US 5,303,163 AGranted

Configurable vehicle monitoring system

AssigneeCummins Electronics Company, Inc.

InventorsPaul J. Ebaugh, Michael Maass, Gregg Broering, Salim A. Jaliwala

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Abstract

A configurable vehicle monitoring device is disclosed that provides two discrete levels of access to configuration routines. In the first level, the owner/operator can configure the unit at a full access configuration level. At the second configuration level, the driver accesses a limited configuration capability to configure certain non-critical operating features. The configurable vehicle monitoring device gathers data from an engine controller over a standard public domain defined data link. The data is analyzed and vehicle operation data is produced including miles per gallon, fuel consumed, trip time, idle time, fuel consumed during idle versus fuel consumed during driving and other pertinent information relevant to fleet or vehicle operation. An electronic audit trail and data regarding power losses provide an indication of device tampering.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A configurable vehicle monitoring device comprising:

keypad means for producing a plurality of keypad signals corresponding to operator depressions of a plurality of keys forming a part of said keypad means;
display means having a display input for displaying alphanumeric information in response to signals supplied to said display input;
audible alarm means for producing an audible signal in response to a signal supplied to an input of said alarm means;
and
processor means for receiving, storing, and outputting data, said processor means including memory and a first communication port for communicating with a vehicle control computer to receive vehicle operating information, said processor means:
(a) receiving vehicle operating condition data via said first communication port;
(b) responding to said keypad signals by supplying display signals to said display means in response to certain ones of said keypad signals, said display signals causing vehicle operating conditions to be displayed on said display means;
(c) responding to a configuration request represented by a predetermined code sequence of said plurality of keypad signals and entering a configuration programming mode of operation wherein the operator is prompted by messages displayed on said display, in response to signals supplied to said display input by said processor means, to enter driver controlled vehicle operating limits through said keypad which limits are stored in said memory of said processor means;
(d) displaying a warning message on said display and supplying an alarm signal to said input of said alarm means in response to detection of vehicle operating conditions monitored by said processor means via data received through said first communication port that are in excess of said driver controlled vehicle operating limits;
and
(e) processing and storing at least some of the data received via said first communication port for recall and display at a later time.

8 more elements

A vehicle monitoring and recording device connectable to a vehicle control computer via a communication link wherein the vehicle control computer periodically transmits vehicle operation data over the communication link, said monitoring and recording device comprising:

keypad means for producing a plurality of keypad signals corresponding to operator depressions of a plurality of keys forming a part of said keypad means;
display means having a display input for displaying alphanumeric information in response to signals supplied to said display input;
and
processor means operable in:
(1) a first mode of operation to receive said plurality of keypad signals from said keypad means and interpret said signals as control signals, receive vehicle data via the communication link, analyze the vehicle data, supplying display signals to said display input in accordance with operator requests entered via said keypad means and received by said processor means as predetermined ones of said plurality of keypad signals, and storing certain portions of said vehicle data for later recall;
and
(2) a second mode of operation to enabling configuration of said device in response to a predetermined sequence of keypad signals corresponding to configuration commands recognized by said processor means, said configuration commands programming said processor means to supply an alarm signal to said display input thereby causing said display to visually indicate that certain ones of said vehicle operation data are in excess of limits previously entered via said keypad means in said second mode of operation.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.