# US 12,223,777 B2 · Determination device, determination method, and computer-readable recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,223,777 B2 - Document ID: US12223777B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/579,475 - Filed: 2022-01-19 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-12 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuhiro Kodaira; Takahira Kawata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223777B2 ## CPC - G07C 5/006: {Indicating maintenance} - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A determination device may include an acquisition unit configured to acquire first degradation values that indicate respective degradation degrees of a plurality of components of a same type, and regard the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components as respective first usage values of a plurality of usage environments in which the plurality of components are used. The determination device may include a determination unit configured to determine, based on a target value that indicates a predetermined target degradation degree of the plurality of components, a first combination of the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components and the respective first usage values of the plurality of usage environments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A determination device comprising: a management server processor, and a memory; wherein the memory is configured to acquire first degradation values that indicate respective degradation degrees of a plurality of components of a same type via an network; and the management server processor is configured to regard the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components as respective first usage values in a plurality of usage environments in which the plurality of components are used, store in the memory the first degradation values regarded as the first usage values; determine, based on a target value that indicates a predetermined target degradation degree of the plurality of components, first combinations of the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components and the respective first usage values of the plurality of usage environments, wherein the management server processor is configured to determine, as the first combinations, combinations of the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components and the respective first usage values of the plurality of usage environments with a smallest number of sums of the first degradation values and the first usage values exceeding a first upper limit value that indicates a maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach an end of a lifetime thereof, and wherein the management server processor is further configured to determine the first combination by performing: a first process of determining whether the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components exceed the target value; a second process of choosing, in order, for each component of the plurality of components a first degradation value of which exceeds the target value, usage environments by which each of the sums does not exceed the first upper limit value and an absolute value of a difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest; and a third process of choosing, in order, for each component of the plurality of components the first degradation value of which is equal to or lower than the target value, usage environments by which each of the sums does not exceed the first upper limit value and an absolute value of a difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest, from usage environments among the plurality of usage environments that are not chosen at the second process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein the third process includes: choosing, in order, combinations by which each of the sums does not exceed the first upper limit value and the absolute value of the difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest, from combinations by which each of the sums exceeds the target value among combinations of respective components the first degradation value of which is equal to or lower than the target value and usage environments from the plurality of usage environments that are not chosen at the second process; and choosing, in order, combinations by which each of the sums does not exceed the first upper limit value and the absolute value of the difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest, from combinations by which each of the sums is equal to or lower than the target value among combinations of the respective components the first degradation value of which is equal to or lower than the target value and usage environments from the plurality of usage environments that are not chosen at the second process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The determination device of claim 2, wherein the target value includes a plurality of target values, and wherein the management server processor is configured to: further perform the first process, the second process, and the third process in accordance with the plurality of target values having different values; and determine, as the first combinations, a combination of the respective components of the plurality of components and respective usage environments of the plurality of usage environments in accordance with a target value with a smallest number of the sums exceeding the first upper limit value that indicates the maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach the end of the lifetime thereof, among combinations of the respective components of the plurality of components and the respective usage environments of the plurality of usage environments in accordance with the plurality of target values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The determination device of claim 3, the management server processor is configured to: determine tentative combinations of respective components of the plurality of components and respective usage environments of the plurality of usage environments by performing: a first process of determining whether the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components exceed the target value, a second process of choosing, in order, for each component of the plurality of components a first degradation value of which exceeds the target value, usage environments by which each of the sums of the first degradation values and the first usage values does not exceed the first upper limit value and an absolute value of a difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest, and a third process of choosing, in order, for each component of the plurality of components the first degradation value of which is equal to or lower than the target value, usage environments by which each of the sums does not exceed the first upper limit value and the absolute value of the difference between each of the sums and the target value is smallest, from usage environments among the plurality of usage environments that are not chosen at the second process; and determine the first combination by further repeating the first process, the second process, and the third process without determining, as the first combinations, combinations of the respective component and the respective usage environment by which each of sums of the second degradation values and the second usage values exceeds a second upper limit value that indicates a maximum degradation degree based on the second index at which the plurality of components reach the end of the lifetime thereof, among combinations of the respective components and the respective usage environment in the tentative combinations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The determination device of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of components includes a first constituent element and a second constituent element, wherein the first index depends on the first constituent element, wherein the second index depends on the second constituent element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The determination device of claim 4, wherein the first index depends on a first environment element in an environment where the plurality of components are used, wherein the second index depends on a second environment element in the environment where the plurality of components are used. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein the first degradation values indicate degradation degrees based on a first index for each of the plurality of components, wherein the management server processor is configured to further acquire second degradation values that indicate degradation degrees based on a second index for each of the plurality of components, and regard the second degradation values as respective second usage values based on the second index in a plurality of usage environments in which the plurality of components are used, and determine the first combinations based further on the second degradation values and the second usage values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The determination device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of components includes a first constituent element and a second constituent element, wherein the first index depends on the first constituent element, wherein the second index depends on the second constituent element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The determination device of claim 7, wherein the first index depends on a first environment element in an environment where the plurality of components are used, wherein the second index depends on a second environment element in the environment where the plurality of components are used. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The determination device of claim 2, wherein the first degradation values are indicated in a percentage on a basis of a maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach the end of the lifetime thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein the target value includes a plurality of target values, and wherein the management server processor is configured to: further perform the first process, the second process, and the third process in accordance with the plurality of target values having different values; and determine, as the first combinations, a combination of the respective components of the plurality of components and respective usage environments of the plurality of usage environments in accordance with a target value with a smallest number of the sums exceeding the first upper limit value that indicates the maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach the end of the lifetime thereof, among combinations of the respective components of the plurality of components and the respective usage environments of the plurality of usage environments in accordance with the plurality of target values. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein the first degradation values are indicated in a percentage on a basis of a maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach the end of the lifetime thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of components is a component mounted on a vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of usage environments is an owner of the vehicle or a user of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The determination device of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of components and a number of the plurality of usage environments match. ### Claim 15 A determination device comprising: a management server processor, and a memory; wherein the memory is configured to acquire first degradation values that indicate respective degradation degrees of a plurality of components of a same type via an network; and the management server processor is configured to regard the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components as respective first usage values in a plurality of usage environments in which the plurality of components are used, on a condition that a number of the plurality of components and a number of the plurality of usage environments match, store in the memory the first degradation values regarded as the first usage values, and determine, based on a target value that indicates a predetermined target degradation degree of the plurality of components, first combinations of the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components and the respective first usage values of the plurality of usage environments, wherein the management server processor is configured to determine, as the first combinations, combinations of the respective first degradation values of the plurality of components and the respective first usage values of the plurality of usage environments with a smallest number of sums of the first degradation values and the first usage values exceeding a first upper limit value that indicates a maximum degradation degree at which the plurality of components reach an end of a lifetime thereof.