System and method for calculating consumable parts
A system and method for calculating consumable parts using vehicle data and durability standards accurately determines the number of remaining vehicles and long-term replacements, enhancing precision and reducing costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-05-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-29
AI Technical Summary
Conventional methods for calculating long-term spare quantities of consumable parts rely on estimated remaining vehicle numbers, leading to inaccuracies in determining the correct numerical value.
A system and method that utilizes connected vehicles to gather operating status and inspection history data, calculates mileage based on displacement, and applies durability standards to determine the quantity of parts needed for replacement, incorporating a wear and tear detection to assess part condition.
Accurately determines the number of remaining vehicles and long-term replacement parts, reducing inventory costs and minimizing losses by providing precise calculations.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a calculation system for consumable parts and a method for calculating consumable parts.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, it has been known to use a radar device to extract vehicles located in a plurality of business circle areas (for example, a plurality of countries), calculate the driving distance and driving environment of the vehicles, and predict the required number of repair parts (for example, Patent Document 1). When mass production of a predetermined model ends, mass production of parts for that model also ends several years later. At that timing, for future part replacements in that model, the required number of future parts is estimated and ordered as the long-term spare quantity and stocked.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Conventionally, the calculation of the long-term spare quantity has been calculated by referring to past demand quantities, estimated remaining vehicle numbers, etc. For this reason, the remaining vehicle number used for calculating the long-term spare quantity was only an estimate, and it was not known whether it was the correct numerical value.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a calculation system for consumable parts and a method for calculating consumable parts that can obtain the remaining vehicle number as a correct numerical value and accurately calculate the long-term spare quantity.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a consumable parts calculation system (e.g., calculation system 1 described later) comprising: a data receiving unit (e.g., data receiving unit 101 described later) that receives connected data including the operating status of a vehicle and inspection and replacement history; a mileage calculation unit (e.g., mileage calculation unit 102 described later) that calculates the mileage of a vehicle according to the amount of vehicle displacement based on the operating status of the vehicle from the data receiving unit; a parts information storage unit (e.g., parts information storage unit 103 described later) that stores durability standards determined by the expected durability distance for deterioration for each part of the vehicle; and a parts quantity calculation unit (e.g., parts quantity calculation unit 104 described later) that calculates the quantity of parts based on the mileage calculated by the mileage calculation unit and the durability standards for each part stored in the parts information storage unit.
[0007] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for calculating consumable parts, comprising the steps of: receiving connected data including the operating status of the vehicle and inspection and replacement history (for example, step S102 described later); calculating the distance of the vehicle according to the amount of vehicle displacement based on the operating status of the vehicle from the received connected data (for example, step S103 described later); and calculating the quantity of parts based on the mileage calculated in the distance calculation step and a durability standard determined by the expected durability distance for deterioration of each part of the vehicle (for example, step S106 described later).
[0008] Furthermore, the data receiving unit includes a wear and tear detection unit (for example, a wear and tear detection unit 105 described later) that grasps the condition of the parts according to the operating status of the vehicle and the inspection and replacement history, and the parts quantity calculation unit calculates the parts quantity based on the condition of the parts grasped by the wear and tear detection unit.In addition, in the connected data receiving step, the condition of the parts is grasped according to the operating status of the vehicle and the inspection and replacement history, and in the parts quantity calculation step, the parts quantity is calculated based on the condition of the parts grasped in the parts condition grasping step.
[0009] The parts quantity calculation unit then calculates the remaining lifespan of the vehicle based on its current years of use and mileage.
[0010] The parts quantity calculation unit then calculates a durability standard based on the remaining lifespan, the number of remaining vehicles, and the past history data of the parts. In the process of calculating the parts quantity, the parts quantity is calculated from the remaining lifespan, the value obtained by accumulating the durability standard based on the number of remaining vehicles and the past history data of the parts. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system and method for calculating consumable parts that can accurately determine the number of remaining vehicles (surviving units) and calculate the number of long-term replacement units with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the processing in a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operational limit of a vehicle in terms of its lifespan. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operating limit and remaining range as a measure of a vehicle's durability. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operating limit and remaining operating years as a measure of a vehicle's durability. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the projected remaining operating years of vehicles in each region. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the replacement history of vehicle parts in each region. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
[0014] System 1 of the embodiment comprises a control processing unit 100 and vehicles 200-1 to 200-n (where n is an integer n > 1). The control processing unit 100 and each of the vehicles 200-1 to 200-n can communicate with each other via a network NW. The network NW includes the internet, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), public lines, provider equipment, dedicated lines, wireless base stations, etc.
[0015] In this embodiment, vehicles 200-1 to 200-n are engine-powered vehicles that run using an internal combustion engine as a power source, or hybrid vehicles that run using both an engine and an electric motor as power sources. Each of vehicles 200-1 to 200-n is parked in a parking lot used by the owner of each vehicle 200-1 to 200-n, or at a dealership or competing store that replaces the batteries of vehicles 200-1 to 200-n.
[0016] Each of the vehicles 200-1 through 200-n is a connected car equipped with wireless communication capabilities. By connecting vehicles 200-1 through 200-n to a network NW, vehicle data acquired from the vehicles is input to the control processing unit 100 via the network NW, and various analyses related to the vehicles are performed. Vehicle data includes, for example, the vehicle's location when the vehicle's ignition is turned on, the vehicle's mileage, the internal resistance value of the battery, etc. Hereafter, vehicles 200-1 through 200-n will be referred to as vehicle 200 as appropriate.
[0017] The control processing device 100 is realized by a device such as a personal computer, a server, or an industrial computer. The control processing device 100 has, for example, a data reception unit 101, a travel distance calculation unit 102, a component information storage unit 103, a component quantity calculation unit 104, and a wear degree grasping unit 105. With these, an exchange time position identification system, an exchange time calculation system, a position determination system, and an owner change detection system for consumable parts are configured.
[0018] These are realized, for example, when a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executes a program (software) stored in a storage unit (not shown). Also, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware.
[0019] The storage unit (not shown) in which the program is stored is realized by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or the like. The program is stored in a removable storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed by attaching the storage medium to a drive device. Also, the storage unit stores information regarding each vehicle 200, for example, the location of each vehicle 200, the travel distance of the vehicle 200, the internal resistance value of the battery, etc. when the ignition of each vehicle 200 is turned on.
[0020] The data receiving unit 101 receives the operation status of each vehicle 200, including the data of the driving distance of each vehicle 200 when the ignition is turned on in each vehicle 200, and the connected data including the inspection and replacement history, etc. The operation status includes not only the total driving distance, the driving distance per day, per month, and per year, but also the regional characteristics and the attributes of the region. The inspection and replacement history data also includes the past performance of the calculated quantity of parts at the operation limit, which is the durability years of the vehicle type.
[0021] In addition, the data receiving unit 101 has a parts information storage unit 103 that stores durability standards determined by the durability distance at which deterioration is expected for each part of each vehicle 200. Specifically, the parts information storage unit 103 calculates, from the inspection and replacement history data, which is information on how often each part of each vehicle 200 is replaced per year, the driving distance of each vehicle 200 that can be traveled until the part deteriorates and is replaced as the limit distance. Then, it calculates and stores the durability standard, which is the ratio of how many percent of the operating vehicles 200 replace the part in one year. Therefore, the durability standards are provided individually for each consumable part of the vehicle 200. For example, the engine oil is 3%, the battery is 5%, the bumper is 0.8%, etc. This value (coefficient) is set based on the durability distance and the remaining durability years for one part. That is, if the remaining durability years are within 5 years, it is set to 10%; if the remaining durability years are 8 to 10 years, it is set to 3%; if the durability distance is 150,000 Km or more, it is set to 5%, etc.
[0022] In addition, the data receiving unit 101 is based on the operation status of each vehicle 200 and the inspection and replacement history at the dealer based onThe system includes a wear and tear detection unit 105 that grasps the condition of parts. Specifically, the wear and tear detection unit 105 determines whether or not a part has been replaced for each part of each vehicle 200 based on the inspection and replacement history data for each vehicle 200. The timing of the replacement is determined by comparing the current mileage with the limit distance, which is the maximum mileage that each vehicle 200 can travel before the part deteriorates and needs replacing, stored in the parts information storage unit 103. If the current mileage does not exceed a first predetermined mileage, the unit determines and stores that replacement of the part is unnecessary when the next limit distance for each vehicle 200 is reached.
[0023] The mileage calculation unit 102 calculates the mileage of each vehicle 200 based on the amount of displacement of each vehicle 200, which is based on the operating status of each vehicle 200 as received from the data receiving unit 101. Specifically, based on the operating status of each vehicle 200, which indicates how far each vehicle 200 travels in a year in each country, region, etc., the unit calculates how far each vehicle 200 will travel in a predetermined period, for example, one year, according to the amount of displacement of each vehicle 200.
[0024] The parts quantity calculation unit 104 calculates the amount of parts that are considered necessary for future parts replacement of each vehicle 200, based on the mileage calculated by the mileage calculation unit 102 and the durability standards for each part of each vehicle 200 stored in the parts information storage unit 103.
[0025] Next, we will explain the method for calculating consumable parts, which is implemented by the control processing unit 100. First, in step S101 in Figure 2, the control processing unit 100 sets the operating limits for each vehicle 200, including the area (country, region, and locality) in which it operates, and for each parameter such as the model, type, grade, and color of each vehicle 200. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, for vehicles 200 of the same model, type, grade, and color, the operating limit for vehicles 200 operating in Japan is set to 200,000 km, the operating limit for vehicles 200 operating in North America is set to 200,000 km, and the operating limit for vehicles 200 operating in Asia is set to 300,000 km. The operating limit values used are those that have been classified for each parameter and stored in a predetermined database. Then, the control processing unit 100 proceeds to step S102.
[0026] In step S102, the control processing unit 100 collects the operational performance of each vehicle 200 from the connected data received from the data receiving unit 101. That is, it collects the actual operational performance of each vehicle 200 for all the aforementioned parameters from the connected data transmitted from each vehicle 200 to the data receiving unit 101. Then, the control processing unit 100 proceeds to step S103.
[0027] In step S103, the mileage calculation unit 102 of the control processing unit 100 calculates the remaining mileage to the operating limit for each vehicle 200. Specifically, for example, in step S101, the control processing unit 100 sets the operating limit for the vehicles 200 operating in Japan to 200,000 km. Then, as shown in Figure 4, for a vehicle 200 that has reached 100,000 km in Japan, the remaining mileage, which is the distance it can continue to operate, is calculated to be 100,000 km by taking the difference between the operating limit and the current mileage. Similarly, for a vehicle 200 that has reached 150,000 km in Japan, the remaining mileage is calculated to be 50,000 km by taking the difference between the operating limit and the current mileage. Similarly, for a vehicle 200 that has reached 50,000 km in Japan, the remaining mileage is calculated to be 150,000 km by taking the difference between the operating limit and the current mileage. The control processing unit 100 then proceeds to step S104.
[0028] In step S104, the control processing unit 100 calculates the operational limit year for each vehicle 200. Specifically, as shown in the upper part of Figure 5, for a vehicle 200 with a total mileage of 100,000 km over 5 years, the unit mileage, which is the mileage per year, is assumed to be 20,000 km. By dividing the remaining mileage by this unit mileage, the control processing unit 100 calculates that the vehicle 200 will reach its operational limit in 5 years. Similarly, as shown in the middle part of Figure 5, for a vehicle 200 with a total mileage of 150,000 km over 5 years, the unit mileage, which is the mileage per year, is assumed to be 30,000 km. By dividing the remaining mileage by this unit mileage, the control processing unit 100 calculates that the vehicle 200 will reach its operational limit in 3 years. Similarly, as shown in the lower part of Figure 5, for a vehicle 200 with a total mileage of 50,000 km over 5 years, the unit mileage, which is the mileage per year, is assumed to be 10,000 km. Then, by dividing the remaining mileage by this unit mileage, the control processing unit 100 calculates that the vehicle 200 will reach its operational limit in 15 years. The control processing unit 100 then proceeds to step S105.
[0029] In step S105, the control processing unit 100 grasps and saves the number of vehicles actually in operation for each of the aforementioned parameters for each vehicle 200 as a graph showing the projected decrease in the number of vehicles. For example, as shown in Figure 6, looking at the parameters of area (country, region, etc.) for Japan, North America, and the Asian continent, Japan shows a decrease that is close to a straight line sloping downwards, while North America shows a small initial decrease in the number of operating vehicles, followed by a sharp drop in the number of operating vehicles, and then a gradual decrease again. The Asian continent also shows a small total number of operating vehicles and a gradual decrease. The control processing unit 100 then proceeds to step S106.
[0030] In step S106, the parts quantity calculation unit 104 of the control processing device 100 calculates the number of parts that will be used for life based on the projected reduction in the number of units determined in step S105, and orders the calculated number of parts that will be used for life. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the ordering of a predetermined part for replacement differs in the first year, second year, ..., and tenth year. In addition, there is information such as whether each part that has been determined by the wear level determination unit 105 has been replaced. Therefore, using the number of orders for each past year and the number of vehicles (200) that were actually in operation during that year (number of remaining vehicles), and taking into account information such as whether each part has been replaced as recorded by the wear and tear detection unit 105, the ratio of the number of orders is determined as the durability standard and stored in the parts information storage unit 103. Specific values include, for example, 3% and 7%. Then, by multiplying the durability standard by the number of remaining vehicles, the lifespan replacement number for the part is calculated. The processing of the control processing device 100 then ends.
[0031] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. In this embodiment, connected data including the operating status and inspection / replacement history of the vehicle 200 is received, the vehicle distance is calculated according to the amount of vehicle displacement based on the operating status of the vehicle 200 from the received connected data, and the number of parts is calculated based on the calculated mileage and a durability standard determined by the expected durability distance for deterioration of each part of the vehicle 200.
[0032] This makes it possible to estimate the required number of long-term replacement parts with greater accuracy when ordering them, thereby reducing inventory costs and ultimately minimizing losses due to discarded parts.
[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the condition of parts is determined according to the vehicle's operating status and inspection / replacement history, and the quantity of parts is calculated based on the condition of the parts. This makes it possible to calculate the lifetime replacement quantity by taking into account that recently replaced parts are unlikely to be replaced immediately.
[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the remaining lifespan is calculated from the current years of use and mileage. This makes it possible to calculate the mileage of vehicle 200 according to the amount of displacement of vehicle 200 based on the operating status of vehicle 200. In addition, in this embodiment, the number of permanent replacement parts is calculated from the remaining lifespan and a value obtained by summing the remaining lifespan and a durability standard based on the number of remaining vehicles and past history data of parts. This makes it possible to calculate a highly accurate number of permanent replacement parts supported by the remaining lifespan and a durability standard based on past history data.
[0035] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included. For example, in this embodiment, the mobile body was a vehicle 200 and the consumable part was a battery, but the invention is not limited to these. For example, the mobile body may be any vehicle equipped with an engine and using a battery. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0036] 1... System 100...Control Processing Unit 101...Data receiving unit 102... Distance calculation unit 103...Component information storage unit 104...Parts Quantity Calculation Unit 105…Washing level grasping unit 200-1~200-n…Vehicles
Claims
1. A data receiving unit that receives connected data including the operating status of the vehicle and inspection and replacement history, which is information on how often each of the aforementioned vehicle's parts is replaced. A distance calculation unit calculates the distance traveled by the vehicle according to the amount of vehicle displacement based on the operating status of the vehicle from the data receiving unit, A parts information storage unit stores a durability standard which is the ratio of the number of parts ordered, determined by the expected lifespan distance at which each part of the vehicle deteriorates. A consumable parts calculation system comprising: a parts quantity calculation unit that calculates the amount of parts which is the lifelong replacement number of parts for the vehicle, based on the mileage calculated by the mileage calculation unit, the remaining mileage to the operating limit of the vehicle determined from the mileage, and the unit mileage, and based on the projected reduction in the number of vehicles actually in operation and the durability standards for each part stored in the parts information storage unit.
2. The data receiving unit includes a wear level determination unit that determines whether the part needs to be replaced or does not need to be replaced based on the vehicle's current mileage and the inspection and replacement history. The consumable parts calculation system according to claim 1, wherein the parts quantity calculation unit calculates the number of parts that will be used for a long period of time as the parts quantity by accumulating the durability standard and the number of remaining vehicles, which is the number of vehicles that were actually in operation in each of the past years.
3. The consumable parts calculation system according to claim 1, wherein the parts quantity calculation unit determines the unit mileage, which is the mileage per year, from the current years of use and the mileage, and calculates the remaining lifespan of the durable parts by dividing the remaining mileage obtained from the mileage by the unit mileage.
4. The consumable parts calculation system according to claim 3, wherein the parts quantity calculation unit calculates the durability standard based on the durability distance, the remaining durability years, and the inspection and replacement history, and calculates the lifelong replacement quantity of the part by accumulating the durability standard and the remaining vehicle number, which is the number of vehicles that were actually in operation in each of the past years.
5. A control processing unit receives connected data, including information on the operating status of the vehicle and inspection and replacement history, which is information on how often each of the vehicle's parts is replaced. The process includes calculating the distance of the vehicle according to the amount of vehicle displacement based on the vehicle's operating status from connected data received by the control processing device, A method for calculating consumable parts, comprising: a step of calculating the amount of parts based on the mileage calculated in the step of the control processing device calculating the distance, the remaining mileage to the operating limit of the vehicle determined from the mileage, and the unit mileage, based on an estimate of the reduction in the number of vehicles actually in operation and a durability standard which is the ratio of the number of parts to be ordered, determined by the durability distance at which deterioration is expected for each part of the vehicle.
6. In the process of receiving the connected data, the current mileage of the vehicle and the inspection and replacement history are used to determine whether the part needs to be replaced or does not need to be replaced. The method for calculating consumable parts according to claim 5, wherein in the step of calculating the amount of parts, the number of parts that can be replaced over the lifetime is calculated as the amount of parts by accumulating the durability standard and the number of remaining vehicles, which is the number of vehicles that were actually in operation in each of the past years.
7. The method for calculating the remaining lifespan of consumable parts according to claim 5, wherein in the step of calculating the amount of parts, the unit mileage, which is the mileage per year, is determined from the current years of use and the mileage, and the remaining lifespan is calculated by dividing the remaining mileage obtained from the mileage by the unit mileage.
8. The method for calculating the amount of consumable parts according to claim 7, wherein in the step of calculating the amount of parts, a durability standard is calculated based on the durability distance, the remaining durability years, and the inspection and replacement history, and the lifelong replacement quantity of the parts is calculated by accumulating the durability standard and the remaining vehicle number, which is the number of vehicles that were actually in operation in each of the past years.