METHOD FOR ONLINE LOGGING AND STATISTICS OF EPS RUN DATA

Abstract

A method for obtaining diagnostic data for an electronic power steering system (EPS system) of a vehicle, which, using one or more processors associated with the EPS system, includes receiving one or more inputs indicating respective operating characteristics associated with the EPS system, determining, from a first plurality of measurement ranges, a first measurement range of a first operating characteristic corresponding to the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating characteristic lies within the first measurement range, and incrementing a first counter corresponding to the first measurement range. The first counter stores a first value indicating the number of occurrences of the first operating characteristic within the first measurement range, and the diagnostic data includes the first value stored by the first counter.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] This disclosure relates to the monitoring, collection and analysis of data communicated within embedded systems, such as electronic power steering systems (EPS systems) of vehicles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A vehicle, such as a car, truck, SUV, crossover, minivan, personal watercraft, aircraft, off-road vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other suitable means of transport, typically includes a steering system, such as an electronic power steering system (EPS system), a steer-by-wire system (SbW system), a hydraulic steering system, or another suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle generally controls various aspects of vehicle steering, including providing steering assistance to the driver, controlling the vehicle's steerable wheels, and the like. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This disclosure generally refers to the monitoring, collection (e.g., logging), and analysis of data communicated within vehicle EPS systems.

[0004] One aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes a method for obtaining diagnostic data for an electronic power steering system (EPS system) of a vehicle. The method includes, using one or more processors associated with the EPS system, receiving one or more inputs indicating respective operating characteristics associated with the EPS system, determining, from a first plurality of measuring ranges, a first measuring range of a first operating characteristic corresponding to the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating characteristic lies within the first measuring range, and incrementing a first counter corresponding to the first measuring range.The first counter stores an initial value indicating the number of occurrences of the first operating property within the first measurement range, and the diagnostic data includes the first value stored by the first counter.

[0005] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings. The detailed description and the specific examples serve only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The revelation is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for the sake of clarity. Fig. 1A generally illustrates a vehicle according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 1B generally illustrates control according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 1C illustrates in general components of an electronic power steering system (EPS) according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 2A generally illustrates an exemplary diagnostic system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 2B generally illustrates one-dimensional diagnostic data obtained using the systems and procedures according to the principles of this disclosure. Fig. 2C generally illustrates two-dimensional diagnostic data obtained using the systems and procedures according to the principles of this disclosure. Fig. Figure 3 is a flowchart that generally illustrates a procedure for measuring, storing and using diagnostic data according to the principles of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] The following discussion relates to various embodiments of the disclosure. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the disclosed embodiments should not be interpreted or otherwise used as limiting the scope of the disclosure that includes the claims. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will understand that the following description has a broad scope and that the discussion of one embodiment is intended only as an example of that embodiment and does not imply that the scope of the disclosure that includes the claims is limited to that embodiment.

[0008] As described, a vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, SUV, crossover, minivan, personal watercraft, aircraft, off-road vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other suitable means of transport, typically includes a steering system, such as an electronic power steering system (EPS system), a steer-by-wire steering system (SbW system), a hydraulic steering system, or another suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle generally controls various aspects of the vehicle's steering, including providing steering assistance to the driver, controlling the vehicle's steerable wheels, and the like.

[0009] Such a steering system and / or other vehicle components can generate various data that can be processed by one or more of the vehicle's control units. This data can be related to any aspect of the vehicle and / or its operation, including, but not limited to, data indicating anomalies and / or faults in the vehicle's operation.

[0010] In some examples, data identifying various operational problems (e.g., fault or failure codes) can be obtained from the vehicle (e.g., via a port that provides access to a vehicle communication network, such as the vehicle's Controller Area Network (CAN)). For example, a diagnostic tool (e.g., a diagnostic tool or application implemented on an external computing device, such as a laptop or other device configured to connect to the port) can be configured to retrieve data from one or more vehicle systems according to a Unified Diagnostic Services (UDS) or other communication protocol.

[0011] In EPS and / or other types of systems, data such as fault codes and snapshot data can be extracted for problem analysis and troubleshooting using UDS techniques (e.g., using external devices configured to communicate with the vehicle system according to UDS protocols). However, extracting data using UDS techniques is generally limited to collecting / logging data at the time of failure (i.e., data or information available at a precise time / timestamp when a failure occurred). In other words, UDS techniques may not allow monitoring or logging of historical statistical data, such as running data, thermal load data, voltage and current distribution data, etc.

[0012] In other examples, data logging can be implemented using cloud computing or other distributed data storage / processing techniques. However, these methods require processing and packaging data collected in real time and transferring the data to a remote system / server (e.g., via a vehicle telematics box (T-Box) and a gateway), which requires high bandwidth for data traffic and limits the possibilities for data and vehicle tracking.

[0013] Accordingly, collecting and analyzing historical data and finding, identifying and defining faults in EPS systems of vehicles using existing systems and procedures is not possible or only possible with great difficulty.

[0014] Diagnostic systems and procedures according to the principles of this disclosure are configured to monitor and collect / log data associated with the operation of an EPS system (which may be referred to herein as historical data or diagnostic data). Monitoring the diagnostic data according to this disclosure includes collecting and locally storing the diagnostic data (e.g., by and within the EPS system). As an example, an embedded controller or control circuit, such as a microcontroller unit (MCU) associated with the EPS system, is configured to collect and store the diagnostic data for later retrieval (e.g., retrieval by an external diagnostic tool or device, such as a computing device configured to connect to and communicate with vehicle systems using a port that may be referred to as a diagnostic port).

[0015] As an example, the controller is configured to monitor and store operational data and diagnostic data that indicates various characteristics of the operational data. As used herein, the term "operational data" may differ from diagnostic data and corresponds to actual operational characteristics, measured or acquired values, etc., associated with the operation of the EPS system. For example, operational data may correspond to measured, acquired, calculated, or estimated voltages, currents, temperatures, speeds, torques, etc., and may include values ​​obtained directly from sensors, a vehicle or EPS system communication bus, and / or other sources.The diagnostic data can include one or more counters that display the number of occurrences of different operating characteristics within different interval ranges. These counters can be easily obtained and stored in an embedded controller of the EPS system, such as an EPS MCU. The number of occurrences of different operating characteristics within the different interval ranges can provide more detailed information about faults, including both information prior to the occurrence of any faults (e.g., for fault avoidance / prediction) and information about the EPS system behavior that leads to the actual occurrence of a fault.

[0016] The systems and methods of this disclosure can further be used to collect historical driving data, which can be used to analyze product lifetime load spectral data. With this spectral data, product iteration design can be achieved to reinforce highly stressed components, use alternatives to oversized components, etc.

[0017] Fig. Figure 1A generally illustrates a vehicle 10 according to the principles of this disclosure. The vehicle 10 may include any suitable vehicle, such as a passenger car, a truck, an off-road vehicle, a minivan, a crossover, any other passenger vehicle, any suitable commercial vehicle, or any other suitable vehicle. While the vehicle 10 is illustrated as a wheeled passenger vehicle for use on roads, the principles of this disclosure may be applied to other vehicles, such as airplanes, boats, trains, drones, or other suitable vehicles.

[0018] The vehicle 10 comprises a vehicle body 12 and a hood 14. A passenger compartment 18 is at least partially enclosed by the vehicle body 12. Another section of the vehicle body 12 defines an engine compartment 20. The hood 14 can be movably attached to a section of the vehicle body 12 such that the hood 14 provides access to the engine compartment 20 when it is in a first or open position, and covers the engine compartment 20 when it is in a second or closed position. In some embodiments, the engine compartment 20 may be located in the rear section of the vehicle 10, contrary to the general illustration.

[0019] The passenger compartment 18 can be located behind the engine compartment 20, but in embodiments where the engine compartment 20 is located in the rear section of the vehicle 10, it can also be located in front of the engine compartment 20. The vehicle 10 can include any suitable drive system, including an internal combustion engine, one or more electric motors (e.g., an electric vehicle), one or more fuel cells, a hybrid drive system (e.g., a hybrid vehicle), comprising a combination of an internal combustion engine, one or more electric motors, and / or any other suitable drive system.

[0020] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a gasoline or spark-ignition engine, such as a spark-ignition engine. In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a diesel engine, such as a compression-ignition engine. The engine compartment 20 houses and / or encloses at least some components of the vehicle 10's drive system. Additionally or alternatively, the passenger compartment 18 of the vehicle 10 contains drive control elements such as a drive actuator (e.g., an accelerator pedal), a brake actuator (e.g., a brake pedal), a handwheel, and other such components. The drive control elements can be actuated or controlled by an operator of the vehicle 10 and can each be directly connected to corresponding components of the drive system, such as a throttle valve, a brake, a vehicle axle, a vehicle transmission, and the like.In some embodiments, the drive control elements can communicate signals to a vehicle computer (e.g., drive-by-wire), which in turn can control the corresponding drive component of the drive system. In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 itself can be an autonomous vehicle.

[0021] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 includes a transmission connected to a crankshaft via a flywheel, clutch, or fluid coupling. In some embodiments, the transmission includes a manual transmission. In some embodiments, the transmission includes an automatic transmission. In the case of an internal combustion engine or a hybrid vehicle, the vehicle 10 may include one or more pistons that work in concert with the crankshaft to generate a force that is transmitted via the transmission to one or more axles that rotate the wheels 22. If the vehicle 10 includes one or more electric motors, a vehicle battery and / or a fuel cell provides energy to the electric motors to rotate the wheels 22.

[0022] Vehicle 10 may include automatic vehicle propulsion systems, such as cruise control, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking control, other automatic vehicle propulsion systems, or a combination thereof. Vehicle 10 may be an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other suitable type of vehicle. Vehicle 10 may include additional or fewer features than those generally illustrated and / or disclosed herein.

[0023] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include an Ethernet component 24, a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus 26, a media-oriented systems transport (MOST) component 28, a FlexRay component 30 (e.g., a brake-by-wire system, etc.), and a local interconnect network (LIN) component 32. The vehicle 10 may use the CAN bus 26, the MOST 28, the FlexRay component 30, the LIN 32, other suitable networks or communication systems, or a combination thereof, to communicate various information from, for example, sensors inside or outside the vehicle to, for example, various processors or controllers inside or outside the vehicle.

[0024] Vehicle 10 may include additional or fewer features than those generally illustrated and / or disclosed herein.

[0025] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a steering system such as an EPS system, a steering-by-wire steering system (which may, for example, include or communicate with one or more control units that control the components of the steering system without the use of a mechanical connection between the handwheel and the wheels 22 of the vehicle 10), a hydraulic steering system (which may, for example, include a magnetic actuator that is incorporated into a valve assembly of the hydraulic steering system), or another suitable steering system.

[0026] The steering system may include a control system or mechanism, a regulation system or mechanism, or a combination thereof. The steering system may be configured to receive various inputs, including but not limited to a handwheel position, an input torque, one or more road wheel positions, other suitable inputs or information, or a combination thereof.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, the inputs may include a handwheel torque, a handwheel angle, an engine speed, a vehicle speed, an estimated engine torque command, another suitable input, or a combination thereof. The steering system may be configured to provide a steering function and / or control of the vehicle 10. For example, the steering system may generate an auxiliary torque based on the various inputs. The steering system may be configured to selectively control a motor of the steering system using the auxiliary torque to provide steering assistance to the driver of the vehicle 10. The steering system of this disclosure is configured to implement the EPS diagnostic techniques described in more detail below.

[0028] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 includes one or more controllers, such as the controller 100, as is generally the case in Fig. Figure 1B illustrates this. The controller 100 can correspond to a steering system controller. The controller 100 can include any suitable controller, such as an electronic control unit or other suitable controller or control circuit. The controller 100 can be configured to control, for example, the various functions of the steering system and / or various functions of the vehicle 10. The controller 100 can include a processor 102 and a memory 104. The processor 102 can include any suitable processor, such as those described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 100 can include any suitable number of processors, in addition to or in contrast to the processor 102. The memory 104 can be a single disk or a plurality of disks (e.g.,Memory 104 includes hard disk drives) and a memory management module that manages one or more partitions within the memory. In some embodiments, the memory 104 may include flash memory, solid-state memory, or the like. The memory 104 may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 102, cause the processor 102 to control at least various aspects of the vehicle 10. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 102, cause the processor 102 to perform functions associated with the systems and procedures described herein.

[0029] The control unit 100 can receive one or more signals from various measuring devices or sensors indicating detected or measured characteristics of the vehicle 10. The sensors can include any suitable sensors, measuring devices, and / or other suitable mechanisms. For example, the sensors can include one or more torque sensors or devices, one or more handwheel position sensors or devices, one or more engine position sensors or devices, one or more position sensors or devices, other suitable sensors or devices, or a combination thereof. The one or more signals can indicate handwheel torque, handwheel angle, engine speed, vehicle speed, other suitable information, or a combination thereof.In some embodiments, a controller such as the controller 100 can perform at least some of the functions of the systems and methods described herein, such as functions related to communicating with, providing data to, and receiving data from various components and systems of the vehicle 10.

[0030] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1C, the vehicle 10 incorporates and interacts with an exemplary EPS 106. For example, measurements such as handwheel angle and torque signals can be obtained using one or more sensors 108. An EPS controller 110 can be configured to detect and analyze a steering intention based on data received from the sensors 108. The EPS controller 110 generates an assistance command based on the steering intention to control an EPS motor 112, which produces torque that is added to an EPS assistance mechanism 114 (e.g., to assist the steering wheel in generating yaw).

[0031] The EPS controller 110 can correspond to and / or include one or more embedded controllers, a control circuit, or microcontrollers, such as an MCU (not in Fig. 1C (shown; described in more detail below), which may be generally referred to as the “controller”. As used herein, the MCU corresponds to an integrated circuit or other switching logic including one or more processors and memory and is configured to control the operation of various electronic components of the EPS controller 110. For example, the MCU may be located on or near components controlled by the MCU (e.g., near a motor used to control an EPS transmission or assist mechanism, such as the EPS motor 112), within a steering column, and / or elsewhere within the EPS system 108.

[0032] The EPS controller 110, according to the principles of this disclosure and using the MCU, is configured to monitor and collect / log data associated with the operation of the EPS controller 110, as described in more detail below. Furthermore, an external device or controller (e.g., an external computing device such as a laptop connected to the vehicle's CAN bus via a diagnostic port), a cloud computing system, etc., may be configured to implement at least one section of the systems and procedures described herein. The functions described herein, as performed by the MCU, the EPS controller 110, an external computing device, etc.,However, the examples given are not to be understood as limiting, and any type of software running on a controller, processor or other switching logic can implement the systems and procedures described herein without deviating from the scope of this disclosure.

[0033] As used herein, the term "controller" can refer to a hardware module or assembly that includes one or more processors or microcontrollers, memory, sensors, one or more actuators, a communication interface, etc., any sections of which may be collectively referred to as "control logic." As described herein, the respective functions and steps performed by a given controller, control logic, etc., may be performed collectively by multiple controllers, processors, etc. For example, a processor, processing device, controller, control logic, etc., that is "configured to perform" may refer to a single processor, processing device, controller, etc.This can refer to a first processor, processing device, controller, etc., configured to perform both A and B, or it can refer to a first processor, processing device, controller, etc., configured to perform A, and a second processor, processing device, controller, etc., configured to perform B. For simplicity, a "control switching logic configured to perform A and B" can refer to one or more processors, processing devices, controllers, etc., configured together to perform A and B.

[0034] Fig. Figure 2A shows an exemplary diagnostic system 200 according to the present disclosure in more detail. The diagnostic system 200 is configured to monitor and collect / log data associated with the operation of an EPS system 204 of a vehicle. The diagnostic system 200 can be implemented, for example, using a controller or microcontroller, such as an MCU 208. The MCU 208 can correspond to an embedded MCU of the EPS system 204. In some examples, sections of the diagnostic system 200 can be implemented, at least partially, using a controller of the vehicle, such as a controller that is based on the one described in Figure 2A. Fig. The diagnostic system 200 is configured as described in Figure 1B. Sections of the diagnostic system 200 can be implemented, at least partially, using a computing device 212 located outside the vehicle, such as a laptop or a diagnostic tool, which is coupled to a diagnostic port of the vehicle (e.g., an on-board diagnostics or OBD-II port; shown schematically in Figure 214). In each of the above examples, components of the diagnostic system 200 can be configured to communicate with each other and with vehicle components (e.g., the steering system 204, etc.) using a vehicle network, such as a CAN bus 218.

[0035] The computing device 212 can include a control circuit 220, such as a test controller, a processor, or a processing device, etc., configured to execute instructions for communication with the MCU 208 (e.g., to retrieve diagnostic data from the MCU 208). For example, the control switching logic 212 can be configured to operate and communicate according to the UDS protocol to execute / implement a UDS service, etc. (e.g., via the I / O interface switching logic 222).

[0036] The MCU 208, according to the principles of this disclosure, is configured to monitor and collect / log diagnostic data associated with the operation of the EPS system 204. More specifically, the MCU 208 is configured to monitor operational data associated with the operation of the EPS system 204 and relevant components (e.g., the EPS transmission 216, a T-box, a rack assembly, linked sensors, etc.) and to collect and store the diagnostic data based on the operational data. The MCU 208 is configured to collect and store the diagnostic data for later retrieval (e.g., retrieval by an external diagnostic tool or device, such as the computing device 212, which is configured to connect to and communicate with the MCU 208 via port 214 and CAN bus 218).

[0037] With reference to the Fig. 2B and Fig. 2C with continued reference to Fig. Section 2A describes in more detail the diagnostic data collection and storage according to the principles of this disclosure. The diagnostic data can include one or more counters that indicate the number of occurrences of different operating characteristics (e.g., as indicated by the monitored operating data) within different interval ranges, which can be easily obtained and stored in the MCU 208. The number of occurrences of different operating characteristics within the different interval ranges can provide more detailed information about faults, including both pre-fault information (e.g., for fault avoidance / prediction) and information about the EPS system behavior that leads to the actual occurrence of a fault.In the examples described below, the diagnostic data correspond to the measured voltages indicated by the operating data, but other types of measured / acquired / calculated data (e.g., currents, temperatures, torques, velocities, etc.) can be represented by diagnostic data in a similar manner according to the principles of this disclosure.

[0038] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2B, the example diagnostic data 230 shows a number of occurrences of a specific measurement (e.g., a voltage) in the respective voltage ranges. The diagnostic data 230 of Fig. 2B can correspond to one-dimensional data. In other words, diagnostic data 230 shows only a total count of the corresponding measurement over a given period. As shown, the voltage ranges include, for example, a 4.0–6.0 volt range, a 6.0–9.0 volt range, a 9.0–16.0 volt range, a 16.0–18.0 volt range, and an 18.0–30.0 volt range. In this example, diagnostic data 230 shows the respective number of counted occurrences in each of the 6.0–9.0 volt range, the 9.0–16.0 volt range, and the 16.0–18.0 volt range (e.g., 2.00 E+4, 1.00 E+5, and 0.50 E+0, respectively).

[0039] The number of occurrences can correspond to the counts obtained by sampling at 10 ms intervals (e.g., counter intervals or counter resolution) over a given period (e.g., the vehicle's lifetime, the time since the last service or inspection, etc.). The counter interval can be increased or decreased (e.g., according to calibration preferences), set to different values ​​for different types of measurements / properties (e.g., different respective values ​​for voltage, current, temperature, etc.), and so on, to adjust the data granularity / update frequency. For example, different properties may be more or less volatile, may remain within a given range for a shorter or longer period, etc. As an example, properties such as voltage and current may exhibit greater fluctuations / volatility and therefore have an associated counter resolution of 10 ms.Conversely, a property like temperature may exhibit less fluctuation / volatility (and remain within a given range over longer periods compared to voltage and current) and therefore have a corresponding counter resolution of 1 second. The memory / storage space requirement for given measurement types can vary based on the counter resolution and be reserved accordingly in memory.

[0040] In this way, each time the measurement of a property falls within a specific range, the corresponding counter value for that range is incremented. For example, the MCU 208 is configured to implement real-time logging counters (e.g., a separate counter or memory location for each measurement type, range, etc.) that are updated each time a specific property is observed / measured within a corresponding range. For instance, during the vehicle's power-on process, the MCU 208 can update / increment counters implemented in a volatile memory section (e.g., RAM) of the MCU 208. Before the vehicle and / or the MCU 208 are powered off, the diagnostic data 230 stored in the volatile memory is written to non-volatile memory or storage space (e.g., flash memory, EEPROM, etc.).For example, the MCU 208 can be configured to transmit and / or copy the diagnostic data 230 to non-volatile memory in response to receiving an indication that the vehicle is being switched off, and / or at regular intervals during operation (e.g., at 30-second intervals, 5-minute intervals, etc.). As used herein, the term "counter" may refer to corresponding memory location, addresses, locations, etc., in a memory or storage device or structure.

[0041] The diagnostic data 230 can be retrieved, analyzed, etc. (e.g., using a diagnostic tool or other device that implements a UDS service as described above). For example, the diagnostic data 230 can be retrieved after a fault or failure to analyze the various count values ​​of the properties over time, in a period prior to the fault, etc. In another example, the diagnostic data 230 can be retrieved and analyzed before any faults occur, during routine maintenance, etc., to assess the risk of future faults.

[0042] In this way, continuous time-domain data (e.g., real-time measurements of various operational characteristics) are converted into discrete count data to reduce the required storage space without data loss. In other words, without the need to record / store data, the actual discrete measurements (i.e., actual measured current, voltage, temperature values, etc.) can be displayed, and instead, the number of occurrences in the respective ranges can simply be counted. All occurrences of the respective measurements / characteristics in different ranges can be monitored, stored / recorded, and subsequently accessed and analyzed.

[0043] Now, with reference to Fig. Figure 2C shows the exemplary diagnostic data 260 as two-dimensional data. In this example, the diagnostic data 260 shows the number of occurrences of a specific temperature measurement in respective ranges (e.g., measurement / value ranges 1-9) and in different data series. For example, the different data series (e.g., series 1-7) can correspond to different data variation intervals. In this way, the diagnostic data 260 not only shows the total count values ​​of a property in the respective ranges but also shows average values, range of variation, etc. As an example, the two-dimensional data can be used to perform various lifetime estimation techniques, where one dimension of the data 260 can record / display a temperature range of variation, while another dimension records / displays the average temperature distribution.Information such as the temperature fluctuation range and the average temperature distribution can be used to estimate the remaining lifetime of components, such as the remaining lifetime of a MOSFET linked to a motor, an actuator, etc.

[0044] Fig.Figure 3 is a flowchart that generally illustrates a Method 300 for measuring, storing, and using diagnostic data according to the principles of this disclosure. For example, one or more computing devices, processors, or processing devices, etc., are configured to execute instructions to implement the Method 300, such as the MCU 208. One or more of the steps of the Method 300 described below may be skipped or omitted in some examples, and / or one or more of the steps may be performed in a different order than described. Furthermore, although the steps of the Method 300 are described with respect to one type of measurement, they may be performed for a variety of different types of measurement using appropriate counters.For example, the steps of procedure 300 can be performed in parallel for each type of measurement, so that measurements for multiple measurement types (i.e., operational characteristics) can be obtained in real time.

[0045] In procedure 302, procedure 300 includes performing an EPS power-on operation (e.g., in response to the vehicle being powered on). The EPS power-on operation may include retrieving diagnostic data stored in non-volatile memory. This reloads current counter values ​​(i.e., counter values ​​stored in non-volatile memory when the vehicle, MCU, EPS, etc., were previously powered off) into counters to maintain the cumulative count of measurements within their respective ranges.

[0046] In procedure 304, method 300 involves receiving one or more inputs (e.g., from sensors, models, or calculations, etc.) that indicate the operating characteristics of a vehicle's steering system. In this example, the vehicle inputs may include, but are not limited to, inputs that indicate the steering system's operating characteristics, such as various voltages, currents, temperatures, speeds, torques, etc. The one or more inputs are received by an embedded controller, microcontroller, processor, control logic, etc., of the steering system, such as an embedded MCU.

[0047] In the case of 308, procedure 300 includes determining a specific range (e.g., a measurement or value range) for a given input. In other words, procedure 300 includes determining, for each input, which measurement range, from a multitude of measurement or value ranges, the input belongs to / lies within.

[0048] In 312, procedure 300 includes incrementing a counter corresponding to the specified measurement range. For example, incrementing the counter may include incrementing a count value of a number of occurrences of the measurement within the specified measurement range (e.g., by incrementing a count value stored in a volatile memory location belonging to the specified measurement range).

[0049] In procedure 316, procedure 300 determines whether diagnostic data corresponding to one or more counters should be stored / transmitted to non-volatile memory. For example, procedure 300 might include receiving an indication that the vehicle and / or the MCU is being turned off. If this is the case, procedure 300 proceeds to 320. If this is not the case, procedure 300 proceeds to 304 to continue receiving and storing the diagnostic data.

[0050] In procedure 300, part 320 involves transmitting / copying the diagnostic data to non-volatile memory (e.g., the MCU's flash or EEPROM memory). For example, diagnostic data is transmitted to non-volatile memory during a vehicle shutdown process, EPS, etc.

[0051] The diagnostic data can then be retrieved from non-volatile memory each time the vehicle / MCU is powered on. Retrieving the diagnostic data may involve using an external computing device or diagnostic tool to retrieve the diagnostic data from the MCU according to the UDS protocol via a vehicle diagnostic port, etc., as described herein. The diagnostic data can be retrieved in response to detected faults, as part of routine maintenance or servicing, etc. Once retrieved, the diagnostic data can be used to determine the causes of faults, analyze the operating characteristics of the steering system prior to the occurrence of faults, predict faults, recommend maintenance or repair work, etc.In some examples, diagnostic data can be transmitted from the vehicle and / or retrieved from the vehicle via wireless communication mechanisms and made available to a remote server, database, cloud computing system, etc. In one example, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented using techniques for wirelessly remotely retrieving historical static data (e.g., by reading / retrieving diagnostic data stored in the EPS using a vehicle T-box configured for communication using the UDS protocol, the SomeIP protocol, etc.). In this example, the diagnostic data can be selectively retrieved from the EPS without impacting the real-time bandwidth.

[0052] After retrieving the diagnostic data from the MCU, various tasks or functions can be performed based on the diagnostic data, such as analyzing the diagnostic data (and / or generating outputs that display the results), predicting faults or failures based on the diagnostic data, determining the causes of faults or failures, generating and issuing warning messages to users (e.g., drivers or service personnel), etc.

[0053] The above explanation is intended to illustrate the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will be obvious to the person skilled in the art once they have fully understood the above disclosure. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to include all such variations and modifications.

[0054] The word "example" is used here to serve as an illustration, case, or demonstration. Any aspect or design described herein as an "example" is not necessarily to be understood as preferential or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to illustrate concepts in a concrete way. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is to say, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, "X contains A or B" is intended to mean one of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then "X includes A or B" is satisfied in each of the foregoing cases.Furthermore, the articles “a”, “an”, and “an”, as used in this application and the attached claims, should generally be interpreted as meaning “one or more”, unless otherwise specified or it is clear from the context that they refer to a singular form. Moreover, the use of the term “implementation” or “an implementation” does not imply that it refers to the same embodiment or implementation unless it is described as such.

[0055] Implementations of the systems, algorithms, procedures, instructions, etc., described herein may be realized in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. The hardware may include, for example, computers, intellectual property cores (IP cores), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, optical processors, programmable logic controllers, microcode, microcontrollers, servers, microprocessors, digital signal processors, or any other suitable circuitry. In the claims, the term "processor" shall be understood to encompass any of the aforementioned hardware, either individually or in combination. The terms "signal" and "data" are used interchangeably.

[0056] As used herein, the term module can include a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components, a set of instructions that can be executed by a controller (such as a processor running software or firmware), processing switching logic configured to perform a specific function, and a self-contained hardware or software component that provides an interface to a larger system. For example, a module might include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit, a digital logic circuit, an analog circuit, a combination of discrete circuits, gates, and other types of hardware, or a combination thereof.In other embodiments, a module may include a memory that stores instructions that can be executed by a controller to implement a feature of the module.

[0057] Furthermore, in one aspect, for example, the systems described herein can be implemented using a general-purpose computer or processor with a computer program that, when executed, performs one of the respective procedures, algorithms, and / or instructions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, for example, a dedicated computer / processor can be used that includes other hardware for executing the procedures, algorithms, or instructions described herein.

[0058] Furthermore, all or part of the implementations of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product accessible, for example, from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any device that can, for example, contain, store, communicate, or transport the program in a tangible manner for use by or in conjunction with any processor. The medium may, for example, be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor device. Other suitable media are also available.

[0059] The embodiments, implementations, and aspects described above have been provided for the purpose of facilitating a simple understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. Rather, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of protection of the appended claims, the scope of protection being interpreted as broadly as legally permissible to encompass all modifications and equivalent structurings.

Claims

[1] Method for obtaining diagnostic data for an electronic power steering system (EPS system) of a vehicle, the method comprising using one or more processors linked to the EPS system: Receiving one or more inputs indicating respective operating properties associated with the EPS system; Determine, from a first plurality of measuring ranges, a first measuring range of a first operating property corresponding to one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating property lies within the first measuring range; and Incrementing a first counter corresponding to the first measurement range, wherein the first counter stores a first value indicating a number of occurrences of the first operating property within the first measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the first value stored by the first counter. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors correspond to a microcontroller unit (MCU) of the EPS. [3] Method according to claim 2, wherein the MCU is an embedded MCU of the EPS. [4] Method according to claim 2, wherein the first counter is implemented in a memory of the MCU. [5] Method according to claim 4, further comprising receiving a notification that at least one of the vehicle and the MCU is being switched off, and in response to receiving the notification, transferring data from the volatile memory of the MCU to the non-volatile memory of the MCU. [6] Method according to claim 4, further comprising retrieving the diagnostic data from the memory of the MCU in accordance with the Unified Diagnostic Services protocol (UDS protocol) using an external computing device coupled to a diagnostic port of the vehicle. [7] Method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining product lifetime load spectral data using the diagnostic data. [8] Method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine, from the first plurality of measuring ranges, a second measuring range of the first operating property that corresponds to the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating property lies within the second measuring range; and Incrementing a second counter corresponding to the second measurement range, wherein the second counter stores a second value indicating a number of occurrences of the first operating property within the second measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the second value stored by the second counter. [9] The method of claim 8, further comprising: Determine, from a second plurality of measuring ranges, a third measuring range of a second operating characteristic corresponding to one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the second operating characteristic lies within the third measuring range; and Incrementing a third counter corresponding to the third measurement range, wherein the third counter stores a third value indicating a number of occurrences of the second operating property within the third measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the third value stored by the third counter. [10] Method according to claim 1, wherein the operating characteristics include at least one of a voltage, a current and / or a temperature associated with the EPS system. [11] Diagnostic system configured to obtain diagnostic data for an electronic power steering system (EPS system) of a vehicle, wherein the diagnostic system comprises: one or more sensors configured to determine specific operating characteristics associated with the EPS system; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, the execution of which causes the processor to Receiving one or more inputs that indicate the respective operating properties associated with the EPS system, Determine, from a first plurality of measuring ranges, a first measuring range of a first operating property corresponding to one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating property lies within the first measuring range, and Incrementing a first counter corresponding to the first measurement range, wherein the first counter stores a value indicating a number of occurrences of the first operating property within the first measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the value stored by the first counter. [12] Diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein the processor corresponds to a microcontroller unit (MCU) of the EPS. [13] Diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the MCU is an embedded MCU of the EPS. [14] Diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the first counter is implemented in the memory of the MCU. [15] Diagnostic system according to claim 14, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to receive a notification that at least one of the vehicle and the MCU is being switched off, and in response to the receipt of the notification transfers data from the volatile memory of the MCU to the non-volatile memory of the MCU. [16] Diagnostic system according to claim 14, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to retrieve the diagnostic data from the memory of the MCU using an external computing device coupled to a diagnostic port of the vehicle. [17] Diagnostic system according to claim 16, wherein retrieving the diagnostic data includes retrieving the diagnostic data according to the Unified Diagnostic Services protocol (UDS protocol). [18] Diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to: Determine, from the first plurality of measuring ranges, a second measuring range of the first operating property that corresponds to the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating property lies within the second measuring range; and Incrementing a second counter corresponding to the second measurement range, wherein the second counter stores a second value indicating a number of occurrences of the first operating property within the second measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the second value stored by the second counter. [19] Diagnostic system according to claim 18, wherein the execution of the instructions further causes the processor to: Determine, from a second plurality of measuring ranges, a third measuring range of a second operating characteristic corresponding to one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the second operating characteristic lies within the third measuring range; and Incrementing a third counter corresponding to the third measurement range, wherein the third counter stores a third value indicating a number of occurrences of the second operating property within the third measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the third value stored by the third counter. [20] Method for obtaining diagnostic data for an electronic power steering system (EPS system) of a vehicle, the method comprising using a microcontroller unit (MCU) embedded in the EPS system: Receiving one or more inputs indicating respective operating properties associated with the EPS system; Determine, from a first plurality of measuring ranges, a first measuring range of a first operating property corresponding to one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs indicate that the first operating property lies within the first measuring range; and Incrementing a first counter corresponding to the first measurement range, wherein the first counter stores a first value indicating a number of occurrences of the first operating property within the first measurement range, and wherein the diagnostic data includes the first value stored by the first counter.

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