Patent Application
20250005974
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-105765 filed on Jun. 28, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a repair information provision apparatus and a repair information provision method configured to provide information on repairs of vehicles.
In the related art, there has been known a system that provides information on how to repair devices after the sale. For example, in a system described in JP 2003-228632 A, the diagnostic trouble code and the repair procedure for the trouble indicated by the diagnostic trouble code are associated and stored in advance in the server, and, when the diagnostic trouble code displayed on the device to be repaired is inputted through the mobile phone to the server through the network, the server returns the repair procedure for the fault represented by the diagnostic trouble code to the mobile phone.
Generally, vehicles are equipped with an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD), and the results of the diagnosis are outputted as Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). However, since the DTCs and the repair contents are not associated, it has been difficult to perform appropriate repairs on the vehicles based on the DTCs.
An aspect of the present invention is a repair information provision apparatus, including: a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The apparatus is configured to perform: acquiring first information including a diagnostic trouble code transmitted from a vehicle provided with an on-board diagnostics function; acquiring second information including a repair timing and a repair content of a repair performed on the vehicle and inputted by a worker; associating the diagnostic trouble code included in the first information with the repair content included in the second information based on a transmission timing of the first information and the repair timing included in the second information; storing a correspondence between the diagnostic trouble code and the repair content associated; and outputting repair information on the repair content corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code included in the first information based on the correspondence when the first information is acquired after the correspondence is stored.
Another aspect of the present invention is a repair information provision method, including the steps of: acquiring first information including a diagnostic trouble code transmitted from a vehicle provided with an on-board diagnostics function; acquiring second information including a repair timing and a repair content of a repair performed on the vehicle and inputted by a worker; associating the diagnostic trouble code included in the first information with the repair content included in the second information based on a transmission timing of the first information and the repair timing included in the second information; storing a correspondence between the diagnostic trouble code and the repair content associated; and outputting repair information on the repair content corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code included in the first information based on the correspondence when the first information is acquired after the correspondence is stored.
The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments in relation to the attached drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
A worker who repairs a vehicle verifies the malfunction symptoms reported by the vehicle user and the DTCs outputted from the vehicle and inspects the areas considered to be the cause, identifies the cause of the malfunction, and determines the repair content. The repair content includes components (parts) to be repaired, replacements, cleaning, processing, and other treatments for the component to be repaired. When a specific malfunction occurs in a vehicle, usually, a certain malfunction state is detected, a certain DTC is outputted, and a certain repair content is determined by the worker. Therefore, in this embodiment, so as to easily perform appropriate repairs on the vehicle based on the DTCs newly outputted from the vehicle by associating the DTCs actually outputted from the vehicle in the past with the repair content at that time, the repair information provision apparatus is configured as follows.
The apparatus 10 includes a computer that includes a CPU (processor), ROM, RAM (memory), and other peripheral circuits. The apparatus 10 includes an information acquisition unit 11, an association unit 12, a correspondence evaluation unit 13, and an information output unit 14 as functional configurations of the processor, and includes an information storage unit 15 as a functional configuration of the memory. That is, the processor of the apparatus 10 functions as the information acquisition unit 11, the association unit 12, the correspondence evaluation unit 13, and the information output unit 14, and the memory of the apparatus 10 functions as the information storage unit 15. The apparatus 10 may be configured as a single server device, a distributed server device, or a distributed virtual server device provided in a cloud environment.
The vehicle 20a is provided with an on-board diagnosis device 21 that performs the on-board diagnostics function, a positioning unit 22, and a telematics control unit (TCU) 23. The positioning unit 22 receives positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites and measures the current position of the vehicle 20a based on the received positioning signals. When a DTC is generated as a diagnosis result of the on-board diagnosis device 21, the TCU 23 transmits the DTC and the current position of the vehicle 20a (DTC generation position), measured by the positioning unit 22, to the apparatus 10 at a predetermined transmission cycle, along with the identification information of the vehicle 20 (vehicle ID). In other words, the TCU 23 transmits the DTC generated in the latest transmission cycle and the DTC generation position to the apparatus 10 along with the vehicle ID at each predetermined transmission cycle. The information transmitted from the vehicle 20a to the apparatus 10 is managed as diagnosis information via TCU on the apparatus 10 side. In the following, the DTC included in the diagnosis information via TCU may be referred to as “communication DTC”.
The DTCs include provisional DTCs temporarily generated due to errors and the like. For example, if a provisional DTC has been generated continuously for a certain number of diagnosis cycles, it changes to a confirmed DTC. Information as to whether each DTC is a provisional DTC or a confirmed DTC is included in the DTC itself, and it is possible to determine whether it is a provisional DTC or a confirmed DTC based on the DTC.
The vehicle 20b is provided with an on-board diagnosis device 21 that performs the on-board diagnostics function.
The diagnostic tool 30 is configured as a dedicated device or a general-purpose computer, and is connected to the on-board diagnosis device 21 of the vehicle 20a, 20b to be diagnosed through a communication line such as Controller Area Network (CAN). When the on-board diagnosis device 21 receives a diagnostic command from the diagnostic tool 30, it transmits the DTC generated in the past and stored in the memory to the diagnostic tool 30, or newly performs the on-board diagnostics function of the vehicles 20a, 20b and transmits the DTC generated in the diagnosis to the diagnostic tool 30. The on-board diagnosis device 21 transmits the vehicle ID of the vehicles 20a, 20b along with the DTC to the diagnostic tool 30. When the diagnostic tool 30 receives the DTC and the vehicle ID from the on-board diagnosis device 21, it transmits the received DTC and vehicle ID, along with the reception timing (DTC reception timing), to the apparatus 10. The information transmitted from the diagnostic tool 30 to the apparatus 10 is managed as diagnosis information via diagnostic tool on the apparatus 10 side. In the following, the DTC included in the diagnosis information via diagnostic tool may be referred to as “diagnostic tool DTC”.
The information input terminal 40 is configured, for example, as a device such as a personal computer, tablet terminal or the like installed in the repair factory for repairing the vehicle 20a, 20b, which can be connected to the communication network 50. Repair information on the repair of the vehicles 20a, 20b is inputted to the information input terminal 40. The repair information includes the identification information of the repair factory that performed the repair on the vehicles 20a, 20b (repair factory ID), the repair reception date, the vehicle ID, the malfunction symptoms (symptom code) to be repaired, and the repair content (parts number of the component to be repaired, specific treatment content). The repair information may include a DTC identified by the worker as a malfunction symptom related to the repair. The repair information inputted to the information input terminal 40 is transmitted to the apparatus 10 through the communication network 50 and is managed on the apparatus 10 side. In the following, the DTC included in the repair information may be referred to as the “inputted DTC”.
As shown in
As shown in
The final inspection of the vehicle 20a, 20b using the diagnostic tool 30 is also performed after the repair of the vehicle 20a, 20b. In other words, before the repair of the vehicle 20a, 20b, a diagnosis using the diagnostic tool 30 is performed to identify the repair content, and after the repair, a final inspection using the diagnostic tool 30 is performed to confirm that the malfunction state has been resolved. The diagnosis before the repair and the final inspection after the repair are performed on the same day, and a predetermined time period (for example, 30 minutes) or more elapses from the diagnosis before the repair to the final inspection after the repair. In the final inspection after the repair, DTCs (final inspection DTCs) may be generated due to procedures during the final inspection, such as temporary removal of the battery terminal. Since the final inspection DTCs should not be associated with the repair content, it is preferable to exclude them.
In S13, the diagnosis information that includes the same vehicle ID as the vehicle ID included in the diagnosis information acquired in S10 is extracted from the diagnosis information via diagnostic tool stored in the information storage unit 15. Then, it is determined whether there is diagnosis information that includes a DTC reception timing that is the same day and a predetermined time period (for example, 30 minutes) or more before the DTC reception timing included in the diagnosis information acquired in S10, in the extracted diagnosis information. If S13 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S14, while if S13 is negative, the process ends. In S14, the diagnosis information acquired in S10 is excluded (deleted, or added information indicating that it is not subject to association) from the information storage unit 15, and the process ends. As a result, the final inspection DTC is excluded from the DTCs (diagnostic tool DTCs) included in the diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the diagnosis information is updated.
The association unit 12 of the apparatus 10 associates the DTC included in the diagnosis information with the repair content included in the repair information based on the timing when the diagnosis information stored in the information storage unit 15 was transmitted and the repair timing included in the repair information stored in the information storage unit 15. The timing when the diagnosis information via TCU was transmitted is, for example, the timing (DTC acquisition timing) when the information acquisition unit 11 acquired the diagnosis information from the vehicle 20a (TCU 23). The timing when the diagnosis information via diagnostic tool was transmitted is, for example, the timing (DTC reception timing) when the diagnostic tool 30 received the diagnosis information from the vehicle 20a, 20b (on-board diagnosis device 21).
As shown in
In S22, the diagnosis information with the latest transmission date (the date including DTC acquisition timing or DTC reception timing) that is the day before the repair reception date is extracted from the diagnosis information determined, in S21, to be within the predetermined period from the repair reception date. The diagnosis information extracted in S22 may include multiple DTCs (communication DTC, communication device DTC).
When a repair of the vehicle 20a, 20b is performed at the repair factory and a diagnosis before the repair and a final inspection after the repair are performed using the diagnostic tool 30, the diagnosis information via TCU may be transmitted along with the diagnosis information via diagnostic tool. Since the diagnosis information via TCU (communication DTC) generated during the repair should not be associated with the repair content, it is preferable to exclude it. The location of each repair factory is stored in advance in the information storage unit 15 of the apparatus 10, in association with the repair factory ID.
In S23, it is determined whether the diagnosis information extracted in S22 is the diagnosis information via TCU and generated within a predetermined range (for example, within about 200m) of the repair factory corresponding to the repair information acquired in S20. In other words, it is determined whether the DTC generation position included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 is within the predetermined range of the location of the repair factory corresponding to the repair factory ID included in the repair information acquired in S20. If S23 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S24, where the diagnosis information (communication DTC) extracted in S22 is excluded (deleted, or added information indicating that it is not subject to association), and the process returns to S21. If S23 is negative, the process proceeds to S25. As a result, the diagnosis information via TCU (communication DTC) generated during the repair is excluded from the diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the diagnosis information is updated.
In S25, it is determined whether the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 is the provisional DTC. If S25 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S24, where the DTCs included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 are excluded (deleted, or added information indicating that they are not subject to association), and the process returns to S21. If S25 is negative, the process proceeds to S26. As a result, the provisional DTC is excluded from the diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the diagnosis information is updated.
The correspondence evaluation unit 13 of the apparatus 10 determines whether the repair information includes the inputted DTC and whether the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) included in the diagnosis information matches the inputted DTC included in the repair information, and evaluates the correspondence based on the determination result. In other words, if the inputted DTC identified as related to the repair is included in the repair information inputted by the worker, the matching DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) is likely to be related to the repair content. On the other hand, the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) that does not match the inputted DTC is likely not related to the repair content. If the repair information includes the inputted DTC, by considering it, the system can automatically evaluate the reliability of the correspondence between the associated DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) and the repair information.
In S26, as a process in the correspondence evaluation unit 13, it is determined whether the repair information acquired in S20 includes the inputted DTC. If S26 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S27, while if S26 is negative, the process proceeds to S29. In S27, it is determined whether the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 matches the inputted DTC included in the repair information acquired in S20. More specifically, it is determined whether any DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 matches any inputted DTC included in the repair information acquired in S20. If S27 is negative, the process proceeds to S24, where the DTC included in the diagnosis information extracted in S22 is excluded (deleted, or added information indicating that it is not subject to association), and the process returns to S21. As a result, the DTC that does not match the DTC identified by the worker as related to the repair and are likely not related to the repair content are excluded from the diagnosis information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 and stored in the information storage unit 15, and the diagnosis information is updated.
If S27 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S28, where, as a process in the association unit 12, the repair information acquired in S20 and the diagnosis information extracted in S22 are associated as a combination of the first reliability indicating high reliability, and the process ends. In S29, the repair information acquired in S20 and the diagnosis information extracted in S22 are associated as a combination of the second reliability indicating unknown reliability, and the process ends. The correspondence between the repair information and the DTC associated by the association unit 12 is stored in the information storage unit 15. The correspondence stored in the information storage unit 15 is supplemented with reliability information for each combination of the repair information and the DTC.
As shown in
As shown in
It may be possible to determine the output possibility of the repair information considering the evaluation result by the correspondence evaluation unit 13 stored in the information storage unit 15. For example, it may be possible to output the repair information on the condition that it is associated as a combination of the first reliability. It may be possible to identify the vehicle model and type corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the diagnosis information acquired in S40, and only output the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past diagnosis information of the vehicle 20a, 20b of the same model and type. On the condition that the evaluation information indicating that it is a high versatility correspondence regardless of the vehicle types is added, it may be possible to output the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past diagnosis information of the vehicle 20a, 20b of the same model but different type. On the condition that the evaluation information indicating that it is a high versatility correspondence regardless of the vehicle model is added, it may be possible to output the repair information corresponding to the DTC included in the past diagnosis information of the vehicle 20a, 20b of different models.
According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
(1) The apparatus 10 includes: the information acquisition unit 11 that acquires the diagnosis information (diagnosis information via TCU, diagnosis information via diagnostic tool) including the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) of the vehicle 20a, 20b transmitted from the vehicle 20a, 20b provided with the on-board diagnostics function and acquires the repair information including the repair timing and the repair content of the repair performed on the vehicle 20a, 20b and inputted by the worker; the association unit 12 that associates the DTC included in the diagnosis information with the repair content included in the repair information based on the transmission timing of the diagnosis information (DTC acquisition timing, DTC reception timing) and the repair timing (repair reception date) included in the repair information; the information storage unit 15 that stores the correspondence between the DTC and the repair content associated by the association unit 12; and the information output unit 14 that outputs the repair information on the repair content corresponding to the DTC included in the acquired diagnosis information based on the correspondence when the diagnosis information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 after the correspondence is stored in the information storage unit 15 (
In this way, by associating the DTC transmitted from a specific vehicle and the repair content performed on that vehicle based on the transmission timing, for example, by associating a specific DTC and the first repair content performed after transmitting that DTC, it becomes possible to associate each DTC with appropriate repair content. Also, by providing the repair information related to the appropriate repair content corresponding to the newly transmitted DTC from the vehicle based on such correspondence between the DTC and the repair content, it becomes possible to easily perform appropriate repair of the vehicle based on the DTC.
(2) The apparatus 10 further includes: the correspondence evaluation unit 13 that determines whether the repair information includes the DTC and whether the DTC (inputted DTC) included in the diagnosis information matches the DTC included in the repair information and evaluates the correspondence stored in the information storage unit 15 based on the determination result (
That is, if the repair information inputted by the worker includes the inputted DTC identified as related to the repair, the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) that matches the inputted DTC is likely to be related to the repair content. On the other hand, the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) that is different from the inputted DTC is likely not related to the repair content. By considering the inputted DTC that may be included in the repair information, it becomes possible to evaluate the reliability of the correspondence between the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) and the repair content automatically associated by the system and to provide reliable repair information corresponding to the purpose.
(3) The repair information includes information on the repaired component (parts number) (
That is, if a specific DTC and repaired component are associated across different vehicle models or types, it is considered as a high versatility correspondence that applies to different vehicle models or types. On the other hand, if the DTC and the repaired component are associated only with a specific vehicle model or type, it is considered as a correspondence that arises due to quality issues or the like unique to the specific vehicle model or type, and applies only to that specific vehicle model or type. This allows for the provision of appropriate repair information.
In the above embodiment, an example was explained where an association is automatically performed each time the repair information is acquired, as shown in
In the above embodiment, an example was explained where the repair information is outputted each time the diagnosis information is actually acquired as shown in
In the above embodiment, although the present invention has been described as a repair information provision apparatus, the present invention can also be applied as a repair information provision method. Specifically, the repair information provision method includes the steps of: acquiring the diagnosis information (diagnosis information via TCU, diagnosis information via diagnostic tool) including the DTC (communication DTC, diagnostic tool DTC) of the vehicle 20a, 20b transmitted from the vehicle 20a, 20b provided with the on-board diagnostics function and the repair information including the repair timing and the repair content of the repair performed on the vehicle 20a, 20b and inputted by the worker (S1 in
The above embodiment can be combined as desired with one or more of the aforesaid modifications. The modifications can also be combined with one another.
According to the present invention, it becomes possible to perform appropriate repairs on the vehicles based on the DTCs.
Above, while the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood, by those skilled in the art, that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-105765 | Jun 2023 | JP | national |
