Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present subject matter is related, in general to a vehicle, and more particularly, but not exclusively to a method and system for performing error diagnostics for a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The modern-day automobile has two or more interconnected vehicle controllers to which number of sensors and actuators are connected. For proper functioning of the vehicle and to ensure the mobility of the vehicle, these sensors, actuators, vehicle controllers in addition to switches/relays need to be in working condition. Due to vehicle running conditions or due to some mechanical impacts or with electrical and electronic fluctuations, the functioning of the above-mentioned parts like sensors, actuators, switches/relays and vehicle controllers is deteriorated. Once the part is failed, the mobility of the vehicle can also get affected and immediate corrective action needs to be done.
[0003] The user of the vehicle has to take the faulty vehicle to the service centre or reach the service helpline to identify the root cause of the issue to continue usage of the vehicle. The root cause can be a part damage or could even be a loose connection among electrical and electronic parts due to improper assembly which has to be identified by a service technician. The service centre technician uses an external hardware diagnostic tool or uses one or more simulated diagnostic methods to identify the root cause of the problem. The diagnostic tool usually gives out the description of the error through standardised error codes, blink codes, or through other visual or audio mechanisms of respective faults as mentioned above. The service technician further understands the description of the error and replaces the part or applies the suitable corrective action to rectify the problem.
[0004] The user is usually indicated of these problems through the tell-tales available on the rider display or through warning messages on rider display using a malfunction indicator (MIL). The user will only be informed that there is a fault available in the vehicle, but the user will not get the complete background information of the problem. In situation where service technician is not near-by and to improve the servicing speed, it is not possible to transfer the error code to the service center whenever customer would like to demand support from service center.
[0005] Also, during a sudden vehicle failure on a highway or a remote location, it is difficult for a user to locate a nearby service centre and transport the vehicle to resolve the fault. Hence, an improved configuration and design of information transfer is required to a service centre regarding vehicle failure for quick and swift fault and failure resolution of the vehicle. By doing so service dealership or technician is not promptly informed on the failure, hence it is possible to be prepared with necessary components for fixing the vehicle issue and accordingly proceed to resolve the vehicle failure.
[0006] In a conventional system, the diagnosis of the vehicle ECU using an additional tester hardware that communicates with the external electronic device through Bluetooth is disclosed. The external electronic device sends commands to tester hardware which further sends diagnostic commands to the vehicle ECU. The diagnostic data comprises of the sensor data and diagnostic trouble codes. The above application has a problem of usage of additional tester hardware for diagnosis purposes.
[0007] Another conventional system describes about the diagnostic method where the diagnosis is done with help of diagnostic module present in the vehicle that receives the vehicle data from the vehicle control unit. The diagnostic module further transmits the diagnostic data to the server through internet or radio network. In return, the server transmits back the diagnostic software program to the diagnostic module and further based on the received program, diagnosis is carried out by the diagnostic module. Such conventional system has a problem of diagnosis performing by the diagnostic module based on the diagnosis software received from the server.
[0008] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of described systems with some aspects of the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application and with reference to the drawings.
SUMMARY
[0009] According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is provided a system (100) to perform error diagnostics for a vehicle. The system comprises an instrument cluster disposed on the vehicle, a server, and an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a processor and a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium stores processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster using a communication medium. In an embodiment, the instrument cluster is disposed on a vehicle. The electronic device is configured to receive one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster at pre-defined intervals. In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster using a vehicle control unit at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request. The electronic device is configured to analyse error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing. The electronic device is configured to transmit the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server. In an embodiment, the server is accessible to an authorized service personnel. The electronic device is configured to display the error status or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device.
[00010] According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is provided a method for performing error diagnostics for a vehicle. The method comprises receiving error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster using a communication medium, wherein instrument cluster is disposed on a vehicle. The method comprises receiving one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster at pre-defined intervals. In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster using a vehicle control unit at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request. The method comprises analysing error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing. The method comprises transmitting the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server. In an embodiment, the server is accessible to an authorized service personnel. The method comprises displaying the error status or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device.
[00011] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00012] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention.
[00013] Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a vehicle, such as a motorcycle incorporating the invention.
[00014] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system configured to perform error diagnostics for a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00015] Figure 3 depicts a flowchart illustrating a method performed by the electronic device for performing error diagnostics for a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00016] The present disclosure may be best understood with reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. Various embodiments are discussed below with reference to the figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed descriptions given herein with respect to the figures are simply for explanatory purposes as the methods and systems may extend beyond the described embodiments. For example, the teachings presented, and the needs of a particular application may yield multiple alternative and suitable approaches to implement the functionality of any detail described herein. Therefore, any approach may extend beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown.
[00017] References to “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one example,” “an example,” “for example,” and so on indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
[00018] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with different embodiments. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather those embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
[00019] The present invention is illustrated with a motorcycle type vehicle. However, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that the present invention is not limited to a motorcycle type vehicle and certain features, aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention can be used with other types of two wheelers such as scooter type vehicle, step thru, and the like. In an embodiment, the scooter type vehicle comprises a low floorboard type vehicle and the term scooter as used herein should not be inferred to restrict the maximum speed, the displacement amount or the like of the vehicle.
[00020] The object of the present subject matter is to eliminates the usage of additional tester hardware and uses the available vehicle Bluetooth module as a diagnosis tool and aims at overcoming the technical problems mentioned above and the disadvantages in the existing art. Another object of the present subject matter provides a system useful for vehicle manufacturers to get the vehicle data from the vehicles and store the data in the storage server for providing vehicle data analysis, vehicle health report.
[00021] Another object of the present subject matter a diagnostic system to improve serviceability without increasing additional parts in a vehicle and thus leading the part reduction. Yet another object of the present subject matter provides a system that enables early transfer of failure details in vehicle for preparedness of service center. Still another object of the present subject matter provides a system where vehicle error code description to service technician prior to the vehicle reaching the service center. Another object of the present subject matter provides a system for diagnosis which can improve in customer comfort and reduce service time.
[00022] Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a motorcycle incorporating the invention.
[00023] With reference to Figure 1, 101 denotes a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, 2 denotes a front wheel, 3 denotes a rear wheel, 4 denotes a front fork, 5 denotes a seat, 6 denotes a rear fork, 7 denotes a leg shield made of resin or metal, 8 denotes a headlight, 9 denotes a tail light, 10 denotes an aesthetic covering, 11 denotes a battery fitted inside the aesthetic covering, 12 denotes a fuel tank, and 13 denotes a handle bar. Further, a main frame extends along a center of a body of the vehicle from a front portion of the vehicle and extending in a rearwardly direction. The main frame is made up of a metallic pipe.
[00024] In an embodiment, the vehicle 101 may be a scooter type vehicle and may have main frame that extends along a center of the body of the vehicle from a front portion of the vehicle and extending in a rearwardly direction. The main frame is made up of a metallic pipe and the main frame is provided under the floor board for a scooter type vehicle. A swing type power unit is coupled to the rear end of the main frame for a scooter type vehicle. A rear wheel is supported on one side of the rear end of the swing type power unit. In an embodiment, the swing type power unit is suspended in the rear of a body frame for a scooter type vehicle.
[00025] The center of the body for a scooter type vehicle forms a low floor board for functioning as a part for putting feet and a under cowl which is located below a rider's seat and covers at least a part of the engine. In an embodiment, the under cowl is made up of metal or resin. The under cowl is hinged to the seat. Further, a utility box opens from the rear end to hinged portion. In an embodiment, the utility box is provided under the seat extending longitudinally of a vehicle body and the inside of the utility box has a large capacity so that a large article, such as a helmet can be housed. Additionally, in a scooter type vehicle, side covers both on left and right sides, cover the utility box and other parts of the vehicle, thereby providing a good appearance to the vehicle.
[00026] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 configured to perform error diagnostics for a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00027] The system 100 comprises a vehicle 101, a server 122, an electronic device 120. The electronic device 120 and the server 122 are communicatively coupled with each other via a communication network 124. Further, the vehicle 101 and the electronic device 120 may be communicatively coupled with each other via a transceiver 106 and may communicate with each other via a communication medium 126, such as Bluetooth. The server 122 and the electronic device 120 may be communicatively coupled with each other via the communication network 124, in an embodiment, the server 122 may communicate with the electronic device 120 using one or more protocols such as, but not limited to, Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) protocol and Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) protocol.
[00028] The vehicle 101 comprises a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) 102, a transceiver 106, a power supply 108, an ISG machine 110, a battery 112, an engine 114, and a plurality of sensors 116. Further, the VCU 102 comprise of a memory 104. In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors 116 comprises a GPS sensor 116a, a RADAR 116b, a steering position sensor 116c, and other sensors that may be known in the art. Further, the system 100 comprises an instrument cluster 118. The VCU 102 and the RADAR Control Unit 106 work in conjunction with each other to receive inputs from the plurality of sensors 116 for controlling the vehicle.
[00029] The VCU 102 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to transmit error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126). The VCU 102 comprises suit able logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to transmit one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals or based on a user request.
[00030] The memory 104 comprises suit able logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to store the set of instructions, which may be executed by the ECU 102. In an embodiment, the memory 104 may be configured to store one or more programs, routines, or scripts that may be executed in coordination with the ISG ECU 102. The memory 104 may be implemented based on a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a storage server, and/or a Secure Digital (SD) card.
[00031] The RADAR control unit 106 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to determine position of surrounding vehicles and convey the same to the VCU for controlling maneuverability of the vehicle 101.
[00032] The power supply 108 provides power to the ECU 102 and the RADAR control unit 106. The ISG machine 110 comprises a three-phase electrical machine with a permanent magnet rotor that functions as a BLDC motor. In an embodiment, the ISG machine 110 works as a motor and converts electrical energy of a battery 112 of the vehicle into mechanical energy to drive the engine 114 during a motoring mode. In an embodiment, the ISG machine 110 charges the battery 112 of the vehicle during generating mode.
[00033] The battery 112 provides power supply to various electrical components, such as the head light, tail light, and the like of the vehicle.
[00034] The engine 114 may correspond to an internal combustion engine for the vehicle which may be air cooled or water cooled. In an embodiment, the engine 114 may comprise a drive train for a vehicle, in particular for a motorcycle, with an automated sequential manual transmission which can be shifted manually via a shift shaft and which can be connected to an internal combustion engine via a clutch.
[00035] Further, each of the plurality of sensors 116 transmits signals to the RADAR control unit 106 and further such signals are transmitted to the VCU 102. The RADAR control unit 106 and the VCU 102 are communicatively coupled with each other via wired or wireless communication. In an embodiment, the communication between the RADAR control unit 106 and the VCU 102 is performed using CAN lines. Further, the VCU 102 communicates with the ISG machine 110 using CAN lines.
[00036] The GPS sensor 116a is configured to determine a location of a rider of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the GPS sensor may be installed on the vehicle or on a computing device that the rider may be carrying while driving the vehicle. The RADAR 116b is configured to calculate velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR. In an embodiment, the RADAR is disposed at a rear end of the vehicle. The steering position sensor 116c provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road.
[00037] The instrument cluster (118) with integrated Bluetooth module is connected to the other vehicle ECUs of the vehicle and the mobile application (04) installed in the electronic device 120 or other connected gadget through hardwired, CAN bus network and Bluetooth medium. The vehicle sensors such as side stand sensor, engine RPM sensor, vehicle speed sensor is connected to vehicle ECUs through hardwire. The instrument cluster (118) and mobile application are connected through Bluetooth and data is transferred and received between the devices. The mobile application can also further transfer the vehicle data to the data storage server 122 through suitable mechanism.
[00038] The server 122 may refer to a computing device or a software framework hosting an application or a software service. In an embodiment, the server 122 may be implemented to execute procedures such as, but not limited to, programs, routines, or scripts stored in one or more memories for supporting the hosted application or the software service. In an embodiment, the hosted application or the software service may be configured to perform one or more predetermined operations. The server 122 may be realized through various types of application servers such as, but are not limited to, a Java application server, a .NET framework application server, a Base4 application server, a PHP framework application server, or any other application server framework.
[00039] The electronic device 120 may comprise a processor and a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium stores processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the processor-executable instructions. The electronic device 120 may comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to receive error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126), wherein instrument cluster (118) is disposed on a vehicle (101). The electronic device 120 may comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to receive one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals, wherein the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster (118) using a vehicle control unit (102) at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request. The electronic device 120 may comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to analyse error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing. The electronic device 120 may comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to transmit the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server (122), wherein the server (122) is accessible to an authorized service personnel. The electronic device 120 may comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to display the error status or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device (120).
[00040] In the claimed invention, the external mobile application receives the diagnosis data from the vehicle communication module which in turn receives the diagnostic data from the corresponding vehicle controllers. The external mobile application transfers the information to the server which is accessible to service technician. This information transfer is performed without adding communication module on the vehicle, thereby optimizing vehicle cost.
[00041] In operation, the vehicle 101 has an instrument cluster with the integrated Bluetooth module (communicated medium) mounted on the vehicle. The instrument cluster is mounted on the front portion of the vehicle on the steering column.
[00042] The electronic device (120) is configured to initiate a request to receive error information and one or more diagnostic error codes associated with a status of at least one of sensors, actuators, switches, and relays. In an embodiment, the error status and the one or more diagnostic error codes being received based on the user request or at the pre-defined intervals. The instrument cluster (118) is configured to receive vehicle data from one or more vehicle controllers which is connected to vehicle loads, the sensors (116) and the actuators and transfers the vehicle data to a transceiver (106). The sensors and the actuators provide data about an operating condition of the sensors and the actuators and provide data about operating status of the vehicle.
[00043] The electronic device (120) is configured to receive error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126). In an embodiment, instrument cluster (118) is disposed on a vehicle (101). The mobile application in the electronic device (120) receives the one or more diagnostic error codes and based on an internal mapping available between the one or more diagnostic error codes. In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes or vehicle health is monitored by the user of the vehicle without any additional component in the vehicle
[00044] In an embodiment, the communication medium (126) is wired or wireless, wherein the error information is received in a mobile application installed in the electronic device. In an embodiment, the communication medium (126) comprises at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Flex ray, NFC, Cellular networks, and CAN. In an embodiment, the error information comprises fault description for the one or more diagnostic error codes. In an embodiment, the error status comprises a fault indication and a working indication.
[00045] Further, the electronic device (120) is configured to receive one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals. In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster (118) using a vehicle control unit (102) at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request. The electronic device (120) is configured to analyse error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing.
[00046] The electronic device (120) is configured to transmit the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server (122). In an embodiment, the server (122) is accessible to an authorized service personnel. In an embodiment, the authorized service personnel accesses the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes on the server and utilizes the same to resolve the error in the vehicle.
[00047] In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes comprises a combination of alpha numeric characters and the one or more diagnostic error codes are divided into a plurality of categories. In an embodiment, the plurality of categories comprises a Body (B-codes) category covers functions that are, generally, inside of the passenger compartment, a Chassis (C-codes) category covers functions that are, generally, outside of the passenger compartment, a Powertrain (P-codes) category covers functions that include engine, transmission and associated drivetrain accessories, and a Network & Vehicle Integration (U-codes) category covers functions that are shared among computers and systems on the vehicle.
[00048] In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes are used to notify the rider about an issue. Each code corresponds to a fault detected in the vehicle. When the vehicle detects an issue, it will activate the corresponding trouble code and display a fault indication on the instrument cluster and associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes are transmitted to the server (122).
[00049] Further, the electronic device (120) is configured to display the error status (i.e., fault indication and a working indication) or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device (120).
[00050] In an embodiment, a specific request may be initiated to get error codes for a particular controller of the vehicle and the specific request may include a suitable identifier error code classification. In an embodiment, the user operates a vehicle switch to toggle ON and OFF of transmitting the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server.
[00051] As illustrated above, the connected mobile application is configured to receive error information using instrument cluster and indicate the same. The claimed method and system utilises the existing vehicle Bluetooth module located in the information display to communicate with the external mobile application installed in the connected display device. The claimed method and system eliminates the use of an additional diagnostic device to be connected to the vehicle for diagnostic purposes of the vehicle control units. The vehicle control unit transfers the diagnostic error codes to the vehicle Bluetooth module based on the request or at regular intervals. Also, as the Bluetooth module is configured to connect to mobile phone of user for establishing other value-added functions, it is possible to utilize the same communication channel to transfer error code to user mobile phone. This information stored on the mobile phone is further uploaded to server location which is accessible by service center thereby early transfer of failure details in vehicle for preparedness of service center.
[00052] The claimed method and system is an improvement of the existing vehicle health diagnosis process, where an additional diagnostic tool is required for vehicle analysis. The claimed method and system eliminates the additional diagnostic tool and utilizes the existing vehicle controller to fetch the vehicle health status and upfront early communication of failure details
[00053] The claimed method and system is for a rider information display with the integrated Bluetooth module as indicated in the initial image with respect to the vehicle. The rider display is connected with the other vehicle controllers through in-vehicle communication network such as CAN. The vehicle controller is connected to the vehicle sensors, actuators mounted on various vehicle systems like engine chamber, throttle body, wheel, gear shaft, fuel tank for proper functioning of the vehicle. The sensors and actuators are connected with the vehicle controller through hardwire. Also, the vehicle controllers are also connected with switches and relays for vehicle mobility, load control, side stand detection.
[00054] The Bluetooth module integrated in the information display is communicated with the mobile application installed in the connected gadgets such as mobile phone through wired / wireless communication medium such as Bluetooth, Wi-fi, NFC. The mobile application installed in the mobile phone is connected to the data storage server through network connections such as APIs, HTTP clients.
[00055] In the above-mentioned system, the mobile application installed in the electronic device is responsible for sending request to the rider display for vehicle error codes, alternately error code can be continuously transferred upon occurrence of error. Based on the request, the rider display further requests the vehicle controllers for the sensors, actuators, switches/relays status. Once, the rider display receives back the live status of the sensors, actuators and vehicle error codes, the rider display transfers the error codes to the mobile application connected with the Bluetooth module or other wired / wireless communication techniques. The mobile application analyses the received error code data frame and if there is any error code available, information pertaining to error is transferred to server location accessible by the OEM and / or service technician.
[00056] The vehicle with the driving means has an indication unit on the instrument cluster to display variety of function to the customer including vehicle warning indicators. The indication unit in addition to tell-tales, drivers, sensor supply also has an inbuilt Bluetooth module. The Bluetooth module connects with other internal and external Bluetooth modules and exchange of data through Bluetooth is the prime function of the module. The vehicle Bluetooth modules consumes power from the vehicle battery for its operation. The instrument cluster receives the vehicle data from the vehicle controllers which is connected to vehicle loads, sensors and actuators and transfers the data to the vehicle Bluetooth module. The vehicle sensors and actuators provide data about the operating condition, operating status of the vehicle.
[00057] The Bluetooth module (communication medium) indicated in the above description is only for depiction of the concept and same information transfer can be established via wired / wireless communication medium.
[00058] The mobile application which is connected to instrument cluster acts as a communication medium, configured to receive information from instrument cluster and transfer it to server where in information stored is accessible by service center for fixing the vehicle issue. The mobile application is connected with the vehicle Bluetooth module and there exists a defined protocol for data transfer and reception between the mobile application and vehicle Bluetooth module. The mobile application requests the vehicle Bluetooth module for the vehicle error status at regular intervals or based on user request. Once the vehicle Bluetooth module receives the error code request, the second error code request is sent to the vehicle controllers for the controller error code status. The second error code request can be eliminated if the error code is transmitted from the vehicle controllers at regular intervals to the vehicle Bluetooth module. The request can be for all vehicle controllers or for a particular target controller and by suitable identifier error code classification can be configured.
[00059] The vehicle Bluetooth module once the error code status is received from the target vehicle controller, it transmits back to the mobile application. The mobile application receives the error code and based on the internal mapping available between error code. The error code or the vehicle health can be monitored by the user with the above said proposal, without any additional component in the vehicle.
[00060] The system is configured to display the vehicle error status or vehicle health status to the rider with the help of mobile application in connected vehicles. The vehicle controllers will transfer the connected sensors, actuators, loads, lamps, switches status to the vehicle Bluetooth module based on the request or at regular intervals. The transmitted data can be utilised by the connected external mobile application to transfer to server from which with suitable mapping table information can be retrieved by service center. With the above method and system, the user will be notified of the fault condition in the vehicle and with the service videos or through service phone calls. Thus, the customer will be visiting the service centre only in actual need. Also, the data can be used in the backend for vehicle data analysis purpose by the vehicle manufacturer.
[00061] The additional tool support for diagnosis can be eliminated with the usage of available vehicle Bluetooth module and mobile application, so the rider can diagnose the vehicle without any external devices.
[00062] In an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle having multiple vehicle control unit, interacting with each other and indicating information to the rider by means of display control unit, having a connectivity module which is capable of connecting with external mobile application installed in external intelligent display devices such as mobile phone, smart watches, smart gadgets, etc by means of wired or wireless connection such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Flex ray, NFC, Cellular networks, CAN, and the like. The said connectivity module can be part of one or more of electronic control units capable of identifying status of vehicle sensors, actuators, switches, loads, lamps be configured to communicate with the other vehicle control units via intra-vehicle communication networks. The said connectivity module transfers the vehicle error status to the external intelligent display devices on a need basis or at regular interval depending upon the inbuilt configuration.
[00063] In another exemplary embodiment, sharing the vehicle health status to the mobile application can be disabled by the rider, if the rider doesn’t wish to share the vehicle data to the vehicle manufacturer. The feature can be controlled by the rider using a vehicle switch available in the vehicle handlebar / rider display, cowl area or in the other areas where the switch is located in the vehicle. The feature can also be integrated to the rider display to eliminate an additional switch as a separate settings menu to control the feature. Also, the controlling the feature can be given in the mobile application where the user can select the preferences.
[00064] The feature described above is the vehicle health status transfer to the mobile application which is controlled using the rider display settings menu instead of having a separate switch on the vehicle. The same can be extended to other features like Idle Start/Stop, Traction control, Antilock Braking System, Heated grips/seats to be controlled from the settings menu of the rider display or through preference settings in mobile application instead of having a separate switch on the vehicle. Also, the implementation can be through data network server, where the data is transmitted to the server and the mobile application fetches the data from the server
[00065] Figure 3 depicts a flowchart illustrating a method 300 performed by the electronic device 120 for performing error diagnostics for a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method starts at step 302 and proceeds to step 304.
[00066] At step 304, the electronic device (120) is configured to receive error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126). In an embodiment, the instrument cluster (118) is disposed on a vehicle (101). At step 306, the electronic device (120) is configured to receive one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals. In an embodiment, the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster (118) using a vehicle control unit (102) at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request.
[00067] At step 308, the electronic device (120) is configured to analyse error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing. At step 310, the electronic device (120) is configured to transmit the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server (122). In an embodiment, the server (122) is accessible to an authorized service personnel. At step 312, the electronic device (120) is configured to display the error status or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device (120). Control passes to end step 314.
[00068] The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “the embodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s)” unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “including”, “comprising”, “having” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
Advantages
[00069] The disclosed claimed limitations and the disclosure provided herein provides a method and system for performing error diagnostics for the vehicle (101). The claimed invention provides a system that is useful for vehicle manufacturers to get the vehicle data from the vehicles and store the data in the storage server for providing vehicle data analysis, vehicle health report. The claimed invention eliminates the usage of additional tester hardware and uses the available vehicle Bluetooth module as a diagnosis tool. The claimed invention improves serviceability without increasing additional parts in a vehicle and thus leading the part reduction. The claimed invention provides a system that enables early transfer of failure details in vehicle for preparedness of service center. The claimed invention provides a system where vehicle error code description to service technician prior to the vehicle reaching the service center. The claimed invention provides a system for diagnosis which can improve in customer comfort and reduce service time.
[00070] In light of the above mentioned advantages and the technical advancements provided by the disclosed method and system, the claimed steps as discussed above are not routine, conventional, or well understood in the art, as the claimed steps enable the following solutions to the existing problems in conventional technologies. Further, the claimed steps clearly bring an improvement in the functioning of the guard assembly itself as the claimed steps and constructional features provide a technical solution to a technical problem.
[00071] Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter, and is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
[00072] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
[00073] A person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the systems, modules, and sub-modules have been illustrated and explained to serve as examples and should not be considered limiting in any manner. It will be further appreciated that the variants of the above disclosed system elements, modules, and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined to create other different systems or applications.
[00074] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the aforementioned steps and/or system modules may be suitably replaced, reordered, or removed, and additional steps and/or system modules may be inserted, depending on the needs of a particular application. In addition, the systems of the aforementioned embodiments may be implemented using a wide variety of suitable processes and system modules, and are not limited to any particular computer hardware, software, middleware, firmware, microcode, and the like. The claims can encompass embodiments for hardware and software, or a combination thereof.
[00075] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
 
, Claims:I/We Claim:
1. A system (100) to perform error diagnostics for a vehicle (101), the system (100) comprising:
an instrument cluster (118) disposed on the vehicle (101);
a server (122);
an electronic device (120) comprising:
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium stores processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126), wherein instrument cluster (118) is disposed on a vehicle (101);
receive one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals, wherein the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster (118) using a vehicle control unit (102) at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request;
analyse error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing;
transmit the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server (122), wherein the server (122) is accessible to an authorized service personnel; and
display the error status or a vehicle health status to a user with the help of mobile application installed in the electronic device (120).

2. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error status and the one or more diagnostic error codes being received based on the user request or at the pre-defined intervals.

3. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device (120) is configured to initiate a request to receive error information and one or more diagnostic error codes associated with a status of at least one of sensors, actuators, switches, and relays.

4. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication medium (126) is wired or wireless, wherein the error information is received in a mobile application installed in the electronic device, wherein the communication medium (126) comprises at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Flex ray, NFC, Cellular networks, and CAN.

5. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the instrument cluster (118) is configured to receive vehicle data from one or more vehicle controllers which is connected to vehicle loads, the sensors (116) and the actuators and transfers the vehicle data to a transceiver (106).

6. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensors and the actuators provide data about an operating condition of the sensors and the actuators and provide data about operating status of the vehicle.

7. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authorized service personnel accesses the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes on the server and utilizes the same to resolve the error in the vehicle.
8. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a specific request may be initiated to get error codes for a particular controller of the vehicle and the specific request may include a suitable identifier error code classification.
9. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile application receives the one or more diagnostic error codes and based on an internal mapping available between the one or more diagnostic error codes, wherein the one or more diagnostic error codes or vehicle health is monitored by the user of the vehicle without any additional component in the vehicle.

10. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error information comprises fault description for the one or more diagnostic error codes.

11. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error status comprises a fault indication and a working indication.

12. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more diagnostic error codes comprises a combination of alpha numeric characters and the one or more diagnostic error codes are divided into a plurality of categories, wherein the plurality of categories comprises a Body (B-codes) category covers functions that are, generally, inside of the passenger compartment, a Chassis (C-codes) category covers functions that are, generally, outside of the passenger compartment, a Powertrain (P-codes) category covers functions that include engine, transmission and associated drivetrain accessories, and a Network & Vehicle Integration (U-codes) category covers functions that are shared among computers and systems on the vehicle.

13. The system (100) to perform error diagnostics for the vehicle (101) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user operates a vehicle switch to toggle ON and OFF of transmitting the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server.
14. A method for performing error diagnostics for the vehicle (101), the method comprising:
receiving, by an electronic device (120), an error status and error information associated with one or more components of the vehicle from the instrument cluster (118) using a communication medium (126), wherein instrument cluster (118) is disposed on a vehicle (101);
receiving, by the electronic device (120), one or more diagnostic error codes associated with the error information via the instrument cluster (118) at pre-defined intervals, wherein the one or more diagnostic error codes is provided to the instrument cluster (118) using a vehicle control unit (102) at the pre-defined intervals or based on a user request;
analysing, by the electronic device (120), the error information and associating the error information with one or more diagnostic error codes based on the analysing;
transmitting, by the electronic device (120), the associated error information and the one or more diagnostic error codes to the server (122), wherein the server (122) is accessible to an authorized service personnel; and
displaying, by the electronic device (120), the error status or a vehicle health status to a user