Vehicle liquid level gauge

• US 6,427,533 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): CYGAN, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/239,993
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 732/90.R, 733/05, 733/09, 733/13, 733/04.C, 732/91, 340/612, 340/618, 340/620, 702/55
• US Class Current: 73/291
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level

Abstract

A liquid level gauge for use on a vehicle indicates a liquid level in a start-up and in a running state in accordance with requirements designated by a user of the vehicle, the level being indicated with little or no time lag. Data detected in analog form by a fuel sensor is converted to digital signals by a sensor value reader. An indicator driver receives time signals from a timer and speed signals from a vehicle speed sensor and, in a suitably timed manner reflecting the vehicle speed, calculates fuel level data to be indicated based on the digital signals. The fuel level data thus calculated is indicated on a fuel level indicator. The fuel level data may be updated at intervals of one second if vehicle speed is less than 4 km/h and at intervals of 15 seconds if vehicle speed is at least 4 km/h. The indicator driver calculates the fuel level data using the digital signals unmodified or an average of digital signals obtained using a rapid averaging process, whereby fuel level is indicated with little or no time lag.

Claims

1. A liquid level gauge for a vehicle, comprising:

a liquid tank mounted on the vehicle;

liquid level detecting means for detecting a level of a liquid in said liquid tank and for generating detection signals indicative of detected levels of the liquid;

vehicle speed judging means for determining a speed of the vehicle; and

indicator driving means for calculating a tank liquid level value to be indicated as a liquid level of said liquid tank, said tank liquid level value being calculated without averaging said generated detection signals at least when the determined speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed value;

said indicator driving means varying an update interval at which the liquid level indicated on said liquid level indicating means is updated in accordance with the determined speed of the vehicle,

said indicator driving means calculating the tank liquid level value to be indicated based on values read from said liquid level detecting means within a time period shorter than the updated intervals.

2. The liquid level gauge of claim 1, wherein at least said vehicle speed judging means, said indicator driving means and said liquid level indicating means are housed in a case which accommodates a vehicle speedometer.

3. The liquid level gauge of claim 1, wherein said indicator driving means calculates a tank liquid level value to be indicated as the liquid level based on a specific number of detection signals provided by said liquid level detecting means.

4. The liquid level gauge of claim 1, further comprising smoothing means for smoothing the detection signals provided from said liquid level detecting means.

5. The liquid level gauge of claim 1, wherein the update intervals are not greater than one second when the determined speed of the vehicle is less than five kilometers per hour and the update intervals are between five and sixty seconds when the determined speed of the vehicle is at least five kilometers per hour.