Fuel refill system

• US 20060293849A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Ronald Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/148,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293849A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor

Abstract

A fuel refill system is disclosed. The fuel refill system includes a satellite that provides location information from communication channels to a microprocessor. The location information includes a location of a vehicle and the location of one or more fuel service providers. A fuel refill communication method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A fuel refill system, comprising:

a satellite that provides location information received along two or more satellite communication channels to a microprocessor, wherein the location information includes a location of a vehicle and a location of one or more fuel service providers, wherein the two or more satellite communication channels include a satellite vehicle communication channel and one or more satellite fuel service providers communication channels.

2. The fuel refill system according to claim 1, wherein the microprocessor determines an amount of fuel in a fuel supply of the vehicle and potential driving distances to the one or more fuel service providers based upon the location information provided to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor signals a warning if a re-fueling of the vehicle should occur at the one or more fuel service providers based upon the amount of fuel and location information.

3. The fuel refill system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fuel service providers provide business information to the satellite for communication to the microprocessor.

4. The fuel refill system according to claim 3, wherein the business information includes hours of operation, types of fuel sold, brand of fuel sold, or availability of fuel.

5. The fuel refill system according to claim 4, wherein the types of fuel sold includes gasoline, electric, hydrogen, diesel, methanol, or ethanol.

6. The fuel refill system according to claim 4 wherein the availability of fuel includes fuel for sale, a lack of fuel for sale, or a service outage of fuel delivery means.

7. A fuel refill communication method, comprising the steps of:

determining a location of a vehicle with a satellite over a vehicle communication channel;

determining a location of one or more fuel service providers with the satellite over fuel service provider communication channels; and

communicating the location of the vehicle and the location of the one or more fuel service providers to a microprocessor.

8. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of determining, with the microprocessor, an amount of fuel in a fuel supply of the vehicle.

9. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining, with the microprocessor, potential driving distances of the vehicle to the one or more fuel service providers.

10. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of communicating business information of one or more of the fuel service providers to the satellite for subsequent transmission to the microprocessor.

11. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of determining, with the microprocessor, if the fuel supply is at a critical level based upon the determined location information of the vehicle and one or more of the fuel service providers, the amount of fuel, the potential driving distances, and/or the business information.

12. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 11, wherein, if the microprocessor determines that the fuel supply is at a critical level, the microprocessor causes the signaling of a visual or audible fuel refill alert to a vehicle operator, or issues driving instructions to the vehicle operator to the location of a nearest one or more of the fuel service providers.

13. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining if the fuel supply is depleted.

14. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 13, wherein, if the fuel supply is depleted, sending depleted fuel supply information from the vehicle to the satellite and determining, with the satellite, a stalled location of the vehicle.

15. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of locating, with the satellite, a nearest vehicle service station and/or a nearest one or more of the fuel service provider relative the stalled location of the vehicle.

16. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of sending, from the satellite, the stalled location of the vehicle to the nearest vehicle service station, the nearest fuel service provider, or a third party service.

17. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of dispatching the vehicle service station, or the nearest fuel service provider.

18. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 17, wherein the dispatching step is conducted by the third party service.

19. A fuel refill communication method, comprising the steps of:

determining that a fuel supply of a vehicle is depleted;

sending depleted fuel supply information from the vehicle to a satellite;

determining, with the satellite, a stalled location of the vehicle; and

sending, from the satellite, the stalled location of the vehicle to a third party dispatching service.

20. The fuel refill communication method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of dispatching a vehicle service station or mobile fuel service provider.