ENHANCED VEHICLE BAD FUEL SENSOR WITH CROWDSOURCING ANALYTICS
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a telematics device configured to be coupled to a user vehicle, the telematics device comprising;
an electronic interface to sensors of the user vehicle, wherein the sensors are configured to repeatedly measure a plurality of vehicle operation data indicative of bad fuel, wherein the sensors comprise an odometer and a fuel level gauge, and wherein the repeatedly measuring occurs at least at a pre-refueling time that is before a refueling event and at a post-refueling time that is after the refueling event;
a wireless communication circuitry;
a user interface configured to communicate an alert to a user of the user vehicle;
a processor configured to calculate a probability of having received bad fuel at the refueling event; and
a computer memory; and
a server machine in wireless, remote communication with the wireless communication circuitry of the telematics device, the server machine comprising;
a fuel analysis module, which is communicatively coupled to a database storing the plurality of vehicle operation data measured by the sensors, configured to update the probability of bad fuel calculated by the processor of the telematics device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel analysis system is described configured to assist vehicle drivers/users in preventing damage to their vehicles caused by bad fuel. Bad fuel can leave a driver and passengers stranded on the road in need of emergency road side service, and in many instances, results in permanent damage to the vehicle. The disclosed fuel analysis system describes an enhanced bad fuel sensor system that measures a delta in vehicle operation data to identify and in many instances, pre-emptively alert, a user of a vehicle of bad fuel. The fuel analysis system may use crowdsourcing through aggregation of refueling event profile records from a plurality of vehicles'"'"' telematics devices to increase the accuracy with which bad fuel is detected.
3 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a telematics device configured to be coupled to a user vehicle, the telematics device comprising; an electronic interface to sensors of the user vehicle, wherein the sensors are configured to repeatedly measure a plurality of vehicle operation data indicative of bad fuel, wherein the sensors comprise an odometer and a fuel level gauge, and wherein the repeatedly measuring occurs at least at a pre-refueling time that is before a refueling event and at a post-refueling time that is after the refueling event; a wireless communication circuitry; a user interface configured to communicate an alert to a user of the user vehicle; a processor configured to calculate a probability of having received bad fuel at the refueling event; and a computer memory; and a server machine in wireless, remote communication with the wireless communication circuitry of the telematics device, the server machine comprising; a fuel analysis module, which is communicatively coupled to a database storing the plurality of vehicle operation data measured by the sensors, configured to update the probability of bad fuel calculated by the processor of the telematics device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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a telematics device configured to be coupled to a user vehicle, the telematics device comprising an electronic interface to sensors of the user vehicle, a wireless communication circuitry, a processor configured to calculate a probability of having received bad fuel at a refueling event, and a computer memory; and a server machine in wireless, remote communication with the wireless communication circuitry of the telematics device, the server machine comprising; a vehicle operation database configured to store a plurality of vehicle operation data indicative of bad fuel measured by the sensors, and a fuel analysis module, which is communicatively coupled to the vehicle operation database, configured to update the probability of bad fuel calculated by the processor of the telematics device; wherein the processor of the telematics device is programmed to perform steps comprising; detecting a refueling event upon receiving a substantial increase in a measurement of a fuel level gauge sensor of the user vehicle; receiving, through the electronic interface of the telematics device, the vehicle operation data measured by the sensors of the user vehicle at a pre-refueling time that is before the refueling event and at a post-refueling time that is after the refueling event; after detecting the refueling event, storing, in the computer memory of the telematics device, a refueling event profile record; comparing a last set of the vehicle operation data of the refueling event profile record with vehicle operation data measured at the post-refueling time; determining that the two sets of vehicle operation data are different such that the probability of having received bad fuel at the refueling event is greater than zero; calculating a first confidence score for the probability of bad fuel based on a delta in distance measurements and a delta in time measurements during the comparing step; and sending, through the wireless communication circuitry, the probability of bad fuel and the first confidence score to the server machine. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle telematics device comprising:
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a processor; a computer memory; an electronic interface; a user interface; and a wireless communication circuitry, wherein the electronic interface is coupled to a user vehicle and is configured to receive vehicle operation data measured by sensors of the user vehicle at a pre-refueling time that is before a refueling event and at a post-refueling time that is after the refueling event; wherein the processor is configured to; detect a refueling event upon receiving a substantial increase in a measurement of a fuel level gauge sensor of the user vehicle; after detecting the refueling event, store, in the computer memory, a refueling event profile record comprising; a last set of the vehicle operation data measured by the sensors before the refueling event; a measurement of the fuel level gauge sensor upon completion of the refueling event; a distance measurement, by an odometer sensor of the user vehicle, at the refueling event; a time measurement, by a clock of the user vehicle, at the refueling event; and a location measurement, by a global positioning satellite (GPS) unit, at the time of the refueling event; compare the last set of the vehicle operation data of the refueling event profile record with vehicle operation data measured at the post-refueling time; determine that the two sets of vehicle operation data are different such that a probability of having received bad fuel at the refueling event is greater than zero; calculate a confidence score for the probability of bad fuel based on a delta in the distance measurements and a delta in the time measurements during the comparing step; send, through the wireless communication circuitry, the confidence score to a server machine remotely located to the user vehicle; and upon receipt of an updated confidence score from the server machine, causing the user interface to communicate an alert to a user of the user vehicle, wherein the alert indicates that the user vehicle was filled with bad fuel at the refueling event. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification