DETECTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLES

• US 20080196495A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eltek SpA
• Original Assignee: Eltek SpA
• Inventors: NEBBIA, Fabio, COLOMBO, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 7,808,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/04 Tank inlets B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/0406 Filler caps for fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0319 with electronic systems, e.g. for controlling fuelling or venting for LPG tanks B60K2015/03013
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03197 Systems for exchanging data
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03217 Fuel level sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03348 for supplying additives to fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03434 for preventing theft of fuel locks for filler caps B60K15/0409; locking of the inlet cover B60K2015/0561
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/24 Testing proper functioning of electronic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

An antifraud device for a vehicle has a tank with a filler provided with a removable cap. The device comprises a first sensor, for detecting a movement of the cap with respect to the filler, and second sensor, configured for detecting at least one of the level and a qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank. A control unit generates first information being indicative of detections made by the first sensor, and second information being indicative of detections made by the second sensor, and stores said information in a correlated form. The device is further arranged for making explicit the first information and the second information in a correlated form, in order to identify one or more of the following conditions: removal of at least part of the contents of the tank; dilution or alteration of the contents of the tank; replacement of at least part of the contents of the tank; effective removal of the cap following upon a movement thereof in the filler.

Claims

1. An antifraud device for a vehicle having a tank with a filler provided with a removable cap, the device being installed on the vehicle and comprising:

first sensor means, configured for detecting a state condition of the cap, such as presence or absence of the cap in the filler and/or a displacement of the cap with respect to the filler;

second sensor means, configured for detecting at least one of the level of the contents of the tank and a qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank,

a control unit, operatively connected to the first sensor means and to the second sensor means and configured for generating first information, being indicative of detections made by the first sensor means, and second information, being indicative of detections made by the second sensor means, the control unit being operatively connected to nonvolatile memory means and pre-arranged for storing in the memory means, in a correlated form, the first information and the second information;

means for making explicit the first information and the second information in a correlated form, for the purposes of identification of one or more of the following conditions;

removal of at least part of the contents of the tank;

removal of at least part of the contents of the tank from an extraction point which is downstream of the filler;

dilution or alteration of the contents of the tank;

replacement of at least part of the contents of the tank;

effective removal of the cap following upon movement thereof in the filler.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the means for making explicit the information comprise a circuit for transmission and reception of data in wireless mode.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first information comprises information of a temporal type, i.e., being indicative of date and/or time of the detections made by the first sensor means and/or by the second sensor means.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit has a clock function and is pre-arranged for storing said temporal information following upon a detection made by the first sensor means.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor means comprise at least one of a level sensor and a sensor of said qualitative characteristic, preferably both a level sensor and a sensor of said qualitative characteristic.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for storing information being indicative of the level and/or the qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank following upon a detection made by the first sensor means.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for storing information being indicative of a reduction in the level of the contents of the tank and/or information being indicative of a decay of said qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for starting, following upon a detection made by the first sensor means, a step of cyclical acquisition of a value being indicative of the level or the qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank, through the second sensor means.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for storing, in the course of said step of cyclical acquisition, information being indicative of a reduction in the level or being indicative of a decay of the qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is also pre-arranged for storing in the memory means, in a correlated form, information being indicative of detections made by said level sensor and information being indicative of detections made by said sensor of said qualitative characteristic.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is also pre-arranged for receiving instructions from an external electronic device.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for storing information being indicative of a significant reduction in the level of the contents of the tank and a subsequent significant increase of the level itself, or vice versa, which occur in a short period.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is pre-arranged for storing information being indicative of a significant variation in the level of the contents of the tank and a subsequent significant decay of the qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank which occur in a short period.

14. The device according to claim 2, wherein the circuit for transmission and reception of data is a circuit for radio frequency transmission and reception.

15. The device according to claim 5, wherein the second sensor means comprise both a level sensor and a sensor of said qualitative characteristic.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein said short period is a period of a few seconds or minutes.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein said short period is a period of a few seconds or minutes.

18. A control method for an antifraud device for a vehicle having a tank with a filler provided with a removable cap, the method comprising the operations of:

a) detecting a condition of state of the cap, such as presence or absence of the cap in the filler and/or a displacement of the cap with respect to the filler, by means of first sensor means, and generating first information being indicative of detections made by means of the first sensor means;

b) detecting at least one of the level of the contents of the tank and a qualitative characteristic of the contents of the tank, by means of second sensor means, and generating second information being indicative of detections made by means of the second sensor means;

c) correlating the first information and the second information, in order to identify at least one of the following conditions;

removal of at least part of the contents of the tank;

removal of at least part of the contents of the tank from an extraction point being downstream of the filler;

dilution or alteration of the contents of the tank;

replacement of at least part of the contents of the tank;

effective removal of the cap following upon its movement in the filler.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, prior to operation c), the first information and the second information are stored in a correlated way.