Motor vehicle, method for constructing such a vehicle and system, as well as method using a plurality of such motor vehicles

Abstract

Without an OBD2 port or similar interface, all interfaces in a motor vehicle are designed exclusively for wireless transmission to the external unit, which then transmits data acquired by the vehicle's systems. This data can be collected, analyzed, or forwarded as needed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle with a device for obtaining data during operation of the motor vehicle and with at least one interface for transmitting the data thus obtained to a unit external to the motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for constructing such a motor vehicle, a system comprising a plurality of such motor vehicles and a central server, and a method for collecting data from such motor vehicles.

[0002] Typically, data obtained from the motor vehicle's equipment is read out in the workshop, for which purpose the motor vehicle is equipped with a special diagnostic socket to which a special diagnostic device can be connected in the workshop in order to read out the data obtained from the data acquisition device.

[0003] Increasingly, there are additional plans to transmit data wirelessly.

[0004] For example, it is known from DE 10 2012 011 538 A1 to use vehicle sensors to record maintenance and / or repair-relevant data and to transmit these wirelessly via a communication interface to a computing device external to the vehicle that is connected to a wide area network so that a remote diagnostic process can be carried out there.

[0005] EP 2 458 564 A2 relates to a system for remote diagnosis of a vehicle, wherein vehicle data relevant for diagnosis are transmitted wirelessly via a vehicle-side communication interface to a central computer external to the vehicle in order to carry out the remote diagnosis.

[0006] In the field of monitoring the fuel consumption of a vehicle, it is known from US 2018 / 224312 A1 to transmit consumption values ​​determined on the vehicle side wirelessly via a communication network to a server external to the vehicle, which is intended to create a monitoring report.

[0007] CN 110274560 A discloses a system for managing fuel consumption of a vehicle, in which consumption data are determined by means of a vehicle-side detection device and transmitted via a communication network to a vehicle-external cloud server for the purpose of Internet-based fuel consumption monitoring.

[0008] Finally, it is known from the field of exhaust gas monitoring from US 2020 / 043255 A1 to provide a receiver for wirelessly receiving monitoring states determined by a vehicle-side monitoring unit, wherein the monitoring states are stored in a vehicle-external cloud.

[0009] DE 10 2016 003 678 A1 describes a method for testing at least one component of a motor vehicle, in which at least one value is determined that characterizes the test. The value is expressed as an in-use monitoring performance ratio, i.e., a performance ratio monitored during operation.

[0010] The situation appears increasingly unmanageable and could lead to increased complexity of vehicle systems.

[0011] It is the object of the invention to show a way in which the data can be obtained more efficiently so that the availability of this data provides improved possibilities.

[0012] The object is achieved by a motor vehicle having the features according to claim 1, by a method for constructing a motor vehicle having the features according to claim 4, by a system having a plurality of motor vehicles and a central server as an external unit according to claim 5 and by a method for collecting data according to claim 8.

[0013] The motor vehicle according to the invention is thus characterized in that all interfaces for transmission are designed exclusively for wireless transmission to the external unit (so that a readout socket is omitted).

[0014] The complete switch to wireless transmission of data acquired during vehicle operation using all data acquisition devices ensures that such data is available quickly, eliminating the need to first transport the vehicle to a workshop where a readout device must be connected to the readout socket. Furthermore, the readout socket and its associated cabling are completely eliminated, thus saving components.

[0015] It is particularly efficient if a single interface wirelessly transmits the data to an external unit that has been acquired by a plurality of devices in the motor vehicle for obtaining data during operation of the motor vehicle.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the device for obtaining data is designed to obtain data relating to fuel consumption and / or energy consumption (so-called OBFCM, on-board fuel consumption monitoring) and / or exhaust emissions and / or exhaust emission monitoring while driving. Fuel / energy consumption and exhaust emissions are particularly relevant for regulation. It should be verifiable and verified whether fuel consumption complies with the vehicle manufacturer's specifications. Exhaust emissions should comply with standards, i.e., below predetermined thresholds, and this should be monitored accordingly. Exhaust emission monitoring is itself subject to regulations, in particular in the form of a limit value for the in-use monitoring performance ratio (IUMPR), i.e., the performance ratio monitored during operation.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, the device for obtaining data is designed to obtain data for diagnosing components and / or component groups of the motor vehicle. By transmitting corresponding diagnostic data, this data can be quickly available at the external unit and, for example, can be queried individually without the motor vehicle having to visit a workshop. For example, in a car rental company, the lessor can query the external unit online each time the renter returns a rental car to see which data has been individually obtained for the motor vehicle. The original equipment manufacturer (original accessory manufacturer) can also receive statistics on defects and faults in components or component groups supplied by it to the motor vehicle manufacturer, which can also be used for quality control purposes.

[0018] The method according to the invention for building a motor vehicle comprises: - Providing a device for obtaining data during operation of the motor vehicle; and - without a diagnostic socket, only providing at least one interface for the wireless transmission of data thus obtained to a unit external to the motor vehicle.

[0019] The motor vehicle constructed according to the invention is thus one of the type according to the invention, so that the corresponding advantages are provided.

[0020] The system according to the invention comprises a plurality of motor vehicles of the type according to the invention and a central server as an external unit, wherein the external server serves to collect the data wirelessly transmitted via the interface. In the invention, the server is designed to perform an evaluation using data from a plurality of motor vehicles and to transmit the results of the evaluation to third parties. Alternatively or additionally, individual data relating to an individual motor vehicle can be transmitted to a third unit (e.g., a personal computer at the motor vehicle rental company, an external workshop or authority, etc.).

[0021] The transmission of individual data or, in particular, the results of the evaluation to third parties opens up completely new technical possibilities and, in connection with this, potentially also business opportunities.

[0022] For example, the system may include motor vehicles of the preferred type for obtaining data on fuel consumption / energy consumption or exhaust emissions / exhaust emission monitoring, and the server may a) be designed to collect data on fuel consumption and / or energy consumption and to carry out an evaluation of fleet consumption and / or (b) be designed to collect fuel consumption data or IUMPR diagnostic values ​​and to carry out the analysis for the purpose of preparing reports to authorities.

[0023] In a specific implementation model, feedback may be possible here, in that a result of the evaluation or a control command determined based on the result of the evaluation is transmitted back to at least some of the majority of motor vehicles. For example, a motor vehicle with "outliers" in fuel consumption or exhaust emissions can receive a control command so that the engine is controlled in a modified manner, thus making it more energy-efficient / lower in emissions. Alternatively, the driver could be informed via a human-machine interface that their fuel consumption / energy consumption is particularly high or that their exhaust emissions are unacceptable.

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the system, it comprises a plurality of motor vehicles, in which the device for obtaining data is designed to obtain data for diagnosing components and / or component groups of the motor vehicle, wherein the server is designed accordingly to collect such data for diagnosing components and / or component groups and to transmit either vehicle-specific data and, alternatively or additionally, statistics on components and / or component groups to third parties. For example, the workshop can be informed in advance which component or component group needs to be repaired or, if necessary, completely replaced so that spare parts can be procured in advance. The statistics can be used to evaluate different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

[0025] The method according to the invention for collecting data obtained from motor vehicle devices in a central server (to which the data is transmitted wirelessly) also comprises carrying out an evaluation using data from a plurality of motor vehicles and providing results of the evaluation to third parties.

[0026] The advantages of the method correspond to the advantages of the system mentioned, and the preferred embodiments of the method also correspond to the preferred embodiments of the system, including the mentioned embodiments with feedback by transmitting information, data and control commands back to at least some of the motor vehicles.

[0027] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the method and which are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, in accordance with the method, an error message and / or a request to enter user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0028] The invention also includes the control device for the motor vehicle. The control device can have a data processing device or a processor device that is configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor device can have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In particular, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can be used as the microprocessor. Furthermore, the processor device can have program code that is configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor device. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor device.The processor device can be based, for example, on at least one circuit board and / or on at least one SoC (System on Chip).

[0029] The invention also includes further developments of the method according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

[0030] The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.

[0031] As a further solution, the invention also encompasses a computer-readable storage medium comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or computer network, causes the computer to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can be provided at least partially as a non-volatile data memory (e.g. as a flash memory and / or as an SSD - solid state drive) and / or at least partially as a volatile data memory (e.g. as a RAM - random access memory). The storage medium can be arranged in the computer or computer network. However, the storage medium can also be operated on the Internet, for example, as a so-called app store server and / or cloud server. The computer or computer network can provide a processor circuit with, for example, at least one microprocessor.The program code may be provided as binary code and / or as assembly code and / or as source code of a programming language (e.g. C) and / or as a program script (e.g. Python).

[0032] The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each comprise a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are: The single figure schematically shows the components of an embodiment of the system according to the invention with an embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention for carrying out an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0034] The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another, each of which also develops the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0035] In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.

[0036] A system shown in the figure and designated therein as a whole by 100 comprises a plurality of motor vehicles 10, a communication network 20 which connects the motor vehicles 10 to a central server 30, and users 40 and 42 of data output by the central server.

[0037] Each of the motor vehicles 10 is to include a communication interface 12 and at least one of the units 14, 16, 18 for obtaining data, preferably two such units and particularly preferably all three of these.

[0038] The device 14 for obtaining diagnostic data determines the condition of components or component groups 141, 142, and 143 of the motor vehicle 10. For example, an operating time and the resulting wear can be determined, measurement data can be determined, and the measurement data can be used by the device 14 to obtain diagnostic data. In particular, this should be diagnostic data that is conventionally read out in a workshop via the so-called OBD2 socket of a motor vehicle. In the present case, the OBD2 socket is omitted, and instead of reading out the data in a workshop, the data is transmitted wirelessly via the interface 12 to the central server 30 using its interface 32. The motor vehicle 10 can be designed to transmit such diagnostic data automatically whenever there is a change and / or at regular intervals and / or after intervals of operating time and the like.The data can also be queried from the central server 30.

[0039] The device 16 for obtaining fuel consumption data is coupled, for example, to a fuel tank 161 and determines the fill level therein, wherein a device 162 for determining the number of kilometers driven can derive the fuel consumption per kilometer driven. Such data can in turn be transmitted wirelessly to the server 30 via the (communication) interface 12. For example, a sample can be taken from a vehicle fleet. If, for example, there are 5,000 vehicles of the same model in a jurisdiction, two to five vehicles in the sample can be monitored. The chassis number can also be transmitted along with the consumption values ​​via the interface 12, so that corresponding combinations of chassis number and consumption are available in the server 30.A CO2 value can also be derived from the number of liters per 100 kilometers driven, and thus the typical CO2 emissions of the vehicle in the fleet. In a conventional manner, the analysis of fleet consumption can also be carried out as a function of speed, i.e. at a speed of approximately 90 km / h, it can be assumed that vehicle 10 is driving along a country road, so that corresponding information is transmitted to the server in addition to the consumption value. At a speed of between 30 and 50 km / h, city traffic can be assumed, and the corresponding information is transmitted in addition to the consumption values. This can be evaluated on the server 30.

[0040] The device 18 for obtaining data on exhaust emissions or data relating to their monitoring, the so-called IUMPR data (In-Use Monitoring Performance Ratio), performs a type of self-diagnosis regarding exhaust gas consumption. In particular, when the lambda sensor in the vehicle's catalytic converter, symbolized here by 181, is at operating temperature, an algorithm is to be executed that determines exhaust gas consumption. The stated performance ratio is ideally 100% and in reality less than 100% because the lambda sensor is sometimes not yet at operating temperature and the trip is already aborted ("bread-picking" operating situation). The corresponding data for this ratio value is to be made available to the central server 30 via interface 12 so that an annual report can be generated. For various drive versions and / or vehicle variants, the target value for the ratio is approximately 0.336.The actual value is determined in the central server 30 and a corresponding evaluation is carried out.

[0041] The central server 30 can make the data available to another unit 40 or 42. The unit 40 can, for example, be a unit assigned to the motor vehicles 10, such as a car repair shop, in which information is provided individually. A respective motor vehicle 10 can therefore transmit its data to the central server 30, and via this server this data can be forwarded to the repair shop 40, where, for example, spare parts can be ordered in advance or the scope of the work to be carried out can be estimated so that scheduling can be carried out, and the like. The data can also be statistically evaluated and made available as an external unit 42 to a government entity, a manufacturer platform (for the motor vehicles 10 or accessories thereof), and the like. In this case, it can be provided that a fee is paid to the operator of the server 30 by the users 40, 42.

[0042] A control unit 101 in the motor vehicle 10, illustrated in the figure, can be configured differently than before as a result of the evaluation in the central server 30. For example, if an individual motor vehicle 10 exhibits excessive fuel consumption, its engine control can be modified, throttled if necessary, and much more.

[0043] Overall, the examples demonstrate how on-board online monitoring of a power ratio during operation, as well as online on-board fuel consumption monitoring and a platform for online diagnostic automotive monitoring tools can be provided. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2012 011 538 A1

[0004] EP 2 458 564 A2

[0005] US 2018 / 224312 A1

[0006] CN 110274560 A

[0007] US 2020 / 043255 A1

[0008] DE 10 2016 003 678 A1

[0009]

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle (10) with a device (14, 16, 18) for obtaining data during operation of the motor vehicle (10) and with at least one interface (12) for transmitting the data thus obtained to a unit (30) external to the motor vehicle, characterized by that all interfaces (12) for transmission are designed exclusively for wireless transmission to the external unit (30). [2] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1, characterized by that the device (16, 18) for obtaining data is designed to obtain data relating to fuel consumption and / or energy consumption and / or exhaust emissions and / or exhaust emission monitoring while driving. [3] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the device (14) for obtaining data is designed to obtain data for diagnosing components (141, 142, 143) and / or component groups of the motor vehicle (10). [4] Method for constructing a motor vehicle (10) comprising: - providing a device (14, 16, 18) for obtaining data during operation of the motor vehicle (10); and - without a diagnostic socket, exclusively providing at least one interface (12) for the wireless transmission of data thus obtained to a unit (30) external to the motor vehicle. [5] System (100) with a plurality of motor vehicles (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3 and with a central server (30) as an external unit for collecting the data wirelessly transmitted via the interface (12), characterized by that the server (30) is designed to carry out an evaluation using data from a plurality of motor vehicles (10) and to transmit results of the evaluation to third parties (40, 42). [6] System according to claim 5 with motor vehicles according to claim 2, characterized by , that: a) the server (30) is designed to collect data on fuel consumption and / or energy consumption and to carry out an evaluation of fleet consumption and / or b) the server (30) is designed to collect data on exhaust emissions and / or exhaust emission monitoring, in particular IUMPR, and to carry out an evaluation to determine average exhaust gas values ​​and / or test periods. [7] System according to claim 5 or 6, with motor vehicles according to claim 3, characterized by that the server (30) is designed to collect data for diagnosing components (141, 142, 143) and / or component groups and to transmit vehicle-specific data and / or statistics on components and / or component groups to third parties (40, 42). [8] Method for collecting data obtained from devices (14, 16, 18) of motor vehicles in a central server (30), and for carrying out an evaluation using data from a plurality of motor vehicles (10) and for providing results of the evaluation to third parties (40, 42). [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized by that the server a) collects data on fuel consumption and / or energy consumption and carries out an evaluation of fleet consumption and / or b) collects data on exhaust emissions and / or exhaust emission monitoring, in particular IUMPR, and carries out an evaluation to determine average exhaust emissions and / or test periods. [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized bythat the server collects data for the diagnosis of components (141, 142, 143) and / or component groups and transmits vehicle-specific data and / or statistics on components (141, 142, 143) and / or component groups to third parties (40, 42).

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