Abstract:
A vehicle performance analyzer works in conjunction with the OBD-II system of a motor vehicle to assist mechanics in assessing and optimizing the performance of the motor vehicle. No separate accelerometer is required to determine performance parameters such as acceleration, distance, horsepower, torque or the gear ratio.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    I. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to equipment for analyzing the performance of a motor vehicle. More specifically, the present invention permits one to download data from a vehicle&#39;s onboard diagnostic computer (OBD) and use that data to assess the vehicle&#39;s performance.  
           [0003]    II. Related Art  
           [0004]    Vehicle performance analyzers are known in the prior art. An example is the Vericom 2000 made by the assignee of the present invention. The Vericom 2000 incorporates an accelerometer for measuring instantaneous acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle in which the unit is mounted. A computer uses these measurements to calculate velocity and distance by integrating the acceleration measurements. From those calculated parameters, a number of other performance related parameters can be computed such as the time required to travel from zero to sixty miles per hour, braking distance, horsepower, etc. The Vericom  2000  functions independently of any other computer equipment mounted on the motor vehicle. For its accelerometer to function correctly, the device must be leveled and balanced. This can be a somewhat tedious task.  
           [0005]    During the 1970&#39;s and early 1980&#39;s, automobile manufacturers began to use electronic systems to monitor and control engine functions. These same systems were used to diagnose engine problems. In the early 1990&#39;s a new standard was introduced related to electronic engine control. This standard is referred to as the onboard diagnostic standard or OBD-II. OBD-II is an expanded set of standards and practices developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers. These standards and practices were adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board for implementation by Jan. 1, 1996.  
           [0006]    As a result of these standards, all cars built since Jan. 1, 1996 have an OBD-II system incorporating a plurality of sensors. The brain of this system is an OBD-II computer. These OBD-II computers serve as a real-time data acquisition means used by the vehicle to collect information from the sensors and to display error messages. Mechanics use the OBD-II system to diagnose and address maintenance needs. All OBD-II computers have a standard connector that allows one to download data from the OBD-II computer into another device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention replaces the VC2000 with a computer and an AutoTap scanner coupled to the vehicle&#39;s OBD-II connector. The software used in conjunction with the computer allows considerably more information to be derived relating to vehicle performance than can be obtained with the VC2000 system. The computer itself is preferably a portable computer such as a laptop or even a handheld style computer.  
           [0008]    One type of data supplied by the OBD-II system is vehicle speed. The computer of the present invention uses this speed data to calculate a number of different parameters. First, by differentiating the speed, acceleration can be derived by the computer. Second, once acceleration, speed and a vehicle&#39;s weight are known, the computer can calculate horsepower. Third, by integrating speed, a distance can be derived. Fourth, once distance is known, the computer can access engine RPM data from the OBD-II system to measure the gear ratio. Fifth, engine torque can be derived from the calculated horsepower and RPM parameters.  
           [0009]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the display of the computer can be used to display any number of sensor outputs generated by the OBD-II computer.  
           [0010]    These and other advantages of the present invention will be made more clear from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the manner in which the computer of the present invention proved program options to the user.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the various types of information that is displayed when the invention is operating in its various modes.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing how the present invention operates in the 1 mile test mode.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing how the present invention operates in the real-time display mode.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing how the present invention operates in the scan tool mode.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing how the present invention operates in the calibrate speed mode.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing how the present invention operates in the display run data mode.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the present invention can allow a user to select which data to be displayed from the various sensors of the OBD-II system when in the analyze data mode. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a computer  1  coupled to a converter  2  which, in turn is coupled to the OBD-II computer  3  of a vehicle. The converter  2  can be any type of OBDII to RS232 converter marketed under the designation AutoTap. The converter  2  is coupled to the OBD-II computer  3  using the standard data port on all OBD-II computers. The computer  1  can be any general purpose computer. Preferably a portable computer such as a laptop or handheld computer is used. Any of a variety of well known data ports can be used to couple the converter  2  to the computer  1 . The software of the present invention controls the computer  1  to provide the desired functions.  
         [0021]    When the software program of the present invention is launched, the subroutine shown in FIG. 2 is run. On program start up  20 , the computer  1  looks to see if there is a data connection to the vehicle at step  22 . If not, the user is prompted via screen prompt  24  to open such a connection. If a connection exists, the current information from the OBD-II system is displayed at step  26 . The system then waits at step  28  for the user to select from five different options  30 - 38  respectively.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 shows the different types of data that are derived and displayed by the system in the various modes of operation. For example, when the user selects the real-time display mode  32 , the user can allow the computer  1  to display all of the data collected by the OBD-II computer  3  from the various sensors that comprise the OBD-II system. Alternatively, at step  40 , the user can select which types of data  42  to display. Display of such data enables the user to diagnose problems or tune the vehicle&#39;s operation to improve performance. FIG. 9 shows the options available as part of the set up of the system to time various sensors on and off and identify where data is stored and the types of units used.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 shows the operation of computer  1  when in the real-time display mode. At step  40 , the user can decide whether to store the data as it is generated while in the real-time display mode or merely display the data in real-time. If the user desires to store the data, the flag  62  is set. In either case, the computer  1  uses the real-time data computer  1  collected from the OBD-II computer to determine distance, acceleration and other performance information at step  64 . At step  68 , the results of these calculations are displayed. Displayed information includes current speed, distance, acceleration, horsepower as well as other sensor data and calculations. The system then checks at step  70  to see if the flag has been set at  62 . If so, the computer  1  saves the data from the sensors  42  selected by the user at step  40 . The subroutine then continues to recycle through steps  64 - 74  until it is determined at step  74  that the stop button has been pushed at which time the system exits the real-time display subroutine at step  76 .  
         [0024]    The OBD-II computer  3  also has the capacity to process the data received from the sensors and cause the warning lights on the vehicle&#39;s dashboard to illuminate. These warning lights advise a driver when there is a problem with the vehicle, but do not provide a detailed description of the nature of the problem detected. For example, the OBD-II computer  3  will illuminate the “check engine” light on the dash of a car in response to a number of different detected considerations. To provide service personnel with detailed information regarding the type of problem, the OBD-II computer  3  stores error codes describing the reasons for illumination of the dashboard warning lights. When the computer  1  of the present invention is in the scan tool mode  34 , it can download and display these error codes at step  44 . The computer  1  can also send signals to the OBD-II computer  3  to clear the error codes at step  46 . The error codes might be cleared by a mechanic for any number of reasons. When the problem is fixed, the code should be cleared so the warning light on the dash is no longer illuminated. Also, the mechanic may wish to clear the code for test purposes to see if the condition that caused the error will repeat itself.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the scan tool subroutine. After the computer  1  enters the scan tool subroutine at step  34 , it proceeds to step  80  to see if there is a connection to the vehicle. If not, an error message is displayed at step  82  advising that such a connection must be made. If a connection has been made, the computer  1  proceeds to step  84  and displays information related to the vehicle such as the vehicle&#39;s identification number. Next, the program moves to step  86  where computer  1  reads the error codes from the OBD-II computer  3 . At step  88  the error codes are displayed. To assist the user, the computer  1  has been programmed to include information related to known problems associated with each error code. At step  90 , the known problems associated with the error code are displayed. At step  92 , the user is prompted to indicate whether the error codes should be cleared. If the user indicates the error codes should be cleared, at step  94  the computer  1  instructs the OBD-II computer to clear the codes. In either case the user is asked whether to exit the scan tool mode at step  96 . If the answer is no, the software recycles through steps  86 - 96  until the user chooses to exit the scan tool mode at step  96 . The software then advances to step  98  and returns to the main menu.  
         [0026]    The manner in which the computer  1  operates in the calibrate speed mode will now be described with reference to FIG. 7. When one chooses to enter the calibrate speed mode at step  36 , the software proceeds to step  100  where the computer  1  determines whether the computer  1  is connected via the scanner to the OBD-II computer  3 . If there is no connection, the computer  1  generates an error message at step  102 . If there is a connection, the software advances to step  104  and displays vehicle information (such as the vehicle identification number) stored in the OBD-II computer. Next, the software advances to step  106  and reads the speed from the vehicle. At step  108 , the user is instructed to press the start button as a mile marker on the side of the road is passed. The software then continuously cycles through step  110  until activation of the start button is detected indicating the first mile marker has been reached. At step  112 , the computer starts to measure distance and instructs the driver to push the end button at the 5 mile marker. The software then continuously cycles through steps  114  and  116  until the end button is actuated. The computer continuously updates the distance traveled from the point where the start button was actuated until actuation of the end button is detected.  
         [0027]    At this point, the computer has two pieces of distance data—the distance it calculated had been traveled between the actuation of the start button and the actuation of the end button, and the five miles reflected by the mile markers used by the user in actuating the start and end buttons. At step  118  the computer  1  reads the distance from its internal calculation. At step  120 , the computer  1  divides the distance it calculated by five miles to make a speed calibration ratio. The new speed calibration ratio is displayed at step  122  and put into a header for the vehicle. The software at step  124  then exits the calibration mode. The header can be used either to calibrate the vehicle&#39;s speedometer or alternatively, it can be used to perform other calculations made by computer  1  to increase the accuracy of those calculations.  
         [0028]    Using the system of the present invention, a number of calculations related to vehicle performance can be made in the ¼ mile test mode  30 . This mode of operation will be described with reference to FIG. 4. When the ¼ mile test mode is entered, the computer ¼ cycles through step  132  until the start button is actuated. The computer  1  then cycles through step  134  until the vehicle begins to move. Once motion of the vehicle is detected, the computer  1  begins to store sensor data retrieved in real time from the OBD-II computer  3 . Next, the computer  1  uses various items of retrieved data at step  138  to calculate other performance parameters. For example, the computer  1  integrates speed data to determine distance. The computer also differentiates the speed data to determine acceleration. Other information calculated at step  138  includes horsepower, torque, and gear ratio. Horsepower is calculated in accordance with the following formula:  
         Horsepower=Speed×Acceleration×Vehicle Weight× K    
         [0029]    K is a constant that equals  
         1.46667   550     .                         
 
         [0030]    Once horsepower has been calculated, it is possible to calculate torque. The following formula is used:  
         Torque   =     Horsepower   ×   5252.113         Revolutions                 Per                 Minute                           
 
         [0031]    The value for revolutions per minute (RPM) is obtained from the OBD-II system. The computer  1  can also calculate the gear ratio by distance in feet by revolutions per minute (RPM).  
         [0032]    At step  140 , the computer  1  displays the current elapsed time since the vehicle started moving, the vehicle&#39;s speed, the distance traveled, acceleration, horsepower and any of a variety of selectable data obtained from the OBD-II computer  3 . The software continues to cycle through steps  136 - 142  constantly refreshing the display until either a ¼ mile or some other programmed distance is reached. When this occurs, the computer  1  issues an audible indication of the end of the test at step  144 . At step  146 , the computer displays selected performance information (calculated by the computer  1  or simply retrieved from the OBD-II computer) related to various points during the test; i.e.  30  feet into the test, 60 feet into the test, ⅛ mile into the test,  1000  feet into the test and ¼ mile into the test. The computer  1  can also display the elapsed time to accelerate from zero to  30  miles per hour or zero to 60 miles per hour. Other data can be displayed as desired. The system exits the {fraction (1/4)} mile test mode at step  148 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 8 describes the operation of the system in the “display run data” mode  38 . In this mode, the user at step  160  selects data stored on disc collected during an earlier run or use data from a new test run. At step  162  the computer verifies whether a valid run file has been selected. if not, an error message is generated at step  164 . Assuming a valid run file has been selected, at step  66  the computer displays various information related to the data in the file and waits at step  168  until the user selects the format in which the data is to be displayed. The system allows the user to display the data in a table form, a graph form, or with representations of analog meters. The user can also display various selectable statistics related to a run. the system also allows the user to display the averages derived from several tests.  
         [0034]    Those skilled in the art will recognize the powerful nature of the present invention, its use as a diagnostic tool, and the ability of a skilled mechanic to optimize vehicle performance based upon information provided through use of the present invention.