Vehicle Warning Light Diagnosis With In-Car Explanations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle owners often face difficulties in understanding and addressing warning lights on their dashboard without access to appropriate applications or tools, leading to unnecessary trips to dealerships or mechanics.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-based computing system that includes a processor to detect warning lights, provide explanatory information, and offer troubleshooting, repair scheduling, and data transfer options directly to the vehicle's display and mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users rely on traditional methods (owner's manual, dealership visits) to diagnose warning lights, then they can obtain diagnostic information, but they experience loss of time and increased complexity in the diagnostic process
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the vehicle's own computing system to automatically detect warning lights, retrieve diagnostic information from stored data, and present troubleshooting steps to the user without requiring external assistance from dealerships or mechanics, allowing the vehicle to serve its own diagnostic needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-stores diagnostic information and troubleshooting steps in the vehicle's computing system before warnings occur, so that when a warning light activates, the diagnostic data is immediately available without requiring time-consuming external lookups or manual searches
2Reliability
If users visit dealerships or mechanics for warning light diagnosis, then they receive professional diagnostic services, but they incur additional costs and loss of time for travel and waiting
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's computing system performs self-diagnosis by automatically detecting warning lights, retrieving relevant diagnostic information from stored data, and presenting troubleshooting steps to the user, eliminating the need for external professional intervention for basic diagnostic needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses stored diagnostic data and troubleshooting information as an intermediary between the warning light detection and the user, providing professional-grade diagnostic information without requiring physical presence at a dealership
3Ease of operation
If comprehensive diagnostic information is provided to users, then users can better understand and address warning lights, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the diagnostic process into distinct components: warning light detection by the computing system, information retrieval from stored diagnostic data, and presentation of troubleshooting steps to the user, allowing each function to be handled independently and simplifying the overall system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's computing system performs multiple functions including detecting warning lights, retrieving diagnostic information, and presenting troubleshooting steps, allowing a single system to handle the entire diagnostic process without requiring separate dedicated components for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a processor configured to detect a vehicle condition associated with a warning light. The processor is also configured to obtain explanatory information explaining the cause of the warning light. The processor is further configured to present the explanatory information via a vehicle display. Also, the processor is configured to present a plurality of options for further action with the explanatory information and, upon selection of one of the options, take further steps in accordance with the selection option.