Vehicle engine refueling detection apparatus and method and fuel supply apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting refueling of a vehicle engine, which outputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of refueling of a fuel tank from which fuel is supplied to the engine, said apparatus comprising;
- a remaining quantity sensor for detecting a remaining fuel quantity inside said fuel tank, andrefueling detection means for outputting a refueling signal indicating that said fuel tank has been refueled, when an increase change in the remaining fuel quantity detected by said remaining quantity sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined proportion of the remaining fuel quantity before the increase change.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A value for a quantity of fuel remaining in a fuel tank is stored when a key switch is switched off. Refueling while an engine is stopped is detected when a difference between a remaining fuel quantity value for when the key switch is switched on and the stored remaining fuel quantity value for when switched off is equal to or greater than a predetermined proportion of the stored remaining fuel quantity value for when switched off. When refueling has been carried out, the fuel property is newly detected based on engine operating conditions, while when refueling has not been carried out, the fuel property is considered to be unchanged, and a fuel supply quantity is controlled in accordance with a fuel property for the previous time.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting refueling of a vehicle engine, which outputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of refueling of a fuel tank from which fuel is supplied to the engine, said apparatus comprising;
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a remaining quantity sensor for detecting a remaining fuel quantity inside said fuel tank, and refueling detection means for outputting a refueling signal indicating that said fuel tank has been refueled, when an increase change in the remaining fuel quantity detected by said remaining quantity sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined proportion of the remaining fuel quantity before the increase change. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for detecting refueling of a vehicle engine, which outputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of refueling of a fuel tank from which fuel is supplied to the engine, said apparatus comprising;
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a remaining quantity sensor for detecting a remaining fuel quantity inside said fuel tank, and refueling detection means for outputting a refueling signal indicating that said fuel tank has been refueled, when a condition wherein an increase change per unit time in the remaining fuel quantity detected by said remaining quantity sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, continues for more than a predetermined time.
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4. An apparatus for detecting refueling of a vehicle engine, which outputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of refueling of a fuel tank from which fuel is supplied to the engine, said apparatus comprising;
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a tank pressure sensor for detecting a pressure inside said fuel tank, and refueling detection means for outputting a refueling signal indicating that said fuel tank has been refueled, when a pressure inside said fuel tank detected by said tank pressure sensor is approximately equal to atmospheric pressure.
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5. An apparatus for supplying fuel to a vehicle engine from a fuel tank said apparatus comprising;
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refueling detection means for detecting the presence or absence of refueling of said fuel tank, fuel property detection means for indirectly detecting a fuel property based on engine operating conditions, fuel property storage means for storing and holding a fuel property detected by said fuel property detection means while the engine is stopped, and start-up fuel supply control means for supplying to the engine a quantity of fuel corresponding to the fuel property stored in said fuel property storage means, when detected by said refueling detection means that refueling has not been carried out while the engine is stopped, and for supplying to the engine a quantity of fuel corresponding to a previously set reference fuel property when detected by said refueling detection means that refueling has been carried out while the engine is stopped. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for supplying fuel to a vehicle engine from a fuel tank said apparatus comprising;
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fuel property detection means for indirectly detecting a fuel property based on engine operating conditions, fuel supply control means for supplying to the engine a quantity of fuel corresponding to the fuel property detected by said fuel property detection means, refueling detection means for detecting the presence or absence of refueling of said fuel tank, and fuel property updating means for repeating fuel property detection by said fuel property detection means and updating the fuel property, when refueling is detected by said refueling detection means during engine operation subsequent to detection of the fuel property by said fuel property detection means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting refueling of a vehicle engine including;
- outputting a refueling signal indicating that a fuel tank has been refueled, when a difference between a remaining fuel quantity in said fuel tank when a key switch is switched off and a remaining fuel quantity in said fuel tank when the key switch is switched on, is equal to or greater than a predetermined proportion of the remaining fuel quantity when the key switch was switched off.
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14. A method of detecting refueling of a vehicle engine including;
- outputting a refueling signal indicating that a fuel tank has been refueled, when a condition wherein an increase change per unit time in a remaining fuel quantity in said fuel tank is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, continues for more than a predetermined time.
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15. A method of detecting refueling of a vehicle engine including;
- outputting a refueling signal indicating that a fuel tank has been refueled, when a pressure inside said fuel tank is approximately equal to atmospheric pressure.
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16. A method of supplying fuel to a vehicle engine including;
- detecting whether or not refueling of a fuel tank has been carried out while the engine is stopped, and when refueling has been carried out, indirectly detecting a fuel property based on engine operating conditions, and updating the fuel property, and during a period until completion of said updating of the fuel property, supplying to the engine a quantity of fuel corresponding to a previously set reference fuel property, and after completion of said updating of the fuel property, supplying to the engine a quantity of fuel corresponding to the updated fuel property, while when refueling has not been carried out while the engine is stopped, supplying to the engine from the time of start-up, a quantity of fuel corresponding to a fuel property which has been stored and held while the engine was stopped.
- View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
- 19. A method of supplying fuel to a vehicle engine including detecting the presence or absence of refueling of a fuel tank at least during engine operation, and each time refueling is detected, indirectly detecting a fuel property based on engine operating conditions, updating the fuel property, and supplying a quantity of fuel to the engine corresponding to the latest updated fuel property.
Specification