JP7632202B2 - Abnormal Sound Diagnostic System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an abnormal sound diagnosis system, and more particularly to an abnormal sound diagnosis system that diagnoses abnormal sounds generated in a vehicle.

Conventionally, one type of abnormal sound diagnosis system proposed is one that diagnoses abnormal sounds generated in vehicles (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this system, data on sounds generated by the vehicle is sent via a network to an AI (artificial intelligence) server. The AI server diagnoses the cause of the abnormal sound based on the received sound data.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0114849

However, in the abnormal sound diagnosis system described above, the user of the vehicle being diagnosed (e.g., staff at the repair shop where the vehicle being diagnosed is taken) often does not understand the process by which the AI server diagnoses the cause of the abnormal sound. As a result, the user may perceive the AI server's diagnosis results for the cause of the abnormal sound as having low credibility.

The main purpose of the abnormal sound diagnosis system of the present invention is to make the user recognize that the abnormal sound diagnosis results are highly reliable.

The abnormal sound diagnosis system of the present invention employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main objective.

The abnormal sound diagnosis system of the present invention comprises:
An abnormal sound diagnosis system for diagnosing abnormal sounds occurring in a vehicle, comprising:
a data storage unit that stores in an abnormal sound database abnormal sound data that associates abnormal sound generating part information as information on parts that caused abnormal sounds in abnormal sound generating vehicles that have generated abnormal sounds in the past, abnormal sound vehicle information as vehicle information on the abnormal sound generating vehicles, and sound data including abnormal sounds generated in the abnormal sound generating vehicles;
an abnormal sound detection unit that detects sounds including abnormal sounds generated in a vehicle to be diagnosed;
a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle to be diagnosed;
an output unit which identifies a causative part causing an abnormal sound from the detected sound of the diagnosed vehicle, extracts from the abnormal sound database stored in the data storage unit past abnormal sound data which includes the abnormal sound generating part information identical to the identified causative part information and which includes the abnormal sound vehicle information which is identical or similar to the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, and outputs at least one of the abnormal sound vehicle information and the sound data including an abnormal sound contained in the extracted past abnormal sound data together with the causative part information;
The gist of the invention is to provide the following:

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system of the present invention, the data storage unit stores abnormal sound data in an abnormal sound database that associates abnormal sound generating part information as information on a part that caused an abnormal sound in an abnormal sound generating vehicle in the past, abnormal sound vehicle information as vehicle information on the abnormal sound generating vehicle, and sound including the abnormal sound generated in the abnormal sound generating vehicle. The abnormal sound detection unit detects sound including the abnormal sound generated in the diagnosis vehicle that is the target for diagnosing the abnormal sound. The vehicle information acquisition unit acquires vehicle information related to the diagnosis vehicle. The output unit identifies the causative part that is causing the abnormal sound from the detected sound of the diagnosis vehicle, extracts past abnormal sound data from the abnormal sound database stored in the data storage unit that includes abnormal sound generating part information identical to the identified causative part information and abnormal sound vehicle information identical or similar to the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, and outputs at least one of the abnormal sound vehicle information and the data on the sound including the abnormal sound included in the extracted past abnormal sound data together with the causative part information. This allows the user to recognize at least one of the information on the causative part, vehicle information on a vehicle that has previously generated an abnormal sound caused by the same causative part, and a sound that includes an abnormal sound caused by the same causative part. This allows the user to be convinced that an abnormal sound caused by the same part has occurred in the past. As a result, the user can be made to recognize that the abnormal sound diagnosis result is highly reliable. Here, examples of "vehicle information" include the model of the power source and transmission mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, examples of abnormal sound vehicle information similar to the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit include a similar model of the power source and transmission mounted on the vehicle, for example, if the power source is an engine, the number of cylinders of the engine is the same, etc.

In such an abnormal sound diagnosis system of the present invention, the abnormal sound detection unit may be mounted on the vehicle, and the data storage unit, the vehicle information acquisition unit, and the output unit may be mounted on a diagnostic server capable of exchanging data with the vehicle via wired or wireless communication.

1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of vehicle processing, server processing, and terminal processing executed in the vehicle 22, the diagnostic server 30, and the diagnostic terminal 40 during abnormal sound diagnosis. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a post-processing routine executed by the diagnostic terminal 40. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a post-processing routine of a modified example executed by the diagnostic terminal 40.

Next, we will explain how to implement the present invention using examples.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 according to the embodiment includes a vehicle 22, a diagnosis server 30, and a diagnosis terminal 40.

The vehicle 22 is configured as an automobile that runs by outputting power from the engine to a drive shaft connected to an axle via a transmission, and is equipped with a microphone 24, a control device 26, and a dongle 28. The microphone 24 is built into the headrest of the seat on which the passenger sits and detects sounds inside the vehicle. The control device 26 is configured as a general-purpose microcomputer centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, is equipped with ROM, RAM, flash memory, a storage device, an input/output port, a communication port, and the like. Signals detected by various sensors are input to the control device 26. Examples of the input signals include the engine speed from a speed sensor that detects the engine speed, the oil temperature from a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the lubricating oil that lubricates the transmission, and the coolant temperature from a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the coolant that cools the engine. Various signals are output from the control device 26. The dongle 28 is attached to a connection terminal (not shown) below the handlebars, and various data is exchanged with the control device 26 via this connection terminal. Data input from the control device 26 to the dongle 28 includes, for example, the engine speed, the temperature of the transmission lubricating oil, and the engine coolant temperature. Sound data detected by the microphone 24 is input to the dongle 28 via wireless communication. The dongle 28 is connected to the diagnostic server 30 and the diagnostic terminal 40 via communication, and exchanges various data with the diagnostic server 30 and the diagnostic terminal 40.

The diagnostic server 30 is configured as a general-purpose microcomputer centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, a storage device, an input/output port, a communication port, and the like. As described above, the diagnostic server 30 exchanges data with the dongle 28 of the vehicle 22 via wireless communication. The diagnostic server 30 collects various data from the vehicle 22 via the dongle 28 at predetermined intervals. Examples of the collected data include engine speed, transmission lubricant oil temperature, engine coolant temperature, and sound data detected by the microphone 24. The diagnostic server 30 stores in the storage device an abnormal sound diagnosis program 32 for diagnosing the cause of an abnormal sound generated in the vehicle 22, and an abnormal sound database 34 that accumulates abnormal sound data for multiple vehicles. The abnormal sound data is data that associates abnormal sound generating part information as information on parts that caused abnormal sounds in an abnormal sound generating vehicle in the past, abnormal sound vehicle information as vehicle information on the abnormal sound generating vehicle, and sound data including abnormal sounds generated in the abnormal sound generating vehicle. The abnormal noise vehicle information may include the vehicle model and year, the type of engine and transmission installed, the temperature of the transmission lubricant when the abnormal noise occurred, the temperature of the cooling water when the abnormal noise occurred, the engine speed when the abnormal noise occurred, etc. The diagnostic server 30 exchanges various data with the diagnostic terminal 40 via communication.

The diagnostic terminal 40 is configured as a general-purpose microcomputer with a CPU at its core, and in addition to the CPU, is equipped with ROM, RAM, flash memory, a storage device, a display device, an input/output port, a communication port, etc. The diagnostic terminal 40 exchanges various information with the dongle 28 of the vehicle 22, the diagnostic server 30, a manufacturer terminal 50 installed at the development manufacturer that developed the abnormal sound diagnosis program 32 installed in the diagnostic server 30, and a manufacturer terminal 52 installed at the manufacturer that manufactured the vehicle 22, via wired or wireless communication. The diagnostic terminal 40 displays the various information received from the dongle 28 and the diagnostic server 30 on the display device.

Next, the operation of the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 thus configured will be described, in particular the operation when diagnosing abnormal sounds generated in the vehicle 22 and the operation after processing based on the abnormal sound diagnosis. First, the operation when diagnosing abnormal sounds generated in the vehicle 22 will be described. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of vehicle processing, server processing, and terminal processing executed in the vehicle 22, the diagnosis server 30, and the diagnosis terminal 40 when diagnosing abnormal sounds. The diagnosis processing is performed when the vehicle 22 enters a repair shop.

In the diagnostic process, first, the dongle 28 of the vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) 22 to be diagnosed for abnormal noise detects voice data with the microphone 24 and transmits the detected voice data to the diagnostic terminal 40, while also inputting vehicle information from the control device 26 and transmitting it to the diagnostic server 30 (step S100). The voice data is detected while the vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) 22 is running on a vehicle test stand or on the road. Examples of vehicle information include the make and year of the vehicle, the type of engine and transmission installed, the temperature of the transmission lubricating oil when the abnormal noise occurs, the temperature of the cooling water when the abnormal noise occurs, and the engine speed when the abnormal noise occurs.

The diagnostic terminal 40 receives the voice data and vehicle information through terminal processing and transmits the received voice data and vehicle information to the diagnostic server 30 (step S300).

The diagnostic server 30 acquires the voice data and vehicle information of the vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) 22 from the diagnostic terminal 40 through server processing (step S200), and identifies the causative part that is causing the abnormal sound from the acquired voice data (step S210). The causative part is identified by storing in ROM a database of frequency spectra for each part when the abnormal sound occurs, which have been obtained in advance through experiments, analysis, etc., comparing the frequency spectrum of the acquired voice data with the frequency spectrum when the abnormal sound occurs stored in the database, identifying a frequency spectrum in the database that matches the frequency spectrum of the voice data or is similar enough to be considered to match, and identifying the part that corresponds to the identified frequency spectrum as the causative part.

The diagnostic server 30 extracts from the abnormal sound database 34 past abnormal sound data that is highly relevant to the abnormal sound caused by the causative part identified in step S210 (step S220). Highly relevant abnormal sound data can include abnormal sound data in which the abnormal sound generating part information is identical to the causative part information identified in step S210, and the abnormal sound vehicle information includes vehicle information that is identical or similar to the vehicle information acquired in step S200. Examples of similar vehicle information can include abnormal sound vehicle information that differs only in the model year but is the same in the rest, or that differs only in the model of the engine or transmission but is the same in the rest.

The diagnostic server 30 transmits (outputs) the information on the causative part identified in step S210 and the past abnormal sound data extracted in step S220 to the diagnostic terminal 40 (step S230). Then, abnormal sound data is created that associates the information on the causative part with the vehicle information of the vehicle (diagnosed vehicle) 22 and the sound data of the vehicle (diagnosed vehicle) 22, and the created abnormal sound data is stored in the abnormal sound database 34 (step S240), and the server processing is terminated.

The diagnostic terminal 40 acquires information on the causative part and past abnormal sound data from the diagnostic server 30 (step S310). Then, the acquired information on the causative part and vehicle information on the past abnormal sound data are displayed on the display device, and the audio data included in the past abnormal sound data are played back (step S320), and the terminal processing is terminated. By displaying the information on the causative part and vehicle information on the past abnormal sound data, and by playing back the audio data included in the past abnormal sound data, the user of the diagnostic terminal 40 can be made aware that a similar abnormal sound has occurred in the past in a vehicle equipped with the causative part, and the reliability of the abnormal sound diagnosis result is high.

Next, the operation after processing based on the abnormal sound diagnosis will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a post-processing routine executed by the diagnostic terminal 40. This routine is executed when the result of an investigation into whether the abnormal sound generation in the vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) 22 has disappeared is input to the diagnostic terminal 40 after a part identified as the causative part in the diagnostic processing of FIG. 2 of the vehicle (vehicle to be diagnosed) 22 is replaced at a repair shop or the like.

When the post-processing routine is executed, the diagnostic terminal 40 executes a process to determine whether or not the causative part has been correctly identified (step S400). Whether or not the causative part has been correctly identified is determined by determining that the causative part has been correctly identified when the abnormal noise no longer occurs in the vehicle (diagnosis vehicle) 22 after replacing the causative part in the vehicle (diagnosis vehicle) 22, and by determining that the causative part has not been correctly identified when the abnormal noise is occurring. If the causative part has not been correctly identified, the post-processing routine is terminated.

When the causative part has been correctly identified in step S400, the number of times that it has been determined that the causative part was correctly identified in step S400 of the previously executed post-processing routine is increased by a value of 1 and divided by the number of times that abnormal sound diagnoses of the causative part have been previously executed increased by a value of 1 to calculate the accuracy rate of the abnormal sound diagnosis (step S410), and the calculated accuracy rate is sent to the manufacturer terminal 50 of the manufacturer that created the abnormal sound diagnosis program 32 (step S420). This allows the manufacturer that created the abnormal sound diagnosis program 32 to recognize the accuracy of the abnormal sound diagnosis of the abnormal sound diagnosis program 32.

Next, the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn is updated by incrementing the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn by a value of 1 as the number of abnormal noise occurrences for the causative part (the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn is incremented by a value of 1) (step S430), and it is determined whether the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn is equal to or greater than a threshold value Nth (step S440). The threshold value Nth is a threshold value for determining whether the abnormal noise determined for the causative part occurs frequently. If the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn is less than the threshold value Nth, the post-processing routine is terminated.

If the number of abnormal noise occurrences Nn is equal to or greater than the threshold value Nth in step S440, an alert notification is sent to the manufacturer terminal 52 to inform the manufacturer that the causative part is making frequent abnormal noises (step S450), and the post-processing routine is terminated. This processing allows the manufacturer of the vehicle 22 to be made aware that the causative part is making frequent abnormal noises.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment described above, the diagnostic server 30 stores abnormal sound data in the abnormal sound database 34, which associates abnormal sound generating part information as information on parts that caused abnormal sounds in abnormal sound generating vehicles in the past, abnormal sound vehicle information as vehicle information on the abnormal sound generating vehicle, and data on sounds including abnormal sounds generated in the abnormal sound generating vehicle. The microphone 24 detects sounds including abnormal sounds generated in the vehicle (diagnosis vehicle) 22 as the target for diagnosing abnormal sounds. The diagnostic server 30 acquires vehicle information on the vehicle (diagnosis vehicle) 22, identifies the causative part that is causing the abnormal sound from the detected sound of the vehicle (diagnosis vehicle) 22, extracts past abnormal sound data from the stored abnormal sound database 34 that includes abnormal sound generating part information identical to the identified causative part information and abnormal sound vehicle information that is the same as or similar to the acquired vehicle information, and transmits (outputs) the abnormal sound vehicle information included in the extracted past abnormal sound data together with the causative part information. This allows the user to recognize that the abnormal sound diagnosis result is highly reliable.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment, in step S230 of the abnormal sound diagnosis process in FIG. 2, the extracted past abnormal sound data is transmitted (output) together with the information on the causative part. However, since it is sufficient to transmit (output) at least one of the abnormal sound vehicle information and the data on the sound including the abnormal sound from the extracted past abnormal sound data together with the information on the causative part, for example, it is also possible to transmit (output) only the data on the sound including the abnormal sound together with the information on the causative part.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment, vehicle processing is executed in the vehicle 22, server processing is executed in the diagnosis server 30, and terminal processing is executed in the diagnosis terminal 40. However, the vehicle processing, server processing, and terminal processing are not limited to being executed in the vehicle 22, diagnosis server 30, and diagnosis terminal 40, respectively, and it is sufficient that each of the vehicle processing, server processing, and terminal processing is executed in at least one of the vehicle 22, diagnosis server 30, and diagnosis terminal 40, such as executing server processing in the diagnosis terminal 40.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment, after the abnormal sound diagnosis is completed, the post-processing routine illustrated in FIG. 3 is executed. However, instead of the post-processing routine illustrated in FIG. 3, a modified post-processing routine illustrated in FIG. 4 may be executed. The post-processing routine in FIG. 4 executes the same processing as the post-processing routine in FIG. 3, except that steps S410 and S420 of the post-processing routine illustrated in FIG. 3 are not executed. In this way, it is possible to make the manufacturer of the vehicle 22 aware that the part causing the abnormal sound is frequently generating abnormal sounds.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment, the vehicle 22 is configured as an automobile that runs by outputting power from an engine to a drive shaft connected to an axle via a transmission. However, the vehicle 22 may also be an electric automobile that runs on power from a motor, or a hybrid automobile that can run on power from an engine and a motor, etc.

In the abnormal sound diagnosis system 20 of the embodiment, the microphone 24 is built into the headrest of the seat. However, the microphone 24 may be installed in any position where it can detect abnormal sounds generated in the vehicle, for example, on the ceiling of the passenger compartment or in the engine room.

The following explains the relationship between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem. In the embodiment, the microphone 24 corresponds to the "abnormal sound detection unit," and the diagnostic server 30 corresponds to the "data storage unit," "vehicle information acquisition unit," and "output unit."

The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the form for implementing the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column should be based on the description in that column, and the Examples are merely a specific example of the invention described in the Means for Solving the Problem column.

The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention can be used in the manufacturing industry of abnormal sound diagnosis systems, etc.

20 Abnormal sound diagnosis system, 22 Vehicle, 24 Microphone, 26 Control device, 28 Dongle, 30 Diagnostic server, 32 Abnormal sound diagnosis program, 34 Abnormal sound database, 40 Diagnostic terminal, 50, 52 Manufacturer terminal.

Claims (1)

An abnormal sound diagnosis system for diagnosing abnormal sounds occurring in a vehicle, comprising:
a data storage unit that stores in an abnormal sound database abnormal sound data that associates abnormal sound generating part information as information on parts that caused abnormal sounds in abnormal sound generating vehicles that have generated abnormal sounds in the past, abnormal sound vehicle information as vehicle information on the abnormal sound generating vehicles, and sound data including abnormal sounds generated in the abnormal sound generating vehicles;
an abnormal sound detection unit that detects sounds including abnormal sounds generated in a vehicle to be diagnosed;
a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle to be diagnosed;
an output unit which identifies a causative part causing an abnormal sound from the detected sound of the diagnosed vehicle, extracts from the abnormal sound database stored in the data storage unit past abnormal sound data which includes the abnormal sound generating part information identical to the identified causative part information and which includes the abnormal sound vehicle information which is identical or similar to the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, and outputs at least one of the abnormal sound vehicle information and the sound data including an abnormal sound contained in the extracted past abnormal sound data together with the causative part information;
an alert sending unit that determines whether the causative part has been correctly identified, and when the causative part has been correctly identified, increases the number of abnormal sound occurrences by a value of 1 as the number of occurrences of abnormal sound in the causative part, and when the number of abnormal sound occurrences is equal to or greater than a threshold, sends an alert notification notifying that abnormal sounds are occurring frequently in the causative part;
An abnormal sound diagnosis system comprising:

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