Information management system, information management device, and information management method

Abstract

In this information management system, a vehicle 10: stores, in an onboard memory 12, vehicle data that includes inspection / maintenance information corresponding to inspection / maintenance items and onboard-device information indicating the state of an onboard device in time series; and transmits the vehicle data to a server 20. The server 20: receives the vehicle data from the vehicle 10 before implementing inspection or maintenance of the vehicle; transmits the vehicle data to an inspection / maintenance user 30; acquires, from the inspection / maintenance user 30, items implemented in inspection / maintenance and the implementation time therefor; and displays the implementation items and the implementation time to a vehicle user of the vehicle 10.

Description

Information Management System, Information Management Device, and Information Management Method

[0001] The present invention relates to an information management system, an information management device, and an information management method.

[0002] Conventionally, a learning control device that executes learning control for correcting error components that occur constantly is known. The learning control device described in Patent Document 1 obtains a progress rate as the progress status of the learning when the engagement standby pressure of a hydraulic friction engagement device involved in the shift of an automatic transmission is subjected to learning control, and presents the learning progress status to a specific operator who has been previously authorized by displaying it on a display device.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-107913

[0004] In the learning control device described in Patent Document 1, although the operator can grasp the learning progress status of the engagement standby pressure, there is a problem that information regarding inspection or maintenance cannot be confirmed in advance.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information management system, an information management system, and an information management system that enable a user who performs inspection or maintenance to confirm information regarding inspection or maintenance in advance.

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by receiving vehicle data including inspection / maintenance information and in-vehicle device information from a vehicle before the implementation of vehicle inspection or maintenance, transmitting the vehicle data to an inspection / maintenance user, obtaining the inspection / maintenance items and implementation time from the inspection / maintenance user, and presenting the inspection / maintenance items and implementation time to the vehicle user.

[0007] According to the present invention, information regarding inspection or maintenance can be confirmed in advance.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the information management system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the information management system according to the present embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the information management system according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the information management system according to this embodiment. The information management system according to this embodiment is a system for managing information related to vehicle inspection or maintenance, and includes a vehicle 10, a server 20, an inspection / maintenance user 30, and a parts management user 40. The vehicle 10 is a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor. The vehicle 10 is inspected or maintained periodically for the purpose of maintaining, preserving, and preventing failures of the in-vehicle equipment. In the following description, inspection or maintenance will be collectively referred to as inspection and maintenance. Inspection and maintenance are carried out at regular intervals as required by law or regulations, or at regular intervals as requested by the user or manufacturer. When the vehicle user of the vehicle 10 has inspection and maintenance carried out at regular intervals, they usually bring the vehicle 10 to an inspection and maintenance service provider. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a vehicle-side controller 11 and an in-vehicle memory 12. The vehicle-side controller 11 is a control unit such as an in-vehicle ECU, and has a processor for processing programs, internal memory for storing programs, etc.

[0011] The on-board memory 12 stores vehicle data including inspection / maintenance information corresponding to inspection or maintenance items (inspection and maintenance items) and on-board device information that shows the status of on-board devices in chronological order. The inspection / maintenance information is information necessary for inspection and maintenance and indicates the current status of on-board devices included in the vehicle 10. The inspection and maintenance items are predetermined inspection or maintenance items, such as the operating status of lights such as headlights, the operating status of brakes, the meter display of meters such as speedometers, the remaining engine oil level, valve operation information, and the operation confirmation of sensors such as cameras. The vehicle-side controller 11 detects the operating status of various loads (on-board devices) corresponding to the inspection and maintenance items and stores the detection results as inspection / maintenance information in the on-board memory 12. The vehicle-side controller 11 detects the operating status of on-board devices using sensors connected to the on-board devices and switches that switch the on / off status of the on-board devices. Note that the inspection / maintenance information may also be fault codes (DTCs) recorded in the ECU.

[0012] On-board device information is information that represents the status of on-board devices installed in the vehicle, such as the remaining battery capacity, charge / discharge current, engine speed, operating current of LEDs, motor current / voltage, operating current of actuators that control mirrors, and current of the electrical system. On-board device information represents not only the current status of the on-board device but also its past status. For example, lamps such as LEDs may show fluctuations in their operating current as a sign of malfunction. If fluctuations in the operating current occur irregularly, the current operating current may show a normal value, but past operating currents may show abnormal values. In order to check for signs before an abnormality or malfunction occurs, on-board device information is stored in the on-board memory 12 as time-series information including past operating conditions (use cases). Note that information may be common between inspection / maintenance information and on-board device information. For example, information showing the operating status of a valve can be both inspection / maintenance information and on-board device information.

[0013] The vehicle-side controller 11 transmits vehicle data stored in the on-board memory 12 to the server 20 in response to a request from the server 20. In other words, the vehicle-side controller 11 transmits to the server 20 not only information used for inspection and maintenance, but also other information related to the on-board equipment along with the vehicle data.

[0014] Server 20 communicates with vehicle 10, inspection / maintenance user 30, and parts management user 40, sending and receiving information or data. Server 20 communicates with vehicle 10 via wireless communication (OTA). Server 20 communicates with inspection / maintenance user 30 and parts management user 40 via wired or wireless connection.

[0015] Server 20 comprises a server-side controller 21 and a database 22. Server 20 is a server that diagnoses the status of a vehicle remotely. Server 20 connects to the vehicle wirelessly and accesses the vehicle remotely to diagnose its status. Server 20 sends a diagnostic command to the vehicle to be diagnosed. Server 20 sends the diagnostic command after specifying the data to be extracted from the vehicle. Server 20 may also send the diagnostic command after specifying the ECU to be diagnosed from among the ECUs included in the vehicle. Server 20 uses the vehicle data acquired from vehicle 10 to diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in vehicle 10. Server 20 performs the diagnosis using inspection / maintenance information and on-board device information included in the vehicle data. In remote diagnosis, the diagnosis of whether or not there is an abnormality in the vehicle may be performed on the server side or on the vehicle side.

[0016] The server-side controller 21 communicates with the vehicle 10 and executes a remote diagnostic processing sequence. In addition to remote diagnostics, the server-side controller 21 manages information related to the inspection and maintenance of the vehicle 10. The server-side controller 21 receives vehicle data from the vehicle 10 before the inspection and maintenance of the vehicle 10 is performed. Since the inspection and maintenance of the vehicle 10 is performed periodically, the server-side controller 21 receives vehicle data before the periodic inspection and maintenance is actually performed. The server-side controller 21 may manage the timing of periodic inspections and maintenance for multiple vehicles. The server-side controller 21 stores the identification information of multiple vehicles 10 and the timing of periodic inspections and maintenance in the database 22. Then, the server-side controller 21 sends a command to the vehicle 10 to acquire vehicle data at a predetermined time before the timing of the periodic inspection and maintenance.

[0017] The timing of periodic inspections and maintenance may be managed by the vehicle 10. The vehicle-side controller 11 may also transmit vehicle data to the server 20 at a predetermined time before the scheduled time for periodic inspections and maintenance.

[0018] The server-side controller 21 transmits vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user 30. The vehicle data transmitted to the inspection / maintenance user 30 may be the same as the vehicle data received from the vehicle 10, and may include all or some of the in-vehicle device information, but must at least include inspection / maintenance information. Based on the vehicle data transmitted from the server 20, the inspection / maintenance user 30 determines the inspection and maintenance items and the time to be performed. The inspection / maintenance user 30 presents the determined inspection and maintenance items and time to the server 20.

[0019] The server-side controller 21 obtains the inspection and maintenance items and the time required for each inspection and maintenance from the inspection / maintenance user 30. The server-side controller 21 then presents the inspection and maintenance items and time obtained from the inspection / maintenance user 30 to the vehicle user. By confirming the items and time presented by the server 20, the vehicle user can understand what kind of inspection and maintenance will be performed and how long it will take before bringing the vehicle 10 into a maintenance facility. In other words, the time and items required for the inspection can be visualized. The display of the inspection and maintenance items and time can be done, for example, by displaying them on the vehicle 10's display, or by notifying or displaying them on the vehicle user's communication terminal.

[0020] The server-side controller 21 obtains parts information related to parts replacement from the parts management user 40. When the server-side controller 21 obtains inspection and maintenance items from the inspection / maintenance user 30, if it obtains inspection and maintenance results indicating that parts replacement is necessary, it presents the parts information to the parts management user 40 in order to confirm the delivery date of the parts to be replaced. The parts management user 40 confirms the delivery date from the parts inventory status and presents the specific delivery date to the server 20. The server-side controller 21 presents the parts information obtained from the parts management user 40 to the inspection / maintenance user 30. Based on the parts information obtained from the server 20, the inspection / maintenance user 30 can determine the time to perform the inspection and maintenance. This allows the inspection / maintenance user 30 to confirm the parts delivery date and prepare the parts in advance before performing routine inspection and maintenance.

[0021] The server-side controller 21 can also obtain parts information from the parts management user 40 without obtaining inspection / maintenance results from the inspection / maintenance user 30. Specifically, the server-side controller 21 transmits vehicle data to the parts management user. The parts management user 40 diagnoses the need for parts replacement from the inspection / maintenance information and / or in-vehicle device information included in the vehicle data. If the parts management user 40 diagnoses that parts replacement is necessary, it presents the parts information, including the diagnosis result and delivery date, to the server 20. This allows the server-side controller 21 to obtain parts information from the parts management user 40.

[0022] The inspection / maintenance user 30 is a person belonging to a store or facility that performs inspection or maintenance on a vehicle 10, such as a vehicle sales company (dealer) or repair shop. The inspection / maintenance user 30 accesses the server 20 via a communication network by operating a terminal. In this embodiment, the term "inspection / maintenance user 30" includes the terminal operated by the inspection / maintenance user 30.

[0023] The inspection / maintenance user 30 determines the inspection / maintenance items and time to be performed based on the inspection / maintenance information included in the vehicle data. The inspection / maintenance user 30 may also perform inspection / maintenance in advance for each item based on the inspection / maintenance information. The inspection / maintenance user 30 is not required to perform a preliminary diagnosis for all of the specified items, but may perform it for some of them. The preliminary diagnosis determines the necessity of parts effectiveness, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, the inspection / maintenance user 30 performs a preliminary diagnosis based on the in-vehicle device information. This preliminary diagnosis based on the in-vehicle device information assesses not only currently occurring abnormalities but also the possibility of future abnormalities. In addition, the preliminary diagnosis results based on the in-vehicle device information may include other items besides those required for inspection and maintenance. The inspection / maintenance user 30 assesses the possibility of future abnormalities based on time-series information, including past operating conditions (use cases), contained in the in-vehicle device information.

[0025] A parts management user 40 is a person belonging to a company that manages, manufactures, or sells parts, or a vehicle manufacturer, etc. A parts management user 40 accesses the server 20 via a communication network by operating a terminal. In this embodiment, the term "parts management user 40" includes the terminal operated by the parts management user 40.

[0026] When the parts management user 40 receives an inquiry from the server 20 regarding a part to be replaced, it confirms the delivery date of the part to be replaced and presents the parts information to the server 20. The parts management user 40 may also perform a pre-diagnosis based on the in-vehicle device information, similar to the inspection / maintenance user 30. The diagnostic method of the parts management user 40 is the same as that of the inspection / maintenance user 30. Furthermore, the pre-diagnosis may be performed by either the inspection / maintenance user 30 or the parts management user 40.

[0027] Next, the information management method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the information management method executed by the vehicle 10, server 20, inspection / maintenance user 30, and parts management user 40. Note that the vehicle 10 stores vehicle data in the on-board memory 12 before executing the flow shown in the control flow from step S1 onwards.

[0028] In step S1, the vehicle-side controller 11 of the vehicle 10 sends a remote diagnostic request command to the server 20 at a regular timing for inspection or maintenance, a timing specified by the vehicle user, or a timing corresponding to the results of the vehicle's self-diagnosis. The regular timing for inspection or maintenance is a predetermined time before the inspection and maintenance deadline stipulated by law or regulations. The timing specified by the vehicle user is the timing when the vehicle user requests a remote diagnostic or when the vehicle user has scheduled an inspection and maintenance. The vehicle-side controller 11 uses its self-diagnosis function to determine whether there is an abnormality in the vehicle or a possibility of an abnormality. If it determines that there is an abnormality in the vehicle or a possibility of an abnormality, the vehicle-side controller 11 sends a remote diagnostic request command to the server 20. In other words, the time when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the vehicle or a possibility of an abnormality corresponds to the timing corresponding to the results of the vehicle's self-diagnosis.

[0029] In step S2, the server-side controller 21 of the server 20 communicates with the vehicle 10 and sends a remote diagnostic command to the vehicle 10 in order to execute the remote diagnostic processing sequence. In step S3, the vehicle-side controller 11 sends vehicle data, including inspection / maintenance information and in-vehicle device information, to the server 20. The vehicle-side controller 11 may also include the diagnostic results of the remote diagnostic in the vehicle data and send the vehicle data to the server 20. If the server-side controller 21 performs a remote diagnostic based on the vehicle data, the server-side controller 21 may present the diagnostic results of the remote diagnostic to the vehicle user.

[0030] In step S4, the server-side controller 21 transmits the vehicle data to the parts management user 40. In step S5, the parts management user 40 performs a preliminary diagnosis based on the information contained in the vehicle data. The parts management user 40 presents parts information to the server 20 according to the preliminary diagnosis results. In step S6, the server-side controller 21 transmits the vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user 30. In step S7, the server-side controller 21 presents parts information to the inspection / maintenance user 30. The parts information may also be included in the vehicle data and transmitted to the inspection / maintenance user 30.

[0031] In step S8, the inspection / maintenance user 30 performs a preliminary diagnosis based on the information contained in the vehicle data. The inspection / maintenance user 30 determines the inspection and maintenance items and their duration based on the preliminary diagnosis results and parts information, and presents these items and durations to the server 20. The server-side controller 21 presents the inspection and maintenance items to the vehicle user.

[0032] The server 20 may also present the results of the remote diagnosis to the inspection / maintenance user 30 and / or the parts management user 40.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 stores vehicle data in the on-board memory 12, which includes inspection / maintenance information corresponding to the inspection and maintenance items, and on-board device information showing the status of the on-board devices in chronological order, and transmits the vehicle data to the server 20. The server 20 also receives the vehicle data from the vehicle 10 before the time of vehicle inspection or maintenance, transmits the vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user 30, obtains the inspection and maintenance items and time from the inspection / maintenance user 30, and presents the items and time to the vehicle user of the vehicle 10. This allows the inspection / maintenance user 30 and / or the vehicle user to check the inspection and maintenance information in advance.

[0034] In this embodiment, the server 20 obtains parts information related to parts replacement from the parts management user 40 and presents the parts information to the inspection / maintenance user 30. This allows the inspection / maintenance user 30 to determine the time to perform inspection and maintenance, taking into account the parts delivery date.

[0035] In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 sends a remote diagnostic request command to the server 20 at regular intervals during inspection and maintenance, at a timing specified by the vehicle user, or at a timing corresponding to the results of the vehicle's self-diagnosis. When the server 20 receives a diagnostic request command, it obtains vehicle data, including the results of the remote diagnostic, from the vehicle 10 before performing inspection and maintenance on the vehicle 10. This allows the server 20 to present the results of the remote diagnostic to the inspection / maintenance user 30 and / or the parts management user 40.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the vehicle 10 transmits vehicle data to the server 20, the vehicle-side controller 11 may include highly important information in the vehicle data and omit less important information before transmitting the vehicle data to the server 20. In other words, the vehicle-side controller 11 may decide which information to include in the vehicle data according to the priority of the information. For example, information indicating an abnormality in an in-vehicle device or information that has temporarily shown abnormal values ​​in the past, such as fluctuations in operating current, may be given a high degree of importance.

[0037] The inspection / maintenance user 30 may present the progress of the inspection / maintenance to the vehicle user via the server 20 during the inspection / maintenance process. In this embodiment, the inspection / maintenance user 30 and the parts management user 40 do not necessarily have to be separate users; they may be the same user (for example, a user who can perform inspections and maintenance and also manages parts).

[0038] In this embodiment, the information management system does not need to execute all of the control flows from steps S1 to S9 shown in Figure 2, and may omit some of the control flows. For example, the vehicle 10 and the server 20 may omit the control flows from steps S1 and S2, and may omit the remote diagnostic process. Furthermore, the information management system does not need to execute the control flows from steps S1 to S9 shown in Figure 2 in the order shown in Figure 2.

[0039] In this embodiment, the device including the server-side controller 21 corresponds to the "information management device" of the present invention.

[0040] 10 Vehicle 11 Vehicle-side controller 12 On-board memory 20 Server 21 Server-side controller 22 Database 30 Inspection / maintenance user 40 Parts management user

Claims

1. An information management system for managing information related to vehicle inspection or maintenance, comprising: a vehicle; a server that communicates with the vehicle and the inspection / maintenance user who performs the inspection or maintenance; the vehicle stores vehicle data in its onboard memory, which includes inspection / maintenance information corresponding to the inspection or maintenance items and onboard device information showing the status of the onboard devices in chronological order; the vehicle transmits the vehicle data to the server; the server receives the vehicle data from the vehicle before the time of the vehicle inspection or maintenance; transmits the vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user; obtains the inspection or maintenance items and the time of the inspection or maintenance from the inspection / maintenance user; and presents the inspection items and the time of the inspection to the vehicle user.

2. An information management system according to claim 1, wherein the server obtains parts information relating to parts replacement from a parts management user who manages parts of the vehicle, and presents the parts information to the inspection / maintenance user.

3. An information management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle transmits a remote diagnostic request command to the server at a periodic timing of inspection or maintenance, at a timing specified by the vehicle user, or at a timing corresponding to the results of the vehicle's self-diagnosis, and the server, upon receiving the diagnostic request command, obtains vehicle data including the results of the remote diagnostic from the vehicle before the time of inspection or maintenance of the vehicle.

4. An information management device for managing information related to vehicle inspection or maintenance, comprising a server-side controller that communicates with the vehicle and the inspection / maintenance user performing the inspection or maintenance, and receives vehicle data from the vehicle, wherein the vehicle data includes inspection / maintenance information corresponding to the inspection or maintenance items and on-board device information showing the status of on-board devices in chronological order, the server-side controller receives the vehicle data from the vehicle before the time of the vehicle inspection or maintenance, transmits the vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user, obtains the inspection or maintenance items and the time of the inspection or maintenance from the inspection / maintenance user, and presents the inspection items and the time of the inspection to the vehicle user.

5. An information management method for managing information relating to inspection or maintenance of a vehicle, which is performed by a vehicle and a server, wherein the vehicle stores vehicle data in its onboard memory, which includes inspection / maintenance information corresponding to the inspection or maintenance items and onboard device information indicating the status of the onboard device in chronological order; transmits the vehicle data to the server; the server receives the vehicle data from the vehicle before the time of the inspection or maintenance; transmits the vehicle data to the inspection / maintenance user; obtains the inspection or maintenance items and the time of the inspection or maintenance from the inspection / maintenance user; and presents the inspection items and the time of the maintenance to the vehicle user of the vehicle.

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