Method and apparatus for optimizing vehicle operation
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
- a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor;
a processor subsystem, coupled to each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom;
a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a manifold pressure set point, an RPM set point, and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors;
a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle;
an upshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said upshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an excessive speed;
said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit and when to activate said upshift notification circuit.
3 Assignments
Litigations
4 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for optimizing operation of an engine-driven vehicle. The apparatus includes a processor subsystem, a memory subsystem, a road speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor, a throttle position sensor, a radar detector for determining the distance separating the vehicle from an object in front of it, a windshield wiper sensor for indicating whether a windshield wiper of the vehicle is activated, a brake sensor for determining whether the brakes of the vehicle have been activated, a fuel overinjection notification circuit for issuing notifications that excessive fuel is being supplied to the engine of the vehicle, an upshift notification circuit for issuing notifications that the engine of the vehicle is being operated at an excessive engine speed, a downshift notification circuit for issuing notifications that the engine of the vehicle is being operated at an insufficient engine speed, a vehicle proximity alarm circuit for issuing an alarm that the vehicle is too close to an object in front of the vehicle and a throttle controller for automatically reducing the amount of fuel supplied to the engine if the vehicle is too close to the object in front of it. Based upon data received from the sensors and data stored in the memory subsystem, the processor determines whether to activate the fuel overinjection notification circuit, the upshift notification circuit, the downshift notification circuit, the vehicle proximity alarm circuit or the throttle controller.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a manifold pressure set point, an RPM set point, and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; an upshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said upshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an excessive speed; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit and when to activate said upshift notification circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a manifold pressure set point and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; a downshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said downshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an insufficient engine speed; and said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit and when to activate said downshift notification circuit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a manifold pressure set point, an engine speed set point and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; an upshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said upshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an excessive engine speed; a downshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said downshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an insufficient engine speed; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit, said upshift notification circuit and said downshift notification circuit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a radar detector, said radar detector determining a distance separating a vehicle having an engine and an object in front of said vehicle; at least one sensor coupled to said vehicle for monitoring operation thereof, said at least one sensor including a road speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor, a throttle position sensor and an engine speed sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to said radar detector and said at least one sensor, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing a first vehicle speed/stopping distance table, a manifold pressure set point, an RPM set point, a present level for each one of said at least one sensor and a prior level for each one of said at least one sensor; a vehicle proximity alarm circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said vehicle proximity alarm circuit issuing an alarm that said vehicle is too close to said object; a fuel overinjection circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; an upshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said upshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an excessive speed; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said radar detector, said at least one sensor and said memory subsystem, when to activate said vehicle proximity alarm circuit, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit, and when to activate said upshift notification circuit. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a radar detector, said radar detector determining a distance separating a vehicle having an engine and an object in front of said vehicle; a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, and engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to said radar detector and each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a first vehicle speed/stopping distance table, a manifold pressure set point, an RPM set point, and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; an upshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said upshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an excessive engine speed; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit and when to activate said upshift notification circuit; a vehicle proximity alarm circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said vehicle proximity alarm circuit issuing an alarm that said vehicle is too close to said object; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said radar detector, said at least one sensor and said memory subsystem, when to activate said vehicle proximity alarm circuit. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
-
26. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a radar detector, said radar detector determining a distance separating a vehicle having an engine and an object in front of said vehicle; a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, and engine speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to said radar detector and each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing therein a first vehicle speed/stopping distance table, a manifold pressure set point, RPM set point, and present and prior levels for each one of said plurality of sensors; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; a downshift notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said downshift notification circuit issuing a notification that said engine of said vehicle is being operated at an insufficient engine speed; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said plurality of sensors, when to activate said fuel overinjection circuit and when to activate said downshift notification circuit; a vehicle proximity alarm circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said vehicle proximity alarm circuit issuing an alarm that said vehicle is too close to said object; said processor subsystem determining, based upon data received from said radar detector, said at least one sensor and said memory subsystem, when to activate said vehicle proximity alarm circuit. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle having an engine, said plurality of sensors, which collectively monitor operation of said vehicle, including a road speed sensor, a manifold pressure sensor and a throttle position sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to each one of said plurality of sensors, to receive data therefrom; a fuel overinjection notification circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said fuel overinjection notification circuit issuing a notification that excessive fuel is being supplied to said engine of said vehicle; said processor subsystem determining whether to activate said fuel overinjection notification sensor based upon data received from said road speed sensor, said throttle position sensor and said manifold pressure sensor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. Apparatus for optimizing operation of a vehicle, comprising:
-
a radar detector, said radar detector determining a distance separating a vehicle having an engine and an object in front of said vehicle; at least one sensor coupled to said vehicle for monitoring operation thereof, said at least one sensor including a road speed sensor; a processor subsystem, coupled to said radar detector and said at least one sensor, to receive data therefrom; a memory subsystem, coupled to said processor subsystem, said memory subsystem storing a first vehicle speed/stopping distance table; a vehicle proximity alarm circuit coupled to said processor subsystem, said vehicle proximity alarm circuit issuing an alarm that said vehicle is too close to said object; said processor subsystem determining whether to activate said vehicle proximity alarm circuit based upon separation distance data received from said radar detector, vehicle speed data received from said road speed sensor and said first vehicle speed/stopping distance table stored in said memory subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (32)
-
Specification