc. In addition, any method can be used as long as it is a method for predicting failures. In addition, the prediction of failures does not necessarily require the prediction of complete failure of vehicle components. For example, the state of components that have not completely failed but may fail, such as abnormal noises and vibrations, can also be predicted.

[0037] In addition to predicting the fault, the fault prediction unit 6 also estimates the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal when the fault is predicted, the location where the fault occurs, the name or code of the faulty component, and the repair cost. The estimation of the cause of the fault, etc. is performed by, for example, pre-accumulating the causes of the faults that occurred in the past, the vehicle signal when the fault is predicted, the location where the fault occurs, the name or code of the faulty component, and the repair cost for each component of the vehicle in a database, and referring to the information in the database. In addition to the estimation of the cause of the fault, etc., the route to the repair site and candidates for repairable locations are also obtained. The route to the repair site is obtained based on the location information of the vehicle and the occupants obtained by the GPS (not shown) and the application (including map information) pre-installed in the computer system 1. In addition, candidates for repairable locations are obtained by the application including the above-mentioned map information.

[0038] The failure period estimation unit 7 estimates the period when the failure will occur (hereinafter referred to as "failure occurrence period") by predicting the future driving state of the vehicle when the failure is predicted by the failure prediction unit 6. In the case where the vehicle continues to run without being repaired, the future driving state of the vehicle is a drivable range or a drivable time range that can be quantitatively expressed by the drivable distance or driving time from the state of the vehicle at the current time point to the actual occurrence of the failure. Therefore, the future driving state of the vehicle outside the above-mentioned drivable range or drivable time range can be regarded as the "failure occurrence period" of the vehicle. In addition, when estimating the occurrence period of the failure, it is also possible to estimate by combining the drivable range and the drivable time range instead of using one of them.

[0039] The external terminal 11 stores reservation information including the reservation number of the vehicle user for the rental car company, the vehicle utilization period (or the passenger's utilization period), etc. The vehicle utilization period can also be estimated based on the effective period of the insurance of the reserved vehicle, the period from the passenger's boarding time (or the utilization start time) to the alighting place (destination) set in the car navigation system or service, etc. And, if the vehicle utilization period can be obtained through the external terminal 11 and the above estimation, the vehicle utilization period is input to the information comparison unit 8. In addition, when the vehicle utilization period cannot be obtained, the input instruction for the passenger's utilization period is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0040] When the result of the determination of the occupant by the occupant determination unit 4 is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, such as a user (customer) of a rental company, the information comparison unit 8 obtains the future use period of the vehicle of the user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle from the external terminal 11, and compares the occurrence time of the fault with the use period of the vehicle. Then, the information comparison unit 8 determines which of the occurrence time of the fault determined by the fault time estimation unit 7 and the above-mentioned future use period occurs earlier based on the comparison.

[0041] The output control unit 9 controls the output of information related to the predicted failure of a component of the vehicle based on the determination result in the occupant determination unit 4 and the comparison result in the information comparison unit 8. When it is determined that the occupant at the time of the predicted failure of the vehicle is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the failure occurrence period is outside the vehicle's usage period, the output control unit 9 does not output notification information including the vehicle failure and the failure occurrence period of the vehicle to the occupant. In other words, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the information comparison unit 8 determines that the estimated failure occurrence period is later than the user's usage period, the output control unit 9 limits the output of information related to the predicted failure of a component of the vehicle to the in-vehicle display unit 10. For example, when the time point at which a failure of a vehicle component is predicted, the vehicle is used by the occupants from 12:00 to 18:00, and the failure period estimation unit 7 estimates that the failure will occur at 20:00 on the same day, the output control unit 9 does not notify users who are not participants in the management and repair of the vehicle of notification information related to the predicted failure of the vehicle component.

[0042] In addition, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the information comparison unit 8 determines that the estimated occurrence time of the failure occurs during the user's use period, the output control unit 9 outputs notification information including the predicted vehicle failure and the estimated occurrence time of the vehicle failure, as well as information that the destination cannot be reached to the in-vehicle display unit 10. For example, when the use period of the vehicle using the vehicle is from 12:00 to 18:00 when the failure of a vehicle component is predicted, and the occurrence time of the failure estimated by the failure period estimation unit 7 is 17:00 on the same day, the output control unit 9 outputs a message such as "Due to the failure of the vehicle, it may not be possible to reach the destination. Please stop immediately in a safe place." to the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0043] In addition, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a manager who participates in the management and repair of the vehicle, the output control unit 9 does not compare the information in the information comparison unit 8, but outputs notification information to the in-vehicle display unit 10, and the notification information includes the time when the fault is predicted, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates of the repairable location, and the repair reservation screen. In addition, the notification information does not necessarily need to include all information such as the time when the fault is predicted, and may include at least one of the time when the fault is predicted. In addition, the notification information is not limited to the time when the fault is predicted, and may also include other information related to the fault.

[0044] In addition, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a repairer who participates in the repair of the vehicle among the participants in the management and repair of the vehicle, the output control unit 9 does not compare the information in the information comparison unit 8, but displays the notification information including the period when the fault is predicted, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurs. In addition, the notification information does not necessarily need to include all the information such as the period when the fault is predicted, and may also include at least one of the period when the fault is predicted. In addition, the notification information is not limited to the period when the fault is predicted, and may also include other information related to the fault.

[0045] Here, by referring to Figure 2 A part of the notification information output to the in-vehicle display unit 10 when the occupant is a manager will be described. Figure 2 A map is displayed on the upper part of the in-vehicle display unit 10, and the map includes routes to a repair location (repairable location) to be visited when a failure of a vehicle component (in this embodiment, an injector) is predicted. The routes to the repair location are shown as routes from the location A where the failure of the injector is predicted to the first repair location P1, the second repair location P2, and the third repair location P3, respectively, and are determined in order of travel distance from shortest to longest as "highest priority route (first recommended route) R1", "second recommended route R2", and "third recommended route R3". In this example, the travel distance from the location A to the first repair location P1 is 2.3 km, the travel distance from the location A to the second repair location P2 is 3.3 km, and the travel distance from the location A to the third repair location P3 is 3.7 km. Therefore, the route with the shortest moving distance from location A to the first repair location P1 is the highest priority route R1, the route with the second shortest moving distance from location A to the second repair location P2 is the second recommended route R2, and the route with the longest moving distance from location A to the third repair location P3 is the third recommended route R3.

[0046] In addition, Figure 2 The central part of the in-vehicle display unit 10 displays the abnormality type of the vehicle and the drivable distance from the time when the fault is predicted. The abnormality type of the vehicle indicates the type of abnormality (bad condition) that may actually occur in the vehicle due to the predicted fault of the fuel injector. In this example, the abnormality type is engine misfire and the drivable distance is 30 km.

[0047] In addition, Figure 2The lower part of the in-vehicle display unit 10 shows a table showing the replacement of the fuel injector as a method of repairing the fuel injector predicted to be faulty. In this example, the model (part code) for determining the type of the fuel injector as a replacement part is shown in the column of replacement part candidates. In addition, in this example, the specific display of the model (part code) is omitted, but the model (part code) is generally represented by a combination of numbers and letters. In addition, the inventory status of each model 1, 2 of the replacement part candidate is shown in the column of inventory status (shortest warehousing day). In addition, the lowest cost among the replacement costs (repair costs) for each model 1, 2 is shown in the column of part cost (lowest price).

[0048] In addition, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a repairer, the output control unit 9 outputs information useful for repairing, replacing, and analyzing the cause of the failure, such as the predicted failure time, the cause of the failure, the vehicle signal, the location of the failure, and the name or code of the failed component. Here, the predicted failure time is displayed by a graph showing the progress of the failure relative to the remaining drivable distance from the time when the failure of the vehicle component is predicted (see Figure 3 ).

[0049] Here, by referring to Figure 3 A part of the notification information output when the occupant is a repairer will be described. Figure 3 The upper part of the in-vehicle display unit 10 shows that the abnormality type is a misfire of the engine 12, the component predicted to fail (failure component) is a fuel injector, and the maintenance content is replacement of the fuel injector 13. Figure 3 The center of the in-vehicle display unit 10 shows an engine 12 disposed in an engine room 14 and an injector 13 to be replaced. Figure 3 The lower part of the in-vehicle display unit 10 displays a graph of the progress of the failure with respect to the remaining drivable distance from the time B when the failure of the fuel injector 13 is predicted to the time when the failure of the fuel injector 13 actually occurs. In this example, it is assumed that the failure of the fuel injector 13 is predicted when the remaining drivable distance is 50 km, and the failure of the fuel injector 13 actually occurs when the remaining drivable distance is 20 km. In this example, when the remaining drivable distance changes from 50 km to 20 km, that is, when 30 km of the above-mentioned drivable distance is traveled (see Figure 2 ), the degree of progress of the fault reaches 0.3, which is a predetermined threshold value, and thereafter, an actual fault of the fuel injection nozzle 13 is detected. Figure 3 In the present invention, a predetermined threshold is used as a criterion for determining failures, but the degree of deviation or similarity relative to the threshold can also be displayed, or it can be converted into the probability of failure. Figure 3 In addition to the displayed information, it is also possible to notify drivers of driving precautions and urge maintenance in advance.

[0050] Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the failure prediction information output control device of the first embodiment. The processing shown in the flowchart is repeatedly executed in the computer system 1 mounted on the vehicle.

[0051] First, in step S1, user information is acquired. That is, data of a required range is read from the external management and repair participant database 2 into the computer system 1 on the vehicle side.

[0052] Next, in step S2, the occupant is detected. That is, the occupant detection unit 3 detects the occupant who actually gets on the vehicle and acquires the identification information.

[0053] Then, in step S3, a vehicle signal is acquired from the vehicle data acquisition unit 5, and in step S4, a failure of a vehicle component is predicted based on the acquired vehicle signal. If no failure is predicted in step S4, the process returns to step S1.

[0054] Furthermore, when a failure is predicted in step S4, the cause of the failure, the vehicle signal when the failure is predicted, the failure location, the name or code of the failed component, and the repair cost are estimated in step S5.

[0055] Next, in step S6, the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is estimated based on the predicted component failure. In other words, the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is estimated by predicting the future running state of the vehicle when the failure prediction unit 6 predicts the failure.

[0056] After estimating the time of occurrence of the fault, in step S7, it is determined whether the occupant is a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle. That is, the occupant determination unit 4 determines whether the occupant is a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle based on the identification information of the occupant acquired by the occupant detection unit 3 and the identification information accumulated in the management and repair participant database 2. In the case where it is determined in step S7 that the occupant is a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, it is determined in step S8 whether the occupant is a repairer. In the case where it is determined that the occupant is a repairer, in step S9, the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location of the fault are output as notification information, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0057] In addition, when the occupant is not a repairer in step S8, that is, when the occupant is the manager of the vehicle, the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates for repairable locations, and the repair reservation screen are output as notification information in step S11, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0058] If the occupant is a user who is not a management repair participant in step S7, it is determined in step S12 whether the vehicle usage period can be acquired. If the vehicle usage period can be acquired, the vehicle usage period is acquired in step S13.

[0059] If it is determined in step S12 that the vehicle usage period cannot be acquired, in step S14 , an input instruction for the occupant's usage period is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10 .

[0060] Next, in step S15, it is determined whether the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is outside the vehicle use period. That is, the failure time estimation unit 7 determines whether the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is later than the vehicle use period. If the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is later than the vehicle use period, in step S16, the display of information related to the failure on the in-vehicle display unit 10 is restricted. That is, the information related to the failure is not notified.

[0061] In addition, when it is determined in step S15 that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is not later than the utilization period of the vehicle, it is assumed that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure occurs during the utilization period of the vehicle, and in step S17, a notification message including the meaning that the destination cannot be reached and a parking instruction is output, and in step S10, the notification message is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant at the time of the predicted vehicle failure is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the occurrence period of the failure is outside the use period of the vehicle, the notification information including the vehicle failure and the occurrence period is not output to the occupant. Therefore, the user of the vehicle does not have to reduce the attention to driving due to the notification information that does not need to be confirmed during the use period, and can safely continue to drive the vehicle. In addition, if the notification information including the failure and the occurrence period is not notified in the case where the priority of the notification is higher than the priority of the path information and road traffic information provided by the car navigation system, the path information, etc. is obtained. Therefore, the user of the vehicle can effectively continue to drive the vehicle using the path information, etc.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant at the time of predicting the vehicle failure is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the occurrence period of the failure is within the use period of the vehicle, the occupant is notified of the vehicle failure and the notification information including the occurrence period of the vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle user can immediately confirm the notification information when it is necessary to deal with the vehicle failure and take countermeasures for the vehicle failure in advance.

[0064] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the occupant is a repairman of the vehicle, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Therefore, the repairman can obtain information required for repairing or replacing vehicle components, analyzing the cause of the vehicle fault, etc. in the vehicle without other diagnostic devices related to the vehicle fault.

[0065] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the occupant is a manager, notification information including the predicted time of the failure, the cause of the failure, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates of the repairable locations, and the repair reservation screen is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Therefore, the manager can smoothly perform the work for implementing the repair, such as the movement to the repair site, the preparation of the cost of repairing the parts, etc.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the period of use of the vehicle, a notification message recording that the destination cannot be reached is output. Therefore, the user can be aware that the plan should be changed. In addition, since the meaning of the destination cannot be reached is notified in advance, the user can study in advance the actions to be taken for the change of the plan caused by the predicted failure.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the vehicle utilization period is unknown, the vehicle utilization period is obtained by requesting the occupant to input the vehicle utilization period. Therefore, even if the vehicle utilization period is not input in advance, the vehicle utilization period can be reliably obtained, and the presence or absence of restriction notification information can be accurately determined in subsequent steps.

[0068] Next, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The second embodiment will be described.

[0069] Figure 51 is a functional block diagram of a fault prediction information output control device of a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device has the structure of the fault prediction information output control device of the first embodiment, and further has a sending unit 16 for notifying information to an external display unit 15 (a portable device such as a smart phone or a PC owned by a vehicle management and repair participant) provided outside the vehicle. When a fault occurs in a vehicle component, that is, when a fault predicted by the fault prediction unit 6 has occurred and a bad condition caused by the fault has occurred, the sending unit 16 notifies the vehicle management and repair participant of notification information for handling the fault regardless of the result of the information comparison in the information comparison unit 8. More specifically, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates of the repairable location, and the repair reservation screen is displayed on the external display unit 15 owned by the vehicle manager. In addition, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location of the fault is displayed on the external display unit 15 owned by the vehicle repairer. In addition, the notification information may not be divided into two types, namely, the notification information is aggregated, i.e., information including the predicted time of the failure, the cause of the failure, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidate locations for repair, the repair reservation screen, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the failed component, and the location of the failure. In addition, the aggregated notification information may be notified to one of the vehicle manager and the repairer, and the one of the vehicle manager and the repairer may present the aggregated notification information to the other of the vehicle manager and the repairer.

[0070] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the fault prediction information output control device of the second embodiment. In the flowchart of the second embodiment, step S18 is added as a successor to the flowchart of the first embodiment (refer to Figure 4 )'s steps S10 and S16 or later.

[0071] exist Figure 6In the flowchart, if it is determined in step S4 that the predicted fault has occurred, the process proceeds to step S8 via steps S5 to S7. Then, in step S8, it is determined that the occupant is a repairer of the vehicle, and in step S9, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred is output, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Thus, the repairer of the vehicle recognizes the notification information. In the case of thus transferring to steps S8, S9, and S10, in step 18, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, candidates for repairable locations, and a repair reservation screen is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 15 owned by the manager outside the vehicle. Thus, the manager recognizes the notification information.

[0072] In addition, in step S8, it is determined that the occupant is not a repairer of the vehicle but a manager, and in step S11, the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates of the repairable location, and the repair reservation screen are output, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Thus, the manager of the vehicle recognizes the notification information. In the case of transferring to steps S8, S11, and S10 in this way, in step S18, the notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 15 owned by the repairer of the vehicle outside the vehicle, such as a repair shop (repair site). Thus, the repairer of the vehicle recognizes the notification information.

[0073] In addition, Figure 6 In the flowchart of , when the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, after step S17, S10 or after step S16, in step S18, for example, the vehicle display unit 15 owned by the repairer outside the vehicle displays notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location of the fault, and the vehicle display unit 15 owned by the manager outside the vehicle displays notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates of the repairable location, and the repair reservation screen. Thus, the vehicle manager and the repairer recognize the notification information respectively.

[0074] As described above, in the second embodiment, when a vehicle failure occurs, the notification information is displayed on the vehicle manager or repairer's off-vehicle display unit 15. Therefore, the vehicle manager or repairer outside the vehicle can recognize the notification information for handling the failure and handle the failure.

[0075] Next, refer to Figure 7 to Figure 9 The third embodiment will be described.

[0076] Figure 7 This is a functional block diagram of the fault prediction information output control device of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device, in addition to the structure of the fault prediction information output control device of the second embodiment, further includes a path search unit 17 for path search. When the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the fault occurs during the use period of the vehicle, the path search unit 17 searches for one or more (three in this embodiment) parking locations (parking places) that are relatively close to the current location, and displays the path and parking instructions from the current location to the parking location on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Here, "parking location" is, for example, a place where safe parking is possible, such as a parking lot, or a roadside on a road that is not a legal problem except for a parking prohibited area. Figure 8 In the example shown, the search information searched in the third embodiment is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. In the in-vehicle display unit 10, three parking locations searched for the current location C of the vehicle, namely, the first parking place Q1, the second parking place Q2, and the third parking place Q3 are displayed. In addition, in the in-vehicle display unit 10, the path from the current location C to the first parking place Q1 is shown as "first path S1", the path from the current location C to the second parking place Q2 is shown as "second path S2", and the path from the current location C to the third parking place Q3 is shown as "third path S3". Figure 8 In the example of FIG. 1 , the parking place closest to the current location C is the second parking place Q2 , and therefore the occupant can park the vehicle in the second parking place Q2 in advance by moving along the second path S2 .

[0077] Fig. 9 1 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the fault prediction information output control device of the third embodiment. In the flowchart of the third embodiment, the flowchart of the first embodiment (refer to Figure 4 ) and adds new steps S19 and S20 between steps S15 and 10.

[0078] exist Fig. 9In the flowchart of , if it is determined in step S15 that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is not later than the use period of the vehicle, it is assumed that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure occurs during the use period of the user, and in step S19, a search is performed for parking places Q1, Q2, and Q3 that are relatively close to the current location C. During this search, each of the paths S1, S2, and S3 from the current location C to the parking places that can be parked is acquired. Then, in step S20, notification information including the meaning that the destination cannot be reached, a parking instruction, and the first path S1, the second path S2, and the third path S3 from the current location C to the parking places Q1, Q2, and Q3 that can be parked is output, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0079] As described above, in the third embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the period of use of the vehicle, the second parking place Q2, which is the closest parking place to the current location C, is searched, and the second path S2 and the parking instruction from the current location C to the second parking place Q2 are output. In other words, the second path S2 and the parking instruction that the occupant should take in order to park the vehicle most efficiently are automatically output. Therefore, the vehicle can be quickly parked at the second parking place Q2 through the second path S2, which is the shortest path, at the time point when the failure is predicted, so that the failure that may occur later can be handled in advance on the basis of ensuring the safety of the occupants.

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 10 to Figure 12 The fourth embodiment will be described.

[0081] Fig.10: is a functional block diagram of the fault prediction information output control device of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the structure of the fault prediction information output control device of the third embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device further includes a passing point acquisition unit 18, which acquires the passing point or temporary getting-off point before the vehicle is stopped. In the case where the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a management and repair participant of the vehicle, and the fault occurs during the use period of the vehicle, and the passing point or temporary getting-off point where the vehicle can be parked before the fault occurs has been input, the passing point acquisition unit 18 outputs a contact instruction to the management and repair participant of the vehicle when arriving at the passing point or temporary getting-off point. "The passing point or temporary getting-off point" is, for example, a place that may be passed before reaching the destination registered in the car navigation system or the external terminal, a parking area on the highway, etc. In addition, in the case where the use period of the vehicle spans multiple days, the final destination of a date other than the last day of the use period can be regarded as the passing point or temporary getting-off point. For example, when the vehicle is used for two days, the final destination (hotel, other accommodation facilities, etc.) on the first day can be regarded as a passing point or a temporary getting-off point.

[0082] exist Fig.11 In the example shown, the information acquired in the fourth embodiment is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. The in-vehicle display unit 10 displays the first passing point (a passing point where the vehicle can be parked) T1, the second passing point (a passing point where the vehicle can be parked) T2, and the third passing point (a passing point where the vehicle can be parked) T3 acquired for the current location C of the vehicle. In addition to the first passing point T1, the second passing point T2, and the third passing point T3, the in-vehicle display unit 10 also displays the first path U1, the second path U2, and the third path U3 from the current location C to the first passing point T1, the second passing point T2, and the third passing point T3, respectively. Fig.11 In the example of FIG. 1 , the parking place closest to the current point C is the second passing point T2 , so the occupant can park the vehicle in advance at the second passing point T2 by moving along the second route U2 .

[0083] Fig.12 4 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the fault prediction information output control device of the fourth embodiment. In the flowchart of the fourth embodiment, the flowchart of the third embodiment (refer to Fig. 9 ) steps S19 and S20, and new steps S21 to S26 are added between step S15 and step S18.

[0084] exist Fig.12In the flowchart of , if it is determined in step S15 that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is not later than the use period of the vehicle, it is assumed that the occurrence time of the vehicle failure occurs during the use period of the vehicle, and in step S21 it is determined whether a passing place or a temporary getting-off place where the vehicle can be parked before the failure occurs has been input. If a passing place or a temporary getting-off place where the vehicle can be parked has been input, in step S24, a notification message including a message that the destination cannot be reached upon arrival and a message indicating a message to contact a repair management participant, and a contact destination of the repair management participant are displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0085] In addition, if no passing place or temporary getting-off place where the vehicle can be parked before the breakdown occurs is input in step S21, a search is performed in step S22 for passing places T1, T2, and T3 where the vehicle can be parked that are relatively close to the current place C. During this search, each of the paths U1, U2, and U3 from the current place C to the place where the vehicle can be parked is obtained. Then, in step S23, a notification message including a parking instruction and a path to the place where the vehicle can be parked is output. Next, in step S24, a notification message including a meaning that the destination cannot be reached upon arrival and an instruction to contact a management and repair participant, as well as a contact destination of the management and repair participant, is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10. Then, in step S25, it is determined whether the contact with the management and repair participant of the vehicle has been completed. When the contact with the vehicle management and repair participants is completed, in step S18, notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates for repairable locations and the repair appointment screen is displayed on the external display unit 15 owned by the vehicle manager, and notification information including the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred is displayed on the external display unit 15 owned by the vehicle repairer.

[0086] In addition, if the communication with the vehicle management and repair participant is not completed in step S25, the vehicle is locked in step S26. "Locking the vehicle" means preventing the passenger from moving or leaving the vehicle by, for example, controlling the engine not to start, locking the interior of the vehicle until the communication with the vehicle management and repair participant is completed. In addition, the method and technique for preventing the movement or leaving of the vehicle are not limited to the above-mentioned engine control, etc.

[0087] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the period of use of the vehicle, and a passing place or a temporary disembarkation place where the vehicle can be parked before the failure occurs has been input, an instruction to contact the participant in the management and repair of the vehicle when arriving at the passing place or the temporary disembarkation place is output. Therefore, unnecessary parking of the vehicle can be reduced. In addition, the passing place or the temporary disembarkation place is generally located closer to the current place than the place (parking place) where the vehicle can be parked mentioned above in the third embodiment, so the movement time of the occupant can be shortened and the loss of the occupant's time can be reduced. In addition, the occupant can use the time generated by the reduction of the loss of time to perform a predetermined part of the occupant, thereby effectively using time. In addition, the occupant can contact the participant in the management and repair of the vehicle after the vehicle is parked, so that the participant in the management and repair of the vehicle can deal with the possible failures that may occur later in advance while ensuring the safety of the occupant.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, when the vehicle reaches the passing point or the temporary drop-off point, the vehicle is locked until the vehicle management and repair participants are contacted. Thus, the occupants can reliably communicate about the fault. Therefore, the vehicle management and repair participants can grasp the current status of the vehicle and deal with the faults that may occur later.

[0089] Next, refer to Fig.13 and Fig.14 The fifth embodiment will be described.

[0090] Fig.13: is a functional block diagram of the fault prediction information output control device of the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the vehicle management and repair participant is the operator and employee of the leasing company that lends the vehicle to the enterprise, and on the other hand, the user who is not the vehicle management and repair participant is the employee of the enterprise that has signed a contract with the leasing company. In addition, the fifth embodiment can also be applied in the case where the vehicle management and repair participant is a friend and the user who is not the vehicle management and repair participant is a person who borrows the friend's vehicle, and the vehicle management and repair participant is a parent and the user who is not the vehicle management and repair participant is the child of the parent. In the fifth embodiment, in addition to the structure of the fault prediction information output control device of the fourth embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device also includes a utilization period estimation unit 19 that estimates the utilization period when the utilization period of the vehicle cannot be automatically obtained. The utilization period estimation unit 19 is set in the information comparison unit 8. When the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not the vehicle management and repair participant and the utilization period of the vehicle is unknown, the utilization period estimation unit 19 obtains information from the external terminal (terminal outside the vehicle) 11 and estimates the utilization period of the vehicle based on the information. In addition, in this estimation, instead of using the information obtained from the external terminal, the information obtained from the in-vehicle terminal can be used. As the information obtained from the external terminal, for example, the time when the company's employees start using the vehicle, and the time (or time period) when the vehicle's management and repair participants need to use the vehicle due to reasons such as parking the vehicle in the garage, can be cited. Regarding the time when the company's employees start using the vehicle, the time from the time the employee leaves home for commuting to the time when he arrives at the company can also be considered and calculated. The estimation of the vehicle's utilization period is performed by considering the period from the time when the company's employees start using the vehicle to the time when, for example, the vehicle's management and repair participants start parking the vehicle in the garage as the vehicle's utilization period. For example, when the company's employees start using the vehicle at 13:30 and the time when the vehicle's management and repair participants need to start parking the vehicle in the garage is 20:30 on the same day, the period from 13:30 to 20:30 is estimated as the vehicle's utilization period. In addition, the vehicle utilization period can also be estimated by considering the period from the time when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a management and repair participant of the vehicle to the time when the management and repair participant of the vehicle starts using the vehicle as the vehicle utilization period.

[0091] Fig.14 1 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the fault prediction information output control device of the fifth embodiment. Fig.12 )'s step S14 is replaced by a new step S27.

[0092] exist Fig.14In the flowchart of , if it is determined in step S12 that the utilization period of the vehicle cannot be obtained, the utilization period of the vehicle is estimated in step S27. This estimation is performed, for example, by regarding the utilization period as the period between the time when the employee of the company starts to use the vehicle and the time when the vehicle management and repair participant starts to park the vehicle in the garage, which is information obtained from the external terminal 11.

[0093] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the utilization period of the vehicle is unknown, information is acquired from the external terminal 11, and the utilization period of the vehicle is estimated based on the information. Therefore, it is possible to save the labor of inputting the utilization period of the vehicle by the staff who uses the shared vehicle used in the company's lease contract.

[0094] Next, refer to Fig.15 and Fig.16 The sixth embodiment will be described.

[0095] Fig.15 : is a functional block diagram of a fault prediction information output control device of a sixth embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device is a structure obtained by eliminating the use period estimation unit 19 of the fault prediction information output control device of the fifth embodiment and adding an approval judgment unit 20 to the passenger judgment unit 4. When the passenger judgment unit 4 determines that the passenger is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the use period of the vehicle is unknown, the approval judgment unit 20 notifies the vehicle manager that a passenger other than a user of the management and repair of the vehicle has boarded the vehicle and displays a screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as a service user. "Passengers other than users of the management and repair of the vehicle" are, for example, people who have not made a reservation for the vehicle at the rental car company (people other than the rental car service user), illegal users of the rental car, and people who have invaded the vehicle for the purpose of theft. In addition, when the vehicle manager refuses to approve the passenger as a service user on the screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as a service user, the approval judgment unit 20 outputs a get-off instruction and performs an emergency stop.

[0096] Fig.16 1 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the fault prediction information output control device of the sixth embodiment. Figure 4 ) is replaced by a new step S28, and new steps S29 to S31 are added between step S12 and step S10.

[0097] exist Fig.16In the flowchart, when it is determined in step S28 that the occupant is the manager of the vehicle, in step S11, the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, the candidates for the repairable location and the repair reservation screen are output as notification information, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0098] In addition, when it is determined in step S28 that the occupant is not the manager of the vehicle, it is assumed that the occupant is a repairer, and in step S9, the predicted time of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred are output as notification information, and in step S10, the notification information is displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10.

[0099] In addition, if it is determined in step S12 that the vehicle utilization period cannot be obtained, in step S29, the vehicle manager is notified that a passenger other than a user (service user) who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle has boarded the vehicle, and a screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as a service user is displayed. Then, in step S30, if the vehicle manager approves the passenger as a regular service user, an input instruction for the vehicle utilization period is issued in step S14. In addition, if the vehicle manager determines in step S30 that the passenger is an illegal service user, instructions related to emergency parking and getting off the vehicle are output in step S31, and the instructions are displayed on the in-vehicle display unit 10 in step S10.

[0100] As described above, in the sixth embodiment, when the passenger determination unit 4 determines that the passenger is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the use period of the vehicle is unknown, the vehicle manager is notified that a passenger other than a user who is a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle has taken the vehicle, and a screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as a service user is displayed. Therefore, when the approved passenger is a passenger other than a regular user, the vehicle manager can identify whether the vehicle has been stolen or illegally used. In addition, in the case of theft or illegal use of the vehicle, the theft of the vehicle can be appropriately handled to prevent vehicle failures caused by theft of the vehicle or detours by illegal users.

[0101] In addition, in this embodiment, when the administrator refuses to approve the passenger as the service user on the screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as the service user, an exit instruction is output and an emergency stop is performed. Therefore, the theft of the vehicle and the use of the vehicle by an illegal user can be stopped immediately.

[0102] Next, refer to Fig.17 and Fig.18 The seventh embodiment will be described.

[0103] Fig.17 : is a functional block diagram of the fault prediction information output control device of the seventh embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, the fault prediction information output control device is a device obtained by adding a control unit 21 to the structure of the fault prediction information output control device of the fifth embodiment. When the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a vehicle management and repair participant, and the time of occurrence of the vehicle failure is later than the vehicle utilization period, the control unit 21 displays a screen for selecting the vehicle's continued driving permission and whether the utilization period can be extended on the vehicle's external display unit 15 of the vehicle manager, and notifies the rejected content only when at least one of these permissions is rejected. As a case where the vehicle's continued driving permission and the extension of the utilization period are rejected, the following case can be cited: although the vehicle's components will not fail during the vehicle utilization period, the vehicle management and repair participant considers factors that may reduce the quality of the service and the evaluation of the vehicle, such as abnormal noise and vibration of the engine, and spontaneously determines that the provision of services needs to be restricted. In addition, when the permission for the vehicle to continue to travel is denied, the control unit 21 presents alternative moving bodies or moving methods, such as taxis, trains, etc., to the vehicle manager. In addition, when the permission for the vehicle to continue to travel is denied, the route search unit 17 searches for the nearest parking location to the current location, issues a get-off instruction, and performs an emergency stop. In addition, when the extension of the use period of the vehicle is denied, the control unit 21 controls the display of the processing screen so that the use period of the vehicle cannot be extended.

[0104] Fig.18 1 is a flowchart showing the process of the fault prediction information output control device of the seventh embodiment. Fig.14 ) new steps S32 to S35 are added between step S15 and step S18.

[0105] exist Fig.18 In the flowchart, it is determined in step S7 that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and it is determined in step S12 that the utilization period of the vehicle can be obtained. Then, for example, the utilization period of the vehicle is obtained in step S13, and it is determined in step S15 whether the occurrence period of the vehicle failure is outside the utilization period of the occupant. In other words, the failure period estimation unit 7 determines whether the occurrence period of the vehicle failure is later than the utilization period of the vehicle. Moreover, in a case where it is determined in step S15 that the occurrence period of the vehicle failure is later than the utilization period of the occupant, in step S16, the display of information related to the failure on the in-vehicle display unit 10 is restricted.

[0106] Next, in step S32, a screen for selecting the permission for continued driving of the vehicle and whether the use period can be extended is displayed on the vehicle external display unit 15 of the vehicle manager. Next, in step S32, it is determined whether the permission for extending the use period is denied. In the case where the extension of the use period is denied, in step S34, the display of the processing screen is controlled so that the use period cannot be extended. Next, in step S35, it is determined whether the permission for continued driving is denied. In the case where the permission for continued driving is denied, in step S36, a schedule screen including candidates for alternative moving bodies or moving methods is displayed on the vehicle external display unit 15 of the vehicle manager. After the display of the schedule screen in step S36, the process moves to step S23, and notification information including parking instructions and a path to a place where parking is possible is output. In addition, in the case where the permission for continued driving is passed in step S35, information including the content denied in step S33 is notified, and the process moves to step S18. This information is output based on the fact that the rejection is notified only when at least one of the permission to continue traveling of the vehicle and the extension of the use period is rejected as described above, and that the extension of the use period has been rejected in step S33.

[0107] If the extended use period has passed in step S33, the process proceeds to step S35 to determine whether the continued travel permission has been denied.

[0108] As described above, in the seventh embodiment, when the occupant determination unit 4 determines that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the occurrence time of the vehicle failure is later than the utilization period of the vehicle, the vehicle manager's external display unit 15 displays a screen for selecting whether to allow the vehicle to continue driving and whether to extend the utilization period, and only when at least one of them is rejected, the rejected content is notified. Therefore, even if there is no possibility of a failure, the vehicle manager can suspend the continuation and extension of the service according to the manager's situation when there are factors that may reduce the quality of the service and the evaluation of the vehicle, thereby preventing the danger associated with the occurrence of the failure before it occurs.

[0109] In the seventh embodiment, when the continued driving permission of the vehicle is denied, alternative moving bodies or moving method candidates are presented to the vehicle manager, so that the vehicle manager can quickly study and arrange for the user to choose an alternative moving body.

[0110] Furthermore, in the seventh embodiment, when the permission for the vehicle to continue driving is denied, the nearest parking spot to the current spot is searched, a disembarkation instruction is issued, and an emergency stop is performed. Therefore, even if the service is suspended or extended due to the situation of the vehicle manager, the vehicle can be parked quickly, and the risk associated with the occurrence of a fault can be suppressed to a minimum.

[0111] In the seventh embodiment, when the vehicle use period extension is denied, the display of the processing screen is controlled so that the vehicle use period cannot be extended. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly applying for extended use when the vehicle use period cannot be extended.

[0112] Next, the failure prediction information output control device according to the eighth embodiment will be described.

[0113] In the eighth embodiment, when it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the vehicle's use period, and the cause of the failure is an adverse condition content that does not meet the performance requirements specified by the safety standard, a screen for selecting whether the vehicle's continued driving permission and whether the use period can be extended is displayed to the manager who participates in the management of the vehicle as a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the rejected content is notified only when at least one of them is rejected. The above-mentioned adverse condition content can, for example, cite a situation where the vehicle should not continue to drive due to a failure of a component related to the driving and stopping of the vehicle, such as a failure of the engine, damage to the brake pad, etc., which does not meet the performance requirements specified by the safety standard of the Road Traffic Act. In this case, by displaying a screen for selecting whether the vehicle's continued driving permission and whether the use period can be extended to the manager, the manager can grasp the failure of the vehicle's components and ensure the safety of the user.

[0114] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, an example of a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle driving a vehicle is described, but users who are not participants in the management and repair of the vehicle are not limited to people who drive vehicles, but may also be users of Internet services or in-vehicle Wi-Fi services.

[0115] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, an example of detecting a repairer among the participants in the management and repair of the vehicle is described, but a person in the vehicle development department (a person in charge of vehicle analysis) may be added as an occupant to be detected.

Claims

1. A fault prediction information output control method, comprising the following processing: predicting a failure of the vehicle based on a vehicle signal representative of a characteristic of the vehicle; estimating an occurrence time of a failure of the vehicle based on the predicted failure; Acquiring identification information of a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, wherein the participant in the management and repair is a person who has the authority or obligation to entrust the vehicle to perform repairs when the vehicle breaks down and accepts the entrustment and performs the repairs; detecting identification information of an occupant of the vehicle; comparing the detected identification information of the occupant with the acquired identification information of the management and repair participant of the vehicle; as well as When it is determined that the occupant at the time when the vehicle failure is predicted is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is outside the utilization period of the vehicle, notification information related to the predicted failure is not output to the occupant.

2. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, wherein: When it is determined that the occupant at the time when the failure of the vehicle is predicted is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the failure of the vehicle occurs within the use period of the vehicle, the notification information is notified to the occupant.

3. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When the occupant is a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the participant in the management and repair is a repairer involved in the repair of the vehicle, information including at least one of the predicted period of the fault, the cause of the fault, the vehicle signal, the name or code of the faulty component, and the location where the fault occurred is displayed.

4. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When the occupant is a management and repair participant of the vehicle and the management and repair participant is a manager involved in the management of the vehicle, information including the predicted time of the failure, the cause of the failure, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, candidates for repairable locations and at least one of the repair reservation screens is displayed.

5. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: If it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the failure of the vehicle occurred during the use period of the vehicle, information indicating that the destination cannot be reached is output.

6. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the utilization period of the vehicle is unknown, the utilization period of the vehicle is acquired by requesting the occupant to input the utilization period of the vehicle.

7. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the utilization period of the vehicle is unknown, information is acquired from an external terminal or an in-vehicle terminal to estimate the utilization period of the vehicle.

8. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the utilization period of the vehicle is unknown, a manager among the participants in the management and repair of the vehicle who participates in the management of the vehicle is notified that a occupant other than a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle has boarded the vehicle, and a screen is displayed for selecting whether to approve the occupant as a service user.

9. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 8, further comprising the following processing: If the manager refuses to approve the passenger as the service user on the screen for selecting whether to approve the passenger as the service user, an instruction to get off the vehicle is output and an emergency stop is performed.

10. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: In the event of a failure in the vehicle, information including the predicted time of the failure, the cause of the failure, the repair cost, the route to the repair site, candidates for repairable locations, a repair reservation screen, a vehicle signal, the name or code of the failed component, and at least one of the locations where the failure occurred is displayed on a display unit outside the vehicle.

11. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the failure of the vehicle occurred during the utilization period of the vehicle, a search is performed for a parking location closest to the current location, and a path and parking instructions from the current location to the parking location are output.

12. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the utilization period of the vehicle, and a passing point or a temporary disembarkation point at which the vehicle can be stopped before the failure of the vehicle occurs has been input, an instruction is output to contact the participant in the management and repair of the vehicle upon arrival at the passing point or the temporary disembarkation point.

13. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 12, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period during which the failure of the vehicle occurred is within the utilization period of the vehicle, the vehicle is controlled to be unable to get off the vehicle when arriving at the presented parking location closest to the current location, or the passing location or the temporary getting off location until contact with the participant in the management and repair of the vehicle is completed.

14. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, further comprising the following processing: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the time when the failure of the vehicle occurred is later than the utilization period of the vehicle, a screen for selecting permission for continued driving of the vehicle and whether the utilization period can be extended is displayed to the manager who participates in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the content of the rejection is notified only when at least one of them is rejected.

15. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 14, further comprising the following processing: When the permission for continued travel of the vehicle is denied, candidates for alternative moving bodies or moving methods are presented to the manager of the vehicle.

16. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 14, further comprising the following processing: When the permission for the vehicle to continue traveling is denied, a parking spot closest to the current spot is searched, a get-off instruction is issued, and an emergency stop is performed.

17. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 14, further comprising the following processing: When the extension of the use period of the vehicle is denied, the display of the processing screen is controlled so that the use period of the vehicle cannot be extended.

18. The fault prediction information output control method according to claim 1, wherein: When it is determined that the occupant is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the period of occurrence of the vehicle failure is within the utilization period of the vehicle, and the cause of the failure is an adverse condition that will cause the performance requirements specified by the safety standards to be unsatisfactory, a screen for selecting permission to continue driving the vehicle and whether the utilization period can be extended is displayed to the manager who participates in the management and repair of the vehicle, and the rejected content is notified only when at least one of them is rejected.

19. A fault prediction information output control device, comprising: a failure prediction unit that predicts a failure of the vehicle based on a vehicle signal indicating a characteristic of the vehicle; a failure timing estimation unit that estimates a failure occurrence timing of the vehicle based on the predicted failure; a database storing identification information of a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle, wherein the participant in the management and repair is a person who has the authority or obligation to entrust the vehicle to perform repairs when the vehicle breaks down and who accepts the entrustment and performs the repairs; an occupant detection unit that detects an occupant of the vehicle and detects identification information of the detected occupant; a determination unit that determines whether the occupant is a management and repair participant of the vehicle by comparing the identification information of the occupant with the identification information of the management and repair participant of the vehicle; as well as The output control unit does not output notification information related to the predicted failure to the occupant when it is determined that the occupant at the time when the failure of the vehicle is predicted is a user who is not a participant in the management and repair of the vehicle and the failure of the vehicle occurs outside the period of use of the vehicle.

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