Apparatus and method for generating and displaying fuel flow information in a GPS-equipped vehicle
First Claim
1. A fuel flow measuring module for providing vehicular engine fuel flow data, said module comprising:
- a fuel flow transducer and interconnected fuel flow data processing circuits providing fuel flow output data, said transducer and circuits being co-located on a common mounting structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Fuel flow information is generated in an engine compartment and transmitted for display on the fuel page(s) of a GPS signal receiver located in view of a vehicle operator. A fuel transducer coupled to a pre-programmed micro-controller are provided as an integrated single unit in the engine compartment of the vehicle (e.g., an aircraft). The integrated transducer/micro-controller unit outputs RS232 fuel flow signals to the GPS signal receiver without requiring any extra panel space. Since the transducer/micro-controller is already pre-programmed to compensate for the proportionality or “K” factor, no further calibration or compensation programming is needed at installation time (or when one composite transducer/computer unit is substituted for another). Separate transducer/micro-controller power supply and grounding connections suppress common mode noise. A blinking LED power/fuel flow visual display on the unit in the engine compartment helps trouble shoot power and/or transducer problems.
25 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A fuel flow measuring module for providing vehicular engine fuel flow data, said module comprising:
a fuel flow transducer and interconnected fuel flow data processing circuits providing fuel flow output data, said transducer and circuits being co-located on a common mounting structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An engine fuel flow computer adapted to generate fuel flow data for display on a GPS receiver having fuel display capability, said engine fuel flow computer comprising:
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a fuel flow transducer adapted to sense incremental fuel flow to an engine and to output a corresponding signal; and
digital signal processing circuits co-located and interconnected with said fuel flow transducer to calculate fuel flow rate to the engine and to output GPS display-controlling signals, said fuel flow computer being pre-calibrated by having a proportionality K factor for said fuel flow transducer pre-programmed into said digital signal processing circuits. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A fuel flow display system for displaying fuel flow information to an operator of a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a fuel flow computer disposed in an engine compartment including, (a) a fuel flow transducer disposed in said engine compartment and adapted to sense fuel flow to an engine of the vehicle and to output a corresponding representative signal, and (b) digital signal processing circuits, also disposed in said engine compartment, adapted to (i) receive the signal output from said fuel flow transducer and, in response thereto, calculate the rate of fuel flow to the engine, and (ii) output display-controlling signals representing fuel flow information, said fuel flow computer being pre-calibrated by having a transducer K factor of proportionality pre-programmed into said digital processing circuits; and
a GPS signal receiver having fuel display capability disposed outside the engine compartment in view of a vehicle operator and connected to receive said output display-controlling signals from said digital circuits to display fuel flow information. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A fuel flow measuring method for providing vehicular engine fuel flow data, said method comprising:
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co-locating a fuel flow transducer and interconnected fuel flow data processing circuits providing fuel flow output data on a common mounting structure in an engine compartment; and
transmitting said fuel flow output data outside the engine compartment. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for displaying fuel flow information on a GPS signal receiver disposed in the cockpit of an airplane, said method comprising:
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sensing fuel flow to an engine of the airplane in an engine compartment;
calculating, in said engine compartment, based on said sensed fuel flow, the calibrated rate of fuel flow to said engine of the airplane; and
generating, in the engine compartment, calibrated fuel flow rate data and sending it to a data input port of a GPS signal receiver outside the engine compartment in a format that will cause display of such data on the GPS signal receiver. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification