FUEL FILL COST CALCULATION FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20130278407A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: ROTHSCHILD, LEIGH M.
• Application Number:
  US13/450,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278407A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/450.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Indicating a cost to fill a fuel tank of a vehicle. A signal indicating a level fuel contained in the fuel tank of the vehicle can be received from a fuel sending unit. Based on the level of fuel contained in the fuel tank, a quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank can be determined. Fuel data can be received. Based on the quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank and the fuel data, a cost to fill the fuel tank can be received. A visual indicator indicating the cost to fill the fuel tank can be presented.

Claims

1. A method of indicating a cost to fill a fuel tank of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving from a fuel level sending unit a signal indicating a level fuel contained in the fuel tank of the vehicle;

based on the level of fuel contained in the fuel tank, via a processor, determining a quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank;

receiving fuel data;

based on the quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank and the fuel data, determining the cost to fill the fuel tank; and

presenting a visual indicator indicating the cost to fill the fuel tank.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fuel data is received from a fuel data communicator associated with a fueling station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

an RF signal indicating the fuel data is received from the fuel data communicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the receiving includes reading a machine-readable representation of data indicating the fuel data; and

the fuel data communicator comprises the machine-readable representation of data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the receiving includes reading alphanumeric characters indicating the fuel data; and

the fuel data communicator comprises the alphanumeric characters.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the fuel data is received from a website associated with the fueling station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fuel data is received via a user input indicating the fuel data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fuel data corresponds to at least one type of data selected from a group consisting of a fuel price and a grade of fuel desired for use in the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the visual indicator is visible to a person located outside of the vehicle while the person is adjacent to a fuel receiving nozzle through which fuel is added to the fuel tank.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fuel data is received for a plurality of fueling stations;

the cost to fill the fuel tank is determined for each of the fueling stations; and

the visual indicator indicates the cost to fill the fuel tank at each of the fueling stations.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

for each of the fueling stations;

determining an approximate amount of fuel that will be used by the vehicle to travel to the fuel station;

based at least on the amount of fuel, determining an approximate cost of the fuel that will be used; and

adding the approximate cost of the fuel that will be used to the cost to fill the fuel tank at that fuel station to determine a total cost associated with the fuel station; and

presenting a visual indicator indicating the total cost.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a recommendation of which fueling station is associated with the lowest total cost.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sorting the fueling stations in a hierarchical order based on total cost; and

presenting a list of the fueling stations sorted in the hierarchical order.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

The list indicates the cost of fuel at each of the fueling distance and the distance to each fueling station from the vehicle'"'"'s present location.

15. A system comprising:

at least one memory; and

a processor configured to initiate executable operations comprising;

receiving from a fuel level sending unit a signal indicating a level fuel contained in the fuel tank of the vehicle;

based on the level of fuel contained in the fuel tank, via a processor, determining a quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank;

receiving fuel data;

based on the quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank and the fuel data, determining the cost to fill the fuel tank; and

presenting a visual indicator indicating the cost to fill the fuel tank.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the fuel data is received from a fuel data communicator associated with a fueling station.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

an RF signal indicating the fuel data is received from the fuel data communicator.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the receiving includes reading a machine-readable representation of data indicating the fuel data; and

the fuel data communicator comprises the machine-readable representation of data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the receiving includes reading alphanumeric characters indicating the fuel data; and

the fuel data communicator comprises the alphanumeric characters.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the fuel data is received from a website associated with the fueling station.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the fuel data is received via a user input indicating the fuel data.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the fuel data corresponds to at least one type of data selected from a group consisting of a fuel price and a grade of fuel desired for use in the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the visual indicator is visible to a person located outside of the vehicle while the person is adjacent to a fuel receiving nozzle through which fuel is added to the fuel tank.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the fuel data is received for a plurality of fueling stations;

the cost to fill the fuel tank is determined for each of the fueling stations; and

the visual indicator indicates the cost to fill the fuel tank at each of the fueling stations.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor further is configured to initiate executable operations comprising:

for each of the fueling stations;

determining an approximate amount of fuel that will be used by the vehicle to travel to the fuel station;

based at least on the amount of fuel, determining an approximate cost of the fuel that will be used; and

adding the approximate cost of the fuel that will be used to the cost to fill the fuel tank at that fuel station to determine a total cost associated with the fuel station; and

presenting a visual indicator indicating the total cost.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor further is configured to initiate executable operations comprising:

presenting a recommendation of which fueling station is associated with the lowest total cost.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor further is configured to initiate executable operations comprising:

sorting the fueling stations in a hierarchical order based on total cost; and

presenting a list of the fueling stations sorted in the hierarchical order.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the list indicates the cost of fuel at each of the fueling distance and the distance to each fueling station from the vehicle'"'"'s present location.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable storage medium having stored therein computer-usable program instructions for indicating a cost to fill a fuel tank of a vehicle, the computer-usable program instructions, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:

receiving from a fuel level sending unit a signal indicating a level fuel contained in the fuel tank of the vehicle;

based on the level of fuel contained in the fuel tank, via a processor, determining a quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank;

receiving fuel data;

based on the quantity of fuel required to fill the fuel tank and the fuel data, determining the cost to fill the fuel tank; and

presenting a visual indicator indicating the cost to fill the fuel tank.