In-vehicle systems

Abstract

To appropriately output information for determining a failure cause.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle system 100 detects a failure of a control device 1, and acquires diagnostic information indicating a state of the control device, and outputs diagnostic information in a range before and after timing that the failure has been detected. Thus, the on-vehicle system 100 outputs the diagnostic information in the range before and after timing that the failure has been detected, and it is therefore possible to appropriately output information for determining a failure cause.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This embodiment relates to an in-vehicle system.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle control device has a fault diagnosis function and outputs that an abnormality has been detected when a fault is detected. In addition, information indicating the state of the control device at the time of a fault occurrence is output (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Note that it is desirable to obtain information for determining the cause of a fault when a fault occurs. An object is to appropriately output information for determining the cause of a fault.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one embodiment, an in-vehicle system includes a control device having a fault diagnosis function, a detection unit that detects a fault of the control device, an acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the control device, and an output unit that outputs the state information in a range before and after the timing when a fault is detected by the detection unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the output processing procedure of diagnostic data. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the output procedure for troubleshooting when a malfunction occurs. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Figure 1 shows an in-vehicle system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle system 100, which is mounted in a vehicle, is equipped with a plurality of control units (ECUs) 1 for controlling systems such as the engine, body, meter, transmission, brakes, and car navigation. These control units 1 are divided into systems according to functions such as information, control, and safety, and a network is formed for each system. These networks constitute CAN (registered trademark). A gateway device (CGW: Central Gateway) 2 is provided to centrally manage each network, and the communication bus 3 of each network is connected to the gateway device 2.

[0008] The control device 1 has a fault diagnosis function that performs self-diagnosis. During self-diagnosis, it monitors the system status. When any abnormality occurs in the system, the control device 1 determines from the sensor output signal that a fault has occurred, stores the fault code, and simultaneously stores diagnostic data (freeze frame data) related to the fault, such as the sensor detection value at the time the fault occurred. The in-vehicle system 100 acquires this diagnostic data from the control device 1. The in-vehicle system 100 also stores table information that associates the fault code with the corresponding corrective action.

[0009] The in-vehicle system 100 includes a fault diagnosis unit 5 that performs fault diagnosis remotely via wireless communication through a gateway device 2.

[0010] The gateway device 2 comprises a control unit 10 consisting of a microcomputer, a communication unit 11 that communicates between each control unit 1 via a communication bus 3, and a memory 12. When the control unit 10 of the gateway device 2 receives a communication request for fault diagnosis from the fault diagnosis unit 5, it authorizes the communication. The communication unit 11 relays the communication between the fault diagnosis unit 5 and the target control unit 1.

[0011] The fault diagnosis unit 5 consists of a Telematics Control Unit (TCU) 8 with wireless communication capabilities and a center device 9 that can communicate wirelessly with the Telematics Control Unit 8 and performs fault diagnosis. The Telematics Control Unit 8 is connected to the information system's communication bus 3 and communicates with other control devices 1 via a gateway device 2, as well as communicating wirelessly with the center device 9. The center device 9 may be a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone. When the center device 9 issues a fault diagnosis instruction, the Telematics Control Unit 8 communicates with the control device 1 via the gateway device 2 and performs the fault diagnosis.

[0012] The in-vehicle system 100 may also sequentially acquire diagnostic data obtained by the control device 1 through self-diagnosis and transmit the acquired diagnostic data sequentially to the center device 9 via the communication control device 8. Alternatively, the in-vehicle system 100 may also sequentially transmit the diagnostic data to the center device 9 via the mobile communication terminal.

[0013] Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 100 may store diagnostic data acquired by the control device 1 through self-diagnosis for a predetermined period of time and transmit it to the center device 9 via the communication control device 8 at a predetermined timing.

[0014] In this way, the in-vehicle system 100 can send diagnostic data to the center device 9 before a malfunction occurs by continuously transmitting diagnostic data to the center device 9.

[0015] Furthermore, if the control device 1 detects a fault through self-diagnosis, the in-vehicle system 100 transmits information indicating that a fault has been detected (for example, a fault code) to the center device 9 via the communication control device 8. The in-vehicle system 100 may also transmit diagnostic data to the center device 9 after the control device 1 has detected a fault.

[0016] In this way, the in-vehicle system 100 continues to transmit the diagnostic data to the center device 9. Further, the control device 1 transmits information indicating that a failure has been detected to the center device 9, and also transmits the diagnostic data after the failure has been detected to the center device 9. Therefore, the in-vehicle system 100 transmits and outputs the diagnostic data before the occurrence of the failure, and also transmits and outputs the diagnostic data after the occurrence of the failure.

[0017] Generally, it is difficult to appropriately determine the cause of a failure based on the diagnostic data at the time of or immediately before the occurrence of the failure. The control device 1 according to the present embodiment transmits and outputs the diagnostic data not only after the occurrence of the failure but also before the occurrence of the failure, so that it is possible to output information for appropriately determining the cause of the failure.

[0018] Further, when the in-vehicle system 100 detects a failure by self-diagnosis, it refers to the table information, obtains a countermeasure method corresponding to the detected failure, and displays and outputs the countermeasure method. For example, the control device 1 may display and output to the display device in the vehicle that a failure has occurred and the countermeasure method.

[0019] Subsequently, the output processing procedure of the diagnostic data will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] First, the in-vehicle system 100 acquires the diagnostic data from the control device 1 and transmits the diagnostic data to the center device 9 (step S1). If there is no failure diagnosis result by the control device 1 (step S2: No), it proceeds to step S1. On the other hand, in step S2, when it acquires from the control device 1 that a failure has been detected (step S2: Yes), the in-vehicle system 100 transmits the failure information to the center device 9 (step S3). Further, the in-vehicle system 100 acquires the diagnostic data from the control device 1 in which the failure has occurred and transmits the diagnostic data to the center device 9.

[0021] Subsequently, the output procedure of the countermeasure method at the time of failure occurrence will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.

[0022] First, when the control device 1 performs self-diagnosis and detects a failure (step S11), the in-vehicle system 100 refers to the table information and selects a countermeasure method corresponding to the detected failure (step S12). The in-vehicle system 100 generates data based on the fact of the failure and the selected countermeasure method (step S13), and displays and outputs the fact of the failure and the countermeasure method (step S14). Further, the in-vehicle system 100 records the generated data (step S15).

[0023] As in the above-described embodiment, the in-vehicle system 100 detects a failure of the control device 1, acquires diagnostic information indicating the state of the control device, and outputs the diagnostic information in the range before and after the timing when the failure is detected.

[0024] Thus, since the in-vehicle system 100 outputs the diagnostic information in the range before and after the timing when the failure is detected, it is possible to appropriately output the information for determining the cause of the failure.

[0025] Further, when the in-vehicle system 100 detects a failure, it outputs a countermeasure method corresponding to the detected failure. Thereby, the in-vehicle system 100 can appropriately present a countermeasure method for the failure to the driver or the like.

[0026] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0027] 1 Control device, 2 Gateway device, 3 Communication bus, 5 Fault diagnosis unit, 8 Communication control device, 9 Center device, 100 In-vehicle system.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system equipped with a control device having a fault diagnosis function, A detection unit for detecting a malfunction of the control device, A unit that acquires status information indicating the state of the control device, A storage unit that stores table information relating faults to methods for dealing with those faults, An output unit that outputs information indicating that a fault has been detected, and, if a fault is detected by the detection unit, a method for dealing with the detected fault. It includes a communication unit that enables communication with an external center device, The in-vehicle system includes an output unit that outputs fault diagnosis information of the control device to the center device via the communication unit, covering the period before and after the timing at which the fault was detected by the detection unit.

2. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs fault diagnosis based on a fault diagnosis instruction from the center device communicating with the communication unit.

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