FIELD OF THE ART
This invention relates to a test system to test a mobile object itself such as a vehicle,
a ship or an airplane, and a component such as an internal combustion engine used for the
mobile object.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally known is an automobile test system wherein a plurality of
measurement devices are connected to a single measurement administrating device and the
10 measurement devices are administrated by the administrating device. In addition, as
shown in the patent document 1, a scheduler is arranged above the administrating device
and a test schedule is determined by the scheduler.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
15 PATENT DOCUMENTS
Patent document 1 : Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-49353
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
2 0 PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
For this kind of the test system, an operator sets and administrates a term of an
item (hereinafter also called as a QC term or the like) to which a quality check is provided
for the measurement device by the use of the administrating device.
Meanwhile, there is a case that the above-mentioned QC term or the like is
25 changed according to a regulation (for example, a CFR1065 mode, a standard mode
determined by an operator based on the law.
However, with the conventional test system, if the QC term or the like is changed
and set when the regulation is changed to another regulation, a past QC term or the like is *
deleted. As a result, when the regulation is returned to the former regulation that is the
regulation before the change, it is necessary to input the QC term or the like again. In
other words, it is not possible to reuse the QC term or the like that has been set in the past so
that there is a problem that an operation of setting the QC term becomes complicated.
This problem is not limited to the test system of the automobile but common to the test
5 system of other moving body or its constituting devices.
The present claimed invention intends to solve all of the problems and since the
quality check term or item can be administrated for every regulation, when a test is
conducted with a regulation changed to another regulation, a main object of this invention is
to make it possible to call up and reuse the quality check term or item that has been set for
10 the previous regulation and to facilitate an operation of setting the quality check term or
item.
MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
15 More specifically, a test system in accordance with this invention is to test an
object to be tested with a mobile object such as a vehicle, a ship or an airplane, or a
component used for the mobile object being as the object to be tested, and is characterized
by comprising one or a plurality of devices for test used for the test and a device
administrating device that is connected to the device for test in a communicable manner and
2 0 that administrates the device for test are comprised, wherein a QC storing part that stores a
regulation ID to identi@ a regulation for the test and a quality check time or item to be • provided for the device for test in a mutually associated manner is provided for the device
administrating device or the device for test. "Quality check" here includes a function
inspection of each part of the analysis unit, a leakage inspection of piping and a pump
2 5 performance check.
In accordance with this arrangement, since the quality check term or item can be
administrated for every regulation, when a test is conducted with a regulation changed to
another regulation, it is possible to call up and reuse the quality check term or item that has
been set for the previous regulation. As a result of this, it is possible to facilitate an
operation of setting the quality check term or item. The regulation includes not only a
regulation based on the law but also a regulation independently specified by an operator.
In order to make it possible to easily grasp the quality check term or item
corresponding to the regulation, it is preferable that the device administrating device
5 comprises a regulation receiving part that receives designation of the regulation and a
display part that obtains the quality check time or item corresponding to the regulation
received by the regulation receiving part and displays the obtained quality check time or
item.
In order to make it possible to facilitate usability by reflecting a change of the
10 quality check term or item sequentially, it is preferable that the device administrating device
further comprises a quality check set receiving part that receives an input for changing the
quality check time or item displayed by the display part and that reflects the changed input
on the QC storing part.
In order to make it possible to grasp a next quality check initiation time for the
I 15 device for test and to provide a periodic quality check securely for the device for test, and in
order to make it possible for the device administrating device to accurately administrate the
I
next quality check initiation time of the device for test even though the device for test is
connected to any device administrating device, it is preferable that the device administrating
device or the device for test further comprises a previous quality check completion time
2 0 storing part that stores a previous quality check completion time as being a time when the
quality check that is previously provided for the device for test is completed, and the device
' i administrating device further comprises a next quality check initiation time calculating part
that calculates a next quality check initiation time as being a time when the next quality
check is initiated for the device for test by obtaining the quality check time Erom the QC
25 storing part and by adding the obtained quality check time to the previous quality check
completion time.
In order to facilitate usability by make it easy for the operator to intuitively
recognize that the next quality check initiation times is approaching, it is preferable that the
device administrating device further comprises an information set receiving part that
receives an input of information for determining a previous warning issue time as being a
time prior to the next quality check initiation time, and the device administrating device or
the device for test further comprises a warning issue part that issues a warning that can be
recognized by an operator at a time when the time reaches the previous warning issue time.
5
EFFECT OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention having the above arrangement, since the quality
check term or item can be administrated for every regulation, when a test is conducted with
a regulation changed to another regulation, it is possible to call up and reuse the quality
10 check term or item that has been set for the previous regulation. As a result of this, it is
possible to facilitate an operation of setting the quality check term or item.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle performance test system in
15 accordance with one embodiment of this invention.
Fig. 2 is a function block diagram of a measurement device and a device
administrating device of this embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a warning screen.
Fig. 4 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a quality check
2 0 period / item setting screen of this embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a quality check
period / item setting screen of this embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a quality check
period / item setting screen of this embodiment.
25 Fig. 7 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a quality check
period / item setting screen of this embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a screen configuration diagram showing one example of a quality check
period / item setting screen of this embodiment.
BEST MODES OF EMBODYING THE INVENTION
One embodiment of this invention will be explained with reference to drawings.
Fig. 1 schematically shows an overall view of a vehicle performance test system 1
in accordance with this embodiment. The vehicle performance test system I comprises a
chassis dynamometer (not shown in drawings), an automatic driving device (not shown in
drawings), a test automatic administrating device 6, a plurality of exhaust gas measurement
devices 4 and a device administrating device 7 as shown in Fig. 1. The vehicle
performance test system 1 makes a vehicle (VH) in a pseudo running state on the chassis
dynamometer and the vehicle performance can be tested by measuring a mileage and an
exhaust gas component of the vehicle (VH). The test can be conducted also on an engine
alone. Each part will be explained.
Although a detailed explanation is omitted, the test automatic administrating
device 6 has a fundamental function to set a schedule of a running test. To set the schedule
of the running test includes, for example, to designate a regulation or to set a test date, and it
may include to more finely set a behavior of the vehicle (VH) such as a speed or a rotation
number of an engine and to set an object to be measured or a timing to conduct the
measurement. The test automatic administrating device 6 is provided with a
communication port and the measurement devices 4, the chassis dynamometer and the
automatic driving device are connected to the automatic administrating device 6 in an intercommunicable
manner by wire or wireless.
When the schedule setting is conducted by an operator, the test automatic
administrating device 6 transmits a command according to the regulation to the chassis
dynamometer, the automatic driving device and the device administrating device 7 and
controls the chassis dynamometer, the automatic driving device and the device
administrating device 7 so as to automatically conduct the test according to the regulation.
A single device administrating device 7 is connected to a single test automatic
administrating device 6 in Fig. 1, however, a plurality of device administrating devices 7
may be connected to the test automatic administrating device 6. It is possible for the test
automatic administrating device 6 to conduct scheduling independently for each of the
device administrating devices 7.
The exhaust gas measurement device 4 (hereinafter also called as a measurement
device 4) is connected to the device administrating device 7 in a communicable manner, and
comprises one or more analysis units (not shown in drawings). For example, the exhaust
gas measurement device 4 comprises, a first measurement device 4 wherein a plurality of
gas analysis units whose measurement principle differs each other are incorporated, a
second measurement device 4 as being a constant volume sampling meter, a third
measurement device 4 as being an EGR meter and a forth measurement device 4 as being a
catalyst measurement meter. The gas analysis unit is provided with, for example, an FIR
for measuring THC, a CLD for measuring NOx or an NDIR for measuring COz.
Each of the measurement devices 4 measures each component amount of HC,
NOx, CO, C02 in accordance with a gas sampled through a sampling pipe (LD), and also
calculates a performance value, for example, a mileage or an EGR ratio of devices such as
the engine or a catalyst constituting the vehicle (VH) based on the measurement value.
In order to calculate the performance value, as shown in Fig. 2, each of the
measurement devices 4 incorporates a local computer in addition to a sensor 4a for
measurement that is arranged for each of the analysis units.
The local computer comprises a CPU, a memory, an AID converter and a
communication interface. The local computer calculates a measurement value indicating
each component amount by conducting compensation or correction on an output value from
each sensor 4a and produces functions as a calculating part 41 that calculates the
performance value of the above-mentioned device based on the measurement value and a
communicating part 42 that transmits the measurement value calculated by the calculating
part 41 and the performance value of the device to the device administrating device 7
according to a predetermined protocol.
In addition, the local computer firther comprises a control part 43 controls an
operating mode (a measurement mode, a correction mode and a purge mode or the like) or a
state mode (a sleep mode or a standby mode or the like) of the exhaust gas measurement
device 4 by controlling a valve (V), a temperature adjusting mechanism 4b and a pump 4c
by receiving a instruction signal from the device administrating device 7, a correction part
44 that corrects the sensor 4a, or a local accumulating part 45 that is arranged in a
predetermined area of the memory and that serially obtains device state information of the
5 measurement device 4 ranging from a past to the present and stores the obtained
information.
The device state information is, for example, pump pressure information
indicating a sucking pressure by an incorporated pump 4c, sensitivity information as being
information concerning sensitivity of the sensor 4a, accumulated operation hour information
10 indicating an accumulated operation hour of each part, and inspection time specifLing
e information to specify a preliminarily determined inspection time of the measurement
device 4. Some of the device state information is obtained from a result of a correction (a
zero point compensation, a span compensation, transformation compensation) provided for
the measurement device 4 or a quality check (a function inspection of each part of the
15 analysis unit, a pipe leak inspection, a pump performance check or the like). In addition,
I the inspection time speci6ing information includes information indicating a previous
I
I quality check completion time as being a time when the quality check that has been
previously provided for the measurement device 4 is completed.
I The device administrating device 7 is configured by installing predetermined
20 programs on a general-purpose computer, and comprises a CPU, a memory, a display, an
input device (a keyboard, a mouse or the like) and a communication interface or the like.
As shown in Fig. 2, the device administrating device 7 produces functions as a next quality
check initiation time calculating part 71, a display part (a warning issue part) 72, an
administrating body part (a regulation receiving part, a quality check set receiving part and
25 an information set receiving part) 73, a communicating part 74 or the like by cooperating
the CPU and its peripheral devices based on programs stored in the memory. The device
administrating device 7 is provided with a communication port and the measurement device
4 is connected to the device administrating device 7 in an inter-communicable manner by
wire or wireless.
Next, an operation of the device administrating device 7 will be explained and
each part of the device administrating device 7 will be also explained.
First, the operator conducts various operations (piping or the like) in accordance
with the measurement device 4, and then connects the measurement device 4 to the device
5 administrating device 7 physically by the use of a connector cable.
A plug-in screen, not shown in drawings, is displayed as an initial screen on a
display 7a of the device administrating device 7 by the function of the display part 72. The
plug-in screen is provided with a connection button for connecting the device administrating
device 7 to the measurement device 4 and a disconnection button for disconnecting the
10 measurement device 4.
a When the operator clicks, for example, the connection button on the plug-in
screen, the administrating body part 73 accesses the local accumulating part 45 of the
corresponding measurement device 4 through the communication part 42, 74, and
automatically obtains the device state information of the measurement device 4
15 accumulated in the local accumulating part 45 ranging from the past to the present.
Next, the operator makes an appropriate operation to display a warning screen 8 as
I
shown in Fig. 3. The warning screen 8 displays items of each quality check in a tabular
form. The warning screen 8 is provided with a display field "Notification Status" to
display a number of remaining days (precaution issue time) until the next quality check. In
20 this embodiment, an interval or an item to be a basis for calculating the number of
I remaining days until the next quality check is set for each regulation. Concretely, to set
this, the operator pushes a "Notification Setting" button 82 arranged in the warning screen 8
so that the warning screen 8 is shifted to an interval I item setting screen. Fig. 4 - Fig. 8
show an example of the interval 1 item setting screen.
25 As shown in Fig. 4 - Fig. 6, the items of each quality check are displayed in a
tabular form on each interval I item setting screen 9A - 9C. Each of the interval I item
setting screens 9A - 9C is provided with a display field to display a quality check interval
("Days of Interval") provided for the measurement device 4 and a display field to display
days of precaution ("Days of Precaution") for determining the number of the remaining
days until the next quality check. Furthermore, each of the interval / item setting screens
9A - 9C is provided with a designation button 92 for designating a kind of the regulation (a
regulation ID in claims), a "Detail" button 93 for setting a hrther detailed setting (not
shown in drawings), an "Apply" button 94 for saving each numerical value in the display
field and a "Close" button 95 for closing the interval / item setting screen.
Each numerical value in the display field is preliminarily stored in the local
accumulating part 45 in relationship to "CFR1065" as being the regulation ID indicating the
kind of the regulation, and displayed by a loading operation from the local accumulating
part 45 by the administrating body part 73. The above-mentioned each numerical value
can be changed by an input for change by the operator. When the administrating body part
73 receives the input for change by the operator, the change is reflected in the local
accumulating part 45. Then, when the administrating body part 73 receives a click
operation of the "Apply" button 94 by the operator, the above-mentioned reflection is
confirmed. Accordingly, in Fig. 4 - Fig. 6, the numerical value after the reflection is
stored in the local accumulating part 45 in relationship to the "CFR1065" as being the
regulation ID.
Meanwhile, for example, in a state that the interval / item setting screen 9A is
displayed, in case that the regulation "Standard" is designated by the operator, the
administrating body part 73 accepts the designation. Then the display part 72 obtains the
quality check interval or item corresponding to the regulation "Standard" from the local
accumulating part 45, and displays either one of the interval / item setting screen 9D as
shown in Fig. 7 and the interval / item setting screen 9E as shown in Fig. 8. In this
embodiment, the same setting as that of the interval / item setting screen 9A - 9C can be
conducted also for the interval / item setting screens 9D and 9E.
For example, in a state that the interval 1 item setting screen 9D is displayed, in
case that the "Close" button 95 is clicked by the operator, the administrating body part 73
accepts the click operation, closes the interval / item setting screen 9D and displays the
above-mentioned warning screen 8. At this time, the next quality check initiation time
calculating part 71 obtains the above-mentioned quality check interval from the abovementioned
local accumulating part 45, and calculates the next quality check initiation time
by adding the obtained quality check interval to the above-mentioned previous time quality
check completion time. The display part 72 displays the number of remaining days until
the next quality check initiation time on the above-mentioned warning screen 8 based on the
5 next quality check initiation time and the above-mentioned days of precaution. In this
embodiment, the warning is displayed in two ways. Concretely, in case that the present
date exceeds a date that is the number of remaining days before the next quality check
initiation time, a precaution is displayed in orange. In case that the present date exceeds
the next quality check initiation time, a warning is displayed in red.
I
I
I 10 In accordance with this embodiment having the ~ above-mentioned arrangement,
since the quality check term or item can be administrated for every regulation, when a test is
conducted with a regulation changed to another regulation, it is possible to call up and reuse
the quality check term or item that has been set for the previous regulation. As a result of
this, it is possible to facilitate an operation of setting the quality check term or item.
15 In addition, since the next quality check initiation time calculating part 71 that
calculates the next quality check initiation time is comprised, it is possible to grasp a next
quality check initiation time for the measurement device 4 and to provide a periodic quality
check securely for the measurement device 4.
In addition, since the display part 72 that issues the warning that can be
20 recognized by the operator is comprised, it is possible for the operator to intuitively
recognize that the next quality check initiation time is approaching so as to improve the
usability.
Furthermore, since the previous quality check completion time of the
measurement device 4 is stored in the local accumulating part 45 of the measurement device
2 5 4, even though the measurement device 4 is connected to any device administrating device
7, it is possible for the device administrating device 7 to accurately administrate the next
quality check initiation time of the measurement device 4.
The embodiment of this invention is explained based on the drawings, however, it
should be assumed that a concrete configuration is not limited to the above-mentioned
embodiment. A scope of this invention is indicated not by the explanation but by the
scope of claims, and all of the modifications within the meaning and the scope equivalent to
those of the claims are included.
The present claimed invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.
5 For example, this test system can be applied also to a test of an engine alone, or a
test of an airplane, a ship or its devices.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the test
automatic administrating device 6 transmits the command according to the regulation to the
chassis dynamometer, the automatic driving device and the device administrating device 7,
10 and administrates them so as to automatically conduct the test as scheduled, however, this
0 invention is not limited to this. For example, the device administrating device 7 may
transmit a command according to a regulation to each of the measurement devices 4. In
addition, a local computer incorporated into the measurement device 4 may transmit a
command according to a regulation to another measurement device 4.
15 In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the quality
check term / item setting screen 9A - 9E is displayed on the display 7a of the device
administrating device 7, however, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the
quality check term / item setting screen 9A - 9E may be displayed on a display of the test
~ automatic administrating device 6.
2 0 In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the warning
screen 8 is displayed on the display 7a of the device administrating device 7, however, this
invention is not limited to this. For example, the warning screen 8 may be displayed on a
display of the test automatic administrating device 6. In addition, a blinking lamp may be
I provided for each of the measurement devices 4 and a waming that can be recognized by
2 5 the operator may be issued by blinking the lamp.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the previous
quality check completion time of the measurement device 4 is stored in the local
accumulating part 45 of the measurement device 4, however, this invention is not limited to
this. For example, the previous quality check completion time of the measurement device
4 may be stored in the memory of the device administrating device 7. In addition, for
example, a plurality of device administrating devices 7 may be connected in a
communicable manner by wire or non-wired and the previous quality check completion
time of the measurement device 4 may be stored in a storing part that can be shared by each
5 of the device administrating devices 7.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, a quality check item may be added or deleted
on each of the quality check term / item setting screen 9A - 9E.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the
administrating body part 73 accepts the input operation from the operator and designates the
10 regulation ID or sets the quality check term or item, however, this invention is not limited to
e this. For example, the administrating body part 73 may accept a command from the test
automatic administrating device 6 and designate the regulation ID or set the quality check
term or item.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is explained that the QC storing
1
15 part is provided in the measurement device 4 side, however, this invention is not limited to
this. For example, the QC storing part may be provided in the device administrating
device 7 side. In this case, in order to make it possible for the device administrating
device 7 side to identi@ the measurement device 4, it is necessary to store the quality check
I term or item in association with the identification ID of the measurement device 4 in the QC
2 0 storing part.
EXPLANATION OF CODES
1 . . . vehicle performance test system (test system)
4 . . . measurement device (device for test)
2 5 7 . . . device administrating device
45 . . . local accumulating part (QC storing part and previous quality check completion time
storing part)
71 . . . next quality check initiation time calculating part
72 . . . display part (warning issue part)
73 . . . administrating body part (regulation receiving part, quality check set receiving part
and information set receiving part)
VH . . . vehicle (moving body)

CLAIMS
We claim :
5 1. A test system (1) to test an object to be tested with a mobile object such as a
vehicle, a ship or an airplane, or a component used for the mobile object being as the object
to be tested, wherein
one or a plurality of devices for test (4) used for the test and a device
administrating device (7) that is connected to the device for test in a communicable manner
10 and that administrates the device for test, and
a QC storing part (45) that stores a regulation ID to identify a regulation for the test
and a quality check time or item to be provided for the device for test in a mutually
associated manner is provided for the device administrating device or the device for test.
15 2. The test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device administrating device
comprises
a regulation receiving part that receives designation of the regulation, and
a display part (72) that obtains the quality check time or item corresponding to the
I regulation received by the regulation receiving part and displays the obtained quality check
2 0 time or item.
3. The test system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the device administrating device
comprises
a quality check set receiving part that receives an input for changing the quality
25 check time or item displayed by the display part and that reflects the changed input on the
QC storing part.
4. The test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device administrating device or
the device for test comprises
15
a previous quality check completion time storing part that stores a previous quality
check completion time as being a time when the quality check that is previously provided
for the device for test is completed, and
the device administrating device comprises
a next quality check initiation time calculating part (71) that calculates a next
quality check initiation time as being a time when the next quality check is initiated for the
device for test by obtaining the quality check time from the QC storing part and by adding
the obtained quality check time to the previous quality check completion time.
10 5. The test system as claimed in claim 4, wherein
the device administrating device comprises
an information set receiving part that receives an input of information for
determining a previous warning issue time as being a time prior to the next quality check
initiation time, and
15 the device administrating device or the device for test comprises
a warning issue part that issues a warning that can be recognized by an operator at
a time when the time reaches the previous warning issue time.