公开(公告)号：US06663010B2

公开(公告)日：2003-12-16

申请号：US09767930

申请日：2001-01-22

申请人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

发明人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

IPC分类号： G05D2300

CPC分类号： B60R16/037 ,  B60H1/00642 ,  B60H1/00657 ,  F24F11/56 ,  G05D23/1905

摘要： A system for setting vehicle operator preferences is provided. The system includes a vehicle control module for controlling a vehicle component such as an HVAC unit. A data link is connected to the vehicle control module and may be an infrared signal receiver, a radio frequency signal receiver, a vehicle communications bus, or any other suitable data link. A portable handheld computing device includes a program having vehicle preferences stored in a memory. Preferably, the vehicle preferences may be input by the operator into the portable handheld computing device. The portable handheld computing device may be a Handspring® device, a Palmpilot® device, or any other suitable portable computing device. The portable handheld computing device sends the vehicle preferences to the vehicle control module through the data link to control the vehicle component. The vehicle preferences are sent by IR, RF, or any other suitable means. The system may be used to control an HVA system, for example. The portable handheld computing device may include a temperature sensor received in an expansion port for sensing the temperature in the area of the portable handheld computing device. The portable handheld computing device may be taken to a sleeping area of a vehicle cab to control the temperature locally when the operator is sleeping.

公开(公告)号：US06516251B1

公开(公告)日：2003-02-04

申请号：US09767999

申请日：2001-01-23

申请人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

发明人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

IPC分类号： G06F302

CPC分类号： G06F1/1632

摘要： The present invention provides a system for automatically shutting down a vehicle. The system includes a vehicle system for performing a vehicle function such as brakes for performing braking of the vehicle. A vehicle control system controls the vehicle system by controlling valve switches or actuators to manipulate the vehicle system. A portable handheld computing device includes a program defining a vehicle shutdown sequence. Preferably, the portable handheld computing device is what is known as a personal digital assistant (PDA), such as a Handspring® or Palmpilot®. A cradle removably receives the portable handheld computing device to connect the portable handheld computing device with the vehicle control system, such as through the vehicle databus. A switch enables the portable handheld computing device to command the vehicle control system to perform the vehicle shutdown sequence. The switch may be an ignition switch, a dedicated vehicle shutdown sequence switch, or an icon on a PDA display touch screen. Once the switch has been actuated, the program residing on the portable handheld computing device commands the vehicle control systems to perform the vehicle shutdown sequence. For example, the vehicle shutdown sequence may command the pneumatic power control system to purge a wet tank to remove the water from the wet tank to prevent it from rusting.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供了一种用于自动关闭车辆的系统。 该系统包括用于执行车辆功能的车辆系统，例如用于执行车辆制动的制动器。 车辆控制系统通过控制阀开关或致动器来操纵车辆系统来控制车辆系统。 便携式手持计算装置包括限定车辆关闭序列的程序。 优选地，便携式手持计算设备是所谓的个人数字助理（PDA），例如Handspring或Palmpilot。 托架可移除地接收便携式手持式计算装置，以将便携式手持式计算装置与车辆控制系统（例如通过车辆数据总线）相连接。 开关使得便携式手持计算设备能够命令车辆控制系统执行车辆关闭顺序。 开关可以是点火开关，专用车辆关闭顺序开关或PDA显示触摸屏上的图标。 一旦开关被启动，驻留在便携式手持计算装置上的程序命令车辆控制系统执行车辆关闭顺序。 例如，车辆关闭顺序可以命令气动功率控制系统清除湿箱以从湿箱中除去水以防止其生锈。

公开(公告)号：US06587768B2

公开(公告)日：2003-07-01

申请号：US09924435

申请日：2001-08-08

申请人： George Chene ,  Jack R. Worrall ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Lee A. French ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Dennis A. Kramer

发明人： George Chene ,  Jack R. Worrall ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Lee A. French ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Dennis A. Kramer

IPC分类号： G01M1700

CPC分类号： G07C5/085 ,  G07C5/006 ,  G07C5/008

摘要： A method and system is provided for inspecting and maintaining a vehicle. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of capturing vehicle data including the steps of servicing a vehicle at a location corresponding to service data. Service data is input into a portable handheld computing device and transferred from the portable handheld computing device to a vehicle onboard computer. Vehicle warranty data is provided on the vehicle onboard computer. The service data and the vehicle warranty data are retrieved from the vehicle onboard computer. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of inspecting a vehicle includes communicating with the vehicle systems using a portable handheld computing device to automatically inspect the vehicle systems. Prompts are displayed on the portable handheld computing device to guide a vehicle inspector to inspect additional vehicle systems. A help option is displayed on the portable handheld computing device associated with one of the additional vehicle systems. Selecting the help option displays instructions related to the vehicle system, such as how to inspect the system and how to fix the system if any problems are encountered.

公开(公告)号：US06356824B1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-12

申请号：US09767932

申请日：2001-01-23

申请人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

发明人： George Chene ,  Lee A. French ,  Dennis A. Kramer ,  Gerald D. Lawruk ,  Brian Jeffrey Mueller ,  Reno V. Ramsey ,  Wayne Shintaku ,  Jack R. Worrall

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： G07C5/008 ,  G07C5/085 ,  G07C2205/02

摘要： A vehicle data storage system is provided which includes a plurality of sensors for sensing vehicle operating conditions, such as engine temperature. A control module receives the vehicle operating conditions and translates the vehicle operating conditions into vehicle information. A portable hand held computing device, such as a Handspring® or Palmpilot®, has a data storage device or memory that receives the vehicle information. The data storage device is limited by a particular memory capacity. A secondary storage device receives the vehicle information from the data storage device from the portable hand held computing device when the memory capacity reaches a desired memory capacity level, such as when there is only 10% of the memory left in the data storage device. Additionally, one of the vehicle operating conditions in one of the subsystem control modules may comprise a triggering event. The triggering event may be detecting a high engine temperature in an engine temperature sensor. The subsystem control module then produces a request signal for event data in response to the triggering event. A memory buffer stores the vehicle information from all of the subsystem control modules. The event data is defined by a first predetermined time before the triggering event to a second predetermined time after the triggering event so that the data surrounding the triggering event resides in the memory buffer. The data in the memory buffer is written over by new data unless a request signal is received. A secondary storage device receives the event data in response to the request signal.

摘要翻译： 提供一种车辆数据存储系统，其包括用于感测诸如发动机温度的车辆操作条件的多个传感器。 控制模块接收车辆操作条件并将车辆操作条件转换为车辆信息。 诸如Handspring或Palmpilot的便携式手持式计算设备具有接收车辆信息的数据存储设备或存储器。 数据存储设备受到特定存储容量的限制。 当存储器容量达到期望的存储器容量级别时，例如当数据存储设备中只剩下存储器的10％时，辅助存储设备从便携式手持式计算设备接收来自数据存储设备的车辆信息。 另外，一个子系统控制模块中的一个车辆操作条件可以包括触发事件。 触发事件可以检测发动机温度传感器中的高发动机温度。 然后，子系统控制模块响应于触发事件产生事件数据的请求信号。 存储器缓冲器存储来自所有子系统控制模块的车辆信息。 事件数据由触发事件之前的第一预定时间定义到触发事件之后的第二预定时间，使得围绕触发事件的数据驻留在存储器缓冲器中。 除非接收到请求信号，否则内存缓冲区中的数据将被新数据写入。 辅助存储设备响应于请求信号接收事件数据。