Failure Detection Initiates Subsequent Vehicle Control Patents (Class 701/29.2)
  • Publication number: 20130338872
    Abstract: A method for initiating an operation under emergency conditions of a motor vehicle, the method including detecting a malfunction of a component of the motor vehicle; checking whether an operation under emergency conditions is possible; reporting the malfunction to the driver; initiating the operation under emergency conditions under predefined conditions, the operation under emergency conditions being initiated following an active confirmation by the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Holger Niemann, Roland Schleser, Daniel Kanth, Andreas Heyl
  • Publication number: 20130338870
    Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing a mechanical failure in an active grille shutter (AGS) system of a vehicle. The method includes receiving at least one mechanical fault condition signal, each of the at least one mechanical fault condition signals being indicative of whether a particular mechanical fault condition was detected in the AGS system. The method also includes receiving a temperature signal indicating a temperature at a location proximate to a grille shutter of the AGS and determining whether to perform an extended diagnostic based on the at least one mechanical fault condition signal and the temperature signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
    Inventors: David G. Farmer, Ankur Jaiswal
  • Publication number: 20130338871
    Abstract: A battery condition monitoring device has a control section for monitoring conditions of a high voltage battery on the basis of detection signals detected and transmitted by monitoring ICs. The control section has a main control section and a sub control section. When the main control section is in an abnormal condition, the sub control section detects the conditions of the high voltage battery, and instructs SMRs to turn on and off an electrical connection between the high voltage battery and a vehicle driving electric motor. The SMRs are arranged on connection lines through which the high voltage battery is connected to the vehicle driving electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi KUBO, Tsuneo MAEBARA
  • Patent number: 8612088
    Abstract: A system for determining if a tire of a vehicle is improperly inflated. The system includes a radar, a wheel speed sensor, and a controller. The radar is configured to emit a signal to detect a reflection of the signal off of an object positioned perpendicular to the vehicle, and to output an indication of a speed of the vehicle. The wheel speed sensor is configured to sense a speed of a wheel of the vehicle. The controller is configured to receive the indication of the speed of the vehicle from the radar, to calculate a speed of the vehicle based on the sensed speed of the wheel, and to determine a tire of the wheel is improperly inflated when the speed of the vehicle calculated using the wheel speed sensor varies by more than a predetermined amount from the speed of the vehicle determined using the radar signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Kenneth Milburn
  • Patent number: 8606456
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for propelling an articulated tracked vehicle (1) provided with at least a front and rear vehicle portion (2, 4), comprising a front drive shaft (6), which rotates a front track (8) on the front vehicle portion (2); a rear drive shaft (10), which rotates a rear track (12) on the rear vehicle portion (4), the front drive shaft (6) being disposed in the front vehicle portion (2) and the rear drive shaft (10) being disposed in the rear vehicle portion (4). At least one motor (20, 34, 36) rotates the respective front and rear drive shaft (6, 10) in order thus to propel the vehicle (1) at a speed in relation to a ground surface (16). The front drive shaft (6) is rotated at a first speed and the rear drive shaft (10) is rotated at a second speed, which first and second speeds are different, so that the front and rear tracks (8, 12) rotate at different speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Hägglunds Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Björn Nordberg
  • Patent number: 8600627
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring device and to a method for monitoring the function of the components of an agricultural implement, with a vibration sensor for providing signal values containing information on mechanical vibrations generated by moving components of the implement, an operating state detecting device for providing a signal containing information on the operating state of components of the implement, and a calculating device for generating state information on the basis of the state of the components of the implement. The calculating device can be operated to divide the signal values of the vibration sensor on the basis of the corresponding signals of the operating state detecting device into different classes, which correspond to different combinations of the operating states of the components in the detection of the signal values, and to compare the signal values divided into classes or data derived from these signal values with comparison values for generating state information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Folker Beck, Lutz Bischoff
  • Patent number: 8600641
    Abstract: A device, system and method for controlling speed of a vehicle are provided. The device includes a locational information module for determining location information and speed; a storage module for storing at least one geographic map including at least one route and a speed limit for the at least one route; a processing module configured to receive the location information, retrieve at least one geographic map based on the location information, determine a speed limit based on the location information and compare the speed of the device to the determined speed limit; and a display module for alerting a user if the speed of the device exceeds the determined speed limit. The system and method can be for communicating a subject vehicle's speed to a central server where it can be utilized to analyze traffic congestion patterns or notify selected companies or individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Clayco Research Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Leigh M. Rothschild
  • Patent number: 8600604
    Abstract: This invention is a system and process for determining and verifying the voracity of data gathered for use in recording and tracking vehicle usage. The device operates to verify and detect events that may affect data integrity by sensing a condition indicative of faulty data acquisition or of corruption of data integrity. Data evidencing potential problems are encoded and included with normal data uploaded to a central server. The central server compares the encoded entries against criteria that have been determined to indicate potential data inconsistencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Otman Adam Basir, David Bullock
  • Publication number: 20130317690
    Abstract: A vehicle battery diagnosis apparatus is provided that diagnoses a history of a usage state of a secondary battery of a vehicle and that presents a suppression measure against battery degradation. The vehicle battery diagnosis apparatus includes a storage unit and a diagnosis unit. The storage unit stores an alternative suppression measure for a factor responsible for degradation of the secondary battery. The diagnosis unit prohibits presentation of the alternative suppression measure as a suppression measure upon determining the alternative suppression measure fails to satisfy a prescribed presentation criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Fujita, Hideaki Hirose, Masanobu Hidaka, Hironao Goto, Toshimine Sakurai, Takashi Shimayama
  • Patent number: 8594900
    Abstract: An enhanced wheel data processing unit may analyze tire air temperature data from a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and antilock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor fault codes from an ABS controller within a vehicle. When the enhanced wheel data processing unit determines that the tire air temperature is above a predetermined threshold for a given tire and that an ABS wheel speed sensor fault code exists for the wheel end corresponding to the same tire, the enhanced wheel data processing unit may initiate a vehicle shutdown or derate procedure. The vehicle shutdown or derate procedure may include instructions to give an operator of the vehicle a warning indicator for a predetermined time period before shutting down or derating the engine power to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Motor Coach Industries Limited
    Inventors: Bryan Couch, Daniel Edward Olson
  • Patent number: 8589018
    Abstract: A diagnostic tool for a vehicle configured to automatically identify different communication protocols used by Electronic Control Units (ECUs) on-board the vehicle. The diagnostic tool includes a connector connectable to a data port of the vehicle; a data processor and a data storage device configured to store a list of different communication protocols. The data processor automatically initiates communications with the ECUs on-board the vehicle using a first communication protocol and if the data processor receives a response comporting to the first communication protocol, the data processor determines that at least one ECU on-board the vehicle is using the first communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: IDSC Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: James G. Sarnacke, Paul Garibay, Michael D. Laferle, Dan O. Morris, David F. Skladanowski, Venkateshwar Sinha, David Paul Shock
  • Patent number: 8589019
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for vehicle monitoring with processing interruption tolerance. One or more vehicle sensors can transmit one or more data streams to a primary data processing system via a data channel. A secondary data buffer can be coupled to the data channel to continuously capture the set of data streams and/or subsets thereof. During normal operation, the set of data streams are processed by the primary data processing system. After a limited-duration fault occurs in the primary data processing system, it can recover by accessing the backup data in the secondary data buffer. The lost data can be retrieved from the secondary data buffer using timestamp information to process the data in its original time context and to ensure that no already-processed data is included. The set of data streams can be downsampled or decimated in the secondary data buffer to extend storage capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles L. Wallace, Ernest Basin, Eric G. DeWall, Sjef van Gool, Rajendra K. Somla, Daniel A. Deninger, Douglas C. Woody
  • Publication number: 20130304304
    Abstract: A combination (10) of a power-supply control device (12) and at least one light-control device (14) of a motor vehicle operates at least one semiconductor light source (36, 38). The control device (12) supplies the light-control device (14) with power via a supply line (18) connected to a first connection pin (20) of the control device (12), monitors current flowing through connection pins of the control device (12), and makes use of diagnoses thereof. The light-control device (14) is connected to an additional connection pin (28) of the control device (12) via an error line (26) and checks function of the connected semiconductor light source (36, 38) and, in the case of a malfunction, triggers a current flow in the error line (26). The control device (12) reacts to the triggered current flow with generation of an error message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Automotive Lighting Reutlingen GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Schnerr, Dirk Blum
  • Patent number: 8583314
    Abstract: Industrial vehicles communicate across a wireless environment and the wireless communication, data collection and/or processing capabilities of industrial vehicles are utilized to implement dashboard functions that thread status information from detail level views, up through intermediate views and to summary level views to facilitate efficient fleet maintenance, management and control. Further, industrial vehicle data may be communicated to a trusted third party server. As such, wirelessly collected industrial vehicle information is utilized within robust software solutions that aggregate and analyze data across multiple enterprises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Sergio Schulte de Oliveira, Benjamin J. Purrenhage, Philip W. Swift, David K. Tinnerman, Jeffrey C. Whitford
  • Patent number: 8583327
    Abstract: A tire burst detecting and anti-deviation system comprises an ABS system component, a brake chief-pump (2) and a braking circuit (4) connecting to the ABS system component, and an ESP system component electrically connecting to the ECU of the ABS system component. The ECU further includes an acquisition module for acquiring signals from the sensors in the ABS system and the ESP system, a judging module for judging whether the tire burst has occurred or not based on the acquired signals, and a calculating module for calculating the deviation rectifying angle based on the acquired signal. The ABS system component rectifies deviation based on the deviation rectifying angle. A method used in the tire burst detecting and anti-deviation system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen Toyi Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dongping Xiao
  • Patent number: 8571749
    Abstract: A grille control mechanism for a vehicle includes a movable member being switchable between opened and closed positions, an electric motor actuating the movable member, and a control device controlling a supply of electric current until detecting a lock current value to execute an opening operation or a closing operation, wherein the control device executes a checking operation for returning the movable member to an initial position and executing once again the opening or closing operation in a case where a detecting time of the lock current value since the opening or closing operation is started exceeds a predetermined time, and the control device determines that the movable member is in an abnormal state in a case where a detecting time of the lock current value after the operation is started from the initial position in the checking operation exceeds the predetermined time for a predetermined number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Kawato
  • Patent number: 8571757
    Abstract: In a steering apparatus for a vehicle which has a steering mechanism for steering steerable road wheels by means of a steering wheel operated by a driver and an electrically controllable auxiliary steering angle superposition mechanism, and in which a target auxiliary steering angle is set in accordance with a steering wheel angle, and an electric motor of the auxiliary steering angle superposition mechanism is driven and controlled according to the target auxiliary steering angle, the rotation of the electric motor 212 is inhibited without regard to the state of the driving control. A short-circuit relay 13 is provided for short-circuiting opposite terminals of the electric motor 212, and the short-circuit relay 13 is operated so as to short-circuit the opposite terminals of the electric motor 212 through a short-circuit relay driving unit 14 in accordance with the kind of a failure detected by a failure detection unit 18, whereby the rotation of the electric motor 212 is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Ogawa, Masafumi Okazaki, Masayoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8565993
    Abstract: An enhanced stability control system (200) for a vehicle includes a vehicle status sensor that generates a sensor signal. A driver input sensor that generates an input signal. A controller (214) may disable normal yaw stability control operation and enable body-force-disturbance (BFD) yaw stability control (YSC) operation, which includes at least partially reducing response functions of the normal yaw stability control associated with the input signal, in response to the sensor signal and performing BFD-YSC functions to achieve desired control performance upon the detection of BFD reception. The controller (214) may also or alternatively compare the sensor signal to a threshold and detect an improperly functioning/inoperative vehicle status sensor. The controller (214) disregards information associated with the improperly functioning/inoperative vehicle status sensor, and continues to perform enhanced yaw stability control operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Jlanbo Lu, Joseph Carr Meyers, Jeffrey Dan Rupp, Bengt Johan Henrik Jacobson, Mathijs Willem Geurink, Doug Scott Rhode, Olle Johansson
  • Patent number: 8565959
    Abstract: Multiple leak rate methodologies are combined and operate in parallel in a system for providing optimal results under different tire conditions. The methodologies may operate continuously or alternatively. Tandem large leak rate and low leak rate algorithms and methodology, for example, may deployed in a system in which, for large leak rates, a large leak rate methodology is employed and used to trigger a warning. At some pre-designated low leak rate threshold value, the system employs a low leak rate methodology either as an exclusive diagnostic monitor or in parallel with the companion large leak rate methodology. In the low leak rate analytical system, a change in tire pressure is correlated to a change in energy within a vehicle system pursuant to the algorithm W=??P*dx and derivative algorithms are used to calculate a final time and pressure drop at the final time as a basis for issuing a low pressure warning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Jack Edward Brown, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8565949
    Abstract: A method includes determining an amount of power currently available from a battery for tractive torque as an amount of power stored in the battery less an amount of power required to power other vehicle components, and less an amount of power required to start the engine. An output torque limit when torque is provided only by the motor and power required to provide the output torque limit are determined based on test data. A maximum output torque is calculated by multiplying the amount of power determined to be currently available for tractive torque by a ratio of the output torque limit to the amount of power required to provide the output torque limit. The current output torque may be reduced at a predetermined rate until within a predetermined range of the lesser of the maximum output torque and the output torque limit if an engine start is requested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Christman, Shaochun Ye, Michael Arnett
  • Patent number: 8565986
    Abstract: A system and method for maintaining the operation of an automated transmission (16), particularly a dual dutch transmission, for a motor vehicle, in case of a failure of an engine speed sensor (50) or a bus connection (44) between a first control module (42) controlling an engine (28) being connectable to the transmission (16) through at least one separation clutch (12, 149), and a second control module (34) controlling regulating units (12, 14) for connecting the engine (28) to the transmission (16) or to one or more driving wheels (34) in a force-transmitting manner, wherein gear-shift relevant data, particularly a number of revolutions (no) of the engine, is exchanged between the control modules (34, 42) over the bus connection (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: GETRAG Getriebe- und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG, GETRAG Transmission Corporation
    Inventors: Josef Glatthaar, Tobias Kalisch, Oliver Ottinger, Bruce Palansky
  • Patent number: 8560157
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for automated control of a moving vehicle. An alarm condition is detected, and in response to the alarm condition, the current radius of curvature of the vehicle is maintained. The radius of curvature may be calculated by using data received from sensors. The alarm condition may be a result of the vehicle becoming unstable or the automated navigation system malfunctioning. In response to operator control input, the vehicle is placed into a manual control state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Vernon Joseph Brabec
  • Patent number: 8554401
    Abstract: There are provided: control valves 22-24 that control flow of pressure oil from the hydraulic source 21 to the hydraulic actuators 15-17; electric lever devices 51-53 that output electrical operation signals v51-v53 in correspondence to lever operation; electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 through which control pressures for controlling the control valves 22-24 are output; a pressure calculating unit 50 that calculates control pressures P25-P30 in correspondence to the operation signals V51-v53; a control unit 50 that controls the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 so that control pressures to be output from the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30 become the control pressures P25-P30 that have been calculated; a high-pressure selection circuit 41-44 that selects a higher pressure between control pressures that have been output from the electromagnetic proportional valves 25-30; pressure detectors 45 and 46 that detect a control pressure selected by the high-pressure selection circuit 41-44;
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Satake, Katsuaki Kodaka, Yuuki Gotou, Yuuji Nagashima, Kazuhiro Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8554402
    Abstract: A method of detecting a tire having a decreased internal pressure by making a relative comparison among wheel speeds of tires attached to the respective wheels, includes detecting wheel rotation information regarding the respective tires of the vehicle; calculating wheel speeds based on the detected wheel rotation information; calculating DEL2 as a decreased pressure determination value by comparison between a front wheel speed and a rear wheel speed; and determining, when the resultant decreased pressure determination value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, that a tire has a decreased internal pressure. The method further includes a threshold value setting step of setting the predetermined threshold value based on (a) a relation obtained in advance, depending on a difference of the mass of the vehicle, between DEL2 and a load sensitivity during a vehicle turning, and (b) a load sensitivity obtained by a turning at the time of determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Wada
  • Publication number: 20130253756
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle control system configured to select one of driving modes which are associated with abnormalities of control units and are previously defined in a mapping table, and to output an execution command via CAN bus to a corresponding control unit that achieves the selected driving mode. In the above process, the driving modes stored in a driving mode change instruction unit each provide a driving state which enables a vehicle to perform safety driving reliably, while maintaining a minimum necessary driving performance even when an abnormality occurs in the relevant control units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kouji MATSUNO
  • Patent number: 8543281
    Abstract: A method of determining an angular velocity of an aircraft includes measuring the angular velocity using at least one gyro delivering a measured angular velocity signal affected by stochastic noise; measuring the angular acceleration of the aircraft using at least one accelerometer delivering a signal representing the angular acceleration of the aircraft; and using a filtering complementary in a frequency domain to combine a sum of the measured angular velocity signal and the angular acceleration signal so as to obtain a hybrid estimated angular velocity signal with reduced stochastic noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Petillon, Marc Salesse-Lavergne
  • Patent number: 8543279
    Abstract: A control system for a hydraulic automatic transmission includes a fault detection module and a transmission diagnostic module. The fault detection module detects faults of components of the transmission, wherein the faults may indicate low hydraulic fluid pressure in the transmission or failure of one or more of the components. The transmission diagnostic module determines whether the faults are due to low hydraulic pressure based on the detected faults, a predetermined number of faults, and a plurality of conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Inventors: Scott E. Mundy, Jill Ann Hampton
  • Patent number: 8543286
    Abstract: A method includes: receiving classification data for a hazard associated with a system of a vehicle, the classification data indicating a classification of the hazard under standard 26262 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO); receiving fault tree data for a fault tree of the hazard; analyzing the fault tree data using a fault tree analysis (FTA) application; identifying a minimal cut-set for the hazard; retrieving standards data for the hazard based on the classification of the hazard, the standards data indicating a minimum value for minimal cut-sets under the 26262 standard; comparing a number of elements in the minimal cut-set with the minimum value; and indicating whether the minimal cut-set complies with the 26262 standard based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Inventors: Padma Sundaram, Dong Da
  • Patent number: 8532902
    Abstract: In a method for controlling at least one electromechanical parking brake unit in a vehicle, the current vehicle speed is detected by a speed sensor system in the form of a speed measuring signal, and a deceleration measuring signal displaying the current vehicle deceleration is detected by at least one acceleration sensor system. In the event of a defective speed signal or a failure of the speed sensor system, the electromechanical parking brake system is operated in an emergency operation mode wherein, at the beginning of a braking, a dynamic braking function is provided by the electromechanical parking brake unit. Advantageously, the current vehicle deceleration is determined from the deceleration measuring signal and compared with a pre-determined minimum deceleration value, and if the determined current vehicle deceleration falls short of the pre-determined value in the emergency operation mode, a static brake function is provided by the electromechanical parking brake unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Bentner, Alexander Kalbeck
  • Patent number: 8532869
    Abstract: There is provided a controller for controlling a vehicle device, which includes a circuit board having mounted thereon a control circuit that controls operations of the vehicle device, a first temperature sensor mounted on a first specific region of the circuit board to output a first signal responsive to a temperature of the first specific region of the circuit board and a second temperature sensor mounted on a second specific region of the circuit board to output a second signal responsive to a temperature of the second specific region of the circuit board. The control circuit has an anomaly detection portion that judges the occurrence or non-occurrence of an output anomaly in the first temperature sensor based on the first and second signals of the first and second temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kimoto, Yasuhiro Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 8532867
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to a predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding the state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Inventor: LeRoy G. Hagenbuch
  • Patent number: 8527136
    Abstract: When anomalous vehicle actions occur in a vehicle multiple times, it is determined whether each action data is included in a series of action data sets that are closely related mutually or an irrelevant independent action data set. When it is included in the series of action data sets, the ECUs record the series of action data sets in respective own memories according to a predetermined recording order. In contrast, when it is included in the independent action data set, an earliest ECU that is earliest in the recording order records the action data by overwriting its own memory. In this case, the earliest ECU transmits an instruction to other ECUs to delete all past action data that are recorded in own memories of the other ECUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuki Kusano
  • Patent number: 8527137
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior data recording control system is disclosed. The system comprises a vehicle abnormality detector for detecting a vehicle abnormality and a recorder for acquiring vehicle abnormality information from the vehicle abnormality detector. In response to occurrence of an unexpected behavior, the recorder determines whether or not a cause of the unexpected behavior is the vehicle abnormality. When the cause of the unexpected behavior is the vehicle abnormality, the recorder is prohibited from recording a behavior data relating to the unexpected behavior. When the cause of the unexpected behavior is not the vehicle abnormality, the recorder records the behavior data relating to the unexpected behavior in the memory as an unexpected behavior data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Tadaaki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8515646
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an internal combustion engine capable of appropriately reflecting various requests relating to the performance of the internal combustion engine. Specifically, the control device of the internal combustion engine acquires various requests relating to the performance of the internal combustion engine, and sets restricted ranges of the value of the control variable in accordance with the details of the requests. At this moment, the control device temporally changes the set restricted ranges for specific requests associated with the time integral value of the control variable rather than the instantaneous value of the control variable. Subsequently, the control device determines a final restricted range on the basis of the overlap between the restricted ranges set for each request, and determines the target value of the control variable in the final restricted range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kota Sata, Yasuhiro Oi, Shinichi Soejima, Koichi Ueda, Shuntaro Okazaki, Satoshi Yoshizaki
  • Patent number: 8504238
    Abstract: A system for distributing propulsion to front and rear axles of a vehicle includes: a front axle motor coupled to the front axle and a rear axle motor coupled to the rear axle. An electronic control unit (ECU) electronically coupled to the motors commands the rear axle motor to increase torque supplied to the rear axle during understeer and commands the front axle motor to increase torque supplied to the front axle during oversteer. A method to distribute propulsion to front and rear axles of a vehicle includes estimating actual yaw rate, estimating desired yaw rate, providing electrical energy to the front axle motor during oversteer, and providing electrical energy to the rear axle motor during understeer. Additionally, electrical energy may be extracted from the rear axle motor during oversteer and electrical energy may be extracted from the front axle motor during understeer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Wei Liang, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 8504237
    Abstract: In device for side impact recognition in a vehicle, at least one pressure sensor system that produces a signal is provided in a side part of the vehicle, and an evaluation circuit is provided that recognizes a side impact as a function of the signal. In addition, a test device is provided for the at least one pressure sensor system, the at least one test device being configured such that the at least one test device oversamples the signal and then filters it in order to produce a test signal, the test device comparing the signal with a reference value and, as a function of this comparison, recognizing the operability of the at least one pressure sensor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Wellhoefer, Boris Adam, Volker Frese
  • Patent number: 8498772
    Abstract: In an idle stop vehicle, a starter has separately an electromagnetic switch for energizing a motor and a pinion control solenoid for engaging a pinion gear with a ring gear. A coil of the solenoid is energized by a battery through a relay. For starting an engine, an ECU turns on the relay and the electromagnetic switch so that the starter cranks an engine. During engine operation, the ECU turns on only the relay while maintaining turn-off of the electromagnetic switch. If a voltage of a current supply path between the relay and the coil is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the ECU prohibits automatic idle stop by determining that the current supply path to the coil has abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kyohei Kanemoto, Ryouta Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8498776
    Abstract: A system and method for fault diagnosis includes receiving information defining a relationship between failure modes and diagnostic trouble codes and extracting diagnostic trouble code data, including set times, frequency data and diagnostic trouble code sequence information for a plurality of diagnostic trouble codes relating to a plurality of failure modes. The system and method further include constructing a Markov chain using the diagnostic trouble code data for each of the plurality of failure modes, training the Markov chain to learn a set of state parameters using the diagnostic trouble code data, and computing a likelihood of a diagnostic trouble code sequence for each of the plurality of failure modes using the trained Markov chains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Satnam Singh, Vineet R. Khare, Rahul Chougule
  • Patent number: 8494708
    Abstract: A controller for determining whether a previously-detected vehicle malfunction still exists. If the malfunction is no longer detected in the sensor signals, a vehicle control system operates in a first operational state or normal operational state with respect to the previously-malfunctioning sensor (e.g., signals from the sensor are used to control the vehicle). If the malfunction continues to be detected, the vehicle control system operates in a second operational state or malfunction state with respect to the malfunctioning sensor in which the signals from the sensor are not used to control the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Henrik Bechtler, Ravi Bhadange, Nachiket Patil, Takeshi Tokonaga, Stefan Mallmann, Michael Schwab, Dietmar Stapel, Willy Klier, Joerg Eesmann
  • Patent number: 8489289
    Abstract: Disclosed is a converter (200) for signals between a safety device (300) and a universal safety control device (100) for a vehicle. At the converter (200) the safety control device (100) can be connected at a control device interface (200.1) and at least one type of safety devices (300.2) can be connected at at least one safety device interface (200.2) and wherein the converter (200) converts a signal of the safety control device (100) into a signal, which is suitable for the respectively connected type of safety device (300.2), to the respective safety device interface (200.2). It is proposed to embody the converter (200) such that it detects a condition at the safety device interface (200.2), in particular a diagnostics condition signal and converts it into a condition accordingly predefined at the control device interface (200.1), preferably in a manner which does not require an adaptation of the control device or of its software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Mueller
  • Patent number: 8489270
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and corresponding device for diagnosing the dynamics of an exhaust gas sensor, which is disposed in an exhaust gas duct of an internal combustion engine in the direction of flow of the exhaust gas upstream or downstream of a catalytic converter and with which the air/fuel ratio of the gas mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine is controlled via a control circuit. During diagnosis, provision is made for at least one actuator intervention to be specified by means of a control algorithm of a diagnostic controller specifically m the direction of an asymmetric behavior, which is achieved by an extension of one of the two ramps, until the actuator intervention is compensated by an asymmetric dynamic error of the exhaust gas sensor, a reaction to said actuator intervention being used as criterion for assessing an asymmetric dynamic error of said exhaust gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kersten Wehmeier, Michael Pfeil, Siyun Chu, Albrecht Clement
  • Patent number: 8478474
    Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus and a diagnostic method are provided for a belt squeezing force adjusting mechanism of a continuously variable transmission in which a belt is wound around a primary sheave that receives driving force and a secondary sheave that outputs force to a drive line, and which continuously changes the output rotation speed by adjusting the width of the groove the primary sheave and the secondary sheave by shift control. This diagnostic determines, as a precondition, whether a target control value calculated in shift control is in a low region, and performs a diagnostic on the belt squeezing force adjusting mechanism based on the relationship between an actual control value and the target control value during control to reduce a control value when it is determined that the precondition is satisfied. According to this diagnostic apparatus and diagnostic method, an erroneous diagnosis can be prevented so the diagnostic can be performed accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Matsui, Akira Hino, Shinya Toyoda, Naoto Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8473202
    Abstract: A automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem. The general purpose computer includes a program execution module to selectively start and stop processing of a program of equipment instructions and to generate a plurality of move commands. The real-time computer subsystem includes a move command data buffer for storing the plurality of move commands, a move module linked to the data buffer for sequentially processing the moves and calculating a required position for a mechanical joint. The real-time computer subsystem also includes a dynamic control algorithm in software communication with the move module to repeatedly calculate a required actuator activation signal from a joint position feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: C.H.I. Development Mgmt. Ltd. XXIV, LLC
    Inventor: John R. Lapham
  • Patent number: 8473176
    Abstract: An aircraft monitoring system uses aircraft engine and system transducers to monitor critical engine and aircraft system parameters. Simple controls and graphical user interfaces facilitate the display of different kinds of critical information to the pilot. Such data may also be recorded for later downloading and analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventors: John S. Youngquist, John W. Toulmin
  • Patent number: 8473146
    Abstract: A method of managing information interchanged within a modular-architecture control system of a motor vehicle power plant and values of which are liable to be affected by malfunctioning of the control system and/or of the power plant. In the method an indication of the validity of the value of the information is allocated to each of the information items, this indication of validity being formulated by a module that generates the information on the basis of input indications received by the generating module and representative of a potential malfunctioning of this generating module or of another module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Joseph Regnard De Lagny, Abdelmalik Belaid, Sylvain Seyres
  • Patent number: 8467929
    Abstract: A controller for determining whether a previously-detected vehicle wheel speed sensor malfunction still exists. The controller includes an electronic, non-volatile memory, and an electronic processing unit connected to the electronic, non-volatile memory. The electronic processing module includes a malfunction monitoring module, a failure handling module, and a signal checking module. The malfunction monitoring module monitors the operation of at least one wheel speed sensor and generates a fault signal when the at least one sensor malfunctions. The failure handling module causes drive cycle information and the fault information to be stored in the electronic, non-volatile memory. The signal checking module performs a signal check on information from the at least one wheel speed sensor. A tell-tale indicator is deactivated and/or a vehicle control system resumes normal operation if the wheel speed sensor passes the signal check.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Henrik Bechtler, Ravi Bhadange, Nachiket Patil, Takeshi Tokonaga, Stefan Mallmann, Michael Schwab, Dietmar Stapel, Willy Klier, Joerg Eesmann
  • Patent number: 8463484
    Abstract: A theft deterrent apparatus is used in a marine vessel which includes a propulsion device. The theft deterrent apparatus includes an authentication unit, a fault detection unit arranged to detect a fault of the authentication unit, and an operation control unit arranged to control operation of the propulsion device. When the authentication unit is normal, the operation control unit controls the operation of the propulsion device in accordance with an authentication result of the authentication unit. When a fault has occurred in the authentication unit, the operation control unit controls the operation of the propulsion device without referring to the authentication result of the authentication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaaki Bamba
  • Publication number: 20130144481
    Abstract: A system for detecting accelerator pedal failure in an accelerator pedal system including a vehicle control system, the pedal failure detecting system having an accelerator pedal; a pedal arm; a sensor configured to interpret a force applied to the accelerator pedal and further configured to transmit a signal as a sensor output to the vehicle control system, wherein the vehicle control system is configured to correlate the sensor output to an accelerator pedal position, and to indicate a failure condition when it is not feasible the to read the sensor output given the accelerator pedal position. A method for detecting accelerator pedal failure conditions in an accelerator pedal system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Fazal Urrahman Syed, Venkatapathi Raju Nallapa, Mathew Alan Boesch, Johannes Geir Kristinsson
  • Patent number: 8447460
    Abstract: A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nihei, Yasushi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8447418
    Abstract: A control system has regular ECUs and a recovery ECU. Each regular ECU controls driving of current consumers, respectively, drivable by driving methods and connected through output channels. The recovery ECU has output drivers, respectively, producing driving currents based on the driving methods and channel changing blocks corresponding to the respective driving methods. When receiving information indicating failure of an output channel of one regular ECU, the recovery ECU specifies the driving method of the failed channel, controls the driver of the specified driving method to produce a driving current, and controls the changing block of the specified driving method to select one output channel, through which the current consumer connected with the failed ECU through the failed channel is also connected with the changing unit. The recovery ECU performs substitute driving instead of the failed ECU to supply the current to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Katou