Vehicle data display system and method

• US 20040034453A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nology Engineering Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nology Engineering Inc.
• Inventors: Funk, Werner
• Application Number:
  US10/218,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/24 Devices for determining the value of power, e.g. by measuring and simultaneously multiplying the values of torque and revolutions per unit of time, by multiplying the values of tractive or propulsive force and velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/247 by measuring and simultaneously multiplying tractive or propulsive force and velocity

Abstract

A vehicle data display system, method and article of manufacture are provided. The vehicle data display system of the present invention communicates with a vehicle network through a connector located in the vehicle passenger compartment and displays and manipulates the data obtained from the vehicle network. One embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program product for directing a general purpose digital computer to obtain specific vehicle data from the vehicle network and manipulate the data to obtain a vehicle power. The vehicle power represents a power that is generated at a driving wheel of the vehicle, thereby allowing an enthusiast or technician to obtain a power value that represents the power delivered to the vehicle'"'"'s wheels.

Claims

1. A computer program product for directing a general purpose digital computer to perform a desired function comprising:

a set of computer readable instructions to obtain a vehicle power, the computer readable instructions using a vehicle mass, vehicle network data, and time data.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the vehicle power comprises a power generated at a driving wheel of the vehicle.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the vehicle power, the method steps comprising:

multiplying the vehicle mass by a vehicle acceleration to obtain a vehicle force;

multiplying the vehicle force by a distance value, to obtain a product; and

dividing the product by a time value.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the vehicle acceleration, the method steps comprising:

obtaining from a vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference; and

dividing the velocity difference by the time difference.

5. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the distance value, the method steps comprising:

obtaining from a vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference;

multiplying the velocity difference by the time difference to obtain a product; and

dividing the product by 2.

6. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the time value, the method steps comprising:

establishing a start time when a first velocity is obtained from a vehicle network;

establishing an end time when a second velocity is obtained from the vehicle network;

subtracting the start time from the end time.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a vehicle network comprises an OBD-II system.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a vehicle network employs a standard selected from the group consisting of:

SAE J1850, SAE J1850 VPW, SAE J1850 PWM, ISO 9141, ISO 9141-2, ISO 9141 CARB, and ISO 14230.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a vehicle network is a controller area network.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the data received from the controller area network employs a standard selected from the group consisting of:

ISO 11898, ISO 11519, SAE J2411, SAE J1939, and SAE J1708.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a vehicle network is an Intelligent Transportation Systems Data Bus.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the data received from the Intelligent Transportation Systems Data Bus employs a standard selected from the group consisting of:

SAE J2355, SAE J2366, SAE J2367 and SAE J2368.

13. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the general purpose digital computer is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a portable phone, an electronic assistant, an electronic organizer, an electronic notepad, a hand-held computer, and a global computer network.

14. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program is stored on a medium selected from the group consisting of:

a compact disk, a floppy disk, and a flash memory module.

15. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program is stored on general purpose digital computer, and can be accessed through a global computer network.

16. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of computer readable instructions to obtain the vehicle power includes an aerodynamic drag correction factor.

17. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of computer readable instructions to obtain the vehicle power includes an altitude correction factor.

18. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of computer readable instructions to obtain the vehicle power includes a tire rolling resistance correction factor.

19. A computer program product for directing a general purpose digital computer to perform a desired function comprising:

a set of computer readable instructions to obtain a vehicle acceleration, the instructions using data received from a vehicle network, and time data.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the vehicle acceleration, the method steps comprising:

obtaining from the vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference; and

dividing the velocity difference by the time difference.

21. A method for obtaining a vehicle acceleration, the method steps comprising:

obtaining from a vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference; and

dividing the velocity difference by the time difference.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data received from the vehicle network is received from an OBD-II system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data received from the vehicle network is received from an OBD-II system employing a SAE J1850 communication protocol.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the data received from the vehicle network is received from an OBD-II system employing an ISO 9141 communication protocol.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the general purpose digital computer is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a portable phone, an electronic assistant, an electronic organizer, an electronic notepad, a hand-held computer, and a global computer network.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer program is stored on a medium selected from the group consisting of:

a compact disk, a floppy disk, a flash memory module, and a general purpose digital computer.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer program is stored on general purpose digital computer, and can be accessed through a global computer network.

28. A computer program product for directing a general purpose digital computer to perform a desired function comprising:

a set of computer readable instructions to obtain a vehicle torque, the instructions using a vehicle mass, vehicle network data, and time data.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the vehicle torque comprises an approximation of a vehicle engine torque.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the vehicle torque, the method steps comprising:

obtaining a vehicle engine revolutions-per-minute;

dividing 5,252 by the vehicle engine revolutions-per-minute, to obtain a quotient; and

multiplying a vehicle power by the quotient.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the vehicle power comprises a power generated at a driving wheel of the vehicle.

32. A method for obtaining a vehicle torque, the method steps comprising:

obtaining a vehicle engine revolutions-per-minute;

dividing 5,252 by the vehicle engine revolutions-per-minute, to obtain a quotient; and

multiplying a vehicle power by the quotient.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the vehicle power comprises a power generated at a driving wheel of the vehicle.

34. A computer program product for directing a general purpose digital computer to perform a desired function comprising:

a set of computer readable instructions to obtain a vehicle fuel economy, the instructions using data received from a vehicle network, and an air-to-fuel ratio.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the air-to-fuel ratio is approximately 14.7 to 1.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the general purpose digital computer is directed to perform method steps to obtain the vehicle fuel economy, the method steps comprising:

obtaining a mass of air that passed through a vehicle intake manifold during a defined time period;

dividing the mass of air by 14.7, to obtain a fuel mass;

obtaining a distance traveled during the defined time period; and

dividing the distance traveled by the fuel mass.

37. A method for obtaining a vehicle fuel economy, the method steps comprising:

obtaining a mass of air that passed through a vehicle intake manifold during a defined time period;

dividing the mass of air by 14.7, to obtain a fuel mass;

obtaining a distance traveled during the defined time period; and

dividing the distance traveled by the fuel mass.

38. A method for obtaining a vehicle power, the method comprising the steps of:

multiplying the vehicle mass by a vehicle acceleration to obtain a vehicle force;

multiplying the vehicle force by a distance value, to obtain a product; and

dividing the product by a time value.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the vehicle power comprises a power generated at a driving wheel of the vehicle.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the method steps for obtaining the vehicle acceleration comprises the steps of:

obtaining from a vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference; and

dividing the velocity difference by the time difference.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the method steps for obtaining the distance value comprises the steps of:

obtaining from a vehicle network a first velocity;

establishing a start time when the first velocity is obtained;

obtaining from the vehicle network a second velocity;

establishing an end time when the second velocity is obtained;

subtracting the first velocity from the second velocity to obtain a velocity difference;

subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain a time difference;

multiplying the velocity difference by the time difference to obtain a product; and

dividing the product by 2.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the method for obtaining the time value comprises the steps of:

establishing a start time when a first velocity is obtained from a vehicle network;

establishing an end time when a second velocity is obtained from the vehicle network;

subtracting the start time from the end time.