Motor vehicle performance monitoring system

• US 4,581,708 A
• Filed: 10/18/1984
• Issued: 04/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laboratory Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Laboratory Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Van Ostrand, William F., Sylvia, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/662,361
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 364/509, 364/510, 364/571, 73/861.01, 73/861.02, 73/861.03
• US Class Current: 702/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/008 where the other variable is the flight or running time

Abstract

A portable computer based motor vehicle performance monitoring system which performs vehicle characteristic measurements and calculations. The system uses a distance sensor means, a fuel volume flow sensor means, and a fuel temperature sensor means for sensing various vehicle performance characteristics. The system has a computer controlled start/stop feature. It also has a user-prompting programming feature. It also has a combined liquid fuel volume and mass meter which uses a mathematical algorithm which converts volume data to mass data using a temperature sensitive function.

Claims

1. A dual purpose liquid fuel meter system for the measurement of liquid fuel flow volume and mass, said system comprising:

liquid fuel flow volume sensor means operable (1) to sense liquid fuel volume flow and operable to (2) produce liquid fuel flow signals;

liquid fuel temperature sensor means operable to (1) sense liquid fuel temperature and operable to (2) produce liquid fuel temperature signals;

computer means arranged to operate based upon a set of computer parameters, said computer means being electrically connected with said (1) liquid fuel flow volume sensor means and (2) electrically connected with said liquid fuel temperature sensor means and operable to receive as input said (a) liquid fuel flow signals and said (b) liquid fuel temperature signals to calculate liquid fuel flow mass calculations and liquid fuel flow volume calculations;

said computer means include an algorithm which calculates mass as a function of (1) said liquid flow signals, (2) specific gravity, (3) said temperature signals (4) a first order change in specific gravity, and (5) a second order change in specific gravity; and

data output means electrically connected with said computer means, said data output means being operable to produce data output of said (1) liquid fuel flow volume calculations and (2) said liquid fuel flow mass calculations.

2. The system of claim 1 further including program control means operable to select computer parameters to be set and to set the computer parameter selected to a specific value;

and

data output control means operable to control the data output means to select one data output from the group consisting of said liquid fuel flow volume calculations and said liquid fuel flow mass calculations.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said computer parameters including (1) liquid fuel flow signal calibration parameters and (2) liquid fuel specific gravity calibration parameters.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said computer means include default parameter means operable to set said computer parameters to a default setting.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU2##

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU3##

7. The system of claim 2 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU4##

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer parameters including (1) liquid fuel flow signal calibration parameters and (2) liquid fuel specific gravity calibration parameters.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said computer means include default parameter means operable to set said computer parameters to a default setting.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU5##

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU6##

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer means include default parameter means operable to set said computer parameters to a default setting.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU7##

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU8##

15. A dual purpose liquid meter system for the measurement of liquid flow volume and mass, said system comprising:

liquid flow volume sensor means operable (1) to sense liquid volume flow and operable to (2) produce liquid flow signals;

liquid temperature sensor means operable to (1) sense liquid temperature and operable to (2) produce liquid temperature signals;

computer means arranged to operate based upon a set of computer parameters, said computer means being electrically connected with said (1) liquid flow volume sensor means and (2) electrically connected with said liquid temperature sensor means and operable to receive as input said (a) liquid flow signals and said (b) liquid temperature signals to calculate liquid flow mass calculations and liquid flow volume calculations;

said set of computer parameters including a reference liquid specific gravity parameter and a calibrated specific gravity parameter;

said computer means include an algorithm which calculates mass as a function of (1) said liquid flow signals, (2) said temperature signals, (3) said reference liquid specific gravity parameter and (4) said calibrated specific gravity parameter; and

data output means electrically connected with said computer means, said data output means being operable to produce data output of said (1) liquid flow volume calculations and (2) said liquid flow mass calculations.

16. The system of claim 15 further including programming control means electrically connected with said computer means and said programming control means being operable to select computer parameters to be set and to set the computer parameter selected to a specific value.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said programming control means have user control means operable to select computer parameters to be set by a user and to set the computer parameter selected to a specific value by a user.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said user control means include electrically energizable user-prompting means operable to aid the user to readily operate the user control means.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said reference liquid specific gravity parameter has the value of the specific gravity of diesel fuel at 60°

F.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said algorithm calculates mass as a function of (1) a first order difference between said reference liquid specific gravity parameter and said calibrated specific gravity parameter and (2) a second order difference between said said reference liquid specific gravity parameter and said calibrated specific gravity parameter.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said reference liquid specific gravity parameter has the value of the specific gravity of diesel fuel at 60°

F.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU9##

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said algorithm includes the following equation:

##EQU10##

24. The system of claim 15 wherein said computer means include default parameter means operable to set said computer parameters to default settings.

25. A dual purpose liquid meter system for the measurement of liquid flow volume and mass, said system comprising:

liquid flow volume sensor means operable (1) to sense liquid volume flow and operable to (2) produce liquid flow signals;

liquid temperature sensor means operable to (1) sense liquid temperature and operable to (2) produce liquid temperature signals;

computer means arranged to operate based upon a set of computer parameters, said computer means being electrically connected with said (1) liquid flow volume sensor means and (2) electrically connected with said liquid temperature sensor means and operable to receive as input said (a) liquid flow signals and said (b) liquid temperature signals to calculate liquid flow mass calculations and liquid flow volume calculations;

said computer means include an algorithm which calculates mass as a function of (1) said liquid flow signals, (2) said temperature signals, and (3) a correction factor based upon the difference between a reference liquid specific gravity parameter and a calibrated specific gravity parameter; and

data output means electrically connected with said computer means, said data output means being operable to produce data output of said calculations.

26. A liquid meter system for the measurement of liquid mass flow, said system comprising:

liquid flow volume sensor means operable (1) to sense liquid volume flow and operable to (2) produce liquid flow signals;

liquid temperature sensor means operable to (1) sense liquid temperature and operable to (2) produce liquid temperature signals;

computer means arranged to operate based upon a set of computer parameters, and said computer means being electrically connected with said (1) liquid flow volume sensor means and (2) electrically connected with said liquid temperature sensor means and operable to receive as input said (a) liquid flow signals and said (b) liquid temperature signals to calculate liquid flow mass calculations;

said set of computer parameters including a calibration specific gravity parameter and a reference liquid specific gravity parameter;

calibration means electrically connected with said computer means for calibrating said calibrated specific gravity parameter;

said computer means include an algorithm which calculates mass as a function of (1) said liquid flow signals, (2) said liquid temperature signals (4) a first order difference between said reference liquid specific gravity parameter and said calibrated specific gravity parameter, and (5) a second order difference between said reference liquid specific gravity parameter and said calibrated specific gravity parameter; and

data output means electrically connected with said computer means, said data output means being operable to produce data output of said calculations.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said calibration means includes (1) a default setting means for setting said calibrated specific gravity parameter to a default value and (2) a user calibration control means operable by a user to change said default setting and calibrate said calibrated specific gravity parameter to a value desired by the user.