Method for sharing and receiving vehicle fuel quality alerts

• US 10,163,278 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kurtz, Eric Matthew, Styles, Daniel Joseph, Makled, Daniel A., Fulton, Brien Lloyd, Newton, Lauren
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Application Number:
  US15/258,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0612 determined by estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle wirelessly communicating with a central server. In one example, a method may include monitoring faults and sending engine conditions along with driver inputs to the central server for processing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a composition of a new fuel newly added to a fuel tank;

storing a location where the new fuel was received and marking the location if the new fuel'"'"'s quality is lower than a threshold quality;

sending to a central server the stored location; and

receiving an alert from the central server of other locations where fuel quality is lower than the threshold quality, the other locations provided by other vehicles to the central server,

wherein the central server alerts a vehicle operator to refuel at a nearest fueling station if a distance between the nearest fueling station providing fuel above the threshold quality and a next fueling station providing fuel above the threshold quality is greater than a driving distance based on a current amount of fuel in a vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting engine operating parameters based on the new fuel'"'"'s quality being lower than the threshold quality, and where the adjusting includes decreasing EGR flow, increasing fuel injection pressure, advancing injection timing, increasing primary injection quantity, and decreasing air/fuel ratio.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is delivered via one or more of text, email, voice call, and an in-vehicle messaging system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the location further includes displaying to a driver a message to not refuel at a fueling location that previously provided fuel lower than the threshold quality.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored location is removed from a navigation system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold quality is based on manufacturer specifications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a fill-up counter is incremented by one after the new fuel is newly added to the fuel tank.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fill-up counter further measures a total amount of the new fuel newly added to the fuel tank.