Apparatus and method for vehicle maintenance scheduling and fault monitoring

A vehicle maintenance scheduling apparatus comprising:

• a records module configured so as to couple with a vehicle to receive historical time-stamped vehicle fault data for a vehicle system;
• a vehicle system fault correlation module configured to
• determine a correlation between pairs of a precedent historical vehicle fault data, of the historical time-stamped vehicle fault data, and a subsequent different historical vehicle fault data, of the historical time-stamped vehicle fault data, and
• generate vehicle system maintenance rules based on the correlation determined for the pairs of the precedent historical vehicle fault data and the subsequent different historical vehicle fault data;
• and
• a vehicle maintenance scheduling engine configured so as to couple with the vehicle to monitor faults of the vehicle system where the vehicle faults include a plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data, the vehicle maintenance scheduling engine being further configured to
• apply the vehicle system maintenance rules to the plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data,
• determine an imminent occurrence of a subsequent vehicle fault, based on the application of the vehicle system maintenance rules to the plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data, and
• generate a maintenance report corresponding to the imminent occurrence of the subsequent vehicle fault so that proactive maintenance is performed on the vehicle system;
• wherein plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data corresponds with the precedent historical vehicle fault data, and the subsequent vehicle fault corresponds with the subsequent different historical vehicle fault data.

A method for proactive vehicle maintenance, the method comprising:

• receiving from a vehicle, with a vehicle system maintenance rules generation module, historical time-stamped vehicle fault data for a vehicle system of the vehicle;
• determining, with the vehicle system maintenance rules generation module, a correlation between pairs of a precedent historical vehicle fault data, of the historical time-stamped vehicle fault data, and a subsequent different historical vehicle fault data, of the historical time-stamped vehicle fault data;
• generating, with the vehicle system maintenance rules generation module, vehicle system maintenance rules based on the correlation determined for the pairs of the precedent historical vehicle fault data and the subsequent different historical vehicle fault data;
• monitoring faults of the vehicle system, with a vehicle system fault detection module, where the vehicle faults include a plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data;
• applying, with the vehicle system fault detection module, the vehicle system maintenance rules to the plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data;
• determining, with the vehicle system fault detection module, an imminent occurrence of a subsequent vehicle fault, based on the application of the vehicle system maintenance rules to the plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data;
• and
• generating, with the vehicle system fault detection module, a maintenance report corresponding to the imminent occurrence of the subsequent vehicle fault so that proactive maintenance is performed on the vehicle system;
• wherein the plurality of time-stamped precedent vehicle fault data corresponds with the precedent historical vehicle fault data, and the subsequent vehicle fault corresponds with the subsequent different historical vehicle fault data.