Vehicle diagnostinc system and method thereof

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a processor that generates abnormal system information by identifying a system in which an abnormality currently occurs among one or more systems applied to a vehicle, and a service server that receives the abnormal system information from the processor and transmits a list of diagnostic data required for diagnosing the abnormal system to the processor, wherein the processor requests the diagnosis of the abnormal system by collecting signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received list of diagnostic data from a vehicle network and transmitting them to the service server.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for precisely diagnosing abnormalities occurring in a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] As vehicle autonomy technology advances, many components are being installed in vehicles today, and various electronic systems are realizing vehicle networking for communication and data processing between these components. As the complexity of components within vehicles increases, the importance of diagnosing defects caused by various vehicle parts is highlighted, while at the same time, analyzing those defects presents significant challenges.

[0004] In the case of existing vehicle fault diagnosis methods, fault diagnosis is performed by collecting large amounts of data from the vehicle network at a low sampling rate.

[0005] In the case of such conventional vehicle diagnostic methods, because they do not distinguish the vehicle system where the malfunction occurred or specify the data required to diagnose the abnormality, too much data is collected for a particular abnormality, or conversely, too little data is collected. As a result of failing to consider the data necessary to determine specific abnormalities within the vehicle, data collection takes a significant amount of time and consumes unnecessary power, leading to economic inefficiency.

[0006] For example, when vibration occurs inside a vehicle while driving, it is necessary to identify the faulty system within the vehicle to determine the cause of the body vibration (e.g., identifying whether the faulty system is the drivetrain or the transmission). Particularly in the case of electric vehicles, high-speed sampling is required for waveform analysis caused by motor imbalances in the drivetrain, which presents limitations to collecting data through existing communication networks.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for efficient vehicle fault diagnosis technology that can handle the explosively increasing volume of data transmission and reception while simultaneously analyzing appropriate data according to the system where the fault occurred through selective data collection.

[0008] The background technology of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2022-0139153 (published on October 14, 2022). The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention was devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective according to one aspect of the present invention is to implement a vehicle diagnostic system and method that enables precise diagnosis of specific vehicle abnormalities by specifying the diagnostic data to be intensively collected in response to a vehicle diagnostic request, thereby selectively receiving and analyzing the data, and consequently reducing the time and power consumption required for vehicle abnormality diagnosis. means of solving the problem

[0012] A vehicle diagnostic system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a processor that generates abnormal system information by identifying a system in which an abnormality has occurred among one or more systems applied to a vehicle; and a service server that receives the abnormal system information from the processor and transmits a list of diagnostic data required for diagnosing the abnormal system to the processor. The processor is characterized by collecting signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received list of diagnostic data from a vehicle network and transmitting the collected signals to the service server to request diagnosis of the abnormal system.

[0013] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by identifying the abnormal system based on user input entered through an interface device provided in the vehicle or a fault code of the vehicle.

[0014] In the present invention, each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list is characterized by having a number of signal samplings for the diagnostic data mapped thereto.

[0015] In the present invention, the processor is characterized by collecting a signal for each diagnostic data from a vehicle network according to the number of signal samplings mapped to each diagnostic data.

[0016] A vehicle diagnostic method according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the present invention, a processor comprises the steps of: generating abnormal system information by identifying a system in which an abnormality currently occurs among one or more systems applied to a vehicle; the service server receives the abnormal system information and transmits a diagnostic data list for diagnosing the abnormal system; and the processor receives the diagnostic data list from the service server and collects signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received diagnostic data list from a vehicle network.

[0017] In the present invention, the vehicle diagnostic method is characterized in that, in the step of generating the abnormal system information, the processor identifies the abnormal system based on user input entered through an interface device provided in the vehicle or a fault code of the vehicle.

[0018] In the present invention, the vehicle diagnostic method is characterized in that, in the step of transmitting the diagnostic data list, each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list has a signal sampling count for the diagnostic data mapped thereto.

[0019] In the present invention, the vehicle diagnostic method is characterized in that, in the step of collecting the signal, the processor collects a signal for each diagnostic data from a vehicle network according to the number of signal samplings mapped to each diagnostic data.

[0020] The vehicle diagnostic method of the present invention is characterized by further including, after the collecting step, a step in which the service server receives the collected signal data from the processor and analyzes the signal data to diagnose the abnormal system.

[0021] A vehicle diagnostic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a processor for managing abnormalities of one or more systems applied to a vehicle; and a memory for storing instructions executed by the processor. The processor identifies a system among the one or more systems in which an abnormality currently occurs, generates abnormal system information, and transmits it to a service server. As feedback to the transmission of the abnormal system information, the processor receives a list of diagnostic data required for diagnosing the abnormal system from the service server. The processor collects signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received list of diagnostic data from a vehicle network and transmits the collected signals to the service server to request diagnosis of the abnormal system.

[0022] A vehicle diagnostic server according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a communication module that receives a vehicle abnormality from a vehicle network; a generation module that generates a diagnostic data list to diagnose the vehicle abnormality; and a diagnostic module that determines the vehicle abnormality, wherein the generation module generates the diagnostic data list by specifying diagnostic data required to analyze a system in which a current abnormality has occurred. Effects of the invention

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention can provide a technology for implementing a vehicle diagnostic system and method that reduces power consumption by selectively collecting diagnostic data signals to predict vehicle abnormalities in response to a vehicle diagnostic request and to precisely analyze vehicle abnormalities, while simultaneously analyzing vehicle abnormalities based on high-bandwidth, large-capacity data received in real time via high-speed Ethernet communication, thereby satisfying efficiency and precision. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle diagnostic system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle diagnostic method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle diagnostic server according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Hereinafter, a vehicle diagnostic system and method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In this process, the thickness of lines or the size of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation.

[0028] In describing the contents of the present invention throughout the specification, the terms "electrically connected," "connected," and "connected" between individual components include not only direct connections but also connections made through an intermediate medium while maintaining attributes to a certain degree. Similarly, terms such as "transmitted" and "output" of individual signals include not only direct meanings but also indirect meanings through an intermediate medium while maintaining the signal's attributes to a certain degree. Furthermore, terms such as "applied," "input," and "input" of voltage or signals are used with these same meanings throughout the specification. Additionally, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present invention, and these may vary depending on the intentions or conventions of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the content throughout the specification.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle diagnostic system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] First, referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle diagnostic system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a processor (100), a service server (200), a vehicle network (300), a memory (400), and an interface device (500).

[0031] The processor (100) is an entity that collects signal data to identify and determine abnormalities in a vehicle, and can be implemented as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), Central Processing Unit (CPU), or System on Chip (SoC) applied to the vehicle. It can control multiple hardware or software components connected to the processor (100) by running an operating system or application, and can perform various data processing and calculations. The processor (100) can be configured to execute at least one instruction stored in memory (400) and store the execution result data in memory (400).

[0032] In this embodiment, the processor (100) can identify the system currently experiencing an abnormality among one or more systems applied to the vehicle. One or more systems applied to the vehicle may refer, for example, a drive system (e.g., in-wheel drive motor or powertrain), a transmission system (e.g., transmission), a steering system (e.g., MDPS or SBW), and a braking system (e.g., ABS or EPB).

[0033] The memory (400) may store at least one of an algorithm for identifying an anomaly that occurred in a vehicle, an algorithm for receiving a specific signal from a vehicle network (300) based on a specific number of samplings, an algorithm for generating a diagnostic data list for diagnosing an anomaly in a system, and an algorithm for analyzing an anomaly in a specific system. Such algorithms may be stored in the form of instructions executable by the processor (100).

[0034] The memory (400) may include non-volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erased Programmable ROM), flash memory, HDD, SSDD, SSD, etc. In some embodiments, the memory in which data is stored and the memory in which instructions (algorithms) are stored may be implemented as physically and / or logically separate configurations.

[0035] The processor (100) can be connected to an interface device (500) provided in the vehicle and receive a request for diagnosis regarding an abnormality that has occurred in the vehicle. The interface device (500) may correspond to a configuration (e.g., a microphone or a touch panel) provided in the vehicle that receives a user's voice signal or touch signal.

[0036] The service server (200) may correspond to a configuration that is connected to the processor (100) to transmit and receive data and generate a diagnostic data list for diagnosing an abnormal system.

[0037] In this embodiment, the service server (200) may correspond to a commercially available service server operated by a vehicle manufacturer or a server separately provided for the implementation of this embodiment.

[0038] The vehicle network (300) is connected to the process (100) and can function as a network for transmitting and receiving signals indicating an abnormality in the vehicle and various signal data inside the vehicle between each transmitting and receiving entity.

[0039] The vehicle network (300) may correspond to a configuration that transmits and receives CAN (Controller Area Network) or Ethernet signals connected to the vehicle's ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or monitoring sensors.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle diagnostic method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Based on the above description, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the present embodiment will be explained in detail below, focusing on the vehicle diagnosis method by the processor (100).

[0042] First, the processor (100) can detect an abnormality within the vehicle through the vehicle network (300) and generate abnormality system information by identifying the system where the current abnormality occurred among one or more systems applied to the vehicle (S10, S20).

[0043] In step S10, the processor (100) can detect whether an abnormality has occurred in each system of the vehicle by receiving a diagnostic request for an abnormality that has occurred in the vehicle through an interface device (500) provided in the vehicle, or by receiving a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) through the vehicle network (300).

[0044] The processor (100) can detect an abnormality in the drivetrain by, for example, receiving a voice signal from a user through the interface device (500) stating “vibration occurs during operation” or by receiving a fault code of the drivetrain through the vehicle network (300), and can receive a request for diagnosis of an abnormality in the vehicle by receiving a touch input related to ‘transmission monitoring’ from the user through the interface device (500) or by detecting a fault code thereon in a situation where only the RPM value increases and acceleration does not occur even though the accelerator pedal is pressed.

[0045] In step S20, the processor (100) can generate fault system information by identifying the fault system among one or more systems applied to the vehicle that currently has a fault (S20).

[0046] The abnormal system information may correspond to information indicating which of the multiple systems is currently experiencing an abnormality, and in the preceding example, the processor (100) may generate abnormal system information to precisely determine the abnormality of the drivetrain or transmission system specified through the vehicle diagnosis request.

[0047] Next, the processor (100) transmits abnormal system information to the service server (200), and the service server (200) that receives the abnormal system information can generate a diagnostic data list to precisely diagnose the system in which an abnormality is expected to occur (S30).

[0048] The diagnostic data list generated by the service server (200) may include signal data to be collected and the number of times the data is sampled. When assuming a case where an abnormality occurs in the drive system, the service server (200) may select a signal required to diagnose the abnormality in the drive system (e.g., torque signal, RPM signal, motor current waveform, etc.), and

[0049] As another example, if a problem occurs in the transmission system, the service server (200) can select an engine torque signal, a transmission system control signal, a throttle position sensor (TPS) signal, etc., as signals required to diagnose the transmission system problem.

[0050] Meanwhile, for each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list, a signal sampling count for that diagnostic data may be mapped. The signal sampling count may refer to the number of times a signal corresponding to the diagnostic data must be sampled (i.e., the number of collected signals and the collection period) in order to precisely diagnose the abnormal system identified in step S20. In the example where the abnormal system is identified as a drive system, the signal sampling counts for the torque signal, RPM signal, and motor current waveform corresponding to the diagnostic data, respectively, may be mapped to the diagnostic data as a first value, a second value, and a third value. The first to third values ​​may be designed based on the designer's experimental results and predefined in the diagnostic data list.

[0051] Next, the processor (100) receives a list of diagnostic data from the service server (200) and can collect signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the list of diagnostic data from the vehicle network (300) (S40).

[0052] The processor (100) may include a signal filter (not shown) and can selectively receive only the diagnostic data signals within the diagnostic data list received from the service server (200).

[0053] As a specific example, the processor (100) can reduce the time required for data collection, power consumption, and associated costs by blocking unnecessary signal data through a signal filter, by collecting only the vehicle's torque signal, RPM signal, and motor current waveform in the case of a drive system malfunction, and only the engine torque signal, transmission control signal, and TPS signal in the case of a transmission system malfunction, for a large amount of signals transmitted from the vehicle network (300).

[0054] Signal filters can be implemented using well-known analog circuits or digital signal processing algorithms, and the design of each filter may vary depending on the characteristics of the signal to be collected and its requirements.

[0055] In step S40, the processor (100) may collect data at different speeds according to the number of samplings corresponding to the amount of signal data to be received, and at this time, the data collected by high-speed sampling may preferably include a wide-bandwidth automotive Ethernet signal.

[0056] Next, the service server (200) can receive diagnostic data collected from the processor (100) and analyze abnormalities within the vehicle (S50).

[0057] For example, the service server (200) receives signals from the diagnostic data list requested by the processor (100), and can identify the cause of a drive system defect through motor current waveform analysis in response to a user's request that "shaking occurs during operation," and can analyze the acceleration state of the engine more intensively by monitoring the amount of air intake entering the engine using TPS signals regarding the occurrence of a transmission system fault code through the vehicle network (300). Since the method of diagnosing the abnormal system or the method regarding subsequent processing of vehicle abnormalities by the service server (200) can be sufficiently implemented using conventionally known methods, further detailed explanation is omitted.

[0058] In the previously described embodiment, a vehicle diagnostic system and method operated by a processor (100) were described. However, in some embodiments of the present invention, an embodiment relating to a vehicle diagnostic server operated by a service server (200) is described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3. Specific descriptions other than the operation of the service server (200) within the vehicle diagnostic server are omitted as they have been described above with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle diagnostic server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, a vehicle diagnostic server of some embodiment of the present invention may include a communication module (210), a generation module (220), and a diagnostic module (230).

[0061] The communication module (210) may be configured to communicate with the processor (100) and the vehicle network (300), and may receive an abnormality of the vehicle from the vehicle network (300) and transmit and receive data related to vehicle diagnosis from the processor (100).

[0062] At this time, the vehicle abnormality received from the vehicle network (300) may include a voice signal, a touch signal, or a fault code input by the vehicle interface device.

[0063] The generation module (220) receives information about the occurrence of a vehicle malfunction or a vehicle system malfunction through the communication module (210) and can generate a list of signal data required to precisely diagnose the system expected to have a malfunction.

[0064] The signal data list generated by the generation module (220) may have the number of signal samplings for the diagnostic data mapped thereto, and accordingly, the generation module (220) can determine the number of samplings according to each signal data to be collected and adjust the amount of data acquired.

[0065] The diagnostic module (230) receives signal data collected by the processor (100) and utilizes it to precisely diagnose an abnormality in a specific system.

[0066] Since the method of the diagnostic module (230) analyzing abnormalities that occur in the vehicle or the method of subsequent processing can be sufficiently implemented using conventionally known methods, further detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0068] According to the present embodiment, a technology can be provided to implement a vehicle diagnostic system and method that reduces power consumption by selectively collecting diagnostic data signals to anticipate vehicle abnormalities in response to a vehicle diagnostic request and to precisely analyze vehicle abnormalities, while simultaneously analyzing vehicle abnormalities based on high-bandwidth, large-capacity data received in real time via high-speed Ethernet communication, thereby satisfying efficiency and precision.

[0069] As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Furthermore, the implementation described herein may be implemented, for example, as a method or process, a device, a software program, a data stream, or a signal. Even if discussed only in the context of a single form of implementation (e.g., discussed only as a method), the implementation of the discussed feature may also be implemented in other forms (e.g., a device or a program). A device may be implemented in appropriate hardware, software, and firmware, etc. A method may be implemented in a device such as a processor, which generally refers to a processing device including, for example, a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, or a programmable logic device. The processor also includes communication devices such as computers, cell phones, portable / personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), and other devices that facilitate the communication of information between end-users.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is merely illustrative and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0072] 100: Processor 200: Service Server 210: Communication module 220: Create Module 230: Diagnostic Module 300: Vehicle Network 400: Memory 500: Interface device

Claims

Claim 1 A vehicle diagnostic system comprising: a processor that generates abnormal system information by identifying a system in which an abnormality has occurred among one or more systems applied to a vehicle; and a service server that receives the abnormal system information from the processor and transmits a list of diagnostic data required for diagnosing the abnormal system to the processor; wherein the processor collects signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received list of diagnostic data from a vehicle network and transmits the collected signals to the service server to request diagnosis of the abnormal system, wherein each diagnostic data included in the list of diagnostic data has a number of signal samplings for the diagnostic data mapped thereto, and the processor collects signals for each diagnostic data from the vehicle network according to the number of signal samplings mapped to each diagnostic data, wherein the processor selectively receives signals for the diagnostic data included in the list of diagnostic data among the signals transmitted from the vehicle network through a signal filter and blocks signals not included in the list of diagnostic data, and wherein the signals sampled according to the number of signal samplings include vehicle Ethernet signals. Claim 2 A vehicle diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies the abnormal system based on user input entered through an interface device provided in the vehicle or a fault code of the vehicle. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A method for diagnosing a vehicle, comprising: a step in which a processor identifies a system in which an abnormality has occurred among one or more systems applied to a vehicle and generates abnormal system information; a step in which a service server receives the abnormal system information and transmits a diagnostic data list for diagnosing the abnormal system; and a step in which the processor receives the diagnostic data list from the service server and collects signals for one or more diagnostic data included in the received diagnostic data list from a vehicle network; wherein, in the step of transmitting the diagnostic data list, a signal sampling count for each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list is mapped to the number of times the diagnostic data is sampled, and in the step of collecting the signals, the processor collects signals for each diagnostic data from the vehicle network according to the number of times the signal is sampled mapped to each diagnostic data, and the processor selectively receives signals for the diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list among the signals transmitted from the vehicle network through a signal filter and blocks signals not included in the diagnostic data list, and the signals sampled according to the number of times the signal is sampled include vehicle Ethernet signals. Claim 6 A vehicle diagnosis method according to claim 5, wherein in the step of generating the above abnormal system information, the processor identifies the abnormal system based on user input entered through an interface device provided in the vehicle or a fault code of the vehicle. Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 A vehicle diagnosis method according to claim 5, further comprising, after the collecting step, a step in which the service server receives the collected signal data from the processor and analyzes the signal data to diagnose the abnormal system. Claim 10 A vehicle diagnostic device comprising: a processor for managing abnormalities in one or more systems applied to a vehicle; and a memory for storing instructions executed by the processor; wherein the processor identifies an abnormal system among the one or more systems in which an abnormality currently occurs, generates abnormal system information, and transmits it to a service server; as feedback to the transmission of the abnormal system information, receives a diagnostic data list required for diagnosing the abnormal system from the service server; wherein each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list has a signal sampling count for the diagnostic data mapped thereto, collects signals for each diagnostic data from a vehicle network according to the signal sampling count mapped to each diagnostic data, transmits the collected signals to the service server to request diagnosis of the abnormal system, and wherein the processor selectively receives signals for the diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list among the signals transmitted from the vehicle network through a signal filter and blocks signals not included in the diagnostic data list, and wherein the signals sampled according to the signal sampling count include vehicle Ethernet signals. Claim 11 A vehicle diagnostic server comprising: a communication module for receiving a vehicle abnormality from a vehicle network; a generation module for generating a diagnostic data list to diagnose the vehicle abnormality; and a diagnostic module for determining the vehicle abnormality; wherein the generation module generates the diagnostic data list by specifying the diagnostic data required to analyze the system in which the current abnormality has occurred, and each diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list has a signal sampling count for the diagnostic data mapped thereto; the communication module further receives signals for each diagnostic data from the vehicle network according to the signal sampling count mapped to each diagnostic data; the communication module selectively receives signals for the diagnostic data included in the diagnostic data list among the signals transmitted from the vehicle network through a signal filter and blocks signals not included in the diagnostic data list; and the signals sampled according to the signal sampling count include vehicle Ethernet signals.

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