Vehicle Diagnostic Templates Tailored by Configuration Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current diagnostic systems for vehicle maintenance struggle to balance generic and specific instructions across various vehicle models, types, and configurations, often leading to irrelevant directions and inefficient diagnosis.

Innovation Solution

A control system with a prescription controller that stores initial diagnostic analyses with placeholders, modifying them based on vehicle system type, configuration, historical data, and operating conditions to create customized diagnostic analyses for maintenance technicians.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If generic diagnostic instructions are used across all vehicle models, then the diagnostic process can be simplified and standardized, but the instructions become irrelevant for specific vehicle configurations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic process simplicityVSAvoidvehicle-specific diagnostic information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The diagnostic instruction set is made dynamic and adaptable rather than static. The system automatically modifies generic instructions by injecting vehicle-specific parameters (model, year, configuration) to generate customized diagnostic procedures tailored to each specific vehicle while maintaining the overall generic structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters within the diagnostic instructions based on vehicle-specific data. By modifying placeholders with actual vehicle parameters (model, configuration, historical data), the same generic instruction template produces different specific instructions appropriate for each vehicle type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If multiple versions of diagnostic instructions are created for different vehicle models, then specific diagnostic needs are met, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidinstruction set complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single universal diagnostic instruction template serves multiple vehicle models and configurations. The template contains placeholders that can be filled with different vehicle-specific parameters, allowing one instruction set to function universally across diverse vehicle types without creating separate versions for each model.

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

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating entirely separate instruction sets for each vehicle model, the system creates copies of a master template and modifies the copied instances with vehicle-specific data. This allows efficient replication and customization of diagnostic instructions without maintaining multiple independent instruction sets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If diagnostic instructions include all possible vehicle configurations, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but irrelevant instructions increase diagnosis time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic coverageVSAvoiddiagnosis time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary filtering and customization of diagnostic instructions based on vehicle identification data before the actual diagnosis begins. By pre-injecting vehicle-specific parameters and removing irrelevant instructions based on historical data and configuration, the system prepares a tailored instruction set that covers all necessary checks for that specific vehicle without including unnecessary steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4191489A1Maintenance control system and method
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS LLC
  • EP4191489A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4191489A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4191489A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system is provided having a prescription controller for a vehicle system having a database. The controller may store an initial diagnostic analysis for the vehicle system at the database, the initial diagnostic analysis including a reference diagnostic section having at least one placeholder, and modify the initial diagnostic analysis based on, for example, one of vehicle system type, vehicle system configuration, historical data related to the vehicle system, or an operating system related to an operating condition to form a modified diagnostic analysis.