On Board Diagnostics with Electronic Horizon

Inventor(s):
Peter Fussey
John Ormerod

Patent Publication Number:
WO 2004/072460

Technology Benefit:
The invention is a method and apparatus for on board diagnostics. The on board diagnostics systems carry out diagnostic steps to ensure the correct functioning of the vehicle systems. An electronic horizon system provides information relating to prospective system-influencing factors, this forward-looking information is used to determine the optimum conditions in which to carry out the diagnostic steps. This use of the electronic horizon ensures that an improved diagnostic quality and accuracy is obtained.

Description:
On Board Diagnostics (OBD) is a system for detecting and recording errors. In a vehicular system, a unit monitors a control unit and vehicular system responses for errors during normal vehicle operations. The system alerts the driver (e. g. by a dashboard light) if malfunctions or deterioration occurs. In addition, when the vehicle is serviced, this information on the errors can be down loaded and displayed to the service personnel which may facilitate the trouble shooting process. The OBD system involves a number of sensors and a data processor, which is typically integrated with the vehicle's electronic management system

For example, the OBD system monitors the engine, the transmission, the exhaust and its after-treatment (e. g. catalysts) and the vehicle itself. The electronic horizon system collects information relating to prospective system influencing factors such as from existing sensors of the vehicle (e. g. temperature sensors), telematics, digital maps, traffic information received from transmitters external to the vehicle (e. g. wireless transmitters), weather information and current conditions, and Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

Contact:
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The electronic horizon can be defined as the predicted information presented to the vehicle so it can "see" the road ahead, not only in form (direction and gradient) but in aspects such as road condition, traffic loading, accidents, weather conditions, number of lanes, class of road etc. Thus the electronic horizon provides information relating to prospective system-influencing factors. The electronic horizon may relate to the prospective journey to be undertaken by the vehicle and may cover the vehicle's previous, current and estimated future states.

For those strategies that must run at idle, the electronic horizon would help the OBD decide when to disable the auto stop in order to run the OBD at idle.

For those strategies that can be run at other operating points, the electronic horizon information could help schedule the diagnosis routines and increase the number of successful diagnosis routines The benefit here is that the OBD strategies will be feasible and should be implemented more efficiently and without as many failures as may be found when OBD is carried out randomly.

Licensing Status: Not currently licenced, available for licence