Repair information provision device and repair information provision method

Abstract

To easily perform appropriate repair of a vehicle on the basis of DTC.SOLUTION: A repair information provision device 10 comprises: an information acquisition unit 11 which acquires first information including a failure code of a vehicle transmitted from the vehicle having a failure diagnosis function, and acquires second information including a period and a content of repair performed with respect to the vehicle inputted by a worker; an association unit 12 which associates the failure code included in the first information with the content of the repair included in the second information, on the basis of the period when the first information was transmitted and the period of the repair included in the second information; an information storage unit 15 which stores a correspondence relation between the failure code and the content of the repair associated by the association unit 12; and an information output unit 14 which outputs repair information related to the content of the repair corresponding to the failure code included in the acquired first information, on the basis of the correspondence relation, when the first information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, after the correspondence relation was stored by the information storage unit 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a repair information providing device and a repair information providing method for providing information regarding vehicle repairs. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of this type of device, a system that provides information on how to repair the device after it has been sold is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the system described in Patent Document 1, a fault code and a repair procedure for the fault represented by the fault code are stored in advance in a server in association with each other, and when the fault code displayed on the device to be repaired is input from a mobile phone to the server via a network, the server returns the repair procedure for the fault represented by the fault code to the mobile phone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-228632 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, vehicles are equipped with a fault diagnosis function (OBD (On-Board Diagnostics)), and the results of the fault diagnosis are output as a fault code (DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code)). However, since the DTC is not associated with the repair content, even if the DTC is output, it is difficult to perform appropriate repairs on the vehicle based on the DTC. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A repair information providing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an information acquisition unit that acquires first information including a vehicle fault code transmitted from a vehicle having a fault diagnosis function, and acquires second information including the time and content of repairs performed on the vehicle input by a worker, a matching unit that matches the fault code included in the first information with the content of the repair included in the second information based on the time when the first information was transmitted and the time of the repair included in the second information, an information storage unit that stores the correspondence between the fault code and the content of the repair matched by the matching unit, and an information output unit that, when the first information is acquired by the information acquisition unit after the correspondence is stored in the information storage unit, outputs repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information, based on the correspondence.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is a repair information providing method, which includes an information acquisition step executed by a computer, of acquiring first information including a vehicle fault code transmitted from a vehicle having a fault diagnosis function, and acquiring second information including the time and content of repairs performed on the vehicle input by a worker, a matching step of matching the fault code included in the first information with the content of the repair included in the second information based on the time when the first information was transmitted and the time of the repair included in the second information, an information storage step of storing the correspondence between the fault code and the content of the repair matched in the matching step, and an information output step of, after the correspondence is stored in the information storage step, when the first information is acquired in the information acquisition step, outputting repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information based on the correspondence. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, appropriate vehicle repairs can be easily performed based on the DTC. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an overall configuration of a repair information providing system including a repair information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4 is a diagram for explaining self-diagnosis information and repair information acquired by an information acquisition unit in FIG. 3; [Diagram 3] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a multiple DTC cleansing process executed by the repair information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a diagnostic machine DTC cleansing process executed by the repair information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an association process executed by the repair information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a versatility evaluation process executed by the repair information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a repair information providing process executed by the repair information providing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. A repair information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention provides information regarding vehicle repair. In general, a vehicle is equipped with a fault diagnosis function (OBD (On-Board Diagnostics)), and the result of the fault diagnosis is output as a fault code (DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code)). A DTC indicates an abnormal state detected by a sensor mounted on the vehicle, but does not indicate the cause of such an abnormal state or an appropriate repair method for eliminating the abnormal state. For example, even if a DTC indicating a misfire state of a specific cylinder is output, it is not possible to know whether such a misfire state is caused by a malfunction of the fuel injection system, a malfunction of the ignition system, or another cause.

[0010] A worker who repairs a vehicle checks the malfunction symptoms reported by the vehicle user and the DTC output from the vehicle, and checks the parts that are considered to be the cause to identify the cause of the malfunction and determine the repair content. The repair content includes the repair target part to be repaired and the treatment such as replacement, cleaning, processing, etc. to be performed on the repair target part. When a specific malfunction occurs in a vehicle, a certain abnormal state is usually detected and a certain DTC is output, and a certain repair content is determined by the worker. Therefore, in this embodiment, the repair information providing device is configured as follows so that the DTC actually output from the vehicle in the past and the repair content at that time are associated with each other, so that the vehicle can be easily repaired appropriately based on the DTC newly output from the vehicle.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a repair information providing system 100 including a repair information providing device (hereinafter, device) 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the repair information providing system 100 includes the device 10, vehicles 20a and 20b, a diagnostic machine 30, and an information input terminal 40 provided in a repair shop or the like that repairs the vehicles. The device 10, the vehicle 20a, the diagnostic machine 30, and the information input terminal 40 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 50 including a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0012] The device 10 includes a computer having a CPU (processor), a ROM, a RAM (memory), and other peripheral circuits. The device 10 has an information acquisition unit 11, an association unit 12, a correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13, and an information output unit 14 as the functional configuration of the processor, and has an information storage unit 15 as the functional configuration of the memory. That is, the processor of the device 10 functions as the information acquisition unit 11, the association unit 12, the correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13, and the information output unit 14, and the memory of the device 10 functions as the information storage unit 15. The device 10 may be configured as a single server device, may be configured as a distributed server device, or may be configured as a distributed virtual server device provided on a cloud environment.

[0013] The vehicle 20a has a fault diagnosis device 21 that executes a fault diagnosis function, a positioning unit 22, and a telematics control unit (TCU (Telematics Control Unit)) 23. The positioning unit 22 receives a positioning signal transmitted from a positioning satellite, and measures the current position of the vehicle 20a based on the received positioning signal. When a DTC occurs as a result of the fault diagnosis by the fault diagnosis device 21, the TCU 23 transmits the DTC and the current position of the vehicle 20a measured by the positioning unit 22 (the DTC occurrence position) together with the identification information (vehicle ID) of the vehicle 20 to the device 10 at a predetermined transmission period. In other words, the TCU 23 transmits the DTC and the DTC occurrence position generated in the latest transmission period together with the vehicle ID to the device 10 at every predetermined transmission period. The information transmitted from the vehicle 20a to the device 10 is managed on the device 10 side as self-diagnosis information via the TCU. Hereinafter, the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information via the TCU may be referred to as a "communication DTC".

[0014] DTCs also include DTCs that occur temporarily due to an error or the like (provisional DTCs). If a provisional DTC occurs consecutively for a predetermined number of fault diagnosis cycles or more, it changes to a DTC that indicates that the fault condition has been confirmed (definite DTC). Information on whether each DTC is a provisional DTC or a definite DTC is included in the DTC, and it is possible to determine whether a DTC is a provisional DTC or a definite DTC based on the DTC.

[0015] The vehicle 20b includes a fault diagnosis device 21 that performs a fault diagnosis function.

[0016] The diagnostic machine 30 is composed of a dedicated device, a general-purpose computer, etc., and is communicably connected to the fault diagnosis device 21 of the vehicles 20a, 20b to be diagnosed via a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, etc. When the fault diagnosis device 21 receives a diagnosis command from the diagnostic machine 30, it transmits to the diagnostic machine 30 a DTC that has been generated in the past and stored in a memory, or transmits to the diagnostic machine 30 a DTC that has been newly generated by executing a fault diagnosis function for the vehicles 20a, 20b. The fault diagnosis device 21 transmits the vehicle ID of the vehicles 20a, 20b together with the DTC to the diagnostic machine 30. When the diagnostic machine 30 receives the DTC and the vehicle ID from the fault diagnosis device 21, it transmits the received DTC and the vehicle ID together with the reception time (DTC reception time) to the device 10. The information transmitted from the diagnostic machine 30 to the device 10 is managed on the device 10 side as self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic machine. Hereinafter, the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic machine may be referred to as a "diagnosis machine DTC."

[0017] The information input terminal 40 is configured by a device connectable to the communication network 50, such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal provided in a repair shop or the like that repairs the vehicles 20a and 20b. Repair information related to the repair of the vehicles 20a and 20b is input to the information input terminal 40. The repair information includes identification information (repair shop ID) of the repair shop that repaired the vehicles 20a and 20b, the repair acceptance date, the vehicle ID, the malfunction symptoms (symptom code) that were the subject of the repair, and the repair contents (part number of the part to be repaired, specific treatment contents). The repair information may include a DTC identified by a worker as related to the repair as a malfunction symptom. The repair information input to the information input terminal 40 is transmitted to the device 10 via the communication network 50 and managed. Hereinafter, the DTC included in the repair information may be referred to as an "input DTC".

[0018] 2 is a diagram for explaining the self-diagnosis information and repair information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 of the device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the information acquisition unit 11 of the device 10 acquires the self-diagnosis information via the TCU transmitted from the vehicle 20a (TCU 23), the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic machine transmitted from the diagnostic machine 30, and the repair information transmitted from the information input terminal 40. The self-diagnosis information via the TCU, the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic machine, and the repair information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 are stored and accumulated in the information storage unit 15. The self-diagnosis information via the TCU stored in the information storage unit 15 is added with information on the time when the self-diagnosis information was acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 (DTC acquisition time).

[0019] <Multiple DTC cleansing process> FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a multiple DTC cleansing process executed by the device 10. The process of FIG. 3 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. When a plurality of DTCs (multiple DTCs) occur simultaneously in one vehicle 20a, 20b, there is a possibility that other DTCs (subordinate DTCs) occur in association with a DTC (main DTC) related to the cause of the malfunction. For example, when a specific sensor fails, a main DTC indicating a failure of the specific sensor may occur, along with a subordinate DTC indicating an abnormal state of another vehicle-mounted device that uses an output value from the sensor as an input value. When multiple DTCs occur, it is preferable to exclude the subordinate DTCs and leave only the main DTC that should be associated with the repair content. The information storage unit 15 of the device 10 stores in advance the correspondence between the main DTCs and the subordinate DTCs.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S1, the information acquisition unit 11 determines whether or not self-diagnosis information (self-diagnosis information via the TCU, self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic device) has been acquired as a process. If the result of step S1 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S2, and if the result of step S1 is negative, the process is terminated. In step S2, the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S1 determines whether or not multiple DTCs are included. If the result of step S2 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S3, and if the result of step S2 is negative, the process is terminated. In step S3, the correspondence between the main DTC and the subordinate DTCs stored in the information storage unit 15 is referenced, and the multiple DTCs acquired in step S1 determine whether or not the main DTC is included. If the result of step S3 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S4, and if the result of step S3 is negative, the process is terminated. In step S4, the subordinate DTC corresponding to the main DTC identified in step S3 is deleted from the multiple DTCs included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S1 (information indicating that the subordinate DTC is not a target for deletion or association is added), and the process is terminated. As a result, the dependent DTCs are deleted from the DTCs (communication DTCs, diagnostic machine DTCs) included in the self-diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0021] <Diagnostic DTC cleansing process> FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a diagnostic machine DTC cleansing process executed by the device 10. The process of FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. After the vehicles 20a, 20b are manufactured, a final inspection is performed at a manufacturing plant or the like before the vehicles are delivered. In the final inspection, a simulated failure state of the vehicles 20a, 20b is generated in a state in which the diagnostic machine 30 is connected to the vehicles 20a, 20b, and it may be confirmed whether a normal DTC is output from the vehicles 20a, 20b to the diagnostic machine 30 and displayed. In this way, a diagnostic machine DTC (pre-delivery DTC) generated before the delivery date of the vehicles 20a, 20b should not be associated with the repair contents, and therefore it is preferable to exclude it. The information storage unit 15 of the device 10 stores information on the delivery date of each vehicle 20a, 20b in advance in association with the vehicle ID.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S10, the information acquisition unit 11 determines whether or not self-diagnosis information via a diagnostic machine has been acquired as a process. If the result of step S10 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S11, and if the result of step S10 is negative, the process ends. In step S11, the information on the delivery date of each vehicle 20a, 20b stored in the information storage unit 15 is referenced, and it is determined whether or not the delivery date corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S10 is not recorded and is before the delivery date. If the result of step S11 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S12, and if the result of step S11 is negative, the process ends. In step S12, the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S10 is deleted from the information storage unit 15 (information indicating that the information is not subject to deletion or association is added). As a result, the pre-delivery DTC is deleted from the DTC (diagnosis machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0023] The final inspection of the vehicles 20a, 20b using the diagnostic device 30 is also performed after the vehicles 20a, 20b are repaired. That is, before the vehicles 20a, 20b are repaired, a fault diagnosis is performed using the diagnostic device 30 in order to identify the repair contents, and after the repair, a final inspection is performed using the diagnostic device 30 in order to confirm that the fault condition has been eliminated. The fault diagnosis before the repair and the final inspection after the repair are performed on the same day, and a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) or more elapses between the fault diagnosis before the repair and the final inspection after the repair. In the final inspection after the repair, a DTC (final inspection DTC) may occur due to a procedure performed during the final inspection, such as temporary removal of the battery terminal. The final inspection DTC should also not be associated with the repair contents, so it is preferable to exclude it.

[0024] In step S13, the self-diagnosis information including the same vehicle ID as the vehicle ID included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S10 is extracted from the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic machine stored in the information storage unit 15. Then, it is determined whether or not there is any self-diagnosis information among the extracted self-diagnosis information including a DTC reception time on the same day as the DTC reception time included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S10 and earlier than a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes). If the result in step S13 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S14, and if the result in step S13 is negative, the process ends. In step S14, the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S10 is deleted from the information storage unit 15 (information indicating that the information is not subject to deletion or association is added), and the process ends. As a result, the completion inspection DTC is deleted from the DTC (diagnosis machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0025] The associating unit 12 of the device 10 associates the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information with the repair content included in the repair information based on the time when the self-diagnosis information stored in the information storage unit 15 was transmitted and the repair time included in the repair information stored in the information storage unit 15. The time when the self-diagnosis information via the TCU was transmitted is, for example, the time when the information acquiring unit 11 acquired the self-diagnosis information from the vehicle 20a (TCU 23) (DTC acquisition time). The time when the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic device was transmitted is, for example, the time when the diagnostic device 30 received the self-diagnosis information from the vehicles 20a, 20b (fault diagnosis device 21) (DTC reception time).

[0026] <Matching process> Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the association process executed by the device 10. The process in Fig. 5 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. When the repair of the vehicles 20a, 20b is completed, repair information including the repair content determined by the worker and actually performed is input to the information input terminal 40 and transmitted to the device 10 via the information input terminal 40. From the viewpoint of easily performing an appropriate repair of the vehicle when a similar malfunction occurs in a similar vehicle, it is preferable to associate such repair content with the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) related to the malfunction that was the target of the repair.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, first, in step S20, the information acquisition unit 11 determines whether or not repair information has been acquired as a process. If the result of step S20 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S21, and if the result of step S20 is negative, the process is terminated. In step S21, the association unit 12 extracts self-diagnosis information including the same vehicle ID as the vehicle ID included in the repair information acquired in step S20 from the self-diagnosis information stored in the information storage unit 15 as a process. Then, it is determined whether or not there is any self-diagnosis information among the extracted self-diagnosis information whose transmission time (DTC acquisition time, DTC reception time) is within a predetermined period from the repair acceptance date included in the repair information acquired in step S20. The predetermined period is set to, for example, about 90 days for the period from the DTC acquisition time of the communication DTC to the repair acceptance date, and about 60 days for the period from the DTC reception time of the diagnostic machine DTC to the repair acceptance date. If the result of step S21 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S22, and if the result of step S21 is negative, the process is terminated.

[0028] In step S22, from among the self-diagnosis information determined in step S21 to be within a predetermined period from the repair acceptance date, the self-diagnosis information with the latest transmission date (the date including the DTC acquisition time or the DTC reception time) and the date immediately preceding the repair acceptance date is extracted. The self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 may include multiple DTCs (communication DTC, communication device DTC).

[0029] When a pre-repair fault diagnosis or a post-repair final inspection is performed using a diagnostic device 30 at a repair shop or the like that repairs the vehicles 20a, 20b, the self-diagnosis information via the diagnostic device and the TCU may be transmitted. Since the self-diagnosis information via the TCU (communication DTC) generated during the repair should not be associated with the repair contents, it is preferable to exclude it. The information storage unit 15 of the device 10 previously stores the location of each repair shop in association with the repair shop ID.

[0030] In step S23, it is determined whether the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 is the self-diagnosis information via the TCU and has occurred within a predetermined range (for example, within about 200 m) of the repair shop, etc., corresponding to the repair information acquired in step S20. That is, it is determined whether the DTC occurrence location included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 is within a predetermined range of the location of the repair shop, etc., corresponding to the repair shop ID included in the repair information acquired in step S20. If the result in step S23 is positive, the process proceeds to step S24, where the self-diagnosis information (communication DTC) extracted in step S22 is deleted (information indicating that it is not subject to deletion or association is added), and the process returns to step S21. If the result in step S23 is negative, the process proceeds to step S25. As a result, the self-diagnosis information (communication DTC) via the TCU that has occurred during repair is deleted from the self-diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0031] In step S25, it is determined whether the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 is a temporary DTC. If the result in step S25 is positive, the process proceeds to step S24, where the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 is deleted (information indicating that the DTC is not subject to deletion or association is added), and the process returns to step S21. If the result in step S25 is negative, the process proceeds to step S26. As a result, the temporary DTC is deleted from the self-diagnosis information acquired by information acquisition unit 11 and stored in information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0032] The correspondence evaluation unit 13 of the device 10 judges whether the repair information includes an input DTC, and whether the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information matches the input DTC included in the repair information, and evaluates the correspondence based on the judgment result. That is, if the repair information input by the worker includes an input DTC identified as related to the repair, the matching DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) is likely to be related to the repair content. On the other hand, the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) that does not match the input DTC is likely not related to the repair content. If the repair information includes an input DTC, the likelihood (reliability) of the correspondence between the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) automatically associated by the system and the repair information can be evaluated by taking this into consideration.

[0033] In step S26, as a process in the correspondence evaluation unit 13, it is determined whether or not an input DTC is included in the repair information acquired in step S20. If the result in step S26 is YES, the process proceeds to step S27, and if the result in step S26 is NO, the process proceeds to step S29. In step S27, it is determined whether or not a DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 matches an input DTC included in the repair information acquired in step S20. More specifically, it is determined whether or not any of the DTCs (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 matches any of the input DTCs included in the repair information acquired in step S20. If the result in step S27 is NO, the process proceeds to step S24, where the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 is deleted (information indicating that it is not to be deleted or associated is added), and the process returns to step S21. As a result, DTCs that do not match the DTCs identified by the worker as being related to the repair and are likely not related to the repair content are deleted from the self-diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the self-diagnosis information is updated.

[0034] If the result in step S27 is YES, the process proceeds to step S28, where the association unit 12 associates the repair information acquired in step S20 with the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 as a combination of a first reliability indicating that the reliability is high, and ends the process. In step S29, the repair information acquired in step S20 with the self-diagnosis information extracted in step S22 as a combination of a second reliability indicating that the reliability is unknown, and ends the process. The association between the repair information and the DTC associated by the association unit 12 is stored in the information storage unit 15. Reliability information is added to the association stored in the information storage unit 15 for each combination of repair information and DTC.

[0035] <Versatility evaluation process> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a versatility evaluation process executed by the device 10. The process of FIG. 6 is executed for all combinations of part numbers of parts to be repaired included in the repair information and DTCs, for example, every time a new correspondence is stored in the information storage unit 15. The correspondence evaluation unit 13 of the device 10 evaluates the correspondence stored in the information storage unit 15 for each combination of part numbers of parts to be repaired included in the repair information and DTCs. More specifically, it determines whether the same DTC and the same repair target part are associated across different vehicle models, and if they are associated across different vehicle models, it evaluates that the correspondence is highly versatile regardless of the vehicle model. It also determines whether the same DTC and the same repair target part are associated across different types of the same vehicle model, and if they are associated across different types of the same vehicle model, it evaluates that the correspondence is highly versatile regardless of the type. The information storage unit 15 of the device 10 prestores the vehicle model and type (for example, a model number that identifies the vehicle model and type) of each of the vehicles 20a, 20b in association with the vehicle ID.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, first, in step S30, the correspondence evaluation unit 13 determines whether or not the combination of the part number of the specific part to be repaired and the DTC are associated with a predetermined number or more of vehicle models. If the result of step S30 is positive, the process proceeds to step S31, where evaluation information is added to the combination of the part number of the specific part to be repaired and the DTC among the correspondences stored in the information storage unit 15 to indicate that the combination is a highly versatile correspondence that is not dependent on the vehicle model, and the process ends. If the result of step S30 is negative, the process proceeds to step S32, where the combination of the part number of the specific part to be repaired and the DTC are associated with a predetermined number or more of types of the same vehicle model. If the result of step S32 is positive, the process proceeds to step S33, where evaluation information is added to the combination of the part number of the specific part to be repaired and the DTC among the correspondences stored in the information storage unit 15 to indicate that the combination is a highly versatile correspondence that is not dependent on the type, and the process ends. If the result in step S32 is negative, the process proceeds to step S34, in which evaluation information is added to the combination of the part number of the specific part to be repaired and the DTC among the correspondences stored in the information storage unit 15 to the effect that the correspondence is specific to a specific type of a specific vehicle model and has low versatility, and the process ends.

[0037] <Repair information provision processing> FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a repair information providing process executed by the device 10. The process of FIG. 7 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. After the correspondence between the repair information and the DTC is stored in the information storage unit 15, when the information acquisition unit 11 acquires the self-diagnosis information, the information output unit 14 of the device 10 outputs the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information based on the correspondence. More specifically, the repair information is transmitted to the information input terminal 40 of a repair shop or the like in charge of inspection, maintenance, repair, etc. of the vehicles 20a, 20b that have output the self-diagnosis information, as information related to the vehicles 20a, 20b to be repaired at the repair shop or the like. In this way, by providing the repair information based on the self-diagnosis information obtained by the failure diagnosis before repair, the vehicle 20a, 20b can be easily repaired appropriately at the repair shop or the like. In addition, when the repair information is provided based on the self-diagnosis information via the TCU transmitted from the vehicle 20a to the device 10 when a malfunction occurs in the vehicle 20a, the repair shop or the like can grasp the parts to be repaired early, and can order the parts early. The information storage unit 15 of the device 10 stores in advance the IDs of repair shops or the like that are in charge of the vehicles 20a, 20b in association with the vehicle IDs.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 7, first, in step S40, the information acquisition unit 11 determines whether or not self-diagnosis information (self-diagnosis information via the TCU, self-diagnosis information via a diagnostic device) has been acquired. If the result in step S40 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S41, and if the result in step S40 is negative, the process ends. In step S41, the correspondence between the repair information and the DTC stored in the information storage unit 15 is referenced, and the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S40 is transmitted to the information input terminal 40 of a repair shop or the like corresponding to the vehicle ID, and the process ends.

[0039] The output of the repair information may be determined by taking into consideration the evaluation result by the correspondence evaluation unit 13 stored in the information storage unit 15. For example, the repair information may be output on the condition that the combination is associated as a combination of the first reliability. The vehicle model and type corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the self-diagnosis information acquired in step S40 may be specified, and only the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past self-diagnosis information of the vehicles 20a, 20b of the same vehicle model and type may be output. The repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past self-diagnosis information of the vehicles 20a, 20b of the same vehicle model and different types may be output on the condition that evaluation information indicating that the correspondence is highly versatile regardless of the type is added. The repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past self-diagnosis information of the vehicles 20a, 20b of the different vehicle models may be output on the condition that evaluation information indicating that the correspondence is highly versatile regardless of the vehicle model is added.

[0040] According to the embodiment described above, the following advantageous effects are achieved. (1) The device 10 includes an information acquisition unit 11 that acquires self-diagnosis information (self-diagnosis information via a TCU, self-diagnosis information via a diagnostic machine) including DTCs (communication DTCs, diagnostic machine DTCs) of the vehicles 20a, 20b transmitted from the vehicles 20a, 20b having a fault diagnosis function, and acquires repair information including the time and content of repairs performed on the vehicles 20a, 20b input by a worker; a correspondence unit 12 that associates the DTCs included in the self-diagnosis information with the repair content (repair information) included in the repair information based on the time when the self-diagnosis information was transmitted (DTC acquisition time, DTC reception time) and the repair time (repair acceptance date) included in the repair information; an information storage unit 15 that stores the correspondence between the DTCs and the repair content associated by the correspondence unit 12; and an information output unit 14 that outputs repair information regarding the repair content corresponding to the DTC included in the acquired self-diagnosis information based on the correspondence when the information acquisition unit 11 acquires self-diagnosis information after the correspondence is stored by the information storage unit 15 (FIG. 1).

[0041] In this way, by associating a DTC transmitted from a specific vehicle with the repair performed on the vehicle based on the time period, for example, by associating a DTC with the first repair performed after the DTC was transmitted, it is possible to associate an appropriate repair with each DTC. Furthermore, by providing repair information on an appropriate repair corresponding to a newly transmitted DTC from a vehicle based on such a correspondence relationship between the DTC and the repair, it is possible to easily perform an appropriate repair on the vehicle based on the DTC.

[0042] (2) Device 10 further includes a correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13 that determines at least one of whether or not a DTC is included in the repair information and whether or not a DTC (input DTC) included in the self-diagnosis information matches a DTC included in the repair information, and evaluates the correspondence relationship stored by information storage unit 15 based on the determination result (FIG. 1). After the correspondence relationship is stored in information storage unit 15, when self-diagnosis information is acquired by information acquisition unit 11, information output unit 14 outputs repair information regarding the repair content corresponding to the DTC included in the acquired self-diagnosis information, further based on the evaluation result by correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13.

[0043] That is, if the repair information input by the worker includes an input DTC identified as related to the repair, the matching DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) is likely to be related to the repair content. On the other hand, a DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) different from the input DTC is likely not related to the repair content. By taking into account the input DTC that may be included in the repair information, it is possible to evaluate the accuracy of the correspondence between the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic machine DTC) automatically associated by the system and the repair content, and to provide repair information with accuracy according to the application.

[0044] (3) The repair information includes information (part number) of the part to be repaired for which repair was performed (FIG. 2). The device 10 further includes a correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13 that determines at least one of whether the same DTC and the same part to be repaired are associated across different vehicle models and whether the same DTC and the same part to be repaired are associated across different types of the same vehicle model, and evaluates the correspondence relationship stored by the information storage unit 15 based on the determination result (FIG. 1). After the correspondence relationship is stored in the information storage unit 15, when the information acquisition unit 11 acquires self-diagnosis information, the information output unit 14 outputs repair information regarding the repair content corresponding to the DTC included in the acquired self-diagnosis information based further on the evaluation result by the correspondence relationship evaluation unit 13.

[0045] That is, when a specific DTC and a part to be repaired are associated across different vehicle models and types, the association is deemed to be highly versatile and not dependent on vehicle model or type, and is applied to the different vehicle models and types. On the other hand, when a specific DTC and a part to be repaired are associated only with a specific vehicle model or type, the association is deemed to be caused by a quality problem or the like specific to the specific vehicle model or type, and is applied only to the specific vehicle model or type. This makes it possible to provide appropriate repair information.

[0046] In the above embodiment, an example of automatically associating the repair information every time it is acquired has been described with reference to Fig. 5 and the like, but the associating unit that associates the fault code with the repair content is not limited to this. For example, the associating unit may associate the fault code included in the self-diagnosis information stored and accumulated in the information storage unit 15 with the repair content included in the repair information in response to an external command. In other words, the associating unit may be performed in response to a request from a person who receives the repair information.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example in which repair information is output each time self-diagnosis information is actually acquired is described in Fig. 7 etc., but the information output unit that outputs repair information related to the contents of the repair corresponding to the fault code is not limited to this. For example, it may be one that outputs corresponding repair information in response to input of virtual self-diagnosis information (fault code, vehicle model, type), or it may be one that outputs a list showing the correspondence between the fault code and the repair information.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described above as a repair information providing device, the present invention can also be used as a repair information providing method. That is, the repair information providing method includes an information acquisition step (step S1 in FIG. 3, step S10 in FIG. 4, step S20 in FIG. 5) of acquiring self-diagnosis information (self-diagnosis information via TCU, self-diagnosis information via diagnostic machine) including DTCs (communication DTCs, diagnostic machine DTCs) of the vehicles 20a, 20b transmitted from the vehicles 20a, 20b having a fault diagnosis function and acquiring repair information including the timing and contents of repairs performed on the vehicles 20a, 20b input by a worker, and an information acquisition step of acquiring the timing (DTC acquisition time, DTC reception time) of the self-diagnosis information transmitted (DTC acquisition time, DTC reception time) and the repair timing included in the repair information. The method includes a matching step (S21 to S29 in FIG. 5) of matching the DTCs included in the self-diagnosis information with the repair contents (repair information) included in the repair information based on the date of receipt of repair (repair acceptance date), an information storage step (S28, S29 in FIG. 5) of storing the correspondence between the DTCs and the repair contents matched in the matching step, and after the correspondence is stored in the information storage step, when self-diagnosis information is acquired in an information acquisition step (step S40 in FIG. 7), an information output step (step S41 in FIG. 7) of outputting repair information regarding the repair contents corresponding to the DTCs included in the acquired self-diagnosis information based on the correspondence.

[0049] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, provided that the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 repair information providing device (device), 11 information acquisition unit, 12 matching unit, 13 correspondence relationship evaluation unit, 14 information output unit, 15 information storage unit, 20a, 20b vehicle, 21 fault diagnosis device, 22 positioning unit, 23 telematics control unit (TCU), 30 diagnostic device, 40 information input terminal, 50 communication network, 100 repair information providing system

Claims

1. an information acquisition unit that acquires first information including a fault code of a vehicle having a fault diagnosis function and that acquires second information including a time and content of repairs performed on the vehicle input by a worker; a correspondence unit that corresponds the fault code included in the first information with the content of the repair included in the second information based on the time when the first information was transmitted and the time when the repair was performed included in the second information; an information storage unit that stores the correspondence between the fault code and the repair content associated by the association unit; and an information output unit that, when the first information is acquired by the information acquisition unit after the correspondence relationship is stored by the information storage unit, outputs repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information based on the correspondence relationship.

2. 2. The repair information providing device according to claim 1, a correspondence relationship evaluation unit that determines at least one of whether the second information includes the fault code and whether the fault code included in the first information and the fault code included in the second information match, and evaluates the correspondence relationship stored by the information storage unit based on a determination result; The repair information providing device is characterized in that, when the first information is acquired by the information acquisition unit after the correspondence is stored by the information storage unit, the information output unit outputs repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information, further based on the evaluation result by the correspondence evaluation unit.

3. 2. The repair information providing device according to claim 1, The second information includes information on the repair target part on which the repair was performed, A correspondence relationship evaluation unit is further provided for determining at least one of whether the same fault code and the same part to be repaired are associated across different vehicle models, and whether the same fault code and the same part to be repaired are associated across different types of the same vehicle model, and evaluating the correspondence relationship stored by the information storage unit based on the determination result; The repair information providing device is characterized in that, when the first information is acquired by the information acquisition unit after the correspondence is stored by the information storage unit, the information output unit outputs repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information, further based on the evaluation result by the correspondence evaluation unit.

4. A method for implementing the present invention using a computer an information acquisition step of acquiring first information including a fault code of a vehicle transmitted from a vehicle having a fault diagnosis function, and acquiring second information including a time and content of a repair performed on the vehicle input by a worker; a matching step of matching the fault code included in the first information with the content of the repair included in the second information based on the time when the first information was transmitted and the time when the repair was performed included in the second information; an information storage step of storing a correspondence relationship between the fault code and the repair content associated in the association step; and an information output step of outputting, when the first information is acquired in the information acquisition step after the correspondence relationship is stored in the information storage step, repair information regarding the content of the repair corresponding to the fault code included in the acquired first information based on the correspondence relationship.

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