U.S. patent application number 15/786825 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-18 for fuel fill volume estimation using virtual zone and fuel tank float.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to David Divis, John Dolinsky, JR., Boris Gorovets, Marla Johnston, Paul A. Mueller, Zdravko Nikolik.
Application Number | 20190113377 15/786825 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65811662 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-18 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190113377 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnston; Marla ; et
al. |
April 18, 2019 |
FUEL FILL VOLUME ESTIMATION USING VIRTUAL ZONE AND FUEL TANK
FLOAT
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for fuel fill volume
estimation for a vehicle. An example vehicle includes a fuel tank
float, a dashboard display, and an engine control module. The
engine control module divides a fuel tank into zones. When the
vehicle is not in motion and a position of the fuel tank float
changes by a threshold amount, engine control module measures an
initial fuel level. When the position of the fuel tank float does
not change for a threshold period of time, the engine control
module measures a final fuel level. Additionally, the engine
control module calculates an amount of fuel added to the fuel tank
based on the zones associated with the initial fuel level and a
final fuel level and display the amount on the dashboard
display.
Inventors: |
Johnston; Marla; (Plymouth,
MI) ; Mueller; Paul A.; (St. Clair Shores, MI)
; Nikolik; Zdravko; (Tecumseh, CA) ; Divis;
David; (Dearborn, MI) ; Gorovets; Boris; (West
Bloomfield, MI) ; Dolinsky, JR.; John; (Ann Arbor,
MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65811662 |
Appl. No.: |
15/786825 |
Filed: |
October 18, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01F 23/36 20130101;
B60K 35/00 20130101; G01F 23/30 20130101; G01F 23/243 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01F 23/24 20060101
G01F023/24; B60K 35/00 20060101 B60K035/00 |
Claims
1. A vehicle comprising: a dashboard display; a fuel tank float
coupled to a fuel sender card and; an engine control module to:
divide a fuel tank into zones, the zones including a first zone,
the first zone being an area of the fuel tank that is not
measurable by the fuel sender card; when the vehicle is not in
motion and a position of the fuel tank float changes by a threshold
amount, measure an initial fuel level; when the position of the
fuel tank float does not change for a threshold period of time,
measure a final fuel level; responsive to the final fuel level
being in one of the zones that is not the first zone and the
initial fuel level being in the first zone, calculate an amount of
fuel added to the fuel tank based on the measurements of fuel
injected to an engine by fuel injectors and measurements of the
fuel sender card; and display the amount on the dashboard
display.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the zones are based on a range
of the fuel tank float in the fuel tank in relation to a setting on
the fuel sender card.
3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein one of the zones is defined as
an area above a top float stop position in the fuel tank.
4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein one of the zones is defined as
an area between a top float stop position and a bottom float stop
position in the fuel tank.
5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first zone is defined as an
area of the fuel tank below a bottom float stop position.
6. (canceled)
7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control module is to:
define a third zone as a first area above a top float stop position
in the fuel tank; define a second zone as a second area between the
top float stop position and a bottom float stop position in the
fuel tank; and define the first zone as a third area below the
bottom float stop position.
8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein when the initial fuel level is
in the third zone, the engine control module to determine that the
amount of fuel added is zero.
9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein when the initial fuel level is
in the second zone, the engine control module is to calculate the
amount of fuel added based on a fuel level measurement of a fuel
sender card.
10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the fuel sender card has a
resolution of at least 0.25 liters.
11. (canceled)
12. A method comprising: dividing, with a processor of a vehicle, a
fuel tank into virtual zones, the virtual zone including a first
zone, the first zone being an area of the fuel tank that is not
measurable by a fuel sender card coupled to a fuel tank float; when
the vehicle is not in motion and a position of the fuel tank float
changes by a threshold amount, measuring an initial fuel level;
when the position of the fuel tank float does not change for a
threshold period of time, measuring a final fuel level; responsive
to the final fuel level being in one of the virtual zone that is
not the first zone and the initial fuel level being in the first
zone, calculating an amount of fuel added to the fuel tank based on
measurements of fuel injected to an engine by fuel injectors and
measurements of the fuel sender card; and displaying the amount on
a dashboard display.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual zones are based on
a position of the fuel tank float in the fuel tank in relation to a
setting on the fuel sender card that has an resolution of at least
0.25 liters per pad.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein defining the virtual zones
includes: defining a third zone as a first area above a top float
stop position in the fuel tank; defining a second zone as a second
area between the top float stop position and a bottom float stop
position in the fuel tank; and defining the first zone as a third
area below the bottom float stop position.
15. (canceled)
16. A vehicle comprising: a fuel sender card coupled to a float;
and processors to: responsive to an initial fuel level being in an
area of a fuel tank that is not measurable by the fuel sender card,
calculate an added fuel amount based on measurements of fuel
injected to an engine by fuel injectors and measurements of the
fuel sender card; and display the added fuel amount on a dashboard
display.
17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine control module is
to, responsive to the final fuel level being in the one of the
zones that is not the first zone and the initial fuel level being
in the first zone, calculate an amount of fuel added to the fuel
tank by adding an amount of fuel injected to the engine and an
amount of fuel in the one of the zones.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle fuel
systems and, more specifically, fuel fill volume estimation for a
vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Drivers are often interested in keeping a record of how much
fuel is going into the fuel tank when they refuel. Sometimes, the
drivers do not trust the reading on the gas pump. For examples, in
regions in which fuel prices are high, drivers may suspect that the
fuel pump's meter has been tampered.
SUMMARY
[0003] The appended claims define this application. The present
disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be
used to limit the claims. Other implementations are contemplated in
accordance with the techniques described herein, as will be
apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination
of the following drawings and detailed description, and these
implementations are intended to be within the scope of this
application.
[0004] Example embodiments include a fuel tank float, a dashboard
display, and an engine control module. The engine control module
divides a fuel tank into zones. When the vehicle is not in motion
and a position of the fuel tank float changes by a threshold
amount, engine control module measures an initial fuel level. When
the position of the fuel tank float does not change for a threshold
period of time, the engine control module measures a final fuel
level. Additionally, the engine control module calculates an amount
of fuel added to the fuel tank based on the zones associated with
the initial fuel level and a final fuel level and display the
amount on the dashboard display.
[0005] An example method includes dividing a fuel tank into virtual
zones. The method also includes, when the vehicle is not in motion
and a position of a fuel tank float changes by a threshold amount,
measuring an initial fuel level. Additionally, when the position of
the fuel tank float does not change for a threshold period of time,
the method includes measuring a final fuel level. The method also
includes calculating an amount of fuel added to the fuel tank based
on the virtual zones associated with the initial fuel level and a
final fuel level, and displaying the amount on a dashboard
display.
[0006] An example vehicle a refueling switch and an engine control
module. The engine control module divides a fuel tank into zones.
When the refueling switch is in a first position, engine control
module measures an initial fuel level. When the refueling switch is
in a second position, the engine control module calculates an
amount of fuel added to the fuel tank based on the zones associated
with the initial fuel level and a final fuel level and displays the
amount on a dashboard display.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] For a better understanding of the invention, reference may
be made to embodiments shown in the following drawings. The
components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and related
elements may be omitted, or in some instances proportions may have
been exaggerated, so as to emphasize and clearly illustrate the
novel features described herein. In addition, system components can
be variously arranged, as known in the art. Further, in the
drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the several views.
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle operating in accordance with
the teachings of this disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a chart illustrating fuel zones within a fuel tank
of the vehicle of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of electronic components of the
vehicle of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method to estimate the fuel fill
volume of fuel added to the fuel tank, which may be implemented by
the electronic components of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0012] While the invention may be embodied in various forms, there
are shown in the drawings, and will hereinafter be described, some
exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with the understanding that
the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of
the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific embodiments illustrated.
[0013] In markets with high fuel prices, consumers can be
suspicious that the readings of a fuel pump are not accurate. For
example, the fuel pumps may not be well maintained or may be
maliciously altered to indicate more fuel than actually delivered.
Additionally, some consumers desire to maintain a record of fuel
intake and mileage driven. In such situations, measuring the fuel
intake into the vehicle should be independent of the measurements
by the fuel pump. Generally, to measure the current fuel level in
the fuel tank to display on a dashboard meter, the vehicle uses a
fuel sender card. The fuel sender card is a thick film varitor with
discrete pads that correspond to different resistances. The pads
are associated with fuel level percent status (FLPS). The FLPS
reading corresponds to the fuel level that is displayed on the
dashboard. For example, a reading of 1000 FLPS may be associated
with a full fuel tank and a reading of 500 FLPS may be associated
with a half full fuel tank. The fuel sender card is coupled to a
float that floats on top of the fuel in the fuel tank. As the level
of the fuel tank changes, the fuel float arm that connects the
float and the fuel sender card changes resistance. Because the
geometries of different fuel tanks are different, the FLPS are
calibrated to the particular model of fuel tank.
[0014] Current fuel level measurement systems do not provide an
measurement of the fuel level in the fuel tank accurate enough to
compare to the reading off of the fuel pump. Generally, because the
fuel gauges on the dashboard are designed to give an approximation
of the fuel level, the fuel sender card is not designed to measure
the level of the fuel tank with a high level of accuracy. For
example, a fuel sender card may only have 50 pads. In such an
example, if the fuel tank has a capacity of 50 liters, the fuel
sender card has a precision of 1 liter. Within fuel tanks, there
are regions above and below where the fuel sender card can measure.
For example, because of the physical limitations of the connection
between the float and the fuel sender card, there may be fuel above
the highest measurable reading on the fuel sender card or fuel
below the lowest measuring reading on the fuel sender card. Typical
automotive fuel level measurement systems do not account for these
areas of the fuel tank.
[0015] As disclosed below, a fuel fill manager determines the
amount of fuel input into a fuel tank. The fuel fill manager tracks
current fuel level over time and the change in the fuel level. When
the change in the fuel level is positive (e.g., fuel is being added
to the fuel tank), it calculates the amount of fuel added. To
calculate the amount of fuel added, the fuel fill manager divides
the fuel tank into three zones. The fuel fill manager defines the
first zone (sometimes referred to "Zone A") to be the area of the
fuel tank above the pad of the fuel card sender that represents a
full fuel tank. Generally, zone A represents a small portion of the
total fuel tank volume (e.g., .ltoreq.0.2% etc.). For example, if
the total fuel tank value is 50 liters, zone A may have a volume of
0.1 liters. The fuel fill manager defines the second zone
(sometimes referred to "Zone B") to be the area of the fuel tank
between the pads of the fuel card sender that represents a full
fuel tank and an empty fuel tank, or know as Usable Capacity. The
fuel fill manager defines the third zone (sometimes referred to
"Zone C") to be the area of the fuel tank below the pad of the fuel
card sender that represents fuel that cannot be directly measured
by the fuel level float and is measured by secondary methods such
as a fuel flow parameter from a powertrain control module (PCM).
The fuel flow parameter is a measurement by the powertrain control
module of the fuel injected into the engine by the fuel injectors.
The fuel flow parameter is a precise measurement of the injected
fuel. For example, the fuel flow parameter may have a milliliter
accuracy.
[0016] The fuel fill manager calculates the fuel added based on the
zone in which the fuel level started and the zone in which the fuel
level ended after a refueling event. When the initial fuel level is
in zone C, the fuel fill manager uses the fuel flow parameter to
estimate the amount of fuel used by the vehicle and the associated
tank fuel level. In such a manner, the fuel fill manager knows how
far below the beginning, or top, of zone C the initial fuel level
is. For example, based on data from the fuel flow parameter, the
fuel fill manager may determine that the current fuel level is 0.10
liters below the position in the fuel tank at which zone B and of
zone C meet. In such an example, if the fuel fill manager measures
the final fuel level in zone B is 0.30 liters, using the fuel float
reading, and the fuel fill manager estimates that the initial fuel
level zone C is 0.10 liters below the position in the fuel tank at
which zone B and of zone C meet as measured using the fuel flow
parameter. In that examples, the fuel fill manager calculates the
total fuel added to be 0.4 liters. When the initial fuel level
starts in zone B, the fuel fill manager uses the FLPS reading from
the fuel card sender to determine the initial fuel level. When the
final fuel level is in zone A, the fuel fill manager treats the
final fuel level as if it were the fuel level as measured by the
pad of the fuel sender card that represents a full fuel tank.
[0017] In some examples, the fuel sender card includes enough pads
to provide a target resolution for the fuel added to the fuel tank.
The fuel sender card includes a ceramic substrate that is large
enough to accommodate the necessary number of pads. For example,
the target resolution is 0.25 liters. In such an example, if the
total fuel tank value is 50 liters, then the fuel sender card may
include 200 pads.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 100 operating in accordance
with the teachings of this disclosure. The vehicle 100 may be a
standard gasoline powered vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hybrid
vehicle and/or any other mobility implement type of vehicle with a
fuel tank. The vehicle 100 includes parts related to mobility, such
as a powertrain with an engine, a transmission, a suspension, a
driveshaft, and/or wheels, etc. The vehicle 100 may be
non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some routine motive
functions controlled by the vehicle 100), or autonomous (e.g.,
motive functions are controlled by the vehicle 100 without direct
driver input). In the illustrated example the vehicle 100 includes
a refueling switch 102, a dashboard display 104, a fuel tank 106, a
fuel sender card 108, a refueling door 110, and an engine control
module (ECM) 112.
[0019] The refueling switch 102 is embedded into the refueling door
110. When the refueling door 110 is open, the refueling switch 102
signals that fuel will be added to the fuel tank 106 (e.g., signals
the start of a "refueling mode"). When the refueling door 110 is
closed, the refueling switch 102 signals that fuel will no longer
be added to the fuel tank 106 (e.g., signals the end of the
"refueling mode"). Alternatively, in some examples, the refueling
switch 102 detects the nozzle of the fuel pump entering and exiting
the nozzle receptacle of the vehicle 100.
[0020] The dashboard display 104 provides an interface between the
vehicle 100 and a user. The dashboard display 104 may include
analog displays (e.g., gauges, back-lit displays, eight-segment
displays, etc.) and/or digital displays (e.g., a liquid crystal
display ("LCD"), an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display,
a solid state display, etc.). The dashboard display 104
communicates information to the user, such as vehicle speed,
current fuel tank level, engine coolant temperature, engine
revolutions per minute (RPM), oil pressure, battery state, faults,
and/or warnings, etc. Additionally, the dashboard display 104 of
the illustrated example, when the refueling switch 102 is signals
the beginning and/or end of the refueling mode, displays a volume
of fuel added to the fuel tank in the refueling state. In some
examples, the dashboard display 104 displays the amount of fuel
added after the end of the refueling mode. Alternatively, in some
examples, the dashboard display 104 displays the amount of fuel
added while in the refueling mode (e.g., the display updates as
fuel is added to the fuel tank 106).
[0021] The fuel sender card 108 measures the level of fuel in the
fuel tank 106. A float 114 floats on top of the fuel in the fuel
tank 106. A fuel float arm 116 physically couples the float to the
fuel sender card 108. The fuel sender card 108 includes a thick
film potentiometer with discrete pads that correspond to different
resistances. The fuel float arm 116 is positioned on one of the
pads based on the level of the fuel in the fuel tank 106 as
indicated by the float 114. The thick film potentiometer is
electrically coupled to a voltage divider that outputs a voltage
depending on which pad the fuel float arm 116 is positioned on. The
voltage divider is electrically coupled to an analog-to-digital
converter (ADC). The output of the ADC is calibrated according to
the geometry of the fuel tank 106. This calibrated value is the
fuel level percent status (FLPS) that the engine control module 112
uses to determine the current level of fuel in the fuel tank 106
and the amount of fuel input into the fuel tank 106. The resolution
of the fuel sender card 108 is determined by the number of pads and
the total usable volume of the fuel tank 106. In some examples, the
resolution is between 0.25 liters and 0.50 liters. In some such
examples, the fuel sender card 108 has a resolution of 0.25 liters.
For example, if the total usable volume of the fuel tank 106 is 30
liters and the resolution is 0.25, the fuel sender card 108 may
have 120 pads. In some examples, the fuel sender card 108 has at
least 100 pads. The resolution determines what increments that the
dashboard display 104 can display the volume of the input fuel.
[0022] The engine control module 112 (sometimes referred to as the
"powertrain control module") includes hardware and firmware to
control the ignition, fuel injection, emission systems,
transmission and/or the brake system of the vehicle 100. The engine
control module 112 monitors sensors (such as fuel injection
sensors, wheel speed sensors, exhaust sensors, etc.) and uses
control algorithms to control, for example, fuel mixture, ignition
timing, variable cam timing, emissions control, a fuel pump, an
engine cooling fan and/or a charging system. The engine control
module 112 measures the amount of fuel injected into the engine by
fuel injectors. Additionally, the engine control module 112 uses
variance in the level of the float 114 to determine when to update
the fuel gauge on the dashboard display 104. In the illustrate
example, the engine control module 112 includes a fuel fill manager
118.
[0023] The fuel fill manager 118 monitors the fuel level in the
fuel tank via the fuel sender card 108 and/or the fuel flow
parameter from the engine control module 112. The fuel fill manager
118 defines virtual zones in the fuel tank 106. FIG. 2 illustrates
the fuel tank 106 divided into three zones 202, 204, and 206. Zone
A 202 includes the portion of the fuel tank 106 that is above the
top float stop position of the float 114 that represents the top
pad of the fuel sender card 108. Generally, the volume of fuel in
Zone A 202 is small relative compared to the total usable capacity
of the fuel tank 106 (e.g., .ltoreq.0.2%). Zone B 204 includes the
portion of the fuel tank 106 that is measureable by the fuel sender
card 108. A majority of the total usable capacity of the fuel tank
106 is within Zone B 204. Zone C 206 includes the portion of the
fuel tank 106 that is below the bottom float stop position of the
float 114 that represents the bottom pad of the fuel sender card
108. Thus, the fuel in Zone C 206 is not measurable by the fuel
sender card 108.
[0024] Returning to FIG. 1, the fuel fill manager 118 determines
the volume of fuel pumped into the fuel tank 106 when a refueling
event is triggered. In some examples, the refueling event is
triggered when the float 114 indicates that the volume of the fuel
in the fuel tank 106 has increased by more than a threshold value
(e.g., 5%, etc.) when the vehicle 100 is not in motion.
Alternatively, in some examples, the refueling event is triggered
when the refueling switch 102 is toggled to the refueling mode. To
determine the volume of fuel pumped into the fuel tank 106, the
fuel fill manager 118 records the initial fuel level when the
refueling event is triggered. The fuel fill manager 118 determines
the initial fuel level based on the position of the float 114 as
indicated by the fuel sender card 108. When the fuel sender card
108 indicates that the float 114 is at the top float stop, the fuel
fill manager 118 determines that the initial fuel level is in Zone
A 202. When the fuel sender card 108 indicates that the float 114
is at the bottom float stop, the fuel fill manager 118 determines
that the initial fuel level is in Zone C 206. When the fuel sender
card 108 indicates that the float 114 is between the top float stop
and the bottom float stop, the fuel fill manager 118 determines
that the initial fuel level is in Zone B 204. When the fuel sender
card 108 indicates that the float 114 is at the bottom float stop,
the fuel fill manager 118 tracks, via the fuel flow parameter, the
amount of fuel being injected into the engine and since the fuel
sender card 108 first indicated that the float 114 is at the bottom
float stop.
[0025] Based on the zone 202, 204, and 206 of the initial fuel
level and the zone 202, 204, and 206 of the final fuel level, the
fuel fill manager 118 calculates the volume of fuel added to the
fuel tank 106. In some examples, the fuel fill manager 118
calculates the volume of fuel added to the fuel tank 106 based on
Table (1) below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Added Fuel Measurement Based on Zones
Initial Zone Final Zone Calculation Zone A Zone A 0 (Added amount
not within resolution) Zone B Zone A Amount of fuel as measured by
Fuel Card Sender Zone B Zone B Amount of fuel as measured by Fuel
Card Sender Zone C Zone A Amount of fuel in Zone B plus the fuel
volume as measured by the fuel flow parameter in Zone C Zone C Zone
B Amount of fuel as measured by the Fuel Card Sender in Zone B plus
amount of fuel as measured by the fuel flow parameter in Zone C
Zone C Zone C 0 (Added amount not within resolution)
On Table (1) above, the fuel fill manager 118 calculates the change
in fuel level when the amount of fuel is increasing. For example,
when the initial fuel level is in Zone B 204 and the final fuel
level is in Zone C, the fuel fill manager 118 does not perform a
calculation. When the initial fuel level is in Zone A 202 and the
final fuel level is in Zone A 202, the fuel fill manager 118
indicates that the amount of fuel added is 0 liters because the
amount added is negligible. When the initial fuel level is in Zone
B 204 and the final fuel level is in Zone A 202, the fuel fill
manager 118 determines the amount added by subtracting the initial
fuel level as indicated by the fuel sender card 108 from the total
fuel volume of Zone B 204. When the initial fuel level is in Zone B
204 and the final fuel level is in Zone B 204, the fuel fill
manager 118 subtracts the initial fuel level from the final fuel
level as indicated by the fuel sender card 108. When the initial
fuel level is in Zone C 206 and the final fuel level is in Zone A
202, the fuel fill manager 118 adds the amount of fuel used in Zone
C 206 to the total fuel volume of Zone B 204. When the initial fuel
level is in Zone C 206 and the final fuel level is in Zone B 204,
the fuel fill manager 118 adds the amount of fuel in Zone C 206 to
the amount of fuel in Zone B 204 as indicated by the fuel sender
card 108. When the initial fuel level is in Zone C 206 and the
final fuel level is in Zone C 206, the fuel fill manager 118
indicates that the amount of fuel added is 0 liters because the
amount added is negligible.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of electronic components 300 of
the vehicle 100 of FIG. 1. In the illustrated example, the
electronic components 300 includes the refueling switch 102, the
dashboard display 104, the fuel sender card 108, the engine control
module 112, and a vehicle data bus 302.
[0027] The engine control module 112 includes a processor or
controller 304 and memory 306. In the illustrated example, the
engine control module 112 is structured to include fuel fill
manager 118. The processor or controller 304 may be any suitable
processing device or set of processing devices such as, but not
limited to: a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, a
suitable integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs), and/or one or more application-specific integrated
circuits (ASICs). The memory 306 may be volatile memory (e.g., RAM,
which can include non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric
RAM, and any other suitable forms); non-volatile memory (e.g., disk
memory, FLASH memory, EPROMs, EEPROMs, non-volatile solid-state
memory, etc.), unalterable memory (e.g., EPROMs), read-only memory,
and/or high-capacity storage devices (e.g., hard drives, solid
state drives, etc). In some examples, the memory 306 includes
multiple kinds of memory, particularly volatile memory and
non-volatile memory.
[0028] The memory 306 is computer readable media on which one or
more sets of instructions, such as the software for operating the
methods of the present disclosure can be embedded. The instructions
may embody one or more of the methods or logic as described herein.
In a particular embodiment, the instructions may reside completely,
or at least partially, within any one or more of the memory 306,
the computer readable medium, and/or within the processor 304
during execution of the instructions.
[0029] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and
"tangible computer-readable medium" should be understood to include
a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or
distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers that
store one or more sets of instructions. The terms "non-transitory
computer-readable medium" and "tangible computer-readable medium"
also include any tangible medium that is capable of storing,
encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a
processor or that cause a system to perform any one or more of the
methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term
"tangible computer readable medium" is expressly defined to include
any type of computer readable storage device and/or storage disk
and to exclude propagating signals.
[0030] The vehicle data bus 302 communicatively couples the
dashboard display 104, the fuel sender card 108, and the engine
control module 112. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 302
includes one or more data buses. The vehicle data bus 302 may be
implemented in accordance with a controller area network (CAN) bus
protocol as defined by International Standards Organization (ISO)
11898-1, a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus protocol, a
CAN flexible data (CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7) and/a K-line
bus protocol (ISO 9141 and ISO 14230-1), and/or an Ethernet.TM. bus
protocol IEEE 802.3 (2002 onwards), etc.
[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method to estimate the fuel fill
volume of fuel added to the fuel tank 106, which may be implemented
by the electronic components 300 of FIG. 3. Initially, at block
402, the fuel fill manager 118 determines whether the fuel level is
below the bottom float stop as indicated by the fuel sender card
108. When the fuel level is below the bottom float stop, the method
continues at block 404. When the fuel level is above the bottom
float stop, the method continues a block 406. At block 404, the
fuel fill manager 118 determines the fuel level in zone C 206 based
on the fuel flow parameter. At block 406, the fuel fill manager 118
determines whether it is in the refueling mode. For example, the
fuel fill manager 118 may be in the refueling mode when the
refueling switch 102 is toggled into the refueling state. As
another example, the fuel fill manager 118 may be in the refueling
mode when the float 114 begins to rise in the fuel tank 106 after
the vehicle 100 has stopped. When the refueling switch 102 is
toggled into the refueling state, the method continues at block
408. Otherwise, when the refueling switch 102 is toggled into the
non-refueling state, the method returns to block 402.
[0032] At block 408, the fuel fill manager 118 records the current
fuel level as the initial fuel level. At block 410, the fuel fill
manager 118 waits until the refueling mode ends. For example, the
refueling mode may end when the refueling switch 102 is toggled
into the non-refueling state. As another example, the refueling
mode may end after a threshold period of time (e.g., 15 second, 30
seconds, etc.) after the float 114 stops rising. At block 412, the
fuel fill manager 118 records the current fuel level as the final
fuel level. At block 414, the fuel fill manager 118 determines
which zone 202, 204, and 206 the final fuel level is in. When the
final fuel level is in Zone A 202, the method continues at block
416. When the final fuel level is in Zone B 204, the method
continues at block 424. When the final fuel level is in Zone C 206,
the method continues at block 430.
[0033] At block 416, the fuel fill manager 118 determines which
zone 202, 204, and 206 the initial fuel level is in. When the
initial fuel level is in Zone A 202, the method continues at block
418. When the initial fuel level is in Zone B 204, the method
continues at block 420. When the initial fuel level is in Zone C
206, the method continues at block 422. At block 418, the fuel fill
manager 118 causes the dashboard display 104 to display a message
that the amount of fuel added is lower than the resolution of the
system At block 420, the fuel fill manager 118 calculates the
change in fuel based on the total fuel capacity of Zone B 204. At
block 422, the fuel fill manager 118 calculates the change in fuel
based on the total fuel capacity of Zone B 204 and the calculated
fuel flow in Zone C 206.
[0034] At block 424, the fuel fill manager 118 determines which
zone 202, 204, and 206 the initial fuel level is in. When the
initial fuel level is in Zone B 204, the method continues at block
426. When the initial fuel level is in Zone C 206, the method
continues at block 428. At block 426, the fuel fill manager
calculates the change in fuel based on the measurements of the fuel
sender card 108. At block 428, the fuel fill manager calculates the
change in fuel based on the measurements of the fuel sender card
108 and the calculated fuel flow in Zone C 206.
[0035] At block 430, the fuel fill manager displays a message
indicating that the amount of fuel added is not within the
resolution of the system.
[0036] The flowchart of FIG. 4 is representative of machine
readable instructions stored in memory (such as the memory 306 of
FIG. 3) that comprise one or more programs that, when executed by a
processor (such as the processor 304 of FIG. 2), cause the engine
control module 112 to implement the example fuel fill manager 118
of FIGS. 1 and 3. Further, although the example program(s) is/are
described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4,
many other methods of implementing the example fuel fill manager
118 may alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution
of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocks described
may be changed, eliminated, or combined.
[0037] In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended
to include the conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite
articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a
reference to "the" object or "a" and "an" object is intended to
denote also one of a possible plurality of such objects. Further,
the conjunction "or" may be used to convey features that are
simultaneously present instead of mutually exclusive alternatives.
As used here, the terms "module" and "unit" refer to hardware with
circuitry to provide communication, control and/or monitoring
capabilities, often in conjunction with sensors. "Modules" and
"units" may also include firmware that executes on the circuitry.
In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to
include "and/or". The terms "includes," "including," and "include"
are inclusive and have the same scope as "comprises," "comprising,"
and "comprise" respectively.
[0038] The above-described embodiments, and particularly any
"preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementations
and merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of
the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the
above-described embodiment(s) without substantially departing from
the spirit and principles of the techniques described herein. All
modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope
of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
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