Data collection from auxiliary controller area network devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743153-B2
Application number	US-201816123426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enabling communication, without breaching the engine firewall, between a datalogger located on one side of the firewall and one or more sensor devices that are located on the opposite side of the firewall. The systems and methods described herein can allow a transmitting node (i.e., a transmitting datalogger) to transmit collected data (from an auxiliary sensor) to a receiving node (i.e., a receiving datalogger) while reducing or minimizing various difficulties associated with addition of an auxiliary sensor in the engine environment. The transmission of data from the transmitting node to the receiving node can correspond to wired data communication or wireless data communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for acquiring engine data and auxiliary sensor data, comprising: determining, by a transmitting node, an activity status of a receiving node, a polling interval for determining the activity status of the receiving node being 60 seconds or more, the transmitting node being housed in a transmitting node enclosure in an engine compartment of a vehicle, the engine compartment comprising a firewall; receiving, by the transmitting node, data from an auxiliary sensor; and transmitting, by the transmitting node, at least a portion of the received data to a receiving node, the receiving node being located on an opposing side of the firewall relative to the transmitting node.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting at least one of a temperature inside the transmitting node enclosure and a temperature associated with the transmitting node; and
shutting down the transmitting node if a detected temperature inside the enclosure or a detected temperature associated with the transmitting node is greater than a threshold temperature.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the threshold temperature is 55° C. to 75° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the receiving node, at least a portion of the transmitted data to a network receiver located external to the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the receiving node, additional data from an engine control module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting node and the receiving node are not in data communication via a controller area network that includes the engine control module; or wherein the auxiliary sensor is not in data communication with the engine control module; or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an activity status comprises:
transmitting, by the transmitting node, a message to the receiving node; and
detecting a response from the receiving node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises activating, by the transmitting node in response to detecting a response from the receiving node, data collection by the auxiliary sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary sensor comprises at least one of an oil quality sensor and/or transmission fluid quality sensor and/or any CAN based sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring real clock time.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting at least a portion of the received data to a receiving node comprises wired data communication, wireless data communication, or a combination thereof.

12. An engine data acquisition system, comprising:
an auxiliary sensor located within an engine compartment of a vehicle, the engine compartment comprising a firewall;
a transmitting node enclosure in the engine compartment, the transmitting node enclosure comprising an ingress protection rating versus liquids of 7 or more;
a transmitting node located within the transmitting node enclosure in data communication with the auxiliary sensor, the transmitting node comprising a sleep mode function with a sleep time interval of about 60 seconds or more;
a temperature sensor located within the transmitting node enclosure in data communication with the transmitting node; and
a receiving node in data communication with the transmitting node, the receiving node located on an opposing side of the firewall relative to the transmitting node.

13. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the transmitting node enclosure comprises an ingress protection rating of IPX7, IPX8, IP67, or IP68.

14. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the data communication between the transmitting node and the receiving node comprises wireless communication, the transmitting node comprising a first wireless communication system, the receiving node comprising a second wireless communication system, the wireless communication optionally comprising communication using a system compatible with an IEEE 802.11 specification or IEEE 802.15.1 specification, or a combination thereof.

15. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the data communication between the transmitting node and the receiving node comprises wired communication via a direct current power line bus, the engine data acquisition system further comprising a first power line communication coupling associated with the transmitting node and a second power line communication coupling associated with the receiving node.

16. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the transmitting node and the receiving node are not in data communication via a controller area network that includes the engine control module; or wherein the auxiliary sensor is not in data communication with the engine control module; or a combination thereof.

17. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , the receiving node being further in wireless data communication with a network receiver located external to the vehicle.

18. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary data sensor comprises at least one of an oil quality sensor and/or transmission fluid quality sensor and/or any CAN based sensor.

19. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the transmitting node receives power from a battery associated with the vehicle.

20. The engine data acquisition system of claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature inside the enclosure, a temperature associated with the transmitting node, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Salvatore John A
• Tucker Michael C
• Subramanian Aparna
• Conti Riccardo
• Prabhakar Bhaskar

Classifications

• F16N2270/00

  Controlling · CPC title

• F01M11/10 Primary

  Indicating devices; Other safety devices · CPC title

• F16N2200/00

  Condition of lubricant · CPC title

• F16N2260/02

  Indicating · CPC title

• H04L12/40006

  Architecture of a communication node (current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90) · CPC title