Vehicle status monitoring

Abstract

In some examples, a method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle equipped with sensors includes measuring at least one characteristic of the vehicle by the sensor, transmitting the measurement to a remote processing module, analyzing the received measurement by the remote processing module to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle, and transmitting the determined index to the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicles, and in particular, to monitoring the noise and vibration conditions of vehicles to predict the occurrence of failures.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicle maintenance and repair are common concerns for vehicle owners or manufacturers. High costs are associated with losses in efficiency and performance, and downtime costs can be very high (from the perspective of components and labor required to repair / replace defective components). Therefore, maintenance systems have emerged to manage and control vehicle maintenance costs, reduce downtime, and improve reliability.

[0003] Existing automotive fault diagnosis and maintenance systems usually mainly rely on on-board diagnosis used to monitor the operating conditions of engines and exhausts. When a fault is detected, a warning can be immediately displayed to the vehicle operator, for example, by turning on a fault indicator LED device. However, such an indicator warns the operator that a fault has occurred without providing the exact details of the fault. Furthermore, in some cases, if the fault is serious, the driver may not be able to bring the vehicle to a vehicle maintenance base without external assistance. Maintenance is usually not performed on the vehicle until the vehicle fails, resulting in excessive vehicle downtime and potentially additional costs and repairs caused by the fault.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method for monitoring the state of a vehicle. The system is a low-cost but high-precision real-time noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) state monitoring system. The system accurately monitors the deterioration of rotating equipment over time and highlights the possibility of early failures of components.

[0005] The above and other objectives are achieved by the features of the independent claims.

[0006] Further embodiments are apparent from the dependent claims, description and drawings.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle equipped with a sensor, the method comprising: measuring at least one characteristic of the vehicle by the sensor; transmitting the measurement to a remote processing module; the remote processing module analyzing the received measurement to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle; and transmitting the determined index to the vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, by accurately monitoring the vehicle's condition (e.g., the deterioration of rotating machinery over time), the potential for early failure of components can be highlighted. This allows for scheduling maintenance and / or repair activities at a lower cost before failure occurs, ensuring that the vehicle continues to operate at optimal performance and efficiency.

[0009] In the implementation of the first embodiment, the at least one characteristic of the vehicle includes noise, vibration and harshness, and therefore the state of the vehicle can be determined based on the NVH characteristics.

[0010] The at least one characteristic of the vehicle may include at least one characteristic of a component of the vehicle.

[0011] Measuring the characteristics of at least one of the components of the vehicle using the sensor may include performing the measurement on the specific component of the vehicle, thereby obtaining metrics relevant only to the specific component.

[0012] The remote processing module analyzes the received measurement values ​​to determine an index indicating the state of the specific component.

[0013] The indicators indicating the condition of the vehicle may include indicators indicating the condition of the components of the vehicle's powertrain.

[0014] The measured values ​​may be transmitted to the remote processing module in real time. Therefore, the vehicle's status can be monitored in real time.

[0015] The method may further include a step of compressing the measurements before sending them to a cloud-based processing module. Thus, the data files containing the measurements can be transmitted more quickly.

[0016] The step of determining the indicators that show the condition of the vehicle may include comparing the received measurements with thresholds. Therefore, by comparing the received measurements with expected values, problems with the vehicle's performance can be easily identified.

[0017] The method may further include the steps of measuring vehicle speed, acceleration, mass, and road gradient, and estimating the torque load of the vehicle's components based on these.

[0018] The threshold value compared to the measured value can be selected based on the vehicle's current operating mode. Therefore, performance issues related to the vehicle can be accurately identified for each operating mode of the vehicle.

[0019] The threshold values ​​on which the measured values ​​are compared may be selected based on the rotational speed of the vehicle's components and the torque load on the vehicle's components.

[0020] The method may further include the step of transmitting the determined indicators to an external entity. Thus, data on the condition of the vehicles can be shared, for example, with the vehicle manufacturer, thereby enabling the manufacturer to take action as needed and flag potential problems with a batch of manufactured vehicles.

[0021] The method may further include the step of displaying a message inside the vehicle in response to receiving the determined indicator. Thus, the vehicle user can be warned about problems related to the vehicle's condition / performance.

[0022] The method described above may further include measuring the vehicle suspension angle when the vehicle is stationary and determining the vehicle mass in a loaded state based on that measurement.

[0023] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a device for monitoring the condition of a vehicle, the device comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory being configured to store program code executable by the processor, the program code including one or more instructions for causing the device to receive from a sensor at least one characteristic of the vehicle measured by the sensor, analyze the received measurement to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle, and transmit the determined index to the vehicle.

[0024] Therefore, by accurately monitoring the vehicle's condition (e.g., the deterioration of rotating machinery over time), the potential for early failure of components can be highlighted. This allows for scheduling maintenance and / or repair activities at a lower cost before failure occurs, ensuring that the vehicle continues to operate at optimal performance and efficiency.

[0025] In the implementation of the second embodiment, the program code includes one or more further instructions to cause the device to compare the received measurement value with a threshold value stored in the memory, thereby determining the index indicating the state of the vehicle. Thus, by comparing the received measurement value with an expected value, problems relating to the vehicle's performance can be easily identified.

[0026] The program code includes one or more additional instructions for causing the device to determine the current operating mode of the vehicle and select the threshold from among a plurality of thresholds stored in the memory based on the determined operating mode of the vehicle. Thus, the device can accurately determine the state of the vehicle in consideration of the fact that the measured characteristics of the vehicle depend on the current operating mode of the vehicle.

[0027] The program code includes one or more additional instructions for causing the device to transmit the determined metric to an external entity. Thus, data regarding the state of the vehicle can be shared, for example, with the vehicle manufacturer, thereby enabling the manufacturer to take measures as necessary and flagging potential issues regarding batches of manufactured vehicles.

[0028] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for monitoring the state of a vehicle, the instructions being executable by a processor of a device, thereby causing the device to receive, from the sensor, at least one characteristic of the vehicle measured by the sensor, analyze the received measurement to determine a metric indicative of the state of the vehicle, and transmit the determined metric to the vehicle.

[0029] Thus, by accurately monitoring the state of the vehicle (e.g., the degradation of rotating equipment over time), the possibility of early failure of components can be highlighted. This makes it possible to schedule maintenance and / or repair activities at a lower cost before a failure occurs, ensuring that the vehicle continues to operate with optimal performance and efficiency.

[0030] In the implementation of the third aspect, the machine-readable storage medium may encode further instructions executable by the processor of the device, whereby causing the device to compare the received measurement value with a threshold value stored in the memory, thereby determining the indicator indicating the state of the vehicle. Therefore, by comparing the received measurement value with the expected value, problems related to the performance of the vehicle can be easily identified.

[0031] In the implementation of the third aspect, the machine-readable storage medium may encode further instructions executable by the processor of the device, whereby causing the device to determine the current operation mode of the vehicle and select the threshold value from among a plurality of threshold values stored in the memory based on the determined operation mode of the vehicle. Therefore, the device can accurately determine the state of the vehicle in consideration of the fact that the measured characteristics of the vehicle depend on the current operation mode of the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] To more easily understand the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] It is a flowchart of a method according to an example. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of a device for monitoring the state of a vehicle according to an example. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram of a system for monitoring the state of a vehicle according to an example. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram of a grid for analyzing the state of a vehicle according to an example. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram of a stacked grid according to an example.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0033] Exemplary embodiments are described below in sufficient detail so that those skilled in the art can carry out and implement the systems and processes described herein. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0034] Accordingly, the embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, but the specific embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. It is not intended to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included in the appended claims should be included. Elements of the exemplary embodiments are, where necessary, consistently indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and the detailed description.

[0035] The terms used herein to describe embodiments are not intended to limit their scope. The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are singular in that they refer to a single object; however, the use of singularity herein should not exclude the existence of multiple objects. In other words, an element referred to in the singular can refer to one or more unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Where used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of a described feature, item, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, items, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the art. Furthermore, it will be understood that terms used in general use should be interpreted according to their usual meaning in the relevant technical field unless expressly defined herein, and not in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0036] As science and technology advance, people are becoming accustomed to higher living standards. Along with vehicle quality, greater importance is being placed on the comfort associated with using them. One indicator that can measure the manufacturing quality of a vehicle is NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness).

[0037] Noise is measured in decibels (dB) and is broadly classified into interior noise generated from vehicle components and exterior noise generated from sound sources such as tires and wind. Vibration includes interior vibration caused by the operation of internal components such as the engine or drivetrain, and exterior vibration transmitted to the vehicle through the body, tires, suspension, etc., due to friction with the road surface and wind. Harshness is when noise and / or vibration are subjectively evaluated unfavorably due to irregular impacts. For example, this occurs when a vehicle drives over speed bumps on the road or on railway tracks.

[0038] Currently, measuring / monitoring NVH requires the use of specialized testing equipment. This approach is costly, time-consuming, and may not yield accurate results because readings are obtained under unrealistic conditions and do not necessarily reflect the NVH conditions experienced by vehicle operators.

[0039] For example, an apparatus and method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle are provided. The apparatus can monitor the transmission, axles, engine, gear train, and bearings, thereby determining NVH conditions. The apparatus can be used to monitor the condition of the vehicle in real time and predict the likelihood of early failure of components, thereby improving the performance and efficiency of the vehicle and guiding future development.

[0040] Figure 1 is a flowchart of an example method. In step S101, the method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle, including sensors, includes measuring at least one characteristic of the vehicle by the sensors. The condition of the vehicle may include noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) conditions.

[0041] The vehicle may include at least one sensor. The sensor may include a microphone, accelerometer, force meter, or load cell. The sensor may be mounted directly or indirectly to a bearing, transmission, axle / differential unit, engine, and / or gear train. In one example, the sensor may be mounted adjacent to a bearing. The sensor may be connected to the vehicle's communication module to enable the transmission of measurements. The sensor may be wired to a part of the vehicle, but is not limited to this. In one example, a Bluetooth® sensor may be used to acquire measurements.

[0042] At least one characteristic of a vehicle may include noise, vibration, and / or harshness. These characteristics can be used to detect and predict mechanical failures of vehicle components, in addition to representing the comfort of the operator when operating the vehicle. At least one characteristic of a vehicle may relate to a specific component of the vehicle and / or a component of the vehicle's powertrain. At least one characteristic of a vehicle may be measured with respect to a specific component of the vehicle and / or the vehicle's powertrain, thereby providing an index (characteristic) of that specific component and its performance.

[0043] Here, the term “vehicle powertrain” may include an integrated system of components that work together to generate, voltage, and supply power to move a vehicle. The vehicle powertrain may include a propulsion source such as an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, as well as various transmission elements such as gearboxes, axles, and differentials that transmit power from the propulsion source to the wheels. Bearings may also be part of the powertrain, supporting the movement of these components and reducing friction.

[0044] In step S102, the method includes transmitting the measurements obtained from the sensor to a remote processing module. Generally, the “remoteness” of the processing module here is intended to refer to the fact that the processing module is not a pre-installed part of the vehicle. For example, the remote processing module is not the vehicle’s onboard computer / processing system, nor is it part of it. The remote processing module may include a cloud-based module.

[0045] For example, transmitting measurement values ​​obtained from a sensor to a remote processing module may include wirelessly transmitting data packets containing the obtained data. For instance, data packets can be transmitted to the remote processing module using existing vehicle communication functions such as WLAN technology or a cellular network. Data packets can also be transmitted to the remote processing module by "piggybacking" on existing vehicle GSM®. Alternatively or additionally, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication can be used.

[0046] Data packets can be transmitted to the remote processing module virtually in real time or periodically, for example, at regular intervals of once every 10 minutes. The frequency at which measurements are acquired from the sensor and transmitted to the remote processing module may depend on the determined vehicle status. For example, more frequent vehicle monitoring can be performed in response to a determination that the vehicle's condition is deteriorating.

[0047] The measured values ​​(i.e., the data packets containing the measured values) may be compressed before being sent to the teleprocessing module.

[0048] In step S103, the method includes the remote processing module analyzing the received measurements to determine an indicator of the vehicle's condition. The remote processing module may analyze the received measurements to measure the performance / degradation of some part of the vehicle from which the sensors have obtained measurements. The indicator of the vehicle's condition may be, for example, a prediction of when a particular part of the vehicle should be serviced / replaced (e.g., that a bearing is likely to wear out after 100 miles of driving), or an indication that a particular part appears to be malfunctioning and requires further diagnosis.

[0049] In other words, the remote processing module may analyze the received measurements to provide a display of the vehicle's health status, for example, to determine or predict a failure in a powertrain component.

[0050] If the received measurements relate to a specific component of the vehicle, the remote processing module may analyze the received measurements to determine the state of that specific component of the vehicle. For example, the state of a vehicle's powertrain can be evaluated by measuring the vibration response at key locations within the vehicle. Under normal (i.e., daily) driving conditions, a vehicle typically needs to operate within a certain range of speed and torque load. The vibration response from the powertrain is inherent to the instantaneous combination of speed and load. If the vehicle's operating envelope is defined by speed (MPH) and torque load and divided into cells, the vibration measured in the first cell will have different characteristics and levels than the vibration measured in a second cell that is different from the first cell.

[0051] Analyzing the condition of a vehicle in this manner requires real-time measurement of rotational speed and torque load. However, sensors for directly measuring powertrain torque are expensive and rarely installed as standard equipment in vehicles. While some vehicles' OBD (Onboard Diagnostics) systems may provide torque estimates, in the case of ICE-driven vehicles, these estimates are based on intake negative pressure and are therefore limited to positive loads. Typically, NVH characteristics are measured and analyzed, for example, during a vehicle inspection performed by the manufacturer, or after the vehicle has been assembled (i.e., before the vehicle is delivered to the seller). Advantageously, the methods described herein include measuring NVH characteristics in real time during normal use of the vehicle and determining the condition of the vehicle's components based on these characteristics.

[0052] The torque load of a vehicle powertrain may primarily be a function of the following four variables: a. Vehicle speed (as speed increases, greater torque is required to overcome friction and aerodynamic forces, or "drag"). The types of sensors (multiple) required to measure rotational speed and the type of signal conditioning may be determined by the type of prime mover and the type of powertrain. b. Vehicle acceleration (While a greater positive torque is required to accelerate a vehicle, a decelerating vehicle can impart a negative torque of the opposite polarity to the powertrain, known as an "overrun" or "coast" load. Acceleration can be calculated from the instantaneous powertrain speed (and any discrete gear ratio currently engaged)). c. Vehicle mass m. d. Road gradient.

[0053] Indicators indicating the state of the vehicle may include indicators indicating the state of the vehicle's powertrain. The method may include estimating the torque of the vehicle's powertrain using measured / known characteristics such as vehicle speed, acceleration, mass, and road gradient.

[0054] When traveling at a constant speed on a flat surface, a positive load (so-called "driving torque") may be applied to the vehicle's powertrain to overcome friction and aerodynamic forces (i.e., drag). When traveling uphill at a constant speed on an inclined road, a greater positive load may be applied to the vehicle's powertrain to overcome gravity (in addition to friction and drag). When traveling downhill at a constant speed on an inclined road (while braking), a negative load (so-called coasting torque or overrun torque) may be applied to the vehicle's powertrain because gravity outweighs friction and aerodynamic forces.

[0055] To determine an indicator of the vehicle's condition, the remote processing module may compare the measurements received from the sensors with thresholds. The thresholds compared to the measurements may be selected based on the vehicle's current operating mode. For example, if the measurements relate to vibration, the vibration analysis may be specific to instantaneous velocity and torque, and consequently, the thresholds are selected according to velocity and torque. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a grid for analyzing the vehicle's condition as an example. The measured velocity 401 and torque 402 may be assumed as a two-dimensional grid such that the vibration analysis is specific to the current position (cell) 403 within the grid.

[0056] The remote processing module may access multiple pre-stored profiles associated with each operating mode of the vehicle. Each pre-stored profile may be associated with a different threshold. That is, depending on the vehicle's operating mode, different NVH values ​​may be considered abnormal and therefore indicate the occurrence of a fault. The pre-stored profiles may be generated by the remote processing module when the device is first deployed. That is, the remote processing module may determine noise / vibration signatures (thresholds) that will later be used to determine indicators of the vehicle's condition.

[0057] The remote processing module may automatically determine the vehicle's operating mode based on the received measurements. The remote processing module may also receive information indicating the vehicle's operating mode, either separately from or together with the measurements received from the sensors. This information may include, for example, which gear the vehicle is in, which mode the vehicle is operating in (e.g., eco mode), or information about the vehicle's occupants. For example, for automotive powertrains and their associated components, vibration response may depend on speed (RPM) and torque load. To accurately determine an indicator of the vehicle's state, the measured NVH may be compared under the same conditions as the profile corresponding to the vehicle's operating mode.

[0058] The operating modes of a vehicle may include the operating modes of the vehicle's powertrain. The vehicle powertrain may transition through a series of discrete operating setups, the most common of which are various gear ratios between the prime mover (internal combustion engine or electric motor) and the wheels. Each discrete operating mode may require a separate speed-load grid, which can be envisioned as a series of grids 501 stacked three-dimensionally, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 schematically shows a stacked grid as an example.

[0059] As a specific example, vibration analysis of shaft velocity may be performed to determine component-specific powertrain health monitoring data. In particular, the present invention may utilize the rotational speed of the vehicle powertrain to perform order analysis and rotational event analysis. This allows state data and trends to be assigned to specific components of the powertrain.

[0060] This method may also include measuring the vehicle suspension angle while the vehicle is stationary and determining the loaded vehicle mass based on that measurement. The mass of any vehicle can vary depending on the load being carried, for example, depending on the number of occupants, cargo, and other factors. As the vehicle mass increases, the static deflection of the suspension also increases, and the angles of the suspension elements may change accordingly. Therefore, the loaded vehicle mass can be estimated by measuring the angles of the main suspension elements (e.g., wishbones or trailing arms). Such indirect measurement of vehicle mass can only be performed when the vehicle is stationary, because the suspension elements move within a range of angles while the vehicle is in motion.

[0061] In step S104, the method includes transmitting the determined indicator to the vehicle. For example, the determined indicator may be transmitted to the vehicle's onboard computer. Upon receiving the determined indicator, the vehicle may respond by displaying a message within the vehicle using a display module. The displayed message may be, for example, a message prompting the vehicle operator to bring the vehicle to a service center, or a message notifying that a part of the vehicle needs to be replaced after a predetermined mileage.

[0062] In addition to transmitting the determined indicators to the vehicle, the method may further include the step of transmitting the determined indicators to the vehicle manufacturer. This may enable the manufacturer to identify failures within a given batch of manufactured vehicles (for example, if multiple vehicles with the same manufacturing date and place of manufacture experience failures) and / or provide data to guide future development.

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a device for monitoring the condition of a vehicle. The device 100 comprises a processor 103 and a memory 105 coupled to the processor 103. The memory 105 is configured to store program code 107 that can be executed by the processor 103, and the program code 107 includes one or more instructions that cause the device 100 to receive from the sensor at least one characteristic of the vehicle measured by the sensor. The at least one characteristic may include noise, vibration and harshness. The device 100 then analyzes the received measurements to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle and transmits the determined index to the vehicle.

[0064] The device 100 may be configured to compare the received measurement values ​​with threshold values ​​stored in memory 105, thereby determining an indicator of the vehicle's performance. The device 100 may also be configured to determine the vehicle's operating mode and, based on the determined operating mode, select a threshold value from among a plurality of threshold values ​​stored in memory 105. The device 100 may determine the vehicle's operating mode based on the received measurement values, or it may receive information from the vehicle indicating the vehicle's operating mode.

[0065] The device 100 may be configured to transmit the determined indicator to an external entity, i.e., an entity other than the vehicle to which the received measurement is related.

[0066] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a system for monitoring the status of a vehicle. The system 300 may include the device 100 (described above in relation to Figure 2) and the vehicle 200. The device 100 may be located inside the vehicle 200 or outside the vehicle 200. In this case, the device 100 may communicate with the vehicle 200 via wireless communication. The vehicle 200 is equipped with at least one sensor 201. The sensor 201 may include a microphone, an accelerometer, a force meter, or a load cell. The sensor 201 may be mounted on any part of the vehicle 200, such as a bearing, transmission, axle, engine, and / or gear train. The sensor 201 may be connected to the vehicle's communication module.

[0067] For example, the vehicle 200 may include multiple sensors 201 attached to different parts of the vehicle 200. That is, the vehicle 200 can acquire measurements to monitor the condition of the vehicle's components at the component level rather than as a whole, and as a result, it becomes possible to more accurately identify the source of potential problems.

[0068] Examples of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or machine-readable instructions, such as software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Such machine-readable instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) which has computer-readable program code inside or on top of it.

[0069] This disclosure will be described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams relating to examples of methods, apparatus and systems relating to this disclosure. While the flowcharts described above show a specific execution order, the execution order may differ from that shown. Blocks described in relation to one flowchart may be combined with blocks in another flowchart. In some embodiments, some blocks in a flowchart may be unnecessary, and / or additional blocks may be added. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in a flowchart and / or block diagram, and combinations of flows and / or blocks in a flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by machine-readable instructions.

[0070] Such machine-readable instructions may be executed by a machine, such as a general-purpose computer, a platform including user devices such as smart devices and smartphones, a dedicated computer, or one or more embedded processors of other programmable data processing devices, to realize the functions described in the description and drawings. In particular, the processor or processing device may execute machine-readable instructions. Therefore, the module of the device may be implemented by a processor that executes machine-readable instructions stored in memory, or a processor that operates according to instructions incorporated into a logic circuit. The term "processor" should be interpreted in a broad sense, including CPUs, processing units, ASICs, logic units, or programmable gate sets. The method and module may be executed by a single processor or may be shared among multiple processors.

[0071] Such machine-readable instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage device that can guide a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular mode. For example, these instructions may be provided on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium on which processor-executable instructions are encoded.

[0072] Such machine-readable instructions can also be loaded into a computer or other programmable data processing device, which then performs a series of operations to generate the processing implemented by the computer. Thus, the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide operations to realize the functions specified by the flows in a flowchart and / or the blocks in a block diagram.

[0073] Furthermore, the teachings disclosed herein may be implemented in the form of a computer or software product, such as a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium. The computer software or product may include a number of instructions, such as machine-readable instructions, stored on the storage medium, for causing a computer device to perform the methods relating to the examples of this disclosure.

[0074] In some examples, some methods may be performed in a cloud computing environment or a network-based environment. The cloud computing environment may provide various services and applications over the internet. These cloud-based services (e.g., software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, etc.) may be accessible from user devices via, for example, a web browser or other remote interface. The various functions described herein may be provided through a remote desktop environment or any other cloud-based computing environment.

[0075] While various embodiments have been described and / or illustrated herein in relation to fully functional computing systems, one or more of these exemplary embodiments can be distributed as various forms of program products, regardless of the specific type of computer-readable storage medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Embodiments disclosed herein can also be implemented using software modules that perform specific tasks. These software modules may include scripts, batches, or other executable files that can be stored on computer-readable storage medium or in a computing system. In some embodiments, these software modules can configure a computing system to perform one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. Furthermore, one or more modules described herein can convert data, physical devices, and / or representations of physical devices from one form to another.

[0076] The above description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to best utilize the various aspects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. This exemplary description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit to any exact form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be exemplary and not restrictive. In determining the scope of this disclosure, refer to the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the status of a vehicle equipped with sensors, The steps include measuring at least one characteristic of the vehicle using the sensor, The steps include sending the measured values ​​to a remote processing module, The remote processing module analyzes the received measurement values ​​to determine an index indicating the state of the vehicle, The steps include transmitting the determined indicator to the vehicle and Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the vehicle includes noise, vibration and harshness.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one characteristic of the vehicle includes at least one characteristic of a component of the vehicle.

4. Measuring the at least one characteristic of the vehicle's components using the sensor includes performing the measurement on a specific component of the vehicle, thereby obtaining an index relevant only to that specific component. The method according to claim 3, wherein the remote processing module analyzes the received measurement values ​​to determine an index indicating the state of the specific component.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicator indicating the state of the vehicle includes an indicator indicating the state of the components of the vehicle's powertrain.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the measured value is transmitted in real time to the remote processing module.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step of compressing the measured values ​​before transmitting them to a cloud-based processing module.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the step of determining the indicator indicating the state of the vehicle includes comparing the received measurement value with a threshold.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 8, further comprising the step of measuring vehicle speed, acceleration, mass, and road gradient, and estimating the torque load of the vehicle's components based thereon.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the threshold on which the measured values ​​are compared is selected based on the current operating mode of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the threshold value on which the measured value is compared is selected based on the speed of the vehicle components and the torque load of the vehicle components.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising the step of transmitting the determined index to an external entity.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising the step of displaying a message inside the vehicle in response to receiving the determined indicator.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising the step of measuring the vehicle suspension angle when the vehicle is stationary and determining the vehicle mass in a loaded state based thereon.

15. A device for monitoring the status of a vehicle, Processor and The memory coupled to the aforementioned processor and The memory is configured to store program code that can be executed by the processor, and the program code is To receive from the sensor at least one characteristic of the vehicle measured by the sensor, Analyzing the received measurement values ​​to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle, and To transmit the determined indicator to the vehicle. A device including one or more commands for causing the device to perform the following.

16. The aforementioned program code is: The received measurement value is compared with a threshold value stored in the memory, thereby determining the indicator that shows the state of the vehicle. The apparatus according to claim 15, comprising one or more further commands for causing the apparatus to perform the above.

17. The aforementioned program code is: To determine the current operating mode of the vehicle, and Based on the determined operating mode of the vehicle, select the threshold from among a plurality of thresholds stored in the memory. The apparatus according to claim 16, comprising one or more further commands for causing the apparatus to perform the above.

18. The aforementioned program code is: Send the determined indicator to an external entity. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, comprising one or more further instructions for causing the apparatus to perform the above.

19. A machine-readable storage medium on which instructions for monitoring the status of a vehicle are encoded, wherein the instructions are executable by the device's processor, thereby enabling the device to: To receive from the sensor at least one characteristic of the vehicle measured by the sensor, Analyzing the received measurement values ​​to determine an index indicating the condition of the vehicle, and To transmit the determined indicator to the vehicle. A machine-readable storage medium that enables the following process.

20. Further instructions executable by the processor of the aforementioned device are encoded, thereby enabling the device to: The received measurement value is compared with a threshold value stored in memory, thereby determining the indicator that shows the state of the vehicle. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 19, which causes the following to occur.

21. Further instructions executable by the processor of the aforementioned device are encoded, thereby enabling the device to: To determine the current operating mode of the vehicle, and Based on the determined operating mode of the vehicle, select the threshold from among a plurality of thresholds stored in memory. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 19 or 20, which causes the following to occur.

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