JP7687150B2 - Vehicle management device and vehicle management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method.

For example, there is a management system for managing vehicles such as hybrid cars (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A fuel pump installed in a vehicle supplies fuel to an engine, but if the brushes of the fuel pump motor wear out and deteriorate, the engine cannot be driven normally, and replacement is required before the deterioration occurs.

JP 2002-322940 A

Patent document 1 discloses how diagnostic information for the entire fuel system can be used to predict when inspections should be performed before a breakdown occurs, but does not disclose how deterioration of the fuel pump itself can be determined.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a vehicle management device and a vehicle management method that can appropriately determine the deterioration state of a fuel pump.

The vehicle management device of the present invention has a collection unit that collects the operating time of a fuel pump mounted on a vehicle and having a plurality of operating modes which differ in discharge flow rate or motor rotation speed , a conversion unit that converts the operating time into a corresponding value of a second operating mode for which the failure rate of the fuel pump reaches a predetermined durability value within a certain required time based on a first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operating mode at the time the operating time was collected, among a plurality of first correction coefficients which respectively correspond to the amount of deterioration of the fuel pump due to the plurality of operating modes , and a judgment unit that judges the deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the corresponding value with the required time .

In the above configuration, the collection unit may collect the drive time for each of the operation modes, the conversion unit may convert the drive time for each of the operation modes into the corresponding value based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode, and the determination unit may determine the deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing a sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes with the required time .

In the above configuration, the collection unit collects, for each of the operation modes, a frequency distribution in which the driving time and a maximum voltage of the battery of the fuel pump during operation are divided into a plurality of voltage ranges, and the conversion unit converts, for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges, a time portion of the driving time corresponding to a frequency of the voltage range into a voltage of the battery for which the failure rate reaches the durability value in the required time and the corresponding value of the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a second correction coefficient among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the amounts of deterioration of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges, and the determination unit may determine the deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing a sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges with the required time.

In the above configuration, the collection unit collects the number of times the fuel pump is started in each of a plurality of voltage ranges of a battery of the fuel pump, and the conversion unit converts the number of times the fuel pump is started, for each voltage range, into time based on a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the amount of deterioration of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges and a predetermined time corresponding to one start of the fuel pump, and adds the converted value to the corresponding value.

In the above configuration, the collection unit collects the operating time in each of a plurality of concentration ranges of alcohol contained in the fuel supplied by the fuel pump to the engine of the vehicle, and the conversion unit converts the operating time for each of the concentration ranges into the alcohol concentration for which the failure rate reaches the durability value in the required time and the corresponding value in the second operating mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operating mode and a third correction coefficient among a plurality of third correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of concentration ranges, the third correction coefficient corresponding to the concentration range, and the determination unit may determine the deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each concentration range with the required time.

In the above configuration, the collection unit may collect a mileage of the vehicle , and the conversion unit may multiply the corresponding value by a ratio of the mileage to a required value of the mileage of the vehicle for the failure rate to reach the durability value in the required time .

The vehicle management method of the present invention is a method in which a computer executes a process to collect the drive time of a fuel pump mounted on a vehicle and having a plurality of operating modes which differ in discharge flow rate or motor rotation speed, convert the drive time into a corresponding value of a second operating mode for which the failure rate of the fuel pump reaches a predetermined durability value within a certain required time based on a first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operating mode at the time the drive time was collected, among a plurality of first correction coefficients which respectively correspond to the amount of deterioration of the fuel pump due to the plurality of operating modes, and determine the deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the corresponding value with the required time .

In the above configuration, in the process of collecting the drive time, the drive time may be collected for each of the operation modes; in the process of converting the drive time to the corresponding value, the drive time may be converted to the corresponding value for each of the operation modes based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode; and in the process of determining the deterioration state of the fuel pump, the deterioration state of the fuel pump may be determined by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes with the required time .

In the above configuration, in the process of collecting the drive time, a frequency distribution in which the drive time and a maximum voltage of the battery of the fuel pump during operation are divided into a plurality of voltage ranges are collected for each of the operation modes, and in the process of converting the drive time into the corresponding value, for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges, a time portion of the drive time corresponding to a frequency of the voltage range is converted into a voltage of the battery for which the failure rate reaches the durability value in the required time and the corresponding value of the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges, and in the process of determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump, the deterioration state of the fuel pump may be determined by comparing a sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges with the required time.

In the above configuration, the computer may execute a process of collecting the number of times the fuel pump is started in each of a plurality of voltage ranges of the battery of the fuel pump, and for each voltage range, converting the number of times the fuel pump is started into time based on a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the amount of deterioration of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges and a predetermined time corresponding to one start of the fuel pump, and adding the converted value to the corresponding value.

In the above configuration, in the process of collecting the drive time, the drive time in each of a plurality of concentration ranges of alcohol contained in the fuel supplied by the fuel pump to the engine of the vehicle may be collected, and in the process of converting the drive time into the corresponding value, the drive time may be converted, for each of the concentration ranges, into the alcohol concentration at which the failure rate reaches the durability value in the required time and the corresponding value in the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a third correction coefficient among a plurality of third correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of concentration ranges, the third correction coefficient corresponding to the concentration range, and in the process of determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump, the deterioration state of the fuel pump may be determined by comparing a sum of the corresponding values for each concentration range with the required time.

In the above configuration, the computer may execute a process of collecting a mileage of the vehicle, and multiplying the corresponding value by a ratio of the mileage to a required value of the mileage of the vehicle for the failure rate to reach the durability value in the required time .

The present invention makes it possible to properly determine the deterioration state of a fuel pump.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle management system. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a fuel system mounted on a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an EFI (Electrical Fuel Injection)-ECU (Electrical Control Unit). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle management server. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a start count table. 10 is a time chart showing an example of a process for detecting the number of activations. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for detecting the number of activations. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an update process of a start count table. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a voltage distribution table. 10 is a time chart showing an example of a process for detecting the number of occurrences of a maximum voltage; 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting the number of occurrences of a maximum voltage (part 1); 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting the number of occurrences of a maximum voltage (part 2); 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of updating the voltage distribution table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pump drive time table. 5 is a time chart showing an example of a process for detecting a driving time of a fuel pump. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting a driving time of a fuel pump. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for updating a pump drive time table. 4 is a time chart showing an example of a travel distance table and an update process thereof; 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting a travel distance of a vehicle. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of pump performance data. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of correction information. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a start count table and a voltage distribution table in a first judgment example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a pump drive time table and a traveling distance table in a first judgment example. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first judgment example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a start count table and a voltage distribution table in a second judgment example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a pump drive time table and a traveling distance table in a second judgment example. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second judgment example. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the vehicle management server.

(Configuration of vehicle management system)
1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a vehicle management system 9. The vehicle management system 9 includes one or more vehicles 3 and a maintenance terminal 2, and a vehicle management server 1 connected to each maintenance terminal 2 via a network 90 such as the Internet.

The vehicle 3 is equipped with a fuel pump, such as that of a hybrid vehicle. The maintenance terminal 2 is a computer installed in a service center that performs maintenance and inspection of the vehicle 3. Each maintenance terminal 2 communicates with the vehicle 3 via, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Each maintenance terminal 2 also communicates with the vehicle management server 1 via a network 90.

The maintenance terminal 2 acquires and stores the load parameters of the fuel pump from the vehicle 3. The load parameters are histogram information related to the load applied to the fuel pump as the vehicle 3 travels. The maintenance terminal 2 transmits the load parameters to the vehicle management server 1.

The vehicle management server 1 receives and stores the load parameters. The vehicle management server 1 holds measurement data relating to the durability performance of the fuel pump. The measurement data is, for example, failure rate data measured in advance by individual testing of the fuel pump. The vehicle management server 1 converts the load parameters into comparison data to be compared with the measurement data according to the measurement conditions of the measurement data, as described below. The vehicle management server 1 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump of the vehicle 3 based on the comparison result between the comparison data, which is the converted load parameter, and the measurement data.

The vehicle management server 1 transmits the determination result to the maintenance terminal 2 via the network 90. This allows the user of the vehicle 3 to be notified of the deterioration state of the fuel pump. As in the example described below , when the vehicle management server 1 determines whether or not the fuel pump needs to be replaced, the user of the vehicle 3 can be notified of the need to replace the fuel pump from the vehicle management server 1 via the maintenance terminal 2.

(Fuel system configuration)
2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fuel system 300 mounted on a vehicle 3. The fuel system 300 has an ignition switch (IG-SW) 30, an engine 31, a fuel pump 32, a fuel tank 33, an auxiliary battery 34, an EFI-ECU 35, an odometer 36, a voltage sensor 37, an alcohol concentration sensor 38, and a communication module 39.

The fuel pump 32 supplies fuel (gasoline) stored in the fuel tank 33 to the engine 31. The engine 31 drives wheels (not shown) by burning the fuel.

The fuel tank 33 is provided with a concentration sensor 38. The concentration sensor 38 detects the concentration S (%) of ethanol contained in the fuel when the fuel pump 32 is operating. The vehicle 3 in this example is a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) that can use a mixed fuel of gasoline and alcohol, but is not limited to this and may use only pure gasoline as fuel. The concentration sensor 38 notifies the EFI-ECU 35 of the concentration S. Note that the concentration S is an example of a second concentration.

The auxiliary battery 34 supplies power to the motor (not shown) of the fuel pump 32. The fuel pump 32 pumps fuel from the fuel tank 33 to the engine 31 by rotating the motor.

The auxiliary battery 34 is provided with a voltage sensor 37. The voltage sensor 37 detects the battery voltage E (V) applied from the auxiliary battery 34 to the fuel pump 32. The voltage sensor 37 notifies the EFI-ECU 35 of the battery voltage E. The battery voltage E is an example of the voltage value of the auxiliary battery 34.

The ignition switch 30 is used to start and stop the engine 31. The ignition switch 30 is turned on and off by the user of the vehicle 3. The ignition switch 30 notifies the EFI-ECU 35 of its on and off state. The period from when the ignition switch 30 is turned on to when it is turned off is referred to as a "trip."

The odometer 36 indicates the distance traveled (km) of the vehicle 3. The EFI-ECU 35 obtains the distance traveled from the odometer 36.

The EFI-ECU 35 drives the fuel pump 32 according to instructions from an engine controller (not shown). As an example, the EFI-ECU 35 controls the output of the fuel pump 32 to three operating modes: LOW, MIDDLE, and HIGH. The EFI-ECU 35 controls, for example, the rotation speed of the motor of the fuel pump 32 or the discharge flow rate of the fuel pump 32 to a target value according to the operating mode. Of LOW, MIDDLE, and HIGH, the target value of the LOW operating mode is the lowest, and the target value of the HIGH operating mode is the highest. The rotation speed of the motor of the fuel pump 32 or the discharge flow rate of the fuel pump 32 in each operating mode is an example of a first output value.

The EFI-ECU 35 acquires load parameters using the battery voltage E, concentration S, mileage, and the operating mode of the fuel pump 32. The EFI-ECU 35 updates the load parameters for each trip. The EFI-ECU 35 outputs the load parameters to the communication module 39.

The communication module 39 is a device that includes, for example, a wireless LAN antenna and its control circuit. The communication module 39 transmits the load parameters to the maintenance terminal 2 in accordance with the operation of the user of the vehicle 3. Note that the load parameters may be acquired not only from the EFI-ECU 35, but also from a terminal such as a smartphone that can communicate with the EFI-ECU 35.

(Configuration of EFI-ECU)
3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the EFI-ECU 35. The EFI-ECU 35 is, for example, a microcontroller, and has a central processing unit (CPU) 40, a read only memory (ROM) 41, a random access memory (RAM) 42, a storage memory 43, and a communication port 44. The CPU 40 is connected to the ROM 41, the RAM 42, the storage memory 43, and the communication port 44 via a bus 49 so as to be able to input and output signals to and from each other. The EFI-ECU 35 is an example of an information processing device mounted on the vehicle 3.

The ROM 41 stores a program that drives the CPU 40. The RAM 42 functions as a working memory for the CPU 40. The communication port 44 transmits and receives data between the CPU 40 and the communication module 39, for example.

The storage memory 43 stores a start count table 430, a voltage distribution table 431, a pump drive time table 432, and a mileage table 433 as load parameters. The start count table 430 is a histogram showing the number of starts of the fuel pump 32 for each alcohol concentration S, battery voltage E, and operation mode of the fuel pump 32. The CPU 40 updates the start count table 430 for each trip based on the alcohol concentration S of the concentration sensor 38, the battery voltage E of the voltage sensor 37, and the operation mode of the fuel pump 32.

The voltage distribution table 431 is a histogram showing the distribution of maximum values of the battery voltage E during each period for each operating mode of the fuel pump 32 for each alcohol concentration S. The CPU 40 updates the voltage distribution table 431 for each trip based on the alcohol concentration S of the concentration sensor 38, the battery voltage E of the voltage sensor 37, and the operating mode of the fuel pump 32.

The pump drive time table 432 is a histogram showing the drive time of the fuel pump 32 for each operation mode of the fuel pump 32. The CPU 40 updates the pump drive time table 432 for each trip based on the alcohol concentration S of the concentration sensor 38 and the operation mode of the fuel pump 32. The mileage table 433 records the initial value at the start of recording and the current value of the mileage of the vehicle 3 indicated by the odometer 36. The CPU 40 records the initial value when the EFI-ECU 35 is started, based on the mileage of the odometer 36, and updates the current value for each trip.

In this way, the CPU 40 quantitatively detects the load applied to the fuel pump 32 and generates a start count table 430, a voltage distribution table 431, a pump drive time table 432, and a mileage table 433. The CPU 40 outputs the start count table 430, the voltage distribution table 431, the pump drive time table 432, and the mileage table 433 to the communication port 44 as load parameters.

The communication port 44 outputs the load parameters to the communication module 39. As a result, the load parameters are transmitted from the vehicle 3 to the maintenance terminal 2 and then to the vehicle management server 1. The communication port 44 is an example of a transmitting unit that transmits the load parameters to the vehicle management server 1.

(Configuration of vehicle management server)
4 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the vehicle management server 1. The vehicle management server 1 has a CPU 10, a ROM 11, a RAM 12, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 13, and a communication port 14. The CPU 10 is connected to the ROM 11, the RAM 12, the HDD 13, and the communication port 14 via a bus 19 so as to be able to input and output signals to and from each other. The vehicle management server 1 is an example of a vehicle management device, and the CPU 10 is an example of a computer that executes a vehicle management method.

The ROM 11 stores a program that drives the CPU 10. The RAM 12 functions as a working memory for the CPU 10. The communication port 14 transmits and receives data between the CPU 10 and the communication module 39, for example. The communication port 14 is an example of a receiving unit, and receives the load parameters 130 from the vehicle 3 via the maintenance terminal 2 and the network 90.

The HDD 13 stores load parameters 130, pump performance data 131, and correction information 132. The load parameters 130 include a start count table 430, a voltage distribution table 431, a pump drive time table 432, and a mileage table 433 received from the vehicle 3 via the maintenance terminal 2.

The pump performance data 131 includes measurement data on durability performance measured in advance in a unit test of the fuel pump 32, and the measurement conditions. The measurement data includes, but is not limited to, a Weibull chart of failure rates. The failure rate of the measurement data is used as a guide for replacing the fuel pump 32. The correction information 132 includes various correction parameters for converting the load parameters 130 into comparison data according to the measurement conditions of the measurement data.

When the CPU 10 loads the program, it generates a parameter collection unit 100, a conversion processing unit 101, and a deterioration determination unit 102 as software functions. The parameter collection unit 100 is an example of a collection unit, and collects load parameters 130 from the vehicle 3 via the network 90 through the communication port 14. The parameter collection unit 100 saves the load parameters 130 in the HDD 13. The parameter collection unit 100 notifies the conversion processing unit 101 of the completion of saving the load parameters 130.

The conversion processing unit 101 reads the load parameters 130 from the HDD 13 in response to notification that the load parameters 130 have been saved, and converts the load parameters 130 into comparison data according to the measurement conditions of the measurement data using the correction information 132. This makes it possible to compare the load parameters 130 with the measurement data.

The deterioration determination unit 102 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump 32 by comparing the comparison data converted from the load parameters 130 with the measurement data. As in the example described below, the deterioration determination unit 102 determines whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced, but is not limited to this, and may calculate the remaining usable period and degree of deterioration of the fuel pump 32. Note that the conversion processing unit 101 is an example of a conversion unit, and the deterioration determination unit 102 is an example of a determination unit. Details of the processing by the CPU 10 will be described later.

The method for collecting load parameters 130 by the EFI-ECU 35 is described below.

(Start count table)
5 is a diagram showing an example of the start-up count table 430. The start-up count table 430 records 12 start-up counts Na(1,1,1) to Na(2,2,3) according to the alcohol concentration S, battery voltage E, and start-up timing during a trip. Here, the start-up count is represented as Na(a1,a2,a3), and the alcohol concentration S, battery voltage E, and start-up timing during a trip are distinguished by the combination of the variables a1, a2, a3.

The battery voltage E is divided into a voltage range of E<TH_L (a3=1), a voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H (a3=2), and a voltage range of E≧TH_H (a3=3). Here, the thresholds TH_L and TH_H (>TH_L) are appropriately determined based on, for example, the characteristics of the fuel pump 32.

The start timing during a trip is divided into the first time (a2 = 1) and the second time or later (a2 = 2) during the trip. The vehicle 3 in this example is assumed to be a vehicle type in which the engine 31 is operated intermittently, but in the case of a vehicle type that does not operate intermittently, the division into the first time and the second time or later is not necessary.

The alcohol concentration S is classified into a range of S<THs (a1=1) and a range of S≧THs (a1=2). When S<THs, the fuel is gasoline, and when S≧THs, the fuel is a blend of gasoline and ethanol. Note that if the vehicle 3 is not compatible with blended fuel, it is not necessary to classify the type of fuel based on the alcohol concentration S.

Figure 6 is a time chart Ga showing an example of the process of detecting the number of startups. The time chart Ga shows the changes over time in the on/off state of the ignition switch 30 (IG-SW), the battery voltage E (V), the drive signal of the fuel pump 32, the alcohol concentration S (%), and the provisionally held values ΔNa(1,1), ΔNa(2,2), and ΔNa(2,1) of the number of startups. The provisionally held value ΔNa(a2,a3) is the cumulative number of startups detected during a trip, and is the value that is added to the number of startups Na(1,a2,a3) or Na(2,a2,a3) in the number of startups table 430 after the trip ends.

In this example, the fuel is, for example, pure gasoline, and the alcohol concentration S is less than or equal to the threshold value THs.

The ignition switch 30 is turned on at time t1 and turned off at time t6. A drive signal is output from the EFI-ECU 35 to the motor of the fuel pump 32. The drive signal is on during the periods from time t1 to t2, t3 to t4, and t5 to t6, and the fuel pump 32 is driven during these periods. The battery voltage E varies depending on the load state of the auxiliary battery 34.

The CPU 40 detects the number of times the drive signal changes from off to on as the number of startups. The CPU 40 detects that the drive signal is on at time t1. At time t1, the battery voltage E is less than TH_L. Furthermore, the startup of the fuel pump 32 at time t1 is the first startup during the trip from time t1 to t6. Therefore, the CPU 40 updates the provisional hold value ΔNa(1,1) corresponding to the startup numbers Na(1,1,1) and Na(2,1,1) from 0 to 1.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the drive signal is on at time t3. At time t3, the battery voltage E is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH_L and less than the threshold value TH_H. Furthermore, the start of the fuel pump 32 at time t3 is the second or subsequent start during the trip from time t1 to t6. Therefore, the CPU 40 updates the number of starts Na(1,2,2) and the provisional hold value ΔNa(2,2) corresponding to Na(2,2,2) from 0 times to 1 time.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the drive signal is on at time t5. At time t5, the battery voltage E is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH_L and less than the threshold value TH_H. Furthermore, the start of the fuel pump 32 at time t5 is the second or subsequent start during the trip from time t1 to t6. Therefore, the CPU 40 updates the number of starts Na(1,2,1) and the provisional hold value ΔNa(2,1) corresponding to Na(2,2,1) from 0 times to 1 time.

After the trip ends at time t6, the CPU 40 reflects the provisional hold values ΔNa(1,1), ΔNa(2,2), and ΔNa(2,1) in the startup count table 430. After reflection, the provisional hold values ΔNa(1,1), ΔNa(2,2), and ΔNa(2,1) are reset to 0. The startup count table 430 at this time is as shown at the bottom of the time chart Ga on the paper in FIG. 6. Note that the startup counts Na(1,1,1) to Na(2,2,3) in the startup count table 430 at time t1 are 0.

Because the alcohol concentration S is equal to or less than the threshold value THs, the CPU 40 adds the provisional retention values ΔNa(1,1), ΔNa(2,2), and ΔNa(2,1) to the activation counts Na(1,1,1), Na(1,2,2), and Na(1,2,1), respectively. As a result, the activation counts Na(1,1,1), Na(1,2,2), and Na(1,2,1) are updated from 0 to 1, respectively. In this way, the CPU 40 updates the activation count table 430 with the retention values (a2, a3) that count the number of activations during the trip.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting the number of activations. The CPU 40 executes this process, for example, at regular intervals.

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (step St1). If the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (Yes in step St1), the CPU 40 determines whether the fuel pump 32 has been started (step St2).

If the ignition switch 30 is not switched on (No in step St1) or if the fuel pump 32 is stopped (No in step St2), the CPU 40 executes a process of updating the start count table (TBL) (step St14) described below. If the fuel pump 32 is started (Yes in step St2), the CPU 40 acquires the battery voltage E from the voltage sensor 37 (step St3).

Next, the CPU 40 determines the voltage range of the battery voltage E by performing the processes in steps St4 to St8 below. The CPU 40 compares the battery voltage E with the threshold value TH_L (step St4). If E<TH_L holds (Yes in step St4), the CPU 40 sets the variable a3 to 1 (step St5). If E<TH_L does not hold (No in step St4), the CPU 40 compares the battery voltage E with the threshold values TH_L and TH_H (step St6).

If TH_L≦E<TH_H is true (Yes in step St6), the CPU 40 sets the variable a3 to 2 (step St7). If E≧TH_H is true (No in step St6), the CPU 40 sets the variable a3 to 3 (step St8).

Next, the CPU 40 determines whether the variable INIT is 0 (step St9). The variable INIT indicates whether the start of the fuel pump 32 determined in step St2 is the first start during a trip (0: first start, 1: second or subsequent start).

If the variable INIT is 0 (Yes in step St9), the CPU 40 determines that the fuel pump 32 has been started for the first time during the trip, sets the variable a2 to 1 (step St10), and sets the variable INIT to 1 (step St11). If the variable INIT is 1 (No in step St9), the CPU 40 determines that the fuel pump 32 has been started for the second or subsequent time during the trip, and sets the variable a2 to 2 (step St12).

Next, the CPU 40 adds 1 to the provisionally held value ΔNa (a2, a3) to count the number of starts during the trip (step St13). Next, the CPU 40 executes the process of updating the start count table 430 (step St14). In this manner, the process of detecting the number of starts is executed.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of updating the startup count table 430. This process is executed in step St14 above.

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from on to off (step St21). If the ignition switch 30 has not been switched off (No in step St21), this process ends.

When the ignition switch 30 is switched off (Yes in step St21), the CPU 40 compares the alcohol concentration S indicated by the concentration sensor 38 with the threshold value THs (step St22). When S<THs holds (Yes in step St22), the CPU 40 sets the variable a1 to 1 (step St23), and when S≧THs holds (No in step St22), the CPU 40 sets the variable a1 to 2 (step St24).

Then, the CPU 40 reflects the provisional hold value ΔNa (a2, a3) in the start count table 430 by performing the processes in steps St25 to St28 below. First, the CPU 40 selects one of the combinations of the values of the variables a2 and a3 (step St25). Next, the CPU 40 adds the provisional hold value ΔNa (a2, a3) to the start count Na (a1, a2, a3) (step St26). Next, the CPU 40 resets the provisional hold value ΔNa (a2, a3) to 0 in preparation for the next trip (step St27).

Next, the CPU 40 determines whether or not there is an unselected combination of the values of the variables a2 and a3 (step St28). If there is an unselected combination of the values of the variables a2 and a3 (Yes in step St28), the CPU 40 selects the unselected combination of the values of the variables a2 and a3 (step St25) and executes the processes of steps St26 and St27 again.

If there is no unselected combination of the values of variables a2 and a3 (No in step St28), the CPU 40 resets the variable INIT to 0 in preparation for the next trip (step St29) and ends this process.

In this way, the CPU 40 updates the startup count table 430 with the provisionally held value ΔNa (a2, a3).

(Voltage distribution table)
9 is a diagram showing an example of the voltage distribution table 431. In the voltage distribution table 431, the occurrence counts Nb(1,1,1) to Nb(2,3,3) of 18 maximum battery voltages E are recorded according to the alcohol concentration S and the operation mode of the fuel pump 32. Here, the occurrence counts are represented as Nb(b1,b2,b3), and the alcohol concentration S, the range of the maximum battery voltage E (hereinafter, maximum voltage) during each operation mode, and the operation mode are distinguished by the combination of the variables b1, b2, and b3.

The maximum voltage is, for example, classified into a voltage range of E<TH_L (b3=1), a voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H (b3=2), and a voltage range of E>TH_H (b3=3). The operating modes of the fuel pump 32 are classified into LOW (b2=1), MIDDLE (b2=2), and HIGH (b2=3) as described above. The alcohol concentration S is classified into a range of S<THs (b1=1) and a range of S≧THs (a1=2). Note that if the vehicle 3 does not support blended fuel, it is not necessary to classify the type of fuel according to the alcohol concentration S.

Figure 10 is a time chart Gb showing an example of a process for detecting the number of occurrences of maximum voltage. The time chart Gb shows the changes over time in the on/off state (IG-SW) of the ignition switch 30, the battery voltage E (V), the operating mode of the fuel pump 32, the alcohol concentration S (%), and the provisionally held values ΔNb(2,1), ΔNb(2,2), ΔNb(3,2), and ΔNb(3,3). The provisionally held value ΔNb(b2,b3) is the cumulative number of occurrences of maximum voltage detected during a trip, and is a value that is added to the number of occurrences Nb(1,b2,b3) and Nb(2,b2,b3) after the trip ends.

In this example, the fuel is, for example, pure gasoline, and the alcohol concentration S is less than or equal to the threshold value THs.

The ignition switch 30 is turned on at time t10 and turned off at time t19. The battery voltage E varies according to the load state of the auxiliary battery 34. The operating mode is MIDDLE (see "M") from time t10 to t11 and from time t14 to t15, and is HIGH (see "H") from time t11 to t12, from time t16 to t17, and from time t18 to t19. The periods when the operating mode is LOW (see "L") are not shown in the figures.

The CPU 40 detects the number of occurrences for each voltage range of the maximum voltage during each period of the operating modes LOW, MIDDLE, and HIGH. The CPU 40 detects that the maximum voltage during the period of the operating mode MIDDLE from time t10 to t11 is in the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. Therefore, after time t11, the CPU 40 updates the number of occurrences Nb(1,2,2) and the provisional holding value ΔNb(2,2) corresponding to Nb(2,2,2) from 0 times to 1 time.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the maximum voltage during the period of operation mode HIGH from time t11 to t13 is in the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. Therefore, after time t13, the CPU 40 updates the occurrence counts Nb(1,3,2) and the provisional hold value ΔNb(3,2) corresponding to Nb(2,3,2) from 0 times to 1 time.

At this time, at time t12, the battery voltage E momentarily exceeds TH_H due to noise or the like, but as described below, the CPU 40 uses the lower of the two battery voltages E acquired in succession to update the maximum voltage, so the battery voltage E at time t12 is not set to the maximum voltage.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the maximum voltage during the period of operation mode MIDDLE from time t14 to t15 is in the voltage range of E < TH_L. Therefore, after time t15, the CPU 40 updates the occurrence count Nb (1, 2, 1) and the provisional hold value ΔNb (2, 1) corresponding to Nb (2, 2, 1) from 0 times to 1 time.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the maximum voltage during the period of operation mode HIGH from time t16 to t17 is in the voltage range of E≧TH_H. Therefore, after time t16, the CPU 40 updates the occurrence counts Nb(1,3,3) and the provisional hold value ΔNb(3,3) corresponding to Nb(2,3,3) from 0 times to 1 time.

Next, the CPU 40 detects that the maximum voltage during the period of operation mode HIGH from time t18 to t19 is in the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. Therefore, after time t19, the CPU 40 updates the occurrence counts Nb(1,3,2) and the provisional hold value ΔNb(3,2) corresponding to Nb(2,3,2) from 1 time to 2 times.

After the trip ends at time t19, the CPU 40 reflects the provisional hold values ΔNb(2,1), ΔNa(2,2), ΔNa(3,2), and ΔNa(3,3) in the voltage distribution table 431. The voltage distribution table 431 at this time is as shown at the bottom of the time chart Gb on the paper surface of FIG. 10. After reflection, the provisional hold values ΔNb(2,1), ΔNa(2,2), ΔNa(3,2), and ΔNa(3,3) are reset to 0 times. Note that the start-up counts Na(1,1,1) to Nb(2,3,3) in the start-up count table 430 at time t10 are 0 times.

Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts showing an example of a process for detecting the number of occurrences of maximum voltage. The CPU 40 executes this process, for example, at regular intervals. Note that Figures 11 and 12 are a single flowchart that are linked to each other at the reference characters A and B.

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (step St31). If the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (Yes in step St31), the CPU 40 determines whether the fuel pump 32 has been started (step St32).

If the ignition switch 30 is not switched on (No in step St31) or if the fuel pump 32 is stopped (No in step St32), the CPU 40 executes step St43 described below.

When the fuel pump 32 is started (Yes in step St32), the CPU 40 determines whether the operation mode is LOW based on, for example, the target rotation speed of the fuel pump 32 (step St33). When the operation mode is LOW (Yes in step St33), the CPU 40 sets the variable b2 to 1 (step St34).

When the operating mode is not LOW (No in step St33), the CPU 40 determines whether the operating mode is MIDDLE, for example, based on the target rotation speed of the fuel pump 32 (step St35). When the operating mode is MIDDLE (Yes in step St35), the CPU 40 sets the variable b2 to 2 (step St36). When the operating mode is not MIDDLE, that is, when the operating mode is HIGH (No in step St35), the CPU 40 sets the variable b2 to 3 (step St37).

Next, the CPU 40 acquires the battery voltage E from the voltage sensor 37 (step St38). The CPU 40 compares the lower voltage (min(E, Epre)) between the battery voltage E and the previously acquired battery voltage Epre (hereinafter referred to as the previous battery voltage Epre) with the maximum voltage Emax (step St39). Here, the initial values of the previous battery voltage Epre and the maximum voltage Emax are, for example, 0.

If the lower of the battery voltage E and the previous battery voltage Epre is higher than the maximum voltage Emax (Yes in step St39), the CPU 40 sets the lower voltage to the maximum voltage Emax (step St40). Next, the CPU 40 sets the battery voltage E to the previous battery voltage Epre (step St41).

In this way, the CPU 40 uses the lower battery voltage E of the two battery voltages E and Epre acquired in succession to update the maximum voltage Emax, so that momentary high voltages caused by noise or the like are not set as the maximum voltage Emax. This allows the CPU 40 to detect the distribution of the maximum voltage Emax with high accuracy.

The CPU 40 then determines whether the operation mode has changed (step St42). If the operation mode has changed (Yes in step St42), the CPU 40 determines whether the maximum voltage Emax is 0 (V) (step St43). If the operation mode has not changed (No in step St42) or the maximum voltage Emax is 0 (V) (No in step St43), the process of step St51 described below is executed.

If the maximum voltage Emax is not 0 (V) (Yes in step St43), the CPU 40 determines the voltage range of the maximum voltage Emax by processing each of the following steps St44 to St48. The CPU 40 compares the maximum voltage Emax with the threshold value TH_L (step St44). If Emax<TH_L is true (Yes in step St44), the CPU 40 sets the variable b3 to 1 (step St45). If Emax<TH_L is not true (No in step St44), the CPU 40 compares the maximum voltage Emax with the threshold values TH_L and TH_H (step St46).

If TH_L≦Emax<TH_H holds (Yes in step St46), the CPU 40 sets the variable b3 to 2 (step St47). If Emax≧TH_H holds (No in step St46), the CPU 40 sets the variable b3 to 3 (step St48).

Next, the CPU 40 adds 1 to the provisionally held value ΔNb (b2, b3) to count the number of occurrences of the maximum voltage Emax for each period of the operating mode (step St49). Next, the CPU 40 resets the maximum voltage Emax to 0 in preparation for counting the number of occurrences during the next period of the operating mode (step St50).

Next, the CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from on to off (step St51). If the ignition switch 30 has not been switched off (No in step St51), this process ends. If the ignition switch 30 has been switched off (Yes in step St51), the CPU 40 executes the following update process for the voltage distribution table (TBL9431 (step St52).

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of updating the voltage distribution table 431. This process is executed in step St52 described above.

The CPU 40 compares the alcohol concentration S indicated by the concentration sensor 38 with the threshold value THs (step St61). If S<THs holds (Yes in step St61), the CPU 40 sets the variable b1 to 1 (step St62), and if S≧THs holds (No in step St61), the CPU 40 sets the variable b1 to 2 (step St63).

Then, the CPU 40 reflects the temporary hold value ΔNb (b2, b3) in the voltage distribution table 431 by performing each process of the following steps St64 to St67. First, the CPU 40 selects one of the combinations of the values of the variables b2 and b3 (step St64). Next, the CPU 40 adds the temporary hold value ΔNb (b2, b3) to the number of occurrences Nb (b1, b2, b3) (step St65). Next, the CPU 40 resets the temporary hold value ΔNb (b2, b3) to 0 in preparation for the next trip (step St66).

Next, the CPU 40 determines whether or not there is an unselected combination of the values of the variables b2 and b3 (step St67). If there is an unselected combination of the values of the variables b2 and b3 (Yes in step St67), the CPU 40 selects the unselected combination of the values of the variables b2 and b3 (step St64) and executes the processes of steps St65 and St66 again.

If there is no combination of the values of variables b2 and b3 that has not been selected (No in step St67), the CPU 40 ends this process. In this way, the CPU 40 updates the voltage distribution table 431 with the provisionally held value ΔNb(b2, b3).

(Pump operation time table)

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the pump drive time table 432. In the pump drive time table 432, six drive times Nc(1,1) to Nc(2,3) (minutes) are recorded according to the alcohol concentration S and the operation mode of the fuel pump 32. Here, the drive time is represented as Nc(c1,c2), and the alcohol concentration S and the operation mode are distinguished by the combination of the variables c1 and c2.

As described above, the operating modes of the fuel pump 32 are classified into LOW (c2=1), MIDDLE (c2=2), and HIGH (c2=3). The alcohol concentration S is classified into the range S<THs (c1=1) and the range S≧THs (c1=2). Note that if the vehicle 3 does not support blended fuel, it is not necessary to classify the type of fuel based on the alcohol concentration S.

Figure 15 is a time chart Gc showing an example of a process for detecting the drive time of the fuel pump 32. The time chart Gc shows the changes over time in the on/off state (IG-SW) of the ignition switch 30, the operating mode of the fuel pump 32, the alcohol concentration S (%), and the provisional drive time retention values ΔNc(2) and ΔNc(3). The provisional drive time ΔNb(c2) is the cumulative drive time of the fuel pump 32 detected during a trip, and is the value added to the drive times Nc(1,c2) and Nb(2,c2) after the trip ends.

In this example, the fuel is, for example, pure gasoline, and the alcohol concentration S is equal to or less than the threshold value THs. The ignition switch 30 is turned on at time t20 and turned off at time t27. The operation mode is MIDDLE (see "M") from time t20 to t21 and from time t22 to t23, and is HIGH (see "H") from time t24 to t25 and from time t26 to t27. The period when the operation mode is LOW (see "L") is not shown in the figure.

The CPU 40 detects the drive time of the fuel pump 32 in each of the periods of the operation modes LOW, MIDDLE, and HIGH. The CPU 40 measures the drive time in the operation mode MIDDLE from time t20 to t21 and from time t22 to t23 as a temporary hold value ΔNc(2). The CPU 40 also measures the drive time in the operation mode HIGH from time t24 to t25 and from time t26 to t27 as a temporary hold value ΔNc(3).

After the trip ends at time t27, the CPU 40 reflects the provisional hold values ΔNc(2) (=T2≠0) and ΔNc(3) (=T3≠0) in the pump drive time table 432. The pump drive time table 432 at this time is as shown at the bottom of the time chart Gc on the paper surface of FIG. 15. After reflection, the provisional hold values ΔNc(2) and ΔNc(3) are reset to 0. Note that Nc(1,1) to Nc(2,3) in the start count table 430 at time t20 are 0 (minutes). In this way, the CPU 40 updates the pump drive time table 432 for each trip.

Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting the operation time of the fuel pump 32. The CPU 40 executes this process, for example, at regular intervals.

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (step St71). If the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (Yes in step St71), the CPU 40 determines whether the fuel pump 32 is operating (step St72).

If the ignition switch 30 is not switched on (No in step St71) or if the fuel pump 32 is stopped (No in step St72), the CPU 40 executes an update process for the pump drive time table 432, which will be described later.

When the fuel pump 32 is being driven (Yes in step St72), the CPU 40 determines whether the operation mode is LOW based on, for example, the target rotation speed of the fuel pump 32 (step St73). When the operation mode is LOW (Yes in step St73), the CPU 40 sets the variable c2 to 1 (step St74).

If the operating mode is not LOW (No in step St73), the CPU 40 determines whether the operating mode is MIDDLE, for example, based on the target rotation speed of the fuel pump 32 (step St75). If the operating mode is MIDDLE (Yes in step St75), the CPU 40 sets the variable c2 to 2 (step St76). If the operating mode is not MIDDLE, that is, is HIGH (No in step St75), the CPU 40 sets the variable c2 to 3 (step St77).

Next, the CPU 40 adds a predetermined time ΔT to the provisional hold value ΔNc (c2) (step St78). Here, the predetermined time ΔT is, for example, an elapsed time obtained from a timer. Next, the CPU 40 executes an update process for the pump drive time table 432 (step St79).

Figure 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of updating the pump drive time table 432. This process is executed in step St79 above.

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from on to off (step St81). If the ignition switch 30 has not been switched off (No in step St81), this process ends.

When the ignition switch 30 is switched off (Yes in step St81), the CPU 40 compares the alcohol concentration S indicated by the concentration sensor 38 with the threshold value THs (step St82). When S<THs holds (Yes in step St82), the CPU 40 sets the variable c1 to 1 (step St83), and when S≧THs holds (No in step St82), the CPU 40 sets the variable c1 to 2 (step St84).

Then, the CPU 40 reflects the provisional hold value ΔNc (c2) in the pump drive time table 432 by processing each of the following steps St85 to St88. First, the CPU 40 selects the value of the variable c2 (step St85). Next, the CPU 40 adds the provisional hold value ΔNc (c2) to the drive time Nc (c1, c2) (step St86). Next, the CPU 40 resets the provisional hold value ΔNc (c2) to 0 in preparation for the next trip (step St87).

Next, the CPU 40 determines whether or not there is a value for the unselected variable c2 (step St88). If there is a value for the unselected variable c2 (Yes in step St88), the CPU 40 selects the value for the unselected variable c2 (step St85) and executes the processes of steps St86 and St87 again.

If there is no unselected value for variable c2 (No in step St88), the CPU 40 ends this process. In this way, the CPU 40 updates the pump drive time table 432 with the provisional hold value ΔNc(c2).

(Mileage table)
18 is a time chart Gd showing an example of the mileage table 433 and its update process. The mileage table 433 includes an initial value when the CPU 40 starts recording the mileage, and a current value thereafter.

Time chart Ga shows the on/off state of the ignition switch 30 (IG-SW) over time, the mileage (km) indicated by the odometer 36, and the change in the recording start flag. The recording start flag indicates "0" before the CPU 40 starts recording the mileage, and indicates "1" after the CPU 40 starts recording the mileage.

The ignition switch 30 is turned on at time t30 and turned off at time t32. The ignition switch 30 is then turned on at time t34 and turned off at time t35. The mileage on the odometer 36 increases between times t30 and t32 and between times t34 and t35, but remains constant during other periods. Note that at time t30, the odometer 36 indicates 2000 km.

At time t30, the CPU 40 obtains the mileage of "2000 (km)" from the odometer 36 and records it as the initial value in the mileage table. Then, at time t31, the CPU 40 updates the recording start flag from "0" to "1."

Next, at time t32, the CPU 40 obtains the mileage of "2100 (km)" from the odometer 36 and records it as the current value in the mileage table. Next, at time t35, the CPU 40 obtains the mileage of "2200 (km)" from the odometer 36 and records it as the current value in the mileage table. In this way, the CPU 40 updates the current value in the mileage table 433 for each trip.

Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for detecting the travel distance of the vehicle 3. The CPU 40 executes this process, for example, at regular intervals. The initial value of the recording start flag is "0".

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (step St91). If the ignition switch 30 has been switched from off to on (Yes in step St91), the CPU 40 determines whether the recording start flag is "0" (step St92). If the ignition switch 30 has not been switched on (No in step St91) or if the recording start flag is "1" (No in step St92), the CPU 40 executes the process of step St96 described below.

If the recording start flag is "0" (Yes in step St92), the CPU 40 reads the mileage from the odometer 36 (step St93) and writes it as an initial value in the mileage table 433 (step St94). Next, the CPU 40 updates the recording start flag to " 1 " so that the initial value of the mileage is not recorded the next time this process is executed (step St95).

The CPU 40 determines whether the ignition switch 30 has been switched from on to off (step St96). If the ignition switch 30 has not been switched off (No in step St96), this process ends.

If the ignition switch 30 is switched off (Yes in step St96), the CPU 40 reads the mileage from the odometer 36 (step St97) and writes it as the current value in the mileage table 433 (step St98). In this way, the CPU 40 updates the mileage table 433.

(Pump performance data)
20 is a diagram showing an example of the pump performance data 131. The vehicle management server 1 converts the load parameters 130 into comparison data using the correction information 132 based on the pump performance data 131. The load parameters 130 include the above-mentioned start count table 430, voltage distribution table 431, pump drive time table 432, and mileage table 433.

The pump performance data 131 includes measurement data related to the durability performance of the fuel pump 32 and the measurement conditions. As an example, the measurement data indicates 12,000 (hours) as the time required for the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 to reach 3.2 (ppm). Also, as an example, the measurement data indicates 300,000 (km) as the required value of the travel distance of the vehicle 3 for the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 to reach 3.2 (ppm). Note that, as an example, a cause of deterioration of the fuel pump 32 is wear of the brushes of the motor.

The pump performance data 131 is extracted in advance, for example, as a result of a unit test of the fuel pump 32, from a Weibull chart showing a failure rate of 3.2 (ppm) when the fuel pump 32 is driven for 12,000 (hours) and the vehicle 3 is driven for 300,000 (km). This failure rate is an example of a guideline for when the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced.

However, the operating time of the fuel pump 32 and the traveling distance of the vehicle 3 at which the failure rate reaches 3.2 (ppm) vary depending on, for example, the driving method and driving environment of the user of the vehicle 3. For this reason, the vehicle management server 1 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump 32 by converting the load parameters 130 of the fuel pump 32 into comparison data according to the measurement conditions.

Examples of the measurement conditions include the battery voltage Eref (V), the operation mode of the fuel pump 32, and the alcohol concentration Sref. In this example, the measurement conditions are assumed to be a state in which the battery voltage Eref is a voltage value that satisfies TH_L≦Eref<TH_H, the operation mode is HIGH, and the alcohol concentration Sref is a concentration that satisfies Sref<THs (e.g., pure gasoline). Note that the alcohol concentration Sref is an example of the first concentration. Also, the motor rotation speed or discharge flow rate according to the operation mode of the measurement conditions is an example of the first output value.

(Correction information)
21 is a diagram showing an example of the correction information 132. The correction information 132 includes a relative wear amount Ha of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 under the measurement condition of the battery voltage Eref, a wear correction coefficient Hb related to the battery voltage E, and a wear correction coefficient Hb related to the alcohol concentration S.

The relative wear amount Ha indicates the wear amount of the brush when the operating mode is LOW and MIDDLE, and the wear amount due to the start of the fuel pump 32, for each of vehicle models X and Y, when the wear amount of the brush when the operating mode of the fuel pump 32 is HIGH is set to 1. The higher the rotation speed of the motor of the fuel pump 32, the greater the wear amount of the brush, so the wear amount when the operating mode is HIGH is higher than when the operating mode is LOW or MIDDLE. Also, when the fuel pump 32 is started, a high inrush current flows from the auxiliary battery 34 to the motor, so the wear amount of the brush is higher than during normal operation (HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW).

The wear correction coefficient Hb indicates the ratio of the amount of wear of the brush for each voltage range (E<TH_L, TH_L≦E<TH_H, E≧TH_H) when the amount of wear is set to 1 when the voltage range of the battery voltage E is the same as the measurement conditions, TH_L≦E<TH_H. The greater the voltage applied to the fuel pump 32 from the auxiliary battery 34, the greater the amount of wear of the brush.

The wear correction coefficient Hc indicates the amount of wear for each range of alcohol concentration S (S<THs, S>=THs), assuming that the amount of wear of the brush is 1 when the alcohol concentration S is the same as the measurement conditions, S<THs. Compared to pure gasoline, a mixed fuel of alcohol and gasoline is more likely to contain foreign matter and cause brush spark discharge, so the amount of wear when S>=THs is higher than when S<THs.

The conversion processing unit 101 of the vehicle management server 1 converts the drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data using the relative wear amount Ha for each operating mode according to the vehicle type X, Y. The conversion processing unit 101 also converts the drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data according to the ratio of the number of occurrences of each voltage range in the voltage distribution table 431 and the wear correction coefficient Hb. Furthermore, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data using the wear correction coefficient Hb for each alcohol concentration S.

The deterioration determination unit 102 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump 32 by, for example, comparing the comparison data and the measurement data to determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced. An example of determining whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced is described below.

(First judgment example)
22 is a diagram showing the start count table 430 and the voltage distribution table 431 in the first judgment example. In this example, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the driving time of the fuel pump 32 of the vehicle type X that does not have intermittent operation of the fuel pump 32 into comparison data. For this reason, in the start count table 430, the start counts for the second and subsequent start timings during a trip are all 0.

The voltage distribution table 431 also shows the number of occurrences of the maximum voltage Emax, as well as the ratio of the number of occurrences for each operation mode of the fuel pump 32. For example, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the ratio of the number of occurrences (5 times) corresponding to the alcohol concentration S<THs, the operation mode MIDDLE, and the voltage range of the battery voltage E of TH_L≦E<TH_H to 71.4(%) (=5/(5+2)×100) (see dotted line frame). The conversion processing unit 101 also calculates the ratio of the number of occurrences (3 times) corresponding to the alcohol concentration S≧THs, the operation mode LOW, and the voltage range of the battery voltage E of E<TH_L to 1.4(%) (=3/(3+206)×100) (see dotted line frame).

Figure 23 shows the pump drive time table 432 and the mileage table 433 in the first judgment example. The conversion processing unit 101 converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data according to the alcohol concentration S, the operating mode of the fuel pump 32, and the number of occurrences in the voltage distribution table 431, based on the relative wear amount Ha and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc.

In addition, as indicated by the symbol Ge, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the difference (5089 (km)) between the initial value (1706 (km)) and the current value ( 6795 (km)) in the mileage table 433, and the ratio (58.95) of this difference to 300,000 (km).

Figure 24 is a diagram showing a first judgment example. Symbol G1f indicates the converted drive time as comparison data for each battery voltage E, alcohol concentration S, and start time and operation mode of the fuel pump 32. The conversion processing unit 101 converts each start count in the start count table 430 into a drive time as comparison data, assuming that one start of the fuel pump 32 is one minute of drive time of the fuel pump 32. An example of converting the start count to drive time is given below.

Na(2,1,2) x 1 (min/time) x Ha x Hb x Hc
= 266 (times) x 1 (min/time) x 4 x 1 x 1.5
=1596 (minutes) ... (1)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the operating time "1596" minutes (see dotted line frame) due to start-up when S ≧ THs and TH_L ≦ E < TH_H using the above formula (1). Here, Na (2, 1, 2) is the initial number of starts (266 (times)) during a trip corresponding to the range of S ≧ THs and the voltage range of TH_L ≦ E < TH_H (see dotted line frame in Figure 22).

The relative wear amount Ha and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc are obtained from the tables shown in FIG. 21. The relative wear amount Ha is the wear amount (4) of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 corresponding to the start of the vehicle model X. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (1.5) corresponding to the range of S≧THs.

Na(1,1,1) x 1 (min/time) x Ha x Hb x Hc
= 4 (times) x 1 (min/time) x 4 x 0.8 x 1
=12.8 (minutes) ... (2)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the operating time "12.8" minutes (see dotted line frame) due to start-up when S<THs and E<TH_L using the above formula (2). Here, Na(1,1,1) is the initial number of starts (=4 (times)) during a trip corresponding to the range of S<THs and the voltage range of E<TH_L (see dotted line frame in Figure 22).

The relative wear amount Ha is the amount of wear (4) of the motor brush caused by starting the fuel pump 32, assuming that the amount of wear when the operating mode of the fuel pump 32 of vehicle model X is HIGH is 1. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (0.8) corresponding to the voltage range of E<TH_L. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (=1) corresponding to the range of S<THs.

In this way, the conversion processing unit 101 converts each start count in the start count table 430 into the operating time of the fuel pump 32 using the relative wear amount Ha and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc. The relative wear amount Ha is the ratio of the wear amount at the time of start of the fuel pump 32 to the wear amount of the brush when the operating mode of the fuel pump 32 is HIGH. Therefore, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the start count into the operating time based on the operating mode HIGH, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131.

The wear correction coefficient Hb is the ratio of the amount of wear in each voltage range (E<TH_L, TH_L≦E<TH_H, E≧TH_H) to the amount of wear in the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H of the battery voltage E. Therefore, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the number of starts into driving time according to the difference between the voltage range of TH_L≦Eref<TH_H, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131, and each voltage range of the voltage distribution table 431. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the degree of deterioration according to the inrush current at the time of starting the fuel pump 32.

The wear correction coefficient Hc is the amount of wear (1.5) when the alcohol concentration S satisfies S≧THs, assuming that the amount of wear of the fuel pump 32 when the alcohol concentration S satisfies S<THs is 1. Therefore, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the operating time according to Sref<THs, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the degree of deterioration according to the alcohol concentration S.

The conversion processing unit 101 also converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 according to the operation mode of the fuel pump 32, the number of occurrences of the maximum voltage Emax, and the alcohol concentration S. Below is an example of conversion to a drive time according to the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131.

Nc(2,1)×R(2,1,1)×Ha×Hb×Hc
=3550.695 (minutes) x 1.4 (%) x 0.5 x 0.8 x 1.5
=29.8 (minutes) ... (3)
R(2,1,1)=Nb(2,1,1)/(Nb(2,1,1)+Nb(2,1,2)+Nb(2,1,3))×100...(4)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the drive time "29.8" minutes (see dotted line frame) for S≧THs, operation mode LOW, and E<TH_L using the above formulas (3) and (4). Here, Nc(2,1) is the drive time (3550.695 (minutes)) corresponding to the range of S≧THs and operation mode LOW (see dotted line frame in FIG. 23).

R(2,1,1) is the ratio (1.4(%)) of the number of occurrences Nb(2,1,1) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage range E<TH_L in the voltage distribution table 431 in the range S≧THs and the operation mode LOW (see the dotted frame in FIG. 22). As shown in formula (4), R(2,1,1) is the ratio of the number of occurrences Nb(2,1,1) in the voltage range E<TH_L to the sum of the number of occurrences Nb(2,1,1) to Nb(2,1,3) of all the maximum voltages Emax in the range S≧THs and the operation mode LOW. Note that the ratios R(b1,b2,b3) of the other occurrences Nb(b1,b2,b3) in the voltage distribution table 431 are calculated in the same way as the ratio R(2,1,1).

The relative wear amount Ha is the wear amount (0.5) of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 corresponding to the operating mode LOW of the fuel pump 32 of the vehicle model X. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (0.8) corresponding to the voltage range of E<TH_L. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (1.5) corresponding to the range of S≧THs.

Nc(1,2)×R(1,2,2)×Ha×Hb×Hc
=0.2622 (minutes) x 71.4 (%) x 0.75 x 1 x 1
=0.14 (minutes) ... (5)
R(1,2,2)=Nb(1,2,2)/(Nb(1,2,1)+Nb(1,2,2)+Nb(1,2,3))×100...(6)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the drive time "0.14" minutes (see dotted line frame) for S<THs, operation mode MIDDLE, and TH_L≦E<TH_H using the above formula (5). Here, Nc(1,2) is the drive time (0.2622 (minutes)) corresponding to the range of S<THs and operation mode MIDDLE (see dotted line frame in Figure 23).

R(1,2,3) is the ratio (71.4(%)) of the number of occurrences Nb(1,2,3) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage range E<TH_L in the voltage distribution table 431 for the range S<THs and the operation mode MIDDLE (see the dotted frame in FIG. 22). As shown in the above formula (6), R(1,2,3) is the ratio of the number of occurrences Nb(1,2,2) of the voltage range E<TH_L to the sum of the number of occurrences Nb(1,2,1) to Nb(1,2,3) of all maximum voltages Emax in the range S<THs and the operation mode MIDDLE.

The relative wear amount Ha is the wear amount (0.75) of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 corresponding to the operating mode MIDDLE of the fuel pump 32 of the vehicle model X. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the voltage range of E<TH_L. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the range of S>THs.

In this way, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time of the fuel pump 32 into comparison data using the ratio R (b1, b2, b3) of the occurrence count Nb (b1, b2, b3) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage distribution table 431, the relative wear amount Ha, and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc. The relative wear amount Ha (=0.75, 0.5) is the ratio of the wear amount of the brush when the fuel pump 32 is in the HIGH operation mode to the wear amount when the operation mode is MIDDLE and LOW. Therefore, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the drive time for each operation mode of the fuel pump 32 according to the HIGH operation mode, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131.

In other words, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the drive time into comparison data according to the difference between the discharge flow rate of the fuel pump 32 and the rotation speed of the motor of the fuel pump 32 in the operation mode HIGH of the measurement conditions and the discharge flow rate of the fuel pump 32 and the rotation speed of the motor of the fuel pump 32 in each operation mode of the pump drive time table 432. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the degree of deterioration of the fuel pump 32 according to the operation mode of the fuel pump 32.

As described above, the wear correction coefficient Hb is the ratio of the amount of wear for each voltage range of the battery voltage E. The conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time according to the ratio R (b1, b2, b3) of the number of occurrences Nb (b1, b2, b3) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage distribution table 431, and further converts the drive time according to the difference between the voltage range TH_L≦Eref<TH_H, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131, and each voltage range in the voltage distribution table 431.

That is, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time for each operation mode of the fuel pump 32 into comparison data according to the distribution of the maximum voltage Emax. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the degree of deterioration according to the voltage applied to the fuel pump 32.

The wear correction coefficient Hc is the amount of wear (1, 1.5) for each range of alcohol concentration S, as described above. Therefore, the conversion processing unit 101 can convert the drive time according to S<THs, which is one of the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131. That is, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time into comparison data according to the difference between the measurement condition of alcohol concentration Sref<THs and the alcohol concentration S in the pump drive time table 432. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the degree of deterioration according to the alcohol concentration S.

The conversion processing unit 101 converts each activation count in the activation count table 430 into a drive time using the method described above, and further converts the drive time into comparison data according to the voltage range of the auxiliary battery 34. The conversion processing unit 101 also converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data for each operation mode based on the voltage distribution table 431. The conversion processing unit 101 sums up these comparison data. The "total drive time" indicates the total of the alcohol concentration S and the drive time after conversion for each activation or operation mode. The conversion processing unit 101 adds up the drive time converted from each activation count and each drive time after conversion for each operation mode.

As shown by symbol G2f, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the cumulative driving time (5391 (hours)) by multiplying the total of each driving time (the total of the driving times (hours) of "total driving time") by the ratio (58.95) (see symbol Ge in FIG. 23) of the difference between the initial value and the current value of the mileage table 433 to the mileage in the pump performance data 131. That is, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the driving time into comparison data according to the ratio of the mileage in the pump performance data 131 to the mileage in the mileage table 433 (= current value - initial value).

Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can determine whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced based on the drive time when the vehicle 3 travels the mileage in the pump performance data 131. The conversion processing unit 101 notifies the deterioration determination unit 102 of the accumulated drive time.

The deterioration determination unit 102 calculates the ratio (0.45 (=5391/12000)) of the cumulative drive time to the drive time (12000 (hours)) of the pump performance data 131. In the following explanation, this ratio is referred to as the drive time ratio.

If the drive time ratio is less than 1, the deterioration determination unit 102 determines that the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 has not reached the failure rate of the pump performance data 131, and determines that replacement of the fuel pump 32 is unnecessary. In this way, the deterioration determination unit 102 determines whether or not replacement of the fuel pump 32 is necessary by comparing the total converted drive time as comparison data with the drive time of the pump performance data 131. Therefore, the vehicle management server 1 can appropriately determine whether or not replacement is necessary from the failure rate and drive time of the pump performance data 131, which serve as a guide for replacement of the fuel pump 32.

The deterioration determination unit 102 calculates the mileage (666,666 (km) (= 300,000 (km) / 0.45)) of the vehicle 3 until the failure rate (3.2 (ppm)) serving as a guide for replacement is reached. The deterioration determination unit 102 transmits this mileage to the maintenance terminal 2 via the network 90, thereby notifying the user of the vehicle 3 of the approximate mileage until replacement is required.

(Second judgment example)
25 is a diagram showing the start count table 430 and the voltage distribution table 431 in the second judgment example. In this example, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the drive time of the fuel pump 32 of a vehicle type Y in which the fuel pump 32 is intermittently operated, into comparison data. For this reason, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the total number of start times during a trip, including the first start and the second or subsequent start times, in the start count table 430 into drive time.

In addition, the voltage distribution table 431, like FIG. 22, shows the number of times the maximum voltage Emax occurs as well as the ratio of occurrences for each operating mode of the fuel pump 32.

Figure 26 shows the pump drive time table 432 and the mileage table 433 in the second judgment example. As indicated by the symbol Gg, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the difference (6519 (km)) between the initial value (7807 (km)) and the current value (14326 (km)) in the mileage table 433, and the ratio (46.0) of this difference to 300000 (km).

Figure 27 is a diagram showing a second judgment example. Symbol G1h indicates the converted drive time as comparison data for each battery voltage E, alcohol concentration S, and start time and operation mode of the fuel pump 32. As in the first judgment example, the conversion processing unit 101 converts each start count in the start count table 430 into a drive time as comparison data, assuming that one start of the fuel pump 32 is one minute of drive time of the fuel pump 32. In this example, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the first start and the second and subsequent starts during a trip into a drive time of one minute in the same way, but they may be converted into different times. Below is an example of converting the number of starts into a drive time.

{Na(1,1,2)+Na(1,2,2)}×1(min/time)×Ha×Hb×Hc
= (20 + 2239) (times) x 1 (minutes/time) x 2 x 1 x 1
=4518 (minutes) ... (7)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the drive time "4518" minutes (see dotted line frame) due to start-up when S<THs and TH_L≦E<TH_H using the above formula (7). Here, Na(1,1,2) and Na(1,2,2) are the first number of starts (20 (times)) during a trip and the second and subsequent start-ups (2239 (times)) corresponding to the range of S≧THs and the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H, respectively (see dotted line frame in Figure 25). The conversion processing unit 101 converts the total number of starts during the trip, including the first and subsequent starts, into drive time.

The relative wear amount Ha and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc are obtained from the tables shown in FIG. 21. The relative wear amount Ha is the wear amount (2) of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 corresponding to the start of the vehicle type Y. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the range of S<THs.

In this way, the conversion processing unit 101 converts each start count in the start count table 430 into the operating time of the fuel pump 32 using the relative wear amount Ha and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc, as in the first judgment example.

The conversion processing unit 101 also converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into a drive time as comparison data according to the operation mode of the fuel pump 32, the number of occurrences of the maximum voltage Emax, and the alcohol concentration S. Below is an example of conversion to a drive time according to the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131.

Nc(2,1)×R(2,1,2)×Ha×Hb×Hc
=2115.2 (minutes) x 97.6 (%) x 0.5 x 1 x 1.5
=1548.3 (minutes) ... (8)
R(2,1,2)=Nb(2,1,2)/(Nb(2,1,1)+Nb(2,1,2)+Nb(2,1,3))×100...(9)

The conversion processing unit 101 calculates the drive time "1548.3" minutes (see dotted line frame) in S≧THs, operation mode LOW, and TH_L≦E<TH_H using the above formulas (8) and (9). Here, Nc(2,1) is the drive time (2115.2 (minutes)) corresponding to the range of S≧THs and operation mode LOW (see dotted line frame in FIG. 26). Also, R(2,1,2) is the ratio (97.6 (%)) of the occurrence count Nb(2,1,1) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage range of E<TH_L in the voltage distribution table 431 in the range of S≧THs and operation mode LOW (see dotted line frame in FIG. 25).

The relative wear amount Ha is the wear amount (0.5) of the brush of the motor of the fuel pump 32 corresponding to the operating mode LOW of the fuel pump 32 of the vehicle type Y. The wear correction coefficient Hb is a coefficient (1) corresponding to the voltage range of TH_L≦E<TH_H. The wear correction coefficient Hc is a coefficient (1.5) corresponding to the range of S≧THs.

In this way, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the driving time of the fuel pump 32 into comparison data based on the ratio R (b1, b2, b3) of the occurrence count Nb (b1, b2, b3) of the maximum voltage Emax in the voltage distribution table 431, the relative wear amount Ha, and the wear correction coefficients Hb and Hc.

The conversion processing unit 101 converts each activation count in the activation count table 430 into drive time and converts it into comparison data using the method described above, and converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data for each operation mode according to the voltage distribution table 431. As shown by symbol G2h, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the cumulative drive time (20,446 (hours)) by multiplying the ratio (46.0) (see symbol Gg in FIG. 26) of the difference between the initial value and the current value in the mileage table 433 to the mileage in the pump performance data 131 by the sum of each drive time (the sum of the drive times (hours) in "total drive time").

The deterioration judgment unit 102 calculates the drive time ratio (1.7 (= 20226/12000)) as in the first judgment example. If the drive time ratio is 1 or more, the deterioration judgment unit 102 determines that the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 has reached the failure rate of the pump performance data 131, and judges that the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced.

The deterioration determination unit 102 calculates the mileage (176,471 (km) (= 300,000 (km) / 1.7)) of the vehicle 3 when the failure rate (3.2 (ppm)) serving as a guideline for replacement is reached. The deterioration determination unit 102 transmits this mileage to the maintenance terminal 2 via the network 90, thereby notifying the user of the vehicle 3 of the approximate mileage at which replacement is required.

(Operation of vehicle management server 1)
28 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle management server 1. This process is an example of a vehicle management method, and is executed in response to an operation of the vehicle management server 1, for example.

First, the parameter collection unit 100 collects load parameters 130 from the vehicle 3 via the maintenance terminal 2 and the network 90 and stores them in the HDD 13 (step St100). At this time, the communication port 14 receives the load parameters 130 from the network 90 and outputs them to the parameter collection unit 100.

Next, the conversion processing unit 101 converts each drive time in the pump drive time table 432 into comparison data according to the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131 (step St101). The method of converting the drive time is as described in the first and second judgment examples.

Next, the conversion processing unit 101 converts each activation count in the activation count table 430 into a drive time as comparison data (step St102). The method for converting the activation count is as described in the first and second judgment examples.

Next, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the mileage ratio from the mileage table 433 (step St103). The method for calculating the mileage ratio is as described in the first and second judgment examples.

Next, the conversion processing unit 101 calculates the cumulative driving time by adding up each converted driving time as comparison data and multiplying it by the travel distance ratio (step St104). The method of calculating the cumulative driving time is as described in the first and second judgment examples.

Next, the deterioration determination unit 102 calculates the ratio of the cumulative drive time to the drive time of the pump performance data 131 (step St105). The method for calculating the ratio of the cumulative drive time is as described in the first and second judgment examples.

Next, the deterioration determination unit 102 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump 32 based on the ratio of the cumulative driving times (step St106). More specifically, the deterioration determination unit 102 determines whether or not the fuel pump 32 needs to be replaced.

As described in the first and second judgment examples, the deterioration judgment unit 102 judges whether replacement is necessary based on whether the ratio of cumulative drive times is 1 or greater, as an example. If the ratio of cumulative drive times is less than 1, the deterioration judgment unit 102 determines that the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 has not reached the failure rate of the pump performance data 131 that serves as a guideline for replacement, and judges that replacement is unnecessary. In addition, if the ratio of cumulative drive times is 1 or greater, the deterioration judgment unit 102 determines that the failure rate of the fuel pump 32 has reached the failure rate of the pump performance data 131 that serves as a guideline for replacement, and judges that replacement is necessary.

In this way, the conversion processing unit 101 converts the load parameters 130 into comparison data according to the measurement conditions of the pump performance data 131 related to the durability performance of the fuel pump 32, and the deterioration determination unit 102 determines the deterioration state of the fuel pump 32 by comparing the comparison data and the pump performance data 131.

Therefore, the vehicle management system 9 can appropriately determine the deterioration state of the fuel pump. Note that the vehicle management server 1 may determine the necessity of replacement based on other indicators that serve as a guide for replacement of the fuel pump 32, without being limited to the pump performance data 131 of the failure rate of the fuel pump 32.

The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Vehicle management server 2 Maintenance terminal 3 Vehicle 32 Fuel pump 35 EFI-ECU
10,40 CPU
101 Conversion processing unit (conversion unit)
102 Deterioration judgment unit (judgment unit)
130 Load parameters 131 Pump performance data (measurement data, measurement conditions)
430 Start count table 431 Voltage distribution table 432 Pump operation time table 433 Travel distance table

Claims (12)

A collection unit that is mounted on a vehicle and collects drive times of a fuel pump having a plurality of operation modes with different discharge flow rates or motor rotation speeds;
a conversion unit that converts the drive time into a corresponding value of a second operation mode in which a failure rate of the fuel pump reaches a predetermined durability value within a certain required time, based on a first correction coefficient corresponding to a first operation mode when the drive time was collected, among a plurality of first correction coefficients respectively corresponding to deterioration amounts of the fuel pump in the plurality of operation modes;
a determination unit for determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the corresponding value with the required time,
Vehicle management device. The collection unit collects the drive time for each of the operation modes,
the conversion unit converts the drive time into the corresponding value based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode for each of the operation modes;
the determination unit determines a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes with the required time.
The vehicle management device according to claim 1 . the collection unit collects, for each of the operation modes, a frequency distribution in which the drive time and a maximum voltage of a battery of the fuel pump during drive are divided into a plurality of voltage ranges;
the conversion unit converts, for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges, a time portion of the drive time corresponding to a frequency of the voltage range into a voltage of the battery for the failure rate to reach the durability value within the required time and into the corresponding value of the second operation mode, based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges;
the determination unit determines a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges with the required time.
The vehicle management device according to claim 2 . the collection unit collects the number of times the fuel pump is started in each of a plurality of voltage ranges of a battery of the fuel pump;
the conversion unit converts the number of activations into time based on a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges and a predetermined time corresponding to one activation of the fuel pump, and adds the converted number of activations to the corresponding value.
The vehicle management device according to claim 1 . the collection unit collects the driving time in each of a plurality of concentration ranges of alcohol contained in the fuel supplied by the fuel pump to the engine of the vehicle;
the conversion unit converts, for each of the concentration ranges, the drive time into the alcohol concentration for the failure rate to reach the durability value within the required time and the corresponding value for the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a third correction coefficient corresponding to the concentration range among a plurality of third correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of concentration ranges;
the determination unit determines a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the concentration ranges with the required time.
The vehicle management device according to claim 1 . The collection unit collects a mileage of the vehicle,
The conversion unit multiplies the corresponding value by a ratio of the mileage to a required value of the mileage of the vehicle for the failure rate to reach the durability value in the required time.
The vehicle management device according to claim 1 . Collecting operation times of a fuel pump mounted on a vehicle and having a plurality of operation modes with different discharge flow rates or motor revolution speeds;
converting the drive time into a corresponding value of a second operation mode for a failure rate of the fuel pump to reach a predetermined durability value within a certain required time based on a first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode when the drive time was collected, among a plurality of first correction coefficients respectively corresponding to deterioration amounts of the fuel pump due to the plurality of operation modes;
determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the corresponding value with the required time;
A vehicle management method in which processing is performed by a computer. In the process of collecting the drive time, the drive time is collected for each of the operation modes;
In the process of converting the drive time into the corresponding value, the drive time is converted into the corresponding value based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode for each of the operation modes;
and determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes with the required time in the process of determining the deterioration state of the fuel pump.
The vehicle management method according to claim 7. In the process of collecting the drive time, a frequency distribution in which the drive time and a maximum voltage of a battery of the fuel pump during operation are divided into a plurality of voltage ranges are collected for each of the operation modes;
in the process of converting the drive time into the corresponding value, for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges, a time portion of the drive time corresponding to a frequency of the voltage range is converted into a voltage of the battery for the failure rate to reach the durability value within the required time and into the corresponding value of the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges;
and determining a deterioration state of the fuel pump by comparing the sum of the corresponding values for each of the operation modes and the voltage ranges with the required time in the process of determining the deterioration state of the fuel pump.
The vehicle management method according to claim 8. collecting a number of activations of the fuel pump in each of a plurality of voltage ranges of a battery of the fuel pump;
converting the number of activations into time based on a second correction coefficient corresponding to the voltage range among a plurality of second correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump according to the plurality of voltage ranges and a predetermined time corresponding to one activation of the fuel pump, and adding the converted number of activations to the corresponding value;
The vehicle management method according to claim 7 , wherein the processing is executed by the computer. In the process of collecting the driving time, the driving time is collected for each of a plurality of concentration ranges of alcohol contained in the fuel supplied by the fuel pump to the engine of the vehicle;
in the process of converting the drive time into the corresponding value, for each of the concentration ranges, the drive time is converted into the alcohol concentration for which the failure rate reaches the durability value in the required time and into the corresponding value in the second operation mode based on the first correction coefficient corresponding to the first operation mode and a third correction coefficient corresponding to the concentration range among a plurality of third correction coefficients respectively corresponding to the deterioration amounts of the fuel pump in the plurality of concentration ranges,
In the process of determining the deterioration state of the fuel pump, the deterioration state of the fuel pump is determined by comparing the total of the corresponding values for each of the concentration ranges with the required time.
The vehicle management method according to claim 7. Collecting mileage of the vehicle;
multiplying the corresponding value by a ratio of the mileage to a required value of the mileage of the vehicle for the failure rate to reach the durability value in the required time;
The vehicle management method according to claim 7 , wherein the processing is executed by the computer.

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