Power Train Efficiency Monitoring for Vehicle Abnormality Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle body management systems fail to accurately determine abnormalities in the power train due to interference from driver skills and environmental factors, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle body management system that utilizes sensors and computational means to calculate efficiency values of power train components, filtering data under high-load conditions to distinguish between normal and abnormal operation, and set determination thresholds based on statistical analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If section fuel consumption is used to determine power train abnormalities, then fuel consumption monitoring is simple, but determination accuracy deteriorates due to driver skills and environmental factors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring simplicityVSAvoidabnormality determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the monitoring parameter from section fuel consumption to efficiency value, which is calculated based on the relationship between fuel injection amount and engine output. This parameter change eliminates the influence of driver skills and environmental factors, enabling accurate abnormality determination while maintaining monitoring simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces efficiency value as an intermediary parameter that mediates between fuel injection amount and engine output. This intermediary enables accurate power train abnormality determination by filtering out the effects of driving conditions and environmental factors that directly affect fuel consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If efficiency value is calculated based on fuel injection amount and engine output, then abnormality determination accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabnormality determination accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the efficiency value calculation system multi-functional by using it for both real-time abnormality determination and statistical analysis for threshold setting. This universal approach consolidates multiple functions into a single calculation mechanism, reducing overall system complexity despite the sophisticated calculation involved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary statistical analysis to establish determination thresholds before actual abnormality detection. This preliminary action creates a ready-to-use reference framework that simplifies the real-time determination process, as the system only needs to compare current efficiency values against pre-established thresholds rather than performing complex real-time analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If statistical analysis is performed to set determination thresholds, then determination rationality improves, but data processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetermination rationalityVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs statistical analysis and threshold setting as a preliminary action during periods when the vehicle is not in critical operation. By completing this time-consuming data processing in advance, the system establishes reliable determination thresholds that enable rapid real-time abnormality detection without repeating the full statistical analysis during critical monitoring periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial statistical analysis by focusing on key parameters (fuel injection amount, engine output, efficiency value) rather than analyzing all possible vehicle operating parameters. This selective approach maintains determination rationality while significantly reducing the time and computational resources required for statistical processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4190656B1Vehicle management system
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP4190656B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4190656B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4190656B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle body management system for managing a vehicle body having a power train formed by a plurality of parts including a prime mover, the vehicle body management system including: a processing device that computes an efficiency value of a monitoring target, the monitoring target being the power train or a part or a subsystem of the power train, on the basis of information about the vehicle body, the information being sensed by a sensor provided to the vehicle body; and an output terminal that outputs the efficiency value of the monitoring target, the efficiency value being computed by the processing device, the processing device computing a load parameter of the power train, determining whether the load parameter is larger than a load determination value set in advance, computing the efficiency value of the monitoring target on the basis of input energy and output energy of the monitoring target on condition that the load parameter be larger than the load determination value, and recording the computed efficiency value of the monitoring target.