System

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of improving a system used when a user performs vehicle fault diagnosis. The system is provided with a communication unit, a display unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the storage unit stores, for each component of a vehicle, component information relating to the component, and stores, for each failure code of the vehicle, a component list including one or more candidate components in which a failure is likely to occur, and the control unit, when receiving the failure code from the vehicle via the communication unit, displays the component information relating to the component information. One or more candidate components included in a component list corresponding to a failure code are displayed on a display unit in a selectable manner, and one or more related components that need to be replaced together with a failure component are identified on the basis of component information relating to the failure component selected by a user from among the displayed one or more candidate components. And displays quotation information relating to the order of the malfunctioning component and the one or more related components on a display unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a system. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, technologies related to systems used by users when performing vehicle fault diagnosis were known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a related technology for an apparatus having: a screen for displaying a fault summary corresponding to a fault code, a graph of the detection range of the detected fault code, and a screen for dividing the inspection work items within the detection range corresponding to the fault code into the smallest work items and displaying them in a user-selectable manner; and an inspection work screen for displaying a detailed description of the corresponding inspection work content for each work item.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-198526 Summary of the Invention

[0004] There is room for improvement in the technology related to the systems users use when performing vehicle fault diagnosis.

[0005] In view of this situation, the object of the present invention is to improve the system used by users when performing vehicle fault diagnosis.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention includes a system comprising a communication unit, a display unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The storage unit stores component information related to each component of the vehicle, and stores a component list including one or more candidate components that may be causing the malfunction for each fault code of the vehicle. When the control unit receives a fault code from the vehicle via the communication unit, it selectively displays one or more candidate components from the component list corresponding to the fault code on the display unit. Based on the component information related to the faulty component selected by the user from the displayed candidate components, it determines one or more associated components that need to be replaced along with the faulty component. Finally, it displays quotation information related to ordering the faulty component and the one or more associated components on the display unit.

[0007] Invention Effects

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system used by the user when performing vehicle fault diagnosis is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0012] (Summary of the implementation method)

[0013] refer to Figure 1 The following is a summary description of the system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 10 is used when a user (e.g., a repair technician) performs fault diagnosis on a vehicle. The system 10 is connected to the vehicle, for example, to communicate with the vehicle via a network including a wired connection or the Internet and mobile communication networks, and to obtain a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) from the vehicle.

[0014] System 10 is, for example, a computer such as a server device.

[0015] The vehicle may be a car, but is not limited to this, and can be any type of vehicle. The car may be a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), etc., but is not limited to this. The number of vehicles in system 10 can be arbitrarily determined.

[0016] First, an overview of this embodiment will be given, with detailed descriptions to follow. System 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 14. The storage unit 15 stores component information 20 related to each component of the vehicle, and stores a component list 21 including one or more candidate components that may be causing the malfunction for each fault code of the vehicle. When the control unit 14 receives a fault code from the vehicle via the communication unit 11, it selectively displays one or more candidate components included in the component list 21 corresponding to the fault code on the display unit 12. Furthermore, based on the component information related to the faulty component selected by the user from the displayed candidate components, the control unit 14 determines one or more associated components that need to be replaced along with the faulty component, and displays quotation information related to ordering the faulty component and the one or more associated components on the display unit 12.

[0017] Thus, according to this embodiment, when the system 10 displays the quotation information on the display unit 12, it also displays quotation information related to the ordering of one or more associated parts that need to be replaced along with the faulty part. That is, the user does not need to refer to a parts catalog or the like to retrieve associated parts. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the omission of retrieval of faulty parts and associated parts and to reduce the amount of retrieval work. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the user's work efficiency, the technology related to the system used by the user when performing vehicle fault diagnosis is improved.

[0018] Next, the various structures of the system will be described in detail.

[0019] (Structure of System 10)

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the system 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a control unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

[0021] The communication unit 11 includes an interface for communicating with the vehicle. This interface can correspond to any wired or wireless communication standard.

[0022] The display unit 12 includes one or more output devices for outputting information. These display devices may be, for example, a monitor or a speaker, but are not limited thereto. Alternatively, the display unit 12 may include an interface for connecting external output devices.

[0023] The input unit 13 includes one or more input devices for detecting user input. These input devices may be, for example, physical keys, capacitive keys, pointing devices such as a mouse, a touchscreen integrated with the display of the display unit 12, or a microphone for receiving voice input, but are not limited to these. Alternatively, the input unit 13 may include an input interface that detects user input via an external input device.

[0024] The control unit 14 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more special-purpose circuits, or combinations thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or a special-purpose processor dedicated to specific processing, but is not limited thereto. The programmable circuit may be, for example, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), but is not limited thereto. The special-purpose circuit may be, for example, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, processors, programmable circuits, and special-purpose circuits will also be referred to as "processors, etc." without particular distinction.

[0025] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memory units. These memory units may be, for example, semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory, but are not limited to these. Each memory unit included in the storage unit 15 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used for the operation of the system 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store system programs, application programs, and embedded software. In this embodiment, the storage unit 15 stores component information 20 and a component list 21 related to fault codes. The component information 20 may include, for example, the component name, part number, specifications, inventory information, replacement sequence, one or more related components that need to be replaced when replacing this component, the standard operating time required for replacement, maintenance history, the number of times the user has determined a fault to have occurred, the number of orders, and the number of replacements, but is not limited to these. The component list 21 related to fault codes may include, for example, one or more candidate components that may fail for each fault code, and a history of the inspection sequence confirmed by the user for each fault code, but is not limited to these. Furthermore, the storage unit 15 stores the generated AI, which generates and outputs text or images of components related to the component information in response to input including component information.

[0026] (System 10's action flow)

[0027] refer to Figure 2 The operation of system 10 according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0028] S100: The control unit 14 receives fault codes from the vehicle via the communication unit 11.

[0029] The method for receiving fault codes is, for example, via CAN, but is not limited to this; any method can be used.

[0030] S101: The control unit 14 will selectively display on the display unit 12 one or more candidate components that may be malfunctioning for each fault code received from the vehicle.

[0031] S102: The control unit 14 determines the order of the most likely failures among one or more candidate components based on the frequency information included in the component information 20.

[0032] The frequency information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: the number of times a malfunction has occurred as determined by the user, the number of times an order has been placed, or the number of times an item has been replaced. For example, the control unit 14 may determine that the component with the highest sum of the frequencies included in the frequency information is the component with a high probability of malfunction. In S104, one or more candidate components displayed on the display unit 12 may be arranged in order of their probability of malfunction.

[0033] S103: The control unit 14 inputs component information including one or more candidate components, and the generation AI stored in the storage unit 15 generates and outputs text or images of components related to the component information.

[0034] The text or images of components related to component information generated by the AI ​​can include, but are not limited to, hypothetical causes of failure, market occurrences, usage methods or operations that lead to failure, and information on components with a high probability of failure. The AI ​​can employ any method, such as a large-scale language model. For example, the AI ​​can generate and output text or images of components related to component information from input including component information such as maintenance history. In S104, the text or images generated and output by the AI ​​can be displayed along with one or more candidate components displayed on the display unit 12.

[0035] S104: The control unit 14 can selectively arrange and display one or more candidate components on the display unit 12 in order of their highest probability of failure. Furthermore, text or images generated and output by the AI ​​can be displayed on the display unit 12.

[0036] Users can begin their inspections with components most likely to malfunction, enabling efficient inspections without relying on individual skills or knowledge. Furthermore, by reviewing text or images generated and output by AI, users can efficiently pinpoint the location of the fault. Moreover, by understanding the usage methods or operations that caused the malfunction, users can prevent the recurrence of the same fault. Additionally, by simultaneously inspecting components and areas most likely to malfunction at the same time, vehicle safety can be improved.

[0037] S105: The user performs a vehicle inspection according to the display on the display unit 12 to determine whether there are any faulty parts.

[0038] The display unit 12 can, for example, display a fault diagnosis screen including candidate components that may malfunction, the inspection sequence, text or images generated and output by the AI, and drawings of the vehicle or components. If the user performs a vehicle inspection and determines that no faulty component exists, the process ends. Conversely, if the user determines that a faulty component exists, step S106 is executed.

[0039] S106: The user selects a faulty component from one or more candidate components displayed on the display unit 12.

[0040] S107: The control unit 14 determines one or more related components that need to be replaced together with the faulty component based on the component information related to the faulty component selected by the user from one or more candidate components displayed on the display unit 12.

[0041] The control unit 14 refers to the component information 20 and determines one or more related components that need to be replaced along with the faulty component. If a related component exists, S108 is executed; if no related component exists, S109 is executed.

[0042] S108: The control unit 14 displays detailed information about the faulty component and the one or more associated components on the display unit 12.

[0043] Detailed information may include, but is not limited to, part name, part number, specifications, inventory information, replacement sequence, information on one or more related parts that need to be replaced when replacing this part, standard operating time related to the replacement, and text or images generated and output by AI. By confirming the detailed information, users can understand the work sequence and time required to replace the faulty part and related parts.

[0044] S109: The control unit 14 displays detailed information about the faulty component on the display unit 12.

[0045] As mentioned above, the detailed information may include, but is not limited to, the part name, part number, specifications, inventory information, replacement sequence, information on one or more related parts that need to be replaced together when replacing the part, standard operating time related to the replacement, text or images generated and output by the AI.

[0046] S110: The control unit 14 displays the quotation information related to the ordering of the faulty component and the one or more associated components on the display unit 12.

[0047] When a user requests a price quote in the input unit 13, the price quote can be displayed on the display unit 12. The control unit 14 can display price quotes for the faulty parts and related parts selected by the user. Furthermore, the control unit 14 can display price quotes for faulty parts and related parts that are not in stock, based on inventory information. Since users can obtain price quotes based on inventory information, it prevents the purchase of unnecessary parts and the creation of excess inventory. Moreover, users do not need to check inventory status, thus helping to improve operational efficiency.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, those skilled in the art should note that various modifications and alterations can be made according to the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that such modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided.

[0049] For example, in the above embodiments, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which the structure and operation of system 10 are distributed among multiple computers capable of communicating with each other. For example, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which some or all of the components of system 10 are located in a vehicle.

[0050] Symbol Explanation

[0051] 10-System, 11-Communications, 12-Display, 13-Input, 14-Control, 15-Storage, 20-Component Information, 21-List of Components Related to DTC.

Claims

1. A system, characterized in that, It includes: a communication department, a display department, a storage department, and a control department, among which, The storage unit performs the following processing: For each component of the vehicle, component information related to that component is stored. For each fault code of the vehicle, a component list including more than one candidate component that may be causing the fault is stored. The control unit performs the following processing: When a fault code is received from the vehicle via the communication unit, one or more candidate components from the component list corresponding to the fault code are selectively displayed on the display unit. Based on the component information related to the faulty component selected by the user from the displayed candidate components, one or more associated components that need to be replaced along with the faulty component are determined. The display unit displays quotation information related to the ordering of the faulty component and the one or more associated components.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the control unit displays one or more candidate components in a selectable manner on the display unit, it arranges and displays the one or more candidate components according to the component information.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The component information includes counts indicating at least one of the following: the number of times a user determined a malfunction had occurred, the number of times a component had been ordered, or the number of times a component had been replaced. Based on the frequency information, the control unit determines the order of the most likely failures among the one or more candidate components. When the control unit displays one or more candidate components on the display unit in an selectable manner, it arranges the candidate components on the display unit in order of the highest probability of failure.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The storage unit stores the generated AI, which generates and outputs component-related text or images based on input including component information. When the control unit displays one or more candidate components in an selectable manner on the display unit, it displays text or images related to the one or more candidate components generated and output by the generating AI in response to input of component information including the one or more candidate components.

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