US5835871A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for diagnosing and reporting failure of a vehicle emission test
Assignee: Credit Suisse USA Inc
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Filing: 1997-01-21
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Granted: 1998-11-10
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Expires: 2017-01-21
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a system and method which systematically diagnoses emissions test failure by applying the rules of a knowledge base to predict the cause of vehicle emissions failures. Classifiers are used to form predictions. The classifier is the data structure used in the automobile emission testing inspection lane by the lane diagnostic subsystem to provide a diagnosis for a particular vehicle. Its output is the likelihood that a vehicle suffers from a given failure based on the values of characteristics such as its emissions test results and the vehicle's description. The classifier predictions are then used to prepare a failure report that is given to the motorist for use by his or her repair technician. In another feature of this invention, the classifiers are continuously updated in a learning process based on new repair records. The learning processes periodically analyzes the data and updates the knowledge base to include new or revised classifiers.
Inventors
- 👤 Mary V. Smith
- 👤 Mark D. Frost
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 22:03
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M15/00; G01M15/04; G01M15/10; G01M15/102
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising the steps of: in a storage media, storing a classifier table composed of a set of rules; in an emissions testing facility, receiving and storing vehicle characteristics signals; in said emissions testing facility, sampling emissions of said vehicle to create emission test results to generate a series of emission test signals; transmitting to a processor said emissions test signals; transmitting to said processor said vehicle characteristics signal; and comparing said emission test signals and said vehicle characteristics signals to said classifier table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnoses of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising the steps of: in a storage media, storing a classifier table composed of a set of rules; in an emissions testing facility, receiving and storing vehicle characteristics signals; in said emissions testing facility, sampling emissions of said vehicle to create emission test results to generate a series of emission test signals; transmitting to a processor said emissions test signals; transmitting to said processor said vehicle characteristics signal; and comparing said emission test signals and said vehicle characteristics signals to said classifier table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnoses of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of matching said prediction report with a failure frequency distribution file to generate a diagnostic assessment report including failure probabilities.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of transmitting said diagnostic assessment report to a host computer where said diagnostic assessment report is stored.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of periodically updating said classifier table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
132 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein data is gathered relating to a plurality of vehicles which had failing emissions tests results and for which a prediction report was generated and wherein each of said plurality of vehicles has its own vehicle characteristics and also has passing emissions test results and a repair report, said method further comprising the steps of: receiving said vehicle characteristics signals, said failing emission test signals and said passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles; dividing said vehicle characteristics signals and said failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles to generate a training dataset and a testing dataset; and correlating said plurality of repair reports with said training dataset to form new rules; from said new rules, forming new classifiers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method as recited in claim 5 wherein prior to said dividing step, said method further comprising the steps of: filtering said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles to remove certain data; formatting said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles; and weighting said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising the steps of: processing said testing dataset and said classifier table to form first output; processing new classifiers to form second output; comparing first output with said second output to generate a set of updated classifier rules; forming an updated classifier table from said updated classifier rules.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
157 words
A system for generating a diagnoses of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, said vehicle having vehicle characteristics which forms input to said system in the form of a vehicle characteristic signal, comprising of: stored in a storage media, a classifier table composed of a set of rules; in an emissions testing facility, a receiving component for receiving said vehicle characteristics signal; in said emissions testing facility, an emissions sampling apparatus to sample the emissions of said vehicle to create emission test results and which generates a series of emission test signals; a transmitter for transmitting to a processor said emissions test signals; a transmitter for transmitting to said processor said vehicle characteristics signal; a comparator for comparing said emission test signals and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
157 words
A system for generating a diagnoses of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, said vehicle having vehicle characteristics which forms input to said system in the form of a vehicle characteristic signal, comprising of: stored in a storage media, a classifier table composed of a set of rules; in an emissions testing facility, a receiving component for receiving said vehicle characteristics signal; in said emissions testing facility, an emissions sampling apparatus to sample the emissions of said vehicle to create emission test results and which generates a series of emission test signals; a transmitter for transmitting to a processor said emissions test signals; a transmitter for transmitting to said processor said vehicle characteristics signal; a comparator for comparing said emission test signals and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as recited in claim 8 wherein said system also stores a frequency distribution file, said system further comprising: a matching component which matches said prediction report with said failure frequency distribution file to generate a diagnostic assessment report including failure probabilities.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as recited in claim 9 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting said diagnostic assessment report to a host computer where it is stored.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system as recited in claim 8 wherein said classifier table is periodically updated.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
133 words
A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising a plurality of vehicles which had failing emissions tests results and for which a prediction report was generated and wherein each of said plurality of vehicles has its own vehicle characteristics and also has passing emissions test results and a repair report, said system further comprising: a receiver which receives said vehicle characteristics signals, said failing emission test signals and said passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles; a division component which divides said vehicle characteristics signals and said failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles to generate a training dataset and a testing dataset; and a correlation component which correlates said plurality of repair reports with said training dataset to form new rules and therefrom, new classifiers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
94 words
A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising: a filter which filters said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles so that said signals meet selection criteria; a formatting component which formats said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles to be acceptable to said correlation component; and a weight component which weights said vehicle characteristics signals and failing and passing emission test signals of said plurality of vehicles so that each of signal is appropriated scaled.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising: a processor which processes said testing dataset and said classifier table to form first output; a processor which processes new classifiers to form second output; and a comparator which compares first output with said second output to generate a set of updated classifier rules to form an updated classifier table.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
93 words
A system for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising: a storage media configured to store data base including a classifier table's set of rules; a processor configured to receive input representing vehicle characteristics signals; a processor configured to receive input representing emission test signals; a processor configured to compare said emission test signal and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier's table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
93 words
A system for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising: a storage media configured to store data base including a classifier table's set of rules; a processor configured to receive input representing vehicle characteristics signals; a processor configured to receive input representing emission test signals; a processor configured to compare said emission test signal and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier's table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as recited in claim 15 further comprising: a storage media configured to store a failure frequency distribution file; a processor configured to match said prediction report with said failure frequency distribution file to generate a diagnostic assessment report including failure probabilities.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system as recited in claim 15 wherein said storage media is further configured to store a data base including an updated classifier table's set of rules.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for providing a system for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising: providing a storage media configured to store data base including a classifier table's set of rules; providing a processor configured to receive input representing vehicle characteristics signals; providing a processor configured to receive input representing emission test signals; providing a processor configured to compare said emission test signal and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier's table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for providing a system for generating a diagnosis of a vehicle's cause of failure of an emissions test, comprising: providing a storage media configured to store data base including a classifier table's set of rules; providing a processor configured to receive input representing vehicle characteristics signals; providing a processor configured to receive input representing emission test signals; providing a processor configured to compare said emission test signal and said vehicle characteristics signal to said classifier's table's set of rules in a manner in which forms said diagnosis of said vehicle's cause of failure and generating a prediction report thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising the steps of: providing a storage media configured to store a failure frequency distribution file; and providing a processor configured to match said prediction report with said failure frequency distribution file to generate a diagnostic assessment report including failure probabilities.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising the step of: storing on said storage media an updated classifier table's set of rules.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-05-11 | 2002-11-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-09 | 2006-05-11 | 2006-11-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-09 | 2010-05-11 | 2010-11-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |