Fuel saving apparatus

• US 8,165,782 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cartech Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mosomoto Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Seung Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US12/310,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 123/478, 123/480, 123/486, 701101-105, 701/110, 701/115, 701/123, 701/207, 701/213, 702/182, 702/183, 702/187, 702/188, 731/145.2, 731/145.3
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0614 Actual fuel mass or fuel injection amount
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel saving apparatus that provides information, such as vehicle speed, a fuel injection period, fuel efficiency and engine load, to a driver in real time, thereby enabling the driver to develop economic driving and economical driving habits.

Claims

1. A fuel saving apparatus, comprising:

an effective injection period calculation module for receiving an injection valve opening signal, and calculating an effective injection period;

an injection amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of injection using the effective injection period received from the effective injection period calculation module;

a fuel efficiency calculation module for receiving the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit and vehicle speed from a speedometer, and calculating fuel efficiency;

a display unit for displaying the effective injection period, calculated by the effective injection period calculation module, and the fuel efficiency, calculated by the fuel efficiency calculation module, to a driver; and

a control unit for controlling the effective injection period calculation module, the injection amount calculation unit, the fuel efficiency calculation module, and the display unit.

2. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an injector.

3. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an Electronic Control Unit (ECU).

4. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an injector provided with a power line communication device and configured to send the injection valve opening signal through the power line communication device via a power line;

wherein the effective injection time calculation unit receives the injection valve opening signal sent by the injector via the power line.

5. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the injection amount calculation unit receives injection pressure from a MAP sensor, corrects the amount of injection using the received injection pressure, and calculates a corrected amount of injection.

6. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an engine load calculation unit for receiving injection pressure from a MAP sensor, and calculating engine load using the received injection pressure;

wherein the display unit displays the engine load, calculated by the engine load calculation unit, to the driver.

7. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the effective injection period calculation module comprises:

an injection signal input unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal;

an injection time calculation unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal from the injection signal input unit and calculating an injection period; and

an effective injection time calculation unit for calculating an ineffective injection period from the injection period calculated by the injection time calculation unit, and calculating an effective injection period.

8. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fuel efficiency calculation module comprises:

a speed input unit for receiving speed; and

a fuel efficiency calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit, and calculating the fuel efficiency.

9. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

the fuel efficiency calculation module further comprises a traveled distance calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and calculating traveled distance, and

the control unit displays the traveled distance or the section traveled distance on the display unit.

10. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a wireless reception unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal and the speed from the speedometer via wireless connections, and sending them to the effective injection period calculation module and the fuel efficiency calculation module.

11. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an injector, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.

12. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an ECU, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.

13. A fuel saving apparatus, comprising:

an effective injection period calculation module for receiving an injection valve opening signal, and calculating an effective injection period;

an injection amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of injection using the effective injection period received from the effective injection period calculation module;

a fuel efficiency calculation module for receiving the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit, receiving vehicle speed from a GPS speedometer provided with a GPS receiver for receiving a signal from a satellite, and calculating fuel efficiency;

a display unit for displaying the effective injection period, calculated by the effective injection period calculation module, and the fuel efficiency, calculated by the fuel efficiency calculation module, to a driver; and

a control unit for controlling the effective injection period calculation module, the injection amount calculation unit, the fuel efficiency calculation module, and the display unit.

14. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an injector.

15. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an ECU.

16. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising an injector provided with a power line communication device and configured to send the injection valve opening signal through the power line communication device via a power line;

wherein the effective injection time calculation unit receives the injection valve opening signal sent by the injector via the power line.

17. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the injection amount calculation unit receives injection pressure from a MAP sensor, corrects the amount of injection using the received injection pressure, and calculates a corrected amount of injection.

18. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising an engine load calculation unit for receiving injection pressure from a MAP sensor, and calculating engine load using the received injection pressure;

wherein the display unit displays the engine load, calculated by the engine load calculation unit, to the driver.

19. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the effective injection period calculation module comprises:

an injection signal input unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal;

an injection time calculation unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal from the injection signal input unit and calculating an injection period; and

an effective injection time calculation unit for calculating an ineffective injection period from the injection period calculated by the injection time calculation unit, and calculating an effective injection period.

20. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the fuel efficiency calculation module comprises:

a speed input unit for receiving speed; and

a fuel efficiency calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit, and calculating the fuel efficiency.

21. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein:

the fuel efficiency calculation module further comprises a traveled distance calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and calculating a traveled distance; and

the control unit displays the traveled distance or the section traveled distance on the display unit.

22. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a wireless reception unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal in a wireless connection, and sending it to the effective injection period calculation module and the fuel efficiency calculation module.

23. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an injector, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.

24. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an ECU, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.

25. A fuel saving apparatus, comprising:

a GPS module for receiving a GPS signal, acquiring GPS information from the received GPS signal, and outputting the GPS information;

an effective injection period calculation module for receiving an injection valve opening signal, and calculating an effective injection period;

an injection amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of injection using the effective injection period received from the effective injection period calculation module;

a speedometer for calculating vehicle speed using the GPS information received from the GPS module;

a fuel efficiency calculation module for receiving the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit and the vehicle speed from the speedometer, and calculating fuel efficiency;

a display unit for displaying the effective injection period, calculated by the effective injection period calculation module, and the GPS information, output from the GPS module, to a driver; and

a control unit for controlling the GPS module, the effective injection period calculation module, the injection amount calculation unit, the fuel efficiency calculation module, the speedometer and the display unit.

26. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an injector.

27. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal from an ECU.

28. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising an injector provided with a power line communication device and configured to send the injection valve opening signal through the power line communication device via a power line;

wherein the effective injection time calculation unit receives the injection valve opening signal sent by the injector via the power line.

29. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the injection amount calculation unit receives injection pressure from a MAP sensor, corrects the amount of injection using the received injection pressure, and calculates a corrected amount of injection.

30. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a DMB module for receiving a DMB signal, extracting DMB information from the received DMB signal, and outputting the DMB information;

wherein the display unit provides the DMB information provided by the DMB module.

31. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a mobile communication module for receiving a mobile communication signal, extracting communication information from the received mobile communication signal, and providing communication.

32. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the effective injection period calculation module comprises:

an injection signal input unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal;

an injection time calculation unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal from the injection signal input unit and calculating an injection period; and

an effective injection time calculation unit for calculating an ineffective injection period from the injection period calculated by the injection time calculation unit, and calculating an effective injection period.

33. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising an MP3 module for playing an MP3 file.

34. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a vehicle PC module provided with a function of accessing a portable Internet to provide a portable Internet service, and provided with a DVD/CD function to play a DVD/CD.

35. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the fuel efficiency calculation module comprises:

a speed input unit for receiving speed; and

a fuel efficiency calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and the amount of injection from the injection amount calculation unit, and calculating the fuel efficiency.

36. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 35, wherein:

the fuel efficiency calculation module further comprises a traveled distance calculation unit for receiving the speed from the speed input unit and calculating a traveled distance, and

the control unit displays the traveled distance or the section traveled distance on the display unit.

37. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a wireless reception unit for receiving the injection valve opening signal via a wireless connection, and sending it to the effective injection period calculation module and the fuel efficiency calculation module.

38. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an injector, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.

39. The fuel saving apparatus as set forth in claim 37, wherein the effective injection period calculation module receives the injection valve opening signal through the wireless reception unit via a wireless connection, the injection valve opening signal having been sent by an ECU, including an opening signal wireless transmission unit, through the opening signal wireless transmission unit.