Monitoring of a safety device for the on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the monitoring of a safety device (2) for an on-board electrical network (3) of a motor vehicle (1), the device being configured to disconnect a branch of the network in which it detects a short circuit. The invention also relates to a computer system (100) implementing such a method. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Monitoring of a safety device for the on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of safety devices for the electrical networks of motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing the monitoring of a safety device for an on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a computer system implementing such a method. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles such as motor vehicles, in particular cars. Prior art

[0002] It is known that, in an electric vehicle, the very low voltage (or 12V) electrical power supply system generally contains one or more 12V storage units, a voltage converter that acts as an electrical power generator (connected to a high-voltage power source), cables and distribution boxes, one or more control units, sensors, and the 12V on-board electrical network, which includes all the electrical consumers powered by the storage unit and / or the voltage converter. On this on-board electrical network, certain consumers are of paramount importance, namely those involved in ensuring safe driving. Typically, the on-board electrical network is connected to the 12V storage unit and the voltage converter so that it can be powered by both. Similarly, the voltage converter is connected to the 12V storage unit so that it can be recharged.Furthermore, to secure the vehicle's electrical system, it is now common practice to use a safety device capable of detecting a short circuit in a branch of the system and, if necessary, segmenting the 12V system into two separate branches: one powered solely by the 12V storage unit and the other solely by the inverter. To further enhance system security, some such devices can transmit data over the vehicle's data transmission network to communicate information, particularly when a short circuit is detected and the system is segmented. This information is typically sent to a remote server so that it can be used to effectively address any faults that occur.Therefore, for optimal security of an onboard electrical system in a motor vehicle, it is now necessary for the security device to be capable of reliable and sustained communication. However, no solution currently exists to guarantee this. monitoring of this ability to communicate onboard electrical network security devices of vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to at least partially address this deficiency. In particular, it aims to provide a solution for real-time monitoring of the communication (i.e., data transmission) capabilities of a safety device for the on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle, especially an electric vehicle. Another objective of the invention is to enable the handling of malfunctions related to the communication capabilities of on-board electrical network safety devices in motor vehicles without imposing an excessive workload on after-sales service personnel, thereby optimizing the resources of car manufacturers, which, by extension, influence vehicle manufacturing costs.Thanks to such components, the invention aims to maximize driving safety and improve the reliability of electric motor vehicles while helping to minimize their manufacturing cost.

[0004] To this end, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing the monitoring of a safety device for an on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle, the device being configured to disconnect a branch of the on-board electrical network in which it detects a short circuit, the method being implemented by a computer system comprising a control device on-board in the vehicle and a remote server from the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i. determine, by the control device, data characterizing the ability of the security device to transmit data; ii. trigger, by the control device, the transmission of data characterizing the current mileage of the vehicle, data characterizing a vehicle identifier and data determined during step i) to the server; iii. determine, by the server, whether there is a potential need for further review based on the data transmitted during step ii); iv. determine, by the server, whether there is a proven need for further investigation based on the data determined during step iii); and v. trigger the transmission of data characterizing the need to carry out a thorough examination to a monitoring infrastructure.

[0005] According to one variant, step i) may include a step of transmitting, by the control device, a data transmission request to the security device and a step of determining, by the control device, whether the The security device transmits data before a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

[0006] According to another variant, step i) may include a step of transmitting, by the control device, N communication requests to the security device and a step of determining, by the control device, whether the security device is not transmitting any data, N being an integer.

[0007] According to yet another variant, step iii) may include a step of determining whether the data transmitted during step ii) confirm that the monitoring device does not have the ability to transmit data.

[0008] According to yet another variant, step iii) may include a step of determining whether the current mileage of the vehicle is less than a pre-established threshold value.

[0009] According to yet another variant, step iii) may include a step of determining whether the vehicle identifier corresponds to a pre-established identifier of a vehicle whose monitoring is required.

[0010] According to yet another variant, step iv) may include a step of determining whether a proportion of vehicles in circulation for which a potential need for further examination exists is greater than a pre-established threshold value.

[0011] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for managing the monitoring of a device for securing an on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle, the device being configured to disconnect a branch of the on-board electrical network in which it detects a short circuit, said system being a computer system which includes an on-board control device on-board of the vehicle and a remote server of the vehicle, which are configured to jointly implement a method as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0013] [Fig-1] is a diagram that illustrates a monitoring management system for a a device for securing the electrical network on board a motor vehicle according to the invention; and

[0014] [Fig.2] is a flowchart that illustrates the steps of a process according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0015] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a monitoring system 100 for a safety device 2 of an on-board electrical network 3 of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. Conventionally, the safety device 2 is configured to disconnect a branch of the on-board electrical network. 3 in which it detects a short circuit. According to the invention, the system 100 for managing the monitoring of an on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle comprises a control unit 200 installed on board the vehicle 1, which communicates with the safety device 2 via a data transmission network of the vehicle 1 (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, etc.) and with a server 300 located remotely from the vehicle 1 via a radio frequency communication device of the vehicle 1 (not shown), which is capable of communicating using conventional mobile communication networks and protocols (e.g., 3G / 4G / 5G). The control unit 200 according to the invention is a computer device comprising at least one information processing unit 201, with one or more processors, a data storage medium 202, and an input / output interface 203 enabling the reception and transmission of data. It is preferably a computer.

[0016] The server 300 is configured to communicate with a remote monitoring infrastructure 400 using conventional network and data communication protocols (e.g., the Internet). Typically, such a monitoring infrastructure 400 includes means for receiving data, generating alerts, which are disseminated audibly and / or visually, and enabling personnel to use data to perform analytical tasks, for example, using computers running applications configured to carry out such tasks. Alternatively, the server 300 and the monitoring infrastructure 400 are hosted at the same site and connected via a local area network.

[0017] According to the invention, the control device 200 and the server 300 are configured to jointly implement the steps of a method for managing the monitoring of a device for securing an electrical network on board a motor vehicle, as described below in relation to [Fig.2] which illustrates by means of a flowchart the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0018] According to a first step 501 of the method according to the invention, the control device 200 determines, as soon as it establishes that the vehicle 1 begins to move, by interacting for this purpose, for example, with a speedometer or a driver assistance system of the vehicle 1, data characterizing the ability of the safety device 2 to transmit data. To this end, the control device 200 preferentially transmits a data transmission request to the safety device 2, then it determines whether the safety device transmits data before a predetermined time interval has elapsed (e.g., 1 second). And when the safety device 2 does not transmit any data during the predetermined time interval, the control device 200 then concludes that the safety device 2 does not have the ability to communicate. Conversely, it establishes that the Security device 2 has the ability to transmit data if it receives data from the latter in response to the request within a predefined time interval. Alternatively, control device 200 proceeds differently by sending N data transmission requests to security device 2, where N is an integer, and concludes that the latter does not have the ability to transmit data if it establishes that it has not received any data transmitted by security device 2 following the transmission of the N communication requests. Based on the result of this investigation, control device 200, for example, assigns a value to a parameter that specifies the ability of security device 2 to transmit data.Thus, during this first step of the process according to the invention, the control device 200 advantageously establishes whether the safety device 2 is able at the current time to transmit data, in particular in the case where the latter would be required to segment the on-board electrical network 3 of the vehicle 1 following the detection of a short circuit in a branch of the network.

[0019] Next, according to a second step 502 of the method according to the invention, the control device 200 triggers the transmission to the server 300 of data characterizing the current mileage of the vehicle, data characterizing a vehicle identifier (e.g., VIN), and data determined during the previous step, which advantageously specifies the ability of the security device 2 to transmit data. The control device 200 obtains the current mileage of the vehicle 1 by interacting, for example, with an odometer of the vehicle 1. Preferably, the identifier of the vehicle 1 is recorded on its data storage medium 202 at the time of the design of the vehicle 1.Thus, following the implementation of this second step of the process by the control device 200, the server 300 advantageously receives data which identifies the current mileage of the vehicle, a vehicle identifier and the ability of the safety device 2 of the on-board electrical network 3 of the vehicle 1 to transmit data at the current time.

[0020] Next, according to a third step 503 of the method according to the invention, the server 300 uses the data previously received following the transmission performed by the control device 200 during the preceding step to determine whether there is a potential need for further investigation. To this end, the server 300 first determines whether the received data confirms that the security device 2 is unable to communicate, and it establishes this by using the data that was determined by the control device 200 during the first step of the method. If it establishes that this is the case, it then determines whether the current mileage of the vehicle 1 is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 40,000 km). Then, the server 300 determines, using the vehicle identifier, whether this corresponds to a The vehicle identifier for which monitoring is required has been pre-established. Following these checks, server 300 will advantageously be able to determine whether a potential need for further investigation exists based on the data transmitted by vehicle 1, in relation to, firstly, the ability of its security device 2 to transmit data, secondly, its current mileage, and thirdly, its identifier. Thus, server 300 will determine that a need for further investigation potentially exists if the security device 2 of vehicle 1 is unable to communicate, if the current mileage of vehicle 1 is less than the predefined value, and if the identifier of vehicle 1 corresponds to a pre-established identifier of monitored vehicles.

[0021] Next, according to a fourth step 504 of the method according to the invention, the server 300 determines whether there is a genuine need for further investigation based on the data it determined during the previous step. It is understood that vehicle 1 is not the only one transmitting the aforementioned data to the server 300, but rather that all vehicles in circulation do the same, and that the server 300 therefore receives the same types of data as those transmitted during the second step of the method and processed during the third step of the method from each of the vehicles in circulation. Consequently, the server 300 advantageously proceeds at this stage by determining whether it is necessary for personnel responsible for after-sales service of the vehicles to analyze and resolve the problem concerning the communication capabilities of the on-board electrical network security devices of the vehicles under surveillance.The invention aims to avoid burdening personnel when only a few isolated incidents occur, but rather to facilitate in-depth investigations only when incidents occur on a widespread basis across a number of monitored vehicles. Therefore, during this fourth step of the process, the 300 server advantageously establishes that a need for further investigation is confirmed when it determines that the proportion of vehicles in circulation for which a potential need for further investigation exists exceeds a pre-established threshold (e.g., 40%).It therefore aggregates in real time the data that characterize potential needs for in-depth examination, doing so for all vehicles in circulation for which it receives data and which it processes according to the previous step of the procedure. This allows it to determine the cases where a need for in-depth examination is not only potential but evident. Server 300 thus establishes such situations when it determines that the proportion of vehicles in circulation for which their security device cannot transmit data is lower than the mileage for which they have a certain number of vehicles. that an expected reliability objective and for which monitoring of the ability of their security device to communicate is required exceeds a significant value.

[0022] Finally, when it has determined that a need for further investigation is evident during the implementation of the preceding step of the process, the server 300 then proceeds, according to a fifth and final step 505 of the process according to the invention, by triggering the transmission of data characterizing the need to perform a further investigation to the monitoring infrastructure 400 in order to alert personnel authorized to handle a communication problem affecting the safety devices of the vehicle's on-board electrical networks, which is becoming widespread across a large number of vehicles under surveillance. Upon receiving this data, the monitoring infrastructure 400 generates alerts, which are conventionally disseminated audibly and / or visually.

[0023] Therefore, thanks to the method and system according to the invention described above, a solution is provided for monitoring in real time the communication capability of a safety device for the on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle, particularly an electric vehicle. The method and system according to the invention also allow for the handling of malfunctions related to the communication capability of on-board electrical network safety devices in motor vehicles without imposing an excessive workload on after-sales service personnel, and thus optimizing the resources of car manufacturers, which in turn influence the cost of vehicle production. In this way, the invention maximizes driving safety and improves the reliability of electric vehicles while helping to minimize their production cost.

Claims

Demands

1. Method for managing the monitoring of a safety device (2) of an on-board electrical network (3) of a motor vehicle (1), the safety device (2) being configured to disconnect a branch of the on-board electrical network (3) in which it detects a short circuit, the method being implemented by a computer system (100) comprising a control device (200) on-board of the vehicle and a server (300) remote from the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. determining, by the control device, data characterizing the ability of the safety device to transmit data; ii. triggering, by the control device, the transmission of data characterizing the current mileage of the vehicle, data characterizing a vehicle identifier and data determined during step i) to the server; iii.determine, by the server, whether there is a potential need for further review based on the data transmitted during step ii); iv. determine, by the server, whether there is a proven need for further review based on the data determined during step iii); and v. trigger, by the server, the transmission of data characterizing the need to carry out a further review to a monitoring infrastructure (400).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that step i) comprises a step of transmitting, by the control device (200), a request to transmit data to the security device and a step of determining, by the control device, whether the security device transmits data before a time interval of a predetermined duration has elapsed.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that step i) comprises a step of transmitting, by the control device (200), N communication requests to the security device and a step of determining, by the device control (200), if the security device does not transmit any data, N being an integer.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step of determining whether the data transmitted during step ii) confirm that the monitoring device does not have the ability to transmit data.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) includes a step of determining whether the current mileage of the vehicle is less than a pre-established threshold value.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step of determining whether the vehicle identifier corresponds to a pre-established identifier of a vehicle whose monitoring is required.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iv) includes a step of determining whether a proportion of vehicles in circulation for which a potential need for further examination exists is greater than a pre-established threshold value.

8. System (100) for managing the monitoring of a safety device (2) of an on-board electrical network (3) of a motor vehicle (1), the device being configured to disconnect a branch of the on-board electrical network in which it detects a short circuit, characterized in that the system is a computer system which includes an on-board control device on-board of the vehicle and a remote server (300) from the vehicle, which are configured to jointly implement a method according to one of the preceding claims.

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