Method for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method for transmitting a technical fault affecting the safety of a motor vehicle is implemented by a processor and comprises the steps of: collecting (201) via a diagnostic module a technical fault of the vehicle affecting its safety; informing (205) the user of the fault; recording (203) the fault along with a deadline for repair; if the fault is not corrected by the deadline, sending (211) an alert message to a monitoring server. A device for transmitting a technical fault affecting the safety of a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising the device are also described. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle, a device for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle, a motor vehicle comprising such a device and a computer program product. State of the art

[0002] The term “vehicle” means any type of vehicle, such as a motor vehicle, a moped, a motorcycle, a warehouse storage robot, etc.

[0003] Currently, a motor vehicle includes a multitude of functions ranging from driver assistance features (cruise control, lane keeping assist, etc.) to comfort features (air conditioning, sound system, etc.) and safety features. All these functions, particularly the safety features, are monitored by sensors to ensure their proper operation and, therefore, in the event of a malfunction, to alert the user so that they can repair or have the faulty function repaired.

[0004] However, a vehicle with a faulty safety function can become dangerous for its user or its surroundings. It is clear, for example, that a vehicle with a faulty braking system becomes a dangerous vehicle.

[0005] It is therefore important that the user take care of repairing the faulty function as quickly as possible.

[0006] However, no device on the vehicle is provided to encourage and monitor the repair, except, in the most serious cases, for immobilizing the vehicle.

[0007] There is therefore a real need for a method and a system for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle which resolves all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. Description of the invention

[0008] To resolve one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks, according to a first embodiment, a method for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle is implemented by a processor and comprises the steps of: • collection via a diagnostic module of a technical fault in the vehicle affecting its safety; • informing the user of the failure; • recording of the failure accompanied by a deadline for repair; • if the failure is not corrected when the deadline is exceeded, an alert message is sent to a monitoring server.

[0009] Thus, the user is not left alone with the information about the failure and a service such as a police service which manages the monitoring server can intervene if the repair is not carried out within the prescribed time.

[0010] Specific features or embodiments, usable alone or in combination, are: • the user's information is accompanied by a validation by the user; • the validation date defines the start of the period for the repair before the deadline; • the validation date is recorded with the failure; • the validation date is timestamped by a trusted clock; • The failure record is transmitted to the monitoring server upon request; and / or • the recording is transmitted upon request before the deadline for restoration.

[0011] In a second embodiment, a device includes a memory associated with at least one processor configured to implement the method of the first embodiment.

[0012] In a third embodiment, a motor vehicle includes a device according to the second embodiment

[0013] In a fourth embodiment, a computer program includes instructions which, when the program is executed by the device according to the second embodiment, lead the device to implement the process according to the first embodiment. Brief description of the figures

[0014] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the figures in the appendix in which: • [Fig. 1] represents a top view of a vehicle including a transmission system for a technical anomaly affecting safety according to one embodiment; and • [Fig.2] represents a flowchart of a transmission process of a technical anomaly affecting safety according to an embodiment. Methods of implementation

[0015] In the embodiments presented below, the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "transverse" are understood in relation to the vehicle.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example of a device 101 included in the vehicle 103. This device 101 can be used as a centralized device responsible for at least some steps of the process described below with reference to Figure 2. In one embodiment, it corresponds to an autonomous driving computer.

[0017] This device 101 may take the form of a housing comprising printed circuits or any type of computer. This device is sometimes called a computer or ECU (from the English acronym "Electronic Control Unit").

[0018] The device 101 includes a random access memory 105 for storing instructions for the implementation by a processor 107 of at least one step of the process as described below. The device also includes a mass storage 109 for storing data intended to be retained during or after the implementation of the process.

[0019] The device 101 may further include a digital signal processor (DSP) 111. This DSP 111 receives data to shape, demodulate and amplify, in a manner known per se, this data.

[0020] The device 101 also includes an input interface 113 for receiving the data implemented by the described process and an output interface 115 for transmitting the data implemented by the process.

[0021] In particular, the input interface 113 can receive the following data: operating states of sensors, confidence index of data from or processed by sensors and / or devices similar to device 101. The input interface 113 thus makes it possible to collect failure information from a safety device of the vehicle 103.

[0022] The output interface 115 can transmit data similar to the data received by the input interface 113. In particular, the output interface 115 includes a touchscreen type person-machine interface 117 to enable interaction with the user and a transmitter 119 suitable for communicating with a server 121 via a wireless data link 123, for example, a link using 4G / 5G protocols.

[0023] Data transfer between the different elements is preferably carried out by a CAN (for "Controller Area Network") or LIN (for "Local Interconnect Network") type data bus.

[0024] Device 101 implements the process described below, [Fig.2].

[0025] Via the input interface 113, the device 101 receives the information, step 201, that a safety device of the vehicle 103 is faulty.

[0026] Device 101 calculates and records a recovery time, step 203, for example, two weeks, which defines a repair deadline relative to the date of detection of the failure.

[0027] Device 101 informs the user, in step 205, via the touch screen 117, of the failure, specifying that it must be repaired before the deadline calculated in step 203.

[0028] The device then monitors, step 207, the status of the repair.

[0029] If, during the restoration period, device 101 determines that the repair is performed, for example, because the sensor is no longer sending fault information to the input interface 109, or because the user has entered the information via the touch screen 117 or because the authorized repairer has reset the alert, then device 101 cancels, step 209, the deadline.

[0030] If, on the other hand, the repair has not been carried out within the fixed restoration period, the device 101 sends, step 211, a message to the server 121 via the transmitter 119.

[0031] The server may be, for example, a server of the police and security services, which may then allow these services to intervene with the user to force him to repair the faulty security device.

[0032] Thus, this advantageously prevents vehicles with faulty safety devices from circulating for too long by encouraging users to repair them under penalty of fine, or other.

[0033] Figure 1 illustrates a system according to certain embodiments. The breakdown presented is for pedagogical purposes to highlight the different functions. However, it is understood that each block can be implemented using different means or combinations thereof, such as hardware components, software, one or more computers, and / or electronic circuits. Each component may include at least one computer or a control unit. At least one memory may be included in each component. The memory may include computer program instructions or software code.

[0034] The computers can be implemented by any type of data processing device, such as a central processing unit, a signal processing unit, a specific application integrated circuit, a programmable gate network, etc. The computers can be implemented in the form of a single controller, or a plurality of controllers or computers.

[0035] The different modules are connected to each other by data links adapted to the environment. These can be wired, electrical or optical, or wireless.

[0036] For the software, the implementation may comprise modules or units distributed in the form of procedures, functions, etc. The memories may be any type of storage circuit. They may be part of the processor circuit, or separate from it and connected via electrical data links. These may be non-volatile memories, hard drives, RAM, flash memory, etc.

[0037] The software product can be downloaded from a communication network and / or stored on a computer-readable medium. It can be directly executable by a processor or be in the form of a high-level language requiring one or more intermediate operations to be executable.

[0038] Thus, the program instructions stored in memory and processed by the computers can be any type of program code, for example, a compiled or interpreted program written in a suitable programming language.

[0039] The computer program instructions stored in memory are such that, when executed by the computer, the latter carries out one or more of the steps of the processes described above.

[0040] The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. This description is to be considered illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this single description. Numerous embodiments are possible.

[0041] For example, the process has been described as a sequence of steps. Some steps can be carried out in parallel or in a different sequence.

[0042] In a first embodiment, the repair period only begins after the user has been notified. The user can also acknowledge receipt of this information by pressing a button on the touchscreen, with the start date of the repair period being the date of this acknowledgment. This date is recorded in mass memory 109 along with the fault. Preferably, this acknowledgment date is timestamped with a reliable clock so as to be considered valid in case of dispute regarding the period allocated for the repair.

[0043] In a second variant, the 121 server can query the 101 device at any time, which returns a list of current faults, including those whose repair deadline has not yet passed. In this case, the server will not trigger a fine or similar action, but may remind the driver that they must act within the prescribed time limit.

Claims

Demands

1. A method for transmitting a technical anomaly affecting the safety of a motor vehicle, said method being implemented by a processor and comprising the steps of: • collecting (201) via a diagnostic module a technical failure of the vehicle affecting its safety; • informing (205) the user of the failure; • recording (203) the failure accompanied by a deadline for repair; • if the failure is not corrected when the deadline is exceeded, sending (211) an alert message to a monitoring server.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user information is accompanied by validation of the user.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the validation date defines the start of the period for remediation before the deadline.

4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the validation date is recorded with the failure.

5. A method according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the validation date is time-stamped by a confidence clock.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the failure record is transmitted to the monitoring server upon request from the latter.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the registration is transmitted on request before the deadline for restoration.

8. Device (101) comprising a memory associated with at least one processor configured to implement the method according to one of the preceding claims.

9. Motor vehicle (103) comprising the device according to the preceding claim.

10. Computer program product comprising program code instructions which, when the program is executed by the device according to claim 8, cause the device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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