MOTOR VEHICLE PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090281695A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Wilson, Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0026 Lookup tables or parameter maps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1004 Estimation of the output torque
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle performance system and method for determining and displaying vehicle performance data includes a display device in communication with a transmission controller, an engine controller, and a plurality of vehicle condition sensors. The transmission controller calculates vehicle performance data from data signals sent by the plurality of vehicle condition sensors and from stored performance maps. The display device communicates the vehicle performance data to a user of the vehicle performance system.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring performance data for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

sensing a speed of an engine in the motor vehicle;

determining an engine torque from a torque converter stall performance map stored in a controller of the motor vehicle;

determining an engine horsepower based on the sensed speed of the engine and the engine torque;

sensing a position of an engine throttle of the engine;

sensing a fuel consumption rate of the engine;

displaying the engine horsepower, the position of the engine throttle, the speed of the engine, and the fuel consumption rate in real time during operation of the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the engine torque further comprises determining the engine torque from torque converter performance data from the torque converter stall performance map during a stall condition.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the stall condition exists when a turbine of a torque converter cannot rotate and the motor vehicle is prevented from moving due to application of a brake.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising applying torque to a pump of the torque converter when a transmission of the motor vehicle is in a forward gear during the stall condition.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising diagnosing an engine performance based on the displayed engine horsepower, the position of the engine throttle, the speed of the engine, and the fuel consumption rate.

6. A system for monitoring performance of an engine in a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

a throttle position sensor for sensing a throttle position of an engine throttle of the engine;

a fuel flow sensor for sensing a fuel consumption rate of the engine;

an engine speed sensor for sensing an engine speed of the engine;

an engine controller in communication with the throttle position sensor, the fuel flow sensor, and the engine speed sensor, the engine controller having memory for storing control logic, the control logic including a first control logic for receiving a data signal indicative of the engine throttle position sensed by the throttle position sensor, a second control logic for receiving a data signal indicative of the fuel consumption rate sensed by the fuel flow sensor, and a third control logic for receiving a data signal indicative of the engine speed sensed by the engine speed sensor;

a transmission controller in communication with the engine controller, the display device, and the input device, the transmission controller having memory for storing control logic, the control logic including a first control logic for communicating with the input device to receive a data signal to start monitoring a performance of the engine, a second control logic for communicating with the engine controller to receive the engine speed, the throttle position, and the fuel consumption rate, a third control logic for determining an engine torque from a torque converter stall performance map stored in the transmission controller of the motor vehicle using the engine speed, a fourth control logic for determining an engine horsepower from the engine speed and the engine torque, a fifth control logic for communicating a data signal to the display device for displaying the engine horsepower, the throttle position, the engine speed, and the fuel consumption rate in real time during operation of the motor vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the input device is a range selector.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the display device is a diagnostic reader.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the display device is integrated in an instrument panel of the motor vehicle.