Vehicle, fuel supplier, fuel supply system and related method for controlling fuel supply

• US 20070106438A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sasaki, Michiaki
• Application Number:
  US11/594,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106438A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/00 Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks tanks in general B65D, F17C; supplying combustion engines with combustible mixtures or constituents F02M
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03197 Systems for exchanging data
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03361 for checking the quality or quantity of fuel during filling of fuel tank
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment

Abstract

A fuel supply system, includes: a vehicle having a fuel tank, including: an allowable fuel supply quantity sensor for sensing an allowable fuel supply quantity to the fuel tank in an operation supplying fuel to the fuel tank, and a vehicular transmitter for transmitting the following information to an outer part of the vehicle: information on the allowable fuel supply quantity sensed by the allowable fuel supply quantity sensor; and a fuel supplier which is the outer part of the vehicle, the fuel supplier being for supplying the fuel to the vehicle and including: a receiver for receiving the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity to the vehicle, the information being transmitted from the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation, and a fuel stopper for stopping the fuel supplying operation based on the information when the fuel supply quantity supplied to the vehicle reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a fuel tank, comprising:

1) an allowable fuel supply quantity sensor configured to sense an allowable fuel supply quantity to the fuel tank in an operation supplying a fuel to the fuel tank, and

2) a vehicular transmitter configured to transmit the following information to an outer part of the vehicle;

the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity sensed by the allowable fuel supply quantity sensor.

2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a fuel quantity sensor configured to sense a fuel quantity in the fuel tank,

wherein

the allowable fuel supply quantity sensor is configured to sense the allowable fuel supply quantity based on the followings;

1) a capacity of the fuel tank, and

2) the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the vehicular transmitter is configured to transmit a warning signal to the outer part of the vehicle when the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor in the fuel supplying operation approaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the vehicular transmitter is configured to transmit an end signal to the outer part of the vehicle when the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor in the fuel supplying operation reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

1) a fuel stop sensor configured to sense a stop of the fuel supply to the fuel tank, and

2) a notifier configured to notify a vehicular occupant of the fuel supply stop when the fuel stop sensor senses the fuel supply stop.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the notifier uses a sound or a voice for notifying the vehicular occupant of the fuel supply stop.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the vehicular transmitter includes an antenna which is embedded in or sealed to a rear glass of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the antenna is disposed on a fuel supply port side connected to the fuel tank.

9. A fuel supplier for supplying a fuel to a vehicle, comprising:

1) a receiver configured to receive information on an allowable fuel supply quantity to the vehicle, the information being transmitted from the vehicle in a fuel supplying operation, and

2) a fuel stopper configured to stop the fuel supplying operation based on the information.

10. The fuel supplier as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a fuel flow rate controller configured to control a fuel supply quantity per unit period,

wherein

the fuel flow rate controller is configured to decrease the fuel supply quantity in the following state 1;

state 1 where the fuel flow rate controller receives a warning signal which is transmitted from the vehicle when the fuel supply quantity to the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation approaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

11. The fuel supplier as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a fuel flow rate controller configured to control a fuel supply quantity per unit period,

wherein

the fuel flow rate controller is configured to stop the fuel supplying operation in the following state 2;

state 2 where the fuel flow rate controller receives an end signal which is transmitted from the vehicle when the fuel supply quantity to the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

12. The fuel supplier as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit to the vehicle information on a fuel supply state,

wherein

the transmitter is configured to transmit a stop signal to the vehicle when the fuel supplying operation is stopped.

13. A fuel supply system, comprising:

I) a vehicle having a fuel tank, including;

1) an allowable fuel supply quantity sensor configured to sense an allowable fuel supply quantity to the fuel tank in an operation supplying a fuel to the fuel tank, and

2) a vehicular transmitter configured to transmit the following information to an outer part of the vehicle;

the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity sensed by the allowable fuel supply quantity sensor; and

II) a fuel supplier which is the outer part of the vehicle, the fuel supplier being configured to supply the fuel to the vehicle and including;

1) a receiver configured to receive the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity to the vehicle, the information being transmitted from the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation, and

2) a fuel stopper configured to stop the fuel supplying operation based on the information when the fuel supply quantity supplied to the vehicle reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

14. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the vehicle further comprises a fuel quantity sensor configured to sense a fuel quantity in the fuel tank, and

the allowable fuel supply quantity sensor is configured to sense the allowable fuel supply quantity based on the followings:

1) a capacity of the fuel tank, and

2) the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor.

15. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the vehicular transmitter is configured to transmit a warning signal to the fuel supplier when the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor in the fuel supplying operation approaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

16. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the vehicular transmitter is configured to transmit an end signal to the fuel supplier when the fuel quantity sensed by the fuel quantity sensor in the fuel supplying operation reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

17. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the vehicle further comprises:

1) a fuel stop sensor configured to sense a stop of the fuel supply to the fuel tank, and

2) a notifier configured to notify a vehicular occupant of the fuel supply stop when the fuel stop sensor senses the fuel supply stop.

18. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 17, wherein

the notifier uses a sound or a voice for notifying the vehicular occupant of the fuel supply stop.

19. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the vehicular transmitter includes an antenna which is disposed in a rear glass of the vehicle.

20. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 19, wherein

the antenna is disposed on a fuel supply port side with respect to a widthwise center of the vehicle.

21. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the fuel supplier further comprises:

a fuel flow rate controller configured to control a fuel supply quantity per unit period, and

the fuel flow rate controller is configured to decrease the fuel supply quantity in the following state 1;

state 1 where the fuel flow rate controller receives a warning signal which is transmitted from the vehicle when the fuel supply quantity to the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation approaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

22. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the fuel supplier further comprises:

a fuel flow rate controller configured to control a fuel supply quantity per unit period, and

the fuel flow rate controller is configured to stop the fuel supplying operation in the following state 2;

state 2 where the fuel flow rate controller receives an end signal which is transmitted from the vehicle when the fuel supply quantity to the vehicle in the fuel supplying operation reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

23. The fuel supply system as claimed in claim 22, wherein

the fuel supplier further comprises:

a transmitter configured to transmit to the vehicle the information on the fuel supply state, and

the transmitter transmits a stop signal to the vehicle when the fuel supplying operation is stopped.

24. A method for stopping fuel supply, comprising:

1) supplying a fuel from a fuel supplier to a vehicle having a fuel tank;

2) sensing an allowable fuel supply quantity to the fuel tank of the vehicle in the operation supplying the fuel to the fuel tank;

3) transmitting the following information from the vehicle to the fuel supplier;

the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity sensed by the sensing operation;

4) receiving the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity to the vehicle, the information being transmitted from the vehicle to the fuel supplier in the fuel supplying operation; and

5) stopping the fuel supplying operation based on the information when the fuel supply quantity supplied to the vehicle reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.

25. A fuel supply system, comprising:

I) transporting means having a fuel tanking means, including;

1) allowable fuel supply quantity sensing means for sensing an allowable fuel supply quantity to the fuel tanking means in an operation supplying a fuel to the fuel tanking means, and

2) vehicular transmitting means for transmitting the following information to an outer part of the transporting means;

the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity sensed by the allowable fuel supply quantity sensing means; and

II) fuel supplying means which is the outer part of the transporting means, the fuel supplying means being for supplying the fuel to the transporting means and including;

1) receiving means for receiving the information on the allowable fuel supply quantity to the transporting means, the information being transmitted from the transporting means in the fuel supplying operation, and

2) fuel stopping means for stopping the fuel supplying operation based on the information when the fuel supply quantity supplied to the transporting means reaches the allowable fuel supply quantity.