Information Processing System for an Electronic Air Treatment Device for a Vehicle

Abstract

An information processing system for a vehicle, especially a utility vehicle, includes a terminal device, an electronic air treatment device for providing treated and compressed air for a pneumatic system for the vehicle, and an internal and/or external server device. The electronic air treatment device has a storage device for storing device information indicative of at least an operation condition and/or an identity of the electronic air treatment device. The terminal device is configured to capture the device information from the storage device and transmit the device information to the server device, which is configured to check the device information by comparing the device information with corresponding device information of the electronic air treatment device initially stored within the server device.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. An information processing system for a utility vehicle, comprising: at least one terminal device; at least one electronic air treatment device for providing treated and compressed air for at least one pneumatic system of the vehicle, wherein the electronic air treatment device comprises at least one storage device for storing at least one device information indicative of at least one operation condition and/or at least one identity of the electronic air treatment device; and at least one internal and/or external server device, wherein the terminal device is configured to capture the device information from the storage device, and when said device information is transmitted to the server device via the terminal device, the server device is configured to check said device information and/or the terminal device is configured to check said device information by comparing said device information with at least one corresponding device information of the electronic air treatment device initially stored within the server device and/or the terminal device.

16. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal device comprises at least one mobile terminal device or comprises at least one stationary or fixed terminal device.

17. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the server device comprises at least one cloud computing platform, client-server, dedicated-server, shared-server, host-server, external-server, internal-server, software-server, hardware-server, application-server, database-server, file-server, mail-server, print-server, proxy-server, backend-server and/or terminal server.

18. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the electronic air treatment device comprises at least one first air treatment unit and at least one second air treatment unit, the storage device comprises at least one first storage unit attached to the first air treatment unit for storing at least one first unit information indicative of at least one operation condition and/or at least one identity of the first air treatment unit, and the storage device further comprises at least one second storage unit attached to the second air treatment unit for storing at least one second unit information indicative of at least one operation condition and/or at least one identity of the second air treatment unit.

19. The information processing system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one second air treatment unit is at least one air dryer cartridge that is releasably mounted to the first air treatment unit.

20. The information processing system according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to capture the first unit information and the second unit information, and is further configured to merge the first unit information and the second unit information into the device information.

21. The information processing system according to claim 20, wherein the terminal device is configured to transmit the first unit information and the second unit information to the server device, and the server device is configured to merge the first unit information and the second unit information into the device information.

22. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the server device is configured to create at least one feedback information in answer to the comparing of said device information and said corresponding device information, and is further configured to transmit the feedback information to the terminal device.

23. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal device is configured to create at least one feedback information in answer to the comparing of said device information and said corresponding device information.

24. The information processing system according to claim 23, wherein the terminal device is configured to transmit the feedback information to the first storage unit and/or to the second storage unit.

25. The information processing system according to claim 22, wherein the terminal device is configured to transmit the feedback information to at least one communication interface of the vehicle.

26. The information processing system according to claim 24, wherein the terminal device is configured to transmit the feedback information to at least one communication interface of the vehicle.

27. The information processing system according to claim 25, wherein the electronic air treatment device comprises a first air treatment unit and a second air treatment unit, and the first air treatment unit and/or the second air treatment unit is/are connectable, via at least one wireless and/or wired connection, to at least one data BUS system of the vehicle and is/are further configured to transmit the feedback information to the data BUS system.

28. The information processing system according to claim 27, wherein via the data BUS system, the feedback information is transmittable to at least one display device arranged at a dashboard of the vehicle.

29. The information processing system according to claim 25, wherein the terminal device, the electronic air treatment device, the server device, and/or the communication interface are connectable to each other via at least one wired and/or wireless connection.

30. The information processing system according to claim 29, wherein the wireless connection comprises at least one NFC connection, Bluetooth connection, WiFi connection, and/or RFID connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of an information processing system according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of an information processing system according to the invention; and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of an information processing system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of an information processing system 100 according to the invention.

[0033] The information processing system 100 for a utility vehicle (not shown in FIG. 1), comprises a terminal device 102 that may be formed as a mobile terminal device 102 such as a smartphone or a tablet computer or any other suitable mobile terminal.

[0034] Alternatively, the terminal device 102 may be formed as a stationary device that is arranged in a truck workshop.

[0035] Further, the system 100 comprises an electronic air treatment device 104 for providing treated and compressed air for a pneumatic system for the utility vehicle.

[0036] Additionally, the electronic air treatment device 104 comprises a first air treatment unit 110 and a second air treatment unit 112 in the form of one air dryer cartridge releasably mounted to the first air treatment unit 110.

[0037] The first air treatment unit 110 comprises essential devices known in the art, such as a multi-circuit protection valve, an electronic control unit ECU, corresponding electric and pneumatic connections, and pneumatic operating circuits of the utility vehicle, a trailer control module, and parking brake module, etc.

[0038] Further, the electronic air treatment device 104 comprises a storage device 106 for storing device information indicative of one or more operation conditions and one or more identities of the electronic air treatment device 104.

[0039] The storage device 106 itself comprises a first storage unit 114 attached to the first air treatment unit 110 for storing first unit information indicative of one or more operation conditions and an identity of the first air treatment unit 110.

[0040] The storage device 106 further has a second storage unit 116 attached to the second air treatment unit 112 for storing second unit information indicative one or more operation conditions and an identity of the second air treatment unit 112.

[0041] Additionally, the system 100 comprises an internal or external server device 108.

[0042] Additionally or alternatively, the system 100 may comprise an internal and external server device 108.

[0043] The server device 108 is established as a cloud computing platform 108.

[0044] The cloud computing platform 108 may be built up as an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, the cloud computing platform 108 may be built up as a Platform as a Service (PaaS) and/or Software as a Service (Saas) and/or Function as a Service (FaaS).

[0046] Other forms of server devices 108 such as a client-server, dedicated-server, shared-server, host-server, external-server, internal-server, software-server, hardware-server, application-server, database-server, file-server, mail-server, print-server, proxy-server, backend-server and/or terminal-server are also contemplated. Additionally or alternatively, any other kind of a server or servers are also contemplated.

[0047] The terminal device 102 and the electronic air treatment device 104 may be connected to each other via a wireless connection 118.

[0048] This wireless connection 118 may be established by a radio connection.

[0049] In this regard, the wireless connection 118 between the terminal device 102 and the electronic air treatment device 104 may be established as a NFC connection, Bluetooth connection or WiFi connection for transmitting the device information.

[0050] Accordingly, both the terminal device 102 and the electronic air treatment device 104 may comprise suitable wireless interfaces (not shown in FIG. 1) for NFC connection, Bluetooth connection or WiFi connection.

[0051] Further, it is also possible that the first and second air treatment units 110, 112 communicate with each other via the wireless interfaces.

[0052] Alternatively, the terminal device 102 may also comprise an optical interface such as an optical camera for capturing the device information from the electronic air treatment device 104.

[0053] In this case, the first storage unit 114 and/or the second storage unit 116 may be formed as a non-volatile optical code element such as a barcode or a QR-code.

[0054] It is also contemplated that, for example, the first storage unit 114 is an electronic storage unit such as a ROM or RAM storage element and the second storage unit 116 is a non-volatile optical code element as described above or vice versa.

[0055] The terminal device 102 and the cloud computing platform 108 may also be connected to each other via a wireless connection 118.

[0056] In this regard, the wireless connection 118 between the terminal device 102 and the cloud computing platform 108 may be established as a WiFi or another suitable internet-based connection (such as LTE) for transmitting the device information.

[0057] Accordingly, both the terminal device 102 and the cloud computing platform 108 may comprise suitable wireless WiFi or other interfaces for mutual connection.

[0058] The function of the information processing system 100 according to FIG. 1 is as follows.

[0059] As depicted in FIG. 1, the terminal device 102 is configured to capture the device information from the storage device 106 and transmit said device information to the cloud computing platform 108.

[0060] Based on the establishment of the storage device 106 (see above), the terminal device 102 either is configured to capture the device information from the electronic air treatment device 104 by the NFC connection, Bluetooth connection or WiFi connection and corresponding interfaces for transmitting the device information.

[0061] Alternatively, the terminal device 102 is also configured to capture the device information optically by the optical interface such as the optical camera.

[0062] After having received the device information, the cloud computing platform 108 is configured to check said device information by comparing said device information with corresponding device information (originally stored in the cloud computing platform for example during or after the production process of this device) of the electronic air treatment device 104 initially stored within the cloud computing platform 108.

[0063] Alternatively or additionally, after capturing the device information, the terminal device 102 is configured to check said device information by comparing said device information with at least one corresponding device information (originally stored in the terminal device for example during or after the production process of this air treatment device 104) of the electronic air treatment device 104 initially stored within the terminal device 102.

[0064] The device information correspond to data in the form of some specific information of the electronic air treatment device 104 such as a serial number, a characteristic date (such as the production date), manufacturer, manufacturing place, lifetime data (number of regeneration cycles and a number of a maximum of regeneration cycles for example) and/or a control number (depending on further data).

[0065] The electronic air treatment device 104 is configured (via appropriate pressure, humidity, and temperature sensors) to capture the number of its regeneration cycles, merge these lifetime information/data with the device information and store these on the storage device 106.

[0066] As may be depicted from FIG. 1, the electronic air treatment device 104 comprises the first and second air treatment units 110, 112 having a first and second storage units 114, 116.

[0067] In this way, that first unit information of the first air treatment unit 110 such as a serial number, a characteristic date (such as the production date), lifetime data (number of current regeneration cycles and a threshold of a maximum of regeneration cycles for example) or information with an initial value of e.g. zero, and/or a control number (depending on further data) may be stored in the first storage unit 114 and may be updated accordingly (in the case of a suitable first storage unit 114) by changing lifetime data for example.

[0068] Accordingly, the second unit information of the second air treatment unit 112 comprise corresponding unit information as the first unit information as mentioned above.

[0069] Therefore, the terminal device 102 is configured to capture the first unit information and the second unit information and is further configured to merge the first unit information and the second unit information into the device information before transmittal to the cloud computing platform 108.

[0070] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal device 102 is also configured to transmit said first unit information and said second unit information to the cloud computing platform 108, which is then configured to merge the first unit information and the second unit information into the device information and process the device information as described below.

[0071] In this regard, the cloud computing platform 108 is configured to create feedback information in answer to the comparing of said device information and said corresponding device information.

[0072] After having compared these information, the cloud computing platform 108 is further configured to transmit the feedback information to the terminal device 102, where these information may be outputted to a user.

[0073] Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 102 is configured to create at least one feedback information locally by itself in answer to the local comparing of said device information and said corresponding device information that have been locally stored on the terminal device 102.

[0074] The result of this comparison, i.e. the feedback information, contains further pairing data or information regarding the pairing status of the first and second air treatment units 110, 112 (for example: pairing OK or pairing NOT OK).

[0075] Thus, the cloud computing platform 108 is also configured to proof, based on the device information, if the pairing of the first and second air treatment unit 110, 112 is valid (status: OK) or invalid (status: NOT OK).

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of an information processing system 200 according to the invention.

[0077] The second embodiment of the information processing system 200 substantially comprises the same structural and functional features as the first embodiment of the information processing system 100 according to FIG. 1.

[0078] But, the following structural differences are discussed.

[0079] Additionally, the terminal device 202 is further connected to a suitable NFC, WiFi or Bluetooth communication interface of the vehicle V via a NFC, Bluetooth or WiFi connection.

[0080] The function of the information processing system 200 is as follows.

[0081] By the additional communication interface, the terminal device 102 is configured to transmit the feedback information the communication interface of the vehicle V such that one or more control units of the vehicle V may process the feedback information.

[0082] A processing could be this way that the pairing status or further information as mentioned above of the first and second air treatment units 110, 112 are storable in an error memory of the vehicle V being accessible during a maintenance procedure of the vehicle V and/or its pneumatic system.

[0083] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a third embodiment of an information processing system 300 according to the invention.

[0084] The third embodiment of the information processing system 300 substantially comprises the same structural and functional features as the second embodiment of the information processing system 200 according to FIG. 2.

[0085] But, the following structural differences are discussed.

[0086] Additionally or alternatively to the connection of the terminal device 202 to the communication interface of the vehicle V (see second embodiment of FIG. 2), the terminal device 302 is also connected to the electronic air treatment device 304 via a NFC, Bluetooth or WiFi connection and suitable interfaces.

[0087] This additional wireless connection to the electronic air treatment device 304 is depicted in FIG. 3 by an additionally shown electronic air treatment device 304 (that does not mean that the information processing system 300 actually comprises two electronic air treatment devices 304).

[0088] According to the normal establishment of the third embodiment, only one electronic air treatment device 304 is provided (the second one is just shown in order to show the additional wireless connection between the terminal device 302 and the electronic air treatment device 304, but it would also be possible that the two electronic air treatment devices 304 may be provided in case of a high air consumption).

[0089] Further, the first air treatment unit 310 and/or the second air treatment unit 312 is/are connectable to a data BUS system of the vehicle V.

[0090] The function of the information processing system 300 is as follows:

[0091] Particularly compared to the second embodiment, the terminal device 302 is configured to transmit the feedback information to the first storage unit 314 and/or to the second storage unit 316.

[0092] Also, the first air treatment unit 310 and/or the second air treatment unit 312 is/are further configured to transmit the feedback information to the data BUS system.

[0093] That is, via the data BUS system, the feedback information is transmittable to at least one display device arranged on at least one dashboard of the vehicle, where inter alia the paring status of the first air treatment unit 314 and the second air treatment unit 316 is shown to the driver of the vehicle V (not shown in FIG. 3).

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0094] 100 information processing system [0095] 102 terminal device, mobile terminal [0096] 104 electronic air treatment device [0097] 106 storage device [0098] 108 server device, cloud computing platform [0099] 110 first air treatment unit [0100] 112 second air treatment unit [0101] 114 first storage unit [0102] 116 second storage unit [0103] 118 wireless connection [0104] 200 information processing system [0105] 202 terminal device, mobile terminal [0106] 204 electronic air treatment device [0107] 206 storage device [0108] 208 server device, cloud computing platform [0109] 210 first air treatment unit [0110] 212 second air treatment unit [0111] 214 first storage unit [0112] 216 second storage unit [0113] 218 wireless connection [0114] 300 information processing system [0115] 302 terminal device, mobile terminal [0116] 304 electronic air treatment device [0117] 306 storage device [0118] 308 server device, cloud computing platform [0119] 310 first air treatment unit [0120] 312 second air treatment unit [0121] 314 first storage unit [0122] 316 second storage unit [0123] 318 wireless connection [0124] V Vehicle