ENGINE OIL LEVEL MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130080022A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mc Donald, Mike M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/12 concerning lubricant level
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/14 for indicating the necessity to change the oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1473 by considering temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0447 Control of lubricant levels, e.g. lubricant level control dependent on temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 19/006 Maintaining oil level level control in general G05D9/00

Abstract

An oil monitoring system includes a level module, a limit module and an remedial action module. The level module is configured to determine N oil levels of an engine of a vehicle, where N is an integer greater than 1. The limit module is configured to determine an oil level trend based on the N oil levels and estimate when a level of oil in the engine is to be outside the predetermined range based on the oil level trend. The remedial action module is configured to perform a remedial action based on the estimate of when the level of the oil is to be outside the predetermined range.

Claims

1. An oil monitoring system comprising:

a level module configured to determine N oil levels of an engine of a vehicle, where N is an integer greater than 1;

a limit module configured to determine an oil level trend based on the N oil levels and estimate when a level of oil in the engine is to be outside a predetermined range based on the oil level trend; and

a remedial action module configured to perform a remedial action based on the estimate of when the level of the oil is to be outside the predetermined range.

2. The oil monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an oil level sensor,

wherein the level module is configured to determine the N oil levels based on an oil level signal received from the oil level sensor.

3. The oil monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature module configured to determine temperatures of the oil; and

a tilt module configured to determine tilt levels of the vehicle,

wherein the level module is configured to determine the N oil levels based on the temperatures and the tilt levels of the vehicle.

4. The oil monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the limit module is configured to determine a slope of an oil level versus cumulative engine run time curve based on a last two most recently determined ones of the N oil levels and respective cumulative engine run times; and

the remedial action module is configured to generate a warning message based on the slope.

5. The oil monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the limit module is configured to determine slopes of oil level versus cumulative engine run time curves based on pairs of the N oil levels and respective cumulative engine run times; and

the remedial action module is configured to generate a warning message based on the slopes.

6. The oil monitoring system of claim 5, wherein:

the limit module is configured to estimate an amount of time until the level of the oil in the engine will be outside the predetermined range; and

the remedial action module is configured to compare the amount of time to time thresholds of M level classifications and generate the warning message based on one of the M level classifications.

7. The oil monitoring system of claim 5, wherein:

the limit module is configured to estimate an amount of time until the level of the oil in the engine will be outside the predetermined range;

the remedial action module is configured to

compare the amount of time to a first time threshold and to a second time threshold,

perform a first remedial action when the amount of time is greater than the first time threshold and less than the second time threshold, and

perform a second remedial action when the amount of time is less than the first time threshold; and

the first time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

8. The oil monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the remedial action module is configured to:

generate a first warning message when the amount of time is greater than the first time threshold and less than the second time threshold, and

generate a second warning message when the amount of time is less than the first time threshold.

9. The oil monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the limit module is configured to:

store data sets in memory, wherein each of the data sets is associated with a respective stop-start cycle of the engine; and

determine a slope of an oil level versus cumulative engine run time curve based on two of the N oil levels and respective cumulative engine run times for each of the stop-start cycles,

wherein each of the data set includes one of the N oil levels, a cumulative engine run time corresponding to the one of the N oil levels, and one of the slopes.

10. The oil monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the limit module is configured to estimate an amount of time until the level of the oil in the engine is outside the predetermined range based on the data sets.

11. The oil monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the limit module is configured to:

data fit the data sets to generate a trend line; and

determine when the level of the oil in the engine is to be outside the predetermined range based on the trend line.

12. A method of monitoring an oil level within an engine of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining N oil levels of the engine, where N is an integer greater than 1;

determining an oil level trend based on the N oil levels;

estimating when a level of oil in the engine is to be outside a predetermined range based on the oil level trend; and

performing a remedial action based on the estimate of when the level of the oil is to be outside the predetermined range.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining temperatures of the oil;

determining tilt levels of the vehicle; and

determining the N oil levels based on the temperatures and the tilt levels of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a slope of an oil level versus cumulative engine run time curve based on a last two most recently determined ones of the N oil levels and respective cumulative engine run times; and

generating a warning message based on the slope.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining slopes of oil level versus cumulative engine run time curves based on pairs of the N oil levels and respective cumulative run times; and

generating a warning message based on the slopes.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

estimating an amount of time until the level of the oil in the engine is outside the predetermined range; and

comparing the amount of time to time thresholds of M level classifications and generate the warning message based on one of the M level classifications.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

estimating an amount of time until the level of the oil in the engine is outside the predetermined range;

comparing the amount of time to a first time threshold and to a second time threshold;

performing a first remedial action when the amount of time is greater than the first time threshold and less than the second time threshold; and

performing a second remedial action when the amount of time is less than the first time threshold,

wherein the first time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a first warning message when the amount of time is greater than the first time threshold and less than the second time threshold, and

generating a second warning message when the amount of time is less than the first time threshold.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing data sets in memory, wherein each of the data sets is associated with a respective stop-start cycle of the engine; and

determining a slope of an oil level versus cumulative engine run time curve based on two of the N oil levels and respective cumulative engine run times for each of the stop-start cycles,

where each of the data set includes one of the N oil levels, a cumulative engine run time corresponding to the one of the N oil levels, and one of the slopes.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

data fitting the data sets to generate a trend line; and

determining when the level of the oil in the engine is to be outside the predetermined range based on the trend line.