Vehicle Management System

Abstract

To urge a user to perform component replacement which can extend the shortest service life of a plurality of components mounted on a vehicle and suppress the variations of the service life between the components.SOLUTION: A vehicle management system calculates the service life for each component on the basis of the first load factor and the load accumulation degree for each component, calculates the service life after replacement being the service life for each component of a first vehicle after at least one of the plurality of components is replaced with a corresponding replaceable component on the basis of the load accumulation degree for each component and the second load factor for each replaceable component, and performs notification to recommend component replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a case where the second shortest service life that is shortest in the service life after replacement for each component is long in comparison to the first shortest service life shortest in the service life for each component, and the second service life difference being the difference between the second longest service life that is longest in the service life after replacement for each component and the second shortest service life is small in comparison to the first service life difference being the difference between the first shortest service life and the first longest service life longest in the first service life for each component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system, and more particularly to a vehicle management system that manages a first vehicle equipped with a plurality of parts and a second vehicle equipped with a plurality of replaceable parts that are replaceable for a plurality of the parts. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as a vehicle management system of this type, one that calculates the fatigue damage level of one specific part (suspension) among multiple parts of a vehicle has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this system, a cumulative value obtained by accumulating input correlation values ​​that correlate with the magnitude of input applied to the vehicle while traveling is stored, and the fatigue damage level of the specific part is calculated based on the stored cumulative value and a correspondence relationship between the fatigue life and the cumulative value for the specific part. Then, when the calculated fatigue damage level is greater than a warning threshold, a notification is issued that the time to replace the part is approaching. This notification is said to enable the user to replace the specific part at the appropriate time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-79920 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned vehicle management system, the lifespan of a vehicle is determined by the lifespan of the part with the shortest lifespan, so if the lifespan of other parts that are not replaced is shorter than the lifespan of a specific part before replacement, replacing the specific part may not extend the lifespan of the vehicle. Also, if the lifespan of a specific replaced part becomes excessively longer than the lifespan of other parts that are not replaced, the variation in replacement times between parts will increase, making replacement work more complicated. Therefore, it is desirable to encourage users to replace parts in a way that can extend the shortest lifespan of multiple parts installed in a vehicle and suppress the variation in lifespan between parts.

[0005] A main object of the vehicle management system of the present invention is to encourage a user to replace parts in a manner that can extend the minimum lifespan of a plurality of parts mounted on a vehicle and reduce variation in lifespan between parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle management system of the present invention employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The vehicle management system of the present invention comprises: A vehicle management system that manages a first vehicle equipped with a plurality of parts and a second vehicle equipped with a plurality of replaceable parts that are replaceable with the plurality of parts, Calculating, for each of the parts mounted on the first vehicle, a first load factor, which is a ratio of a load accumulated on the part to an allowable load allowed for the part, and a load accumulation degree, which is a load factor of the part per unit traveling distance; Calculating, for each of the replaceable parts mounted on the second vehicle, a second load rate which is a ratio of a load accumulated on the replaceable part to an allowable load allowed for the replaceable part; calculating a life span for each of the components based on the first load rate and the load accumulation degree for each of the components; calculating a post-replacement life, which is a life of each part of the first vehicle after at least one of the plurality of parts is replaced with a corresponding replaceable part, based on the cumulative load degree for each part and the second load rate for each replaceable part; When the second shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts is longer than the first shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts, and the second lifespan difference between the second longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the second shortest lifespan is smaller than the first lifespan difference between the first longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the first shortest lifespan, a notification is made to the effect that part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is recommended. The gist of the present invention is as follows.

[0008] In the vehicle management system of the present invention, a first load factor, which is a load factor that is a ratio of the load accumulated on the part to an allowable load allowed for the part, and a load accumulation degree, which is the load factor of the part per unit traveling distance, are calculated for each replaceable part installed in the first vehicle, and a second load factor, which is a ratio of the load accumulated on the replaceable part to an allowable load allowed for the replaceable part, are calculated for each replaceable part installed in the second vehicle. Also, a lifespan is calculated for each part based on the first load factor and the load accumulation degree for each part, and a post-replacement lifespan, which is a lifespan of each part of the first vehicle after at least one part of the multiple parts is replaced with a corresponding replaceable part, is calculated based on the load accumulation degree for each part and the second load factor for each replaceable part. When the second shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part is longer than the first shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part, and the second lifespan difference between the second longest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part and the second shortest lifespan is smaller than the first lifespan difference between the first longest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part and the first shortest lifespan, a notification is made to the effect that part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is recommended. When the part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle can extend the shortest lifespan of the part with the shortest lifespan of the multiple parts mounted on the first vehicle and can suppress the variation in lifespan between the parts compared to the case where the parts are not replaced, the notification is made, so that the user can be encouraged to perform part replacement that can extend the shortest lifespan of the multiple parts mounted on the vehicle and suppress the variation in lifespan between the parts.

[0009] In such a vehicle management system of the present invention, the post-replacement life may be the sum of a value obtained by subtracting the second load rate from value 1, divided by the cumulative load degree of the corresponding part, and the traveling distance of the first vehicle when the cumulative load degree was calculated.

[0010] In the vehicle management system of the present invention, the parts and the replaceable parts may be a plurality of bearings supporting a plurality of rotating shafts of the first and second vehicles. This makes it possible to encourage a user to replace parts in a way that extends the minimum lifespan of the plurality of bearings and suppresses variation in lifespan between the bearings.

[0011] The vehicle management method of the present invention includes: A vehicle management method for managing a first vehicle equipped with a plurality of parts and a second vehicle equipped with a plurality of replaceable parts that are replaceable with the plurality of parts, comprising: Calculating, for each of the parts mounted on the first vehicle, a first load factor, which is a ratio of a load accumulated on the part to an allowable load allowed for the part, and a load accumulation degree, which is a load factor of the part per unit traveling distance; Calculating, for each of the replaceable parts mounted on the second vehicle, a second load factor that is a ratio of a load accumulated on the second replaceable part to an allowable load allowed for the replaceable part; calculating a life span for each of the components based on the first load rate and the load accumulation degree for each of the components; calculating a post-replacement life, which is a life of each part of the first vehicle after at least one of the plurality of parts is replaced with a corresponding replaceable part, based on the cumulative load degree for each part and the second load rate for each replaceable part; When the second shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts is longer than the first shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts, and the second lifespan difference between the second longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the second shortest lifespan is smaller than the first lifespan difference between the first longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the first shortest lifespan, a notification is made to the effect that part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is recommended. The gist of the present invention is as follows.

[0012] In the vehicle management method of the present invention, a first load factor, which is a load factor that is a ratio of the load accumulated on the part to an allowable load allowed for the part, and a load accumulation degree, which is the load factor of the part per unit traveling distance, are calculated for each replaceable part installed in a first vehicle, and a second load factor, which is a ratio of the load accumulated on a second replaceable part to an allowable load allowed for the replaceable part, are calculated for each replaceable part installed in a second vehicle. Also, a lifespan is calculated for each part based on the first load factor and the load accumulation degree for each part, and a post-replacement lifespan, which is a lifespan of each part of the first vehicle after at least one part of the multiple parts is replaced with a corresponding replaceable part, is calculated based on the load accumulation degree for each part and the second load factor for each replaceable part. When the second shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part is longer than the first shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part, and the second lifespan difference between the second longest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part and the second shortest lifespan is smaller than the first lifespan difference between the first longest lifespan of the post-replacement lifespan of each part and the first shortest lifespan, a notification is made to the effect that part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is recommended. When the part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle can extend the shortest lifespan of the part with the shortest lifespan of the multiple parts mounted on the first vehicle and can suppress the variation in lifespan between the parts compared to the case where the parts are not replaced, the notification is made, so that the user can be encouraged to perform part replacement that can extend the shortest lifespan of the multiple parts mounted on the vehicle and suppress the variation in lifespan between the parts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of automobiles 20A, 20B in a vehicle management system 10 of an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a notification processing routine. [Figure 4]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of an automobile 20A and first load factors F1a, F2a in the case where the bearings of the automobile 20A are used as they are without being replaced with bearings of an automobile 20B. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of automobile 20A and the second load factors F1b, F2b in a case where the bearing 94a of automobile 20A is replaced with the bearing 94a of automobile 20B at the current mileage Lta, and the bearing 94b is not replaced with the bearing 94b of automobile 20B. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of the automobile 20A and the second load factors F1b, F2b when the bearings 94a, 94b of the automobile 20A are replaced with the bearings 94a, 94b of the automobile 20B at the current mileage Lta. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples. EXAMPLES

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of automobiles 20A, 20B in the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment includes a hybrid electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "HVECU") 30 mounted on automobiles 20A, 20B (first and second vehicles) communicatively connected via a network 12, and a management server 120 arranged at a vehicle management center.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the automobiles 20A and 20B include an engine 22, a planetary gear 30, motors MG1 and MG2, inverters 41 and 42, a battery 50, and a hybrid electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "HVECU") 70.

[0017] The engine 22 is configured as an internal combustion engine that is driven by a hydrocarbon fuel such as gasoline, diesel, etc. The engine 22 is controlled by an engine electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as an "engine ECU") 24.

[0018] The planetary gear 30 is configured as a single-pinion type planetary gear mechanism, and the sun gear, ring gear, and carrier are respectively connected to the rotor of motor MG1, a drive shaft 36 which is linked to drive wheels 38a, 38b via a differential gear 37 and to the rotor of motor MG2, and the crankshaft 26 of the engine 22.

[0019] The motors MG1, MG2 are configured as, for example, synchronous generator motors, and the inverters 41, 42 are connected to a battery 50 via a power line 54. The motors MG1, MG2 are rotationally driven by a motor electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "motor ECU") 40 controlling the switching of a plurality of switching elements (not shown) of the inverters 41, 42. The battery 50 is configured as, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery. The battery 50 is managed by a battery electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "battery ECU") 52.

[0020] Each rotating shaft, such as the crankshaft 26, the drive shaft 36, and the rotating shafts connected to the rotors of the motors MG1 and MG2, is supported by a bearing (eg, bearings 94a to 94d, etc.).

[0021] The HVECU 70 is a microcomputer configured around a CPU 72, and in addition to the CPU 72, includes a ROM 74 for storing programs and the like, a RAM 76 for temporarily storing data, and input / output ports (not shown).

[0022] Signals from various sensors are input via input ports to the HVECU 70. Examples of signals input to the HVECU 70 via the input ports include an ignition signal from an ignition switch 80, a shift position SP from a shift position sensor 82 that detects the position of a shift lever 81, an accelerator opening Acc from an accelerator pedal position sensor 86 that detects the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal 83, and a brake position BP from a brake pedal position sensor 84 that detects the amount of depression of a brake pedal 85. Other examples of signals input to the HVECU 70 include a vehicle speed V from a vehicle speed sensor 88, a mileage Lt from an odometer 89, and various information from a communication device 92 that controls communication with the management server 120 via the network 12.

[0023] Various control signals are output via the output port from the HVECU 70. Examples of the control signals output from the HVECU 70 via the output port include a display control signal to the display device 90 and a communication control signal to the communication device 92.

[0024] The HVECU 70 calculates the load factors F1 to Fn (n is the number of parts) of each mounted part at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every few msec). The load factors F1 to Fn are calculated by dividing the load integrated values ​​SUM1 to SUMn, which are the loads accumulated on the bearings (e.g., bearings 94a to 94d, etc.) supporting each rotating shaft, by the respective allowable loads SUMmax1 to SUMmaxn (Fm=SUMm / SUMmaxn, m is a natural number from 1 to n). The load integrated values ​​SUM1 to SUMn are values ​​obtained by integrating the torques of the rotating shafts (e.g., the crankshaft 26, the drive shaft 36, the rotating shafts of the motors MG1 and MG2, etc.) that apply loads to each bearing. The allowable loads SUMmax1 to SUMmaxn are values ​​determined in advance by experiments, analysis by AI (artificial intelligence), etc., as the load integrated values ​​SUM1 to SUMn at which each bearing will fail. Furthermore, the HVECU 70 calculates, at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every few msec), cumulative load degrees ΔF1 to ΔFn (ΔFm=Fm / Lt, m is a natural number from 1 to n) as load factors per unit travel distance obtained by dividing the load factors F1 to Fn by the travel distance Lt. The HVECU 70 transmits the calculated load factors F1 to Fn and cumulative load degrees ΔF1 to ΔFn to the management server 120 via the communication device 92 and the network 12.

[0025] In the automobiles 20A and 20B thus constructed, the parts mounted thereon are configured to be interchangeable with each other.

[0026] The management server 120 includes a customer information storage unit 122, a replacement notification unit 124, and a communication device 126. The customer information storage unit 122 is a functional block, and stores vehicle identification information for each vehicle, vehicle configuration data such as vehicle model, type, and parts, customer data such as customer name and customer address, the dealer that sold the vehicle, and fault-related data such as past faults and their repair contents. The replacement notification unit 124 is a functional block, and performs notification processing to notify whether or not a part replacement should be recommended between the two automobiles 20. The notification processing will be described later. The communication device 126 controls communication with the automobiles 20A, 20B via the network 12.

[0027] Next, the operation of the vehicle management system 10 thus configured will be described, in particular the operation when the management server 120 issues a notification to the automobile 20A recommending part replacement (in this embodiment, replacement of a bearing). Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a notification processing routine. This routine is repeatedly executed by the replacement notification unit 124 of the management server 120 at predetermined time intervals (for example, once a month).

[0028] In the notification process, first, the travel distance Lta, the first load factors F1a-Fna, the second load factors F1b-Fnb, and the load accumulation degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna are input (step S100). The travel distance Lta is the travel distance Lt detected by the odometer 89 of the vehicle 20A, and is input by communication via the network 12. The first load factors F1a-Fna are the load factors F1-Fn calculated by the vehicle 20A, and are input by communication via the network 12. The second load factors F1b-Fnb are the load factors F1-Fn calculated by the vehicle 20B, and are input by communication via the network 12. The load accumulation degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna are the load accumulation degrees ΔF1-ΔFn calculated by the vehicle 20A, and are input by communication via the network 12.

[0029] Next, it is determined whether or not the automobile 20A is equipped with a bearing having a high load factor (step S110). Here, when at least one of the first load factors F1a to Fna input in step S100 exceeds a predetermined factor dFref, it is determined that the automobile 20A is equipped with a bearing having a high load factor. The predetermined factor dFref is a load factor that serves as a guide for bearing replacement, and is set to a value such as 0.5, 0.6, or 0.7. Therefore, step S110 is a process of determining whether or not the automobile 20A has a part that should be considered for replacement.

[0030] In step S110, if the automobile 20A is not equipped with a bearing having a high load factor, it is determined that there are no parts in the automobile 20A that require consideration for replacement, and this routine is terminated.

[0031] In step S110, when the automobile 20A is equipped with a bearing having a large load factor, it is determined that the automobile 20A has a part for which replacement should be considered, and then the part life L1 to Ln as the life of each bearing equipped in the automobile 20A is calculated (step S120). The part life L1 to Ln is the mileage Lta at which the first load factors F1a to Fna of each bearing are 1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of the automobile 20A and the first load factors F1a and F2a when the bearing of the automobile 20A is used as it is without replacing it with the bearing of the automobile 20B. In the figure, the solid line shows the relationship between the mileage Lta and the first load factor F1a. The dashed line shows the relationship between the mileage Lta and the second load factor F2a. As shown in the figure, the first load factors F1a and F2a are proportional to the mileage Lt. Since the load on each bearing varies depending on the usage conditions of the user's automobile 20A, the slope of the straight line in Fig. 4 varies depending on the usage conditions of the user's automobile 20A. In the embodiment, the slope of the bearing 94a is larger than that of the bearing 94b, and the bearing 94a will reach the end of its life sooner.

[0032] Next, the shortest of the calculated part lives L1 to Ln is set as a first shortest life L1min, and the longest of the part lives L1 to Ln is set as a first longest life L1max (step S130), and a first life difference ΔL1 is calculated by subtracting the first shortest life L1min from the first longest life L1max (step S140).

[0033] Next, post-replacement lives L1new to Lmnew are set as the lifespans of each bearing in automobile 20A after a specific bearing selected from among the bearings of automobile 20A is replaced with a corresponding bearing in automobile 20B (step S150). Here, a bearing that exceeds a predetermined rate dFref among the first load rates F1a to Fna can be selected as the bearing to be replaced. The number of bearings to be replaced may be one or more.

[0034] In step S150, for the bearings of the automobile 20A that have not been replaced with the bearings of the automobile 20B, the post-replacement life Lmnew (m is a natural number from 1 to n) is set as the part life Lm (m is a natural number from 1 to n). For the bearings of the automobile 20A that have been replaced with the bearings of the automobile 20B, the post-replacement life Lmnew (m is a natural number from 1 to n) is set as the part life Lm (m is a natural number from 1 to n) calculated using the second load factor Fmb (m is a natural number from 1 to n), the load accumulation degree ΔFma (m is a natural number from 1 to n), and the mileage Lta according to the following formula (1). FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of the automobile 20A and the second load factors F1b and F2b in the case where the bearing 94a of the automobile 20A is replaced with the bearing 94a of the automobile 20B at the current mileage Lta, and the bearing 94b is not replaced with the bearing 94b of the automobile 20B. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of the automobile 20A and the second load factors F1b and F2b when the bearings 94a and 94b of the automobile 20A are replaced with the bearings 94a and 94b of the automobile 20B at the current mileage Lta. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the solid line shows the relationship between the mileage Lta and the first and second load factors F1a and F1b. The dashed line shows the relationship between the mileage Lta and the first and second load factors F2a and F2b. The dashed line shows an example of the relationship between the mileage Lt of the automobile 20A and the first load factors F1a and F2a when the bearings 94a and 94b are not replaced. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the first load factor F1a and the second load factor F1b are discontinuous. In FIG. 6, the first load factor F2a and the second load factor F2b are discontinuous. This is because the usage conditions of the vehicles by the users are different between the automobiles 20A and 20B, and therefore the load factors F1, F2 (F1a, F1b) of the bearings 94a, 94b mounted on the automobile 20A at the time when the automobile 20A has traveled the mileage Lta are different from the load factors F1, F2 of the bearings 94a, 94b mounted on the automobile 20B. After the replacement, the second load factors F1b, F2b of the bearings 94a, 94b increase by the cumulative load degrees ΔF1, ΔF2 according to the usage conditions of the automobile 20A by the user.Equation (1) can be easily obtained from the above-mentioned relationship between the traveling distance Lt and the first load factors F1a, F2a and the second load factors F1b, F2b.

[0035] Lmnew=(1-Fmb) / ΔFma+Lta ···(m=1~n) ···(1)

[0036] Next, the shortest of the calculated post-replacement lives L1new to Lnnew is set as the second shortest life L2min, and the longest of the post-replacement lives L1new to Lnnew is set as the second longest life L2max (step S160), and a second life difference ΔL2 is calculated by subtracting the second shortest life L2min from the second longest life L2max (step S170).

[0037] Then, it is determined whether the second shortest lifespan L2min is longer than the first shortest lifespan L1min (step S180). The lifespan of the automobile 20A is determined by the lifespan of the part with the shortest lifespan. Therefore, the first shortest lifespan L1min corresponds to the lifespan of the automobile 20A when all parts are not replaced, and the second shortest lifespan L2min corresponds to the lifespan of the automobile 20A after the selected parts are replaced. Therefore, step S180 is a process of determining whether the lifespan of the automobile 20A when the selected parts are replaced is longer than the case when they are not replaced, that is, whether replacing at least one part will extend the lifespan of the automobile 20A.

[0038] If it is determined in step S180 that the second shortest lifespan L2min is equal to or shorter than the first shortest lifespan L1min, it is determined that the lifespan of the automobile 20A will not be extended even if the part is replaced, and this routine is terminated.

[0039] When the second shortest life L2min is longer than the first shortest life L1min in step S180, it is determined that the life of the automobile 20A will be extended if the parts are replaced, and it is then determined whether the second life difference ΔL2 is smaller than the first life difference ΔL1 (step S190). The first life difference ΔL1 is a value obtained by subtracting the first shortest life L1min from the first longest life L1max, and therefore is a value that reflects the variation in the life of each bearing of the automobile 20A when the bearings are not replaced. The second life difference ΔL2 is a value obtained by subtracting the second shortest life L2min from the second longest life L2max, and therefore is a value that reflects the variation in the life of each bearing of the automobile 20A after the parts are replaced. Therefore, step S190 is a procedure for determining whether the variation in the life of each bearing of the automobile 20A after the replacement will be reduced.

[0040] In step S190, if the second life difference ΔL2 is equal to or greater than the first life difference ΔL1, it is determined that part replacement will increase the variation in life spans of the bearings of the automobile 20A, and this routine is terminated.

[0041] In step S190, when the second life difference ΔL2 is less than the first life difference ΔL1, it is determined that the variation in life of each bearing of the automobile 20A will be reduced if the part is replaced, and the communication device 126 notifies the automobile 20A via the network 12 that replacement is recommended (step S200), and this routine ends. The automobile 20A that receives such a notification displays on the display device 90 that replacement of the part with the vehicle B is recommended. In this way, when the second shortest life L2min is longer than the first shortest life L1min in step S180 and the second life difference ΔL2 is less than the first life difference ΔL1 in step S190, the automobile 20A is notified that replacement is recommended, so that the user of the automobile 20A can be encouraged to replace the bearing. This makes it possible to encourage the user to replace the part, which can extend the shortest life of the multiple bearings mounted on the automobile 20A and suppress the variation in life between the bearings.

[0042] According to the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment described above, the first load factors F1a-Fna and cumulative load degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna are calculated for each bearing of the automobile 20A, the second load factors F1b-Fnb are calculated for each bearing of the automobile 20B, part lives L1-Ln are calculated based on the calculated first load factors F1a-Fna and cumulative load degrees ΔF1a-Fna, and post-replacement lives L1new-Lnnew are calculated based on the cumulative load degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna and the second load factors F1b-Fnb. When the second shortest lifespan L2min, which is the shortest of the post-replacement lives L1new to Lnnew, is longer than the first shortest lifespan L1min, which is the shortest of the part lives L1 to Ln, and the second lifespan difference ΔL2 is smaller than the first lifespan difference ΔL1, a notification is sent to automobile 20A that part replacement is recommended in automobiles 20A and 20B, thereby encouraging the user to replace parts in a way that can extend the shortest lifespan of the multiple bearings installed in automobile 20A and reduce variation in lifespan between the bearings.

[0043] In the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment, in step S110 of the notification processing routine in Fig. 3, it is determined whether or not the automobile 20A is equipped with a bearing having a high load factor. However, without executing step S110, steps S120 and thereafter may be executed after executing step S100.

[0044] In the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment, the load factors F1-Fn and cumulative load degrees ΔF1-ΔFn of the vehicles 20A, 20B are calculated by the HVECU 70 of the vehicles 20A, 20B. However, the load factors F1-Fn and cumulative load degrees ΔF1-ΔFn of the vehicles 20A, 20B may be calculated by the replacement notification unit 124 of the management server 120. In this case, data required for calculating the load factors F1-Fn and cumulative load degrees ΔF1-ΔFn of the vehicles 20A, 20B may be input by the communication device 126 from the vehicles 20A, 20B via the network 12.

[0045] In the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment, a notification that part replacement is recommended is sent to the vehicle 20A. However, the notification process illustrated in Fig. 3 may be applied to the vehicle 20B as well as the vehicle 20A, and a notification recommending replacement may be sent from the management server 120 to both the vehicles 20A and 20B only when it is possible to send a notification recommending replacement for both the vehicles 20A and 20B. That is, as described above, the first load factors F1a-Fna and the load accumulation degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna are calculated for each part of the automobile 20A, the second load factors F1b-Fnb are calculated for each part of the automobile 20B, the part lives L1-Ln are calculated based on the calculated first load factors F1a-Fna and load accumulation degrees ΔF1a-Fna, and the post-replacement lives L1new-Lnnew after replacement are calculated based on the load accumulation degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna and the second load factors F1b-Fnb, and the second shortest life L2min of the post-replacement lives L1new-Lnnew after replacement is longer than the first shortest life L1min of the part lives L1-Ln, and the second life difference ΔL2 is smaller than the first life difference ΔL1, and The system calculates load factors ΔF1a-ΔFna and cumulative load factors ΔF1a-Fnb for each part of automobile 20A, calculates part lives L1-Ln based on the calculated first load factors F1a-Fna and cumulative load degrees ΔF1a-Fna, calculates post-replacement lives L1new-Lnnew after replacement based on the cumulative load degrees ΔF1a-ΔFna and second load factors F1b-Fnb, and when the second shortest life L2min of the post-replacement lives L1new-Lnnew after replacement is longer than the first shortest life L1min of the part lives L1-Ln and the second life difference ΔL2 is smaller than the first life difference ΔL1, a notification is sent to automobiles 20A, 20B that part replacement is recommended at automobiles 20A, 20B, thereby making it possible to more appropriately replace parts between automobiles 20A, 20B.

[0046] In the vehicle management system 10 of the embodiment, the notification processing routine illustrated in Fig. 3 is executed by the management server 120. However, a part or all of the processing of the notification processing routine in Fig. 3 may be executed by the vehicle 20A or the vehicle 20B.

[0047] In the embodiment, the present invention is exemplified as being applied to a notification from the management server 120 to the automobile 20A recommending the replacement of a bearing as a part replacement. However, the part to be replaced is not limited to a bearing, and may be any part that accumulates some load as the automobiles 20A and 20B are driven.

[0048] In the embodiment, the present invention has been described as being in the form of a vehicle management system, but the present invention may also be in the form of a vehicle management method as shown in FIG.

[0049] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be described. In the embodiment, the HVECU 70 of the automobile 20A and the replacement notification unit 124 of the management server 120 correspond to the "vehicle management system."

[0050] The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column should be based on the description in that column, and the Examples are merely a specific example of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column.

[0051] Although the form for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] The present invention can be used in the manufacturing industry of vehicle management systems, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10 vehicle management system, 12 network, 20 automobile, 22 engine, 24 engine electronic control unit (engine ECU), 26 crankshaft, 30 planetary gear, 36 drive shaft, 37 differential gear, 38a, 38b drive wheel, 40 motor electronic control unit (motor ECU), 41, 42 inverter, 50 battery, 52 battery electronic control unit (battery ECU52), 54 power line, 70 hybrid electronic control unit (HVECU), 80 ignition switch, 81 shift lever, 82 shift position sensor, 83 accelerator pedal, 84 accelerator pedal position sensor, 85 brake pedal, 86 brake pedal position sensor, 88 vehicle speed sensor, 89 odometer, MG1, MG2 motor, 90 display device, 92 communication device, 94a to 94d bearing, 120 management server, 122 Customer information storage unit, 124 exchange / notification unit, 126 communication device.

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle management system for managing a first vehicle equipped with a plurality of parts and a second vehicle equipped with a plurality of replaceable parts that are replaceable with the plurality of parts, Calculating, for each of the parts mounted on the first vehicle, a first load factor which is a ratio of a load accumulated on the part to an allowable load allowed for the part, and a load accumulation degree which is a load factor of the part per unit traveling distance; Calculating, for each of the replaceable parts mounted on the second vehicle, a second load rate which is a ratio of a load accumulated on the replaceable part to an allowable load allowed for the replaceable part; calculating a life span for each of the components based on the first load rate and the load accumulation degree for each of the components; calculating a post-replacement life, which is a life of each part of the first vehicle after at least one of the plurality of parts is replaced with the corresponding replaceable part, based on the cumulative load degree for each part and the second load rate for each replaceable part; When the second shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts is longer than the first shortest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts, and the second lifespan difference between the second longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the second shortest lifespan is smaller than the first lifespan difference between the first longest lifespan of the post-replacement lives of each of the parts and the first shortest lifespan, a notification is made to the effect that part replacement between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is recommended. Vehicle management system.

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